Weekly #363 - Painting with Light Competition

Looks like this was a challenge too far for the Forum generally. Setting a competition that didn’t feel inclusive to the members is a mistake on my part. So sorry folks ….

Anyway, thanks for those who have taken part, and onto the judging……….

The Tunnel by John Riley
Thanks to John for getting the competition started. He demonstrates the usefulness of adding a torch to the kit we carry. I’ve been in the Victorian tunnels running under Newcastle, and wish I’d taken a torch instead of using harsh flash. To me this gives us a record shot as opposed to a competition winner. The subject matter is not particularly interesting to a lay person who wasn’t there. I would however like to have seen more of the scene lit as the most interesting part looks to be the network of pipes towards the top. However, I do appreciate John getting us going.

Painted Rose by Geordie1
An excellent study of a stolen rose. Good use of a mobile phone to add light. Well-handled exposure and maximising depth of field with a small aperture. Perhaps I would have toned down the lower sepal, as it draws attention from the main part of the flower. The use of water adds that extra bit of magic, especially along the top edge where they are highlighted against the black backdrop

Lighthouse by Perspicador
Unfortunately, the photographer has not added any light to this image. Its all from the big globe in the sky. Nevertheless Rodney, I do have to say I appreciate it. As a record shot which shows the scale of the nesting area of the Gannets. I presume the high shutter speed was because you were shooting from a boat. Could perhaps do with upping the contrast a bit. Looks a tad washed out

Faded Rose by billyspad
Another excellent study of a rose
You can almost feel the textures. I looked at this on Friday, and expected to visibly see it wilt further by Sunday. This is a fabulous shot, with the exposure handled beautifully and a perfect background. Like the previous rose shot, the only issue I have with this is what I presume are sepals from the calyx. These go out of the bottom of the frame and I want to see where they end

Green Glasses by GlynM
Very well thought out Glyn with the taller glasses at the back and all arranged to capture the light individually. Exposure well-handled with detail visible from front to back with the rims illuminated in green. I also like the effect of the mist. Are you sure it’s not from your back catalogue captured from a disco

Cranefly under the spotlight by Noelcmn
Light painting an animal is moving into difficult territory. Having said that, some birds or insects may stay relatively still in the dark. I don’t think I’d try it at this magnification though unless the subject was dead. You’d find it easier to start with something like a still life, then you can use a small aperture and paint in your exposure over a few or more seconds, as opposed to shooting at 1/30 sec at f4. Probably not possible to have a cranefly all in focus at this aperture. The two front legs seem closest to being in focus, or is camera shake less noticeable on them given their position. So you set yourself up a bit for failure on this one I think. But can’t knock you for giving it a go.

Healthy Veggies have Party Time... by drofmit
Painting with light …. And then some. What to say about this one. I think it’s great. What a smashing plot you have there. I'm really quite jealous. While I think it’s great in a fun way, technically, the elements do look like they have been dropped in as opposed to being merged to look like one image. Thanks for taking part, and thinking out of the box.

The two stand out pictures are both of roses. Both have been handled very skilfully. Perfectly exposed, lots of detail, good depth of field, and good backgrounds without any light spill The only difference is one of personal preference, as either would have been a worthy winner.

My personal preference is:

1st Painted Rose by Geordie1
2nd Faded Rose by Billyspad

Thank you to those who took part. I appreciated all your entries.

"What a smashing plot you have there. I'm really quite jealous."

If you'd just finished planting seventy tomatoes...
[twenty different varieties... ask t'wife!!]...
you probably wouldn't think so.
BUT...
we have the same growing space now as we did at Headingley....
now, without access problems [it is now outside the back door]....
now, without the paramedic Volvo sirens disturbing the peace...
now, without having to endure someone singinging [badly] "Nesting Dormice" from the stadium...
just the purring of Turtle Doves, the trickle of the millstream and the buzz of bees.


"...technically, the elements do look like they have been dropped in as opposed to being merged to look like one image"....
that was deliberate, especially the hard edges in the foreground....
to make it look like it was cut out and pasted in...
so I am quite pleased that you thought so....
I'd picked the winner as the winner, so tried [in a state of near exhaustion at 11pm [our time... not UK time] to do something totally different in a timed slot of 30 minutes....
the three pictures were taken last week, my intention this week was to "light the barn and house up" and enter that...
but those tomatoes got in the way!!!
One thing I do mis is the ability to do a proper B exposure of around thirty minutes, by locking the shutter button down...
holding it down for almost two minutes was quite tricky....

Difficult one this. Thanks for the challenge Blythman. Not as many entries as hoped, but for my part, a lovely learning curve, especially from the two winners. High standard of creativity and skill from Geordie1 and Billyspad. Congratulations to the both of you. Such lovely images and I will most certainly copying that sometime. Thanks for the comments and judging too Blythman- you do understand that setting up light, tripod camera, torch etc, on a crane fly was risky, barely had time to shoot it, and off it went. Put the light on, found it again, and tried again-failure. Which you noticed seemingly

Many thanks Alan for an interesting competition. I thought is was a good, original, idea and open to interpretation so the low entry was a bit disappointing. However you certainly attracted some great shots.

I loved both the flower images and I thought Tim's vegetable plot was brilliant. John's tunnel shot was definitely close to the illuminated cave pictures that came to mind when I first read the brief and I felt for the pressure Noel had to work under with the crane fly.

Glyn

P.S. I am in awe with your astounding puffin shot in the "Your Photo" forum listing.

Thanks for the top podium spot Alan, bit disappointed in the lack of entries for this competition though as I think it is an interesting subject and some thing that can be done when there is crap light outside.
Will have to get thinking for the next subject and hopefully get it up and running later today.
G