2 Festive Ornaments

cardiffgareth
Posted 12/12/2017 - 15:13 Link
Was playing last night with our festive wooden village scenes that are on the sideboard. Here are the images:

Both Pentax K3ii, Sigma 105mm, tripod and 2 sec self timer.

1.
Comment Image
Festive Still Life by Gareth Williams, on Flickr

2.
Comment Image
Festive Still Life by Gareth Williams, on Flickr
Gareth Williams ARPS

My outfit: K1ii - Pentax D FA 24-70mm f2.8 - Pentax DA* 300mm f4 - Pentax modified DA* 60-250mm f4 - Irix 15mm Firefly - Pentax FA 35mm - FA 50mm f1.4 - Tamron SP 90mm macro - Pentax AF 540 FGZ II

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derek897
Posted 12/12/2017 - 15:28 - Helpful Comment Link
Pretty cool.
Like no 2 best
Could be good at Halloween too
I know what i like, If not always why.
swarf
Posted 12/12/2017 - 15:49 - Helpful Comment Link
# 2 for me as well

Phil
K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses

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1stEverPentax
Posted 12/12/2017 - 16:41 - Helpful Comment Link
Nice those Gareth. No.2 for me as well. That house looks like it could be made from gingerbread.

regards

Karlo
Posted 13/12/2017 - 20:52 - Helpful Comment Link
Really nice Gareth... very eye catching...

Best
cardiffgareth
Posted 13/12/2017 - 22:02 Link
Thanks all!

Interesting that nearly everyone prefers the 2nd image!
Gareth Williams ARPS

My outfit: K1ii - Pentax D FA 24-70mm f2.8 - Pentax DA* 300mm f4 - Pentax modified DA* 60-250mm f4 - Irix 15mm Firefly - Pentax FA 35mm - FA 50mm f1.4 - Tamron SP 90mm macro - Pentax AF 540 FGZ II

Welsh Photographer
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davidwozhere
Posted 14/12/2017 - 01:38 - Helpful Comment Link
The first one has gaps either side of the building, making it obvious what it is. The second has no gaps and the terrace of houses disappears naturally out of frame each side. Additionally, the extra house and tree gives an added depth dimension making the scene much more "believable" -- and I just noticed the chimneys occluding the coloured lights, which adds even more depth.

I've learned a lot from this - thank you!
Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

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derek897
Posted 14/12/2017 - 07:05 - Helpful Comment Link
For me. What I prefer about the 2nd shot Is,
The front looks better lit, no blue caste on the roof, the colourful Windows mirror the Xmas lights in the background (Is that the light source in the Windows?), the shape of the Windows is more pleasing in the 2nd one as well.
And as David has said, it fills the frame.

Good shooting.
I know what i like, If not always why.
razashaikh
Posted 14/12/2017 - 12:19 - Helpful Comment Link
Looks great. Especially the 2nd image.
cardiffgareth
Posted 14/12/2017 - 19:19 Link
davidwozhere wrote:
I've learned a lot from this - thank you!
One thing I didn't mention was ...!

Once I had composed how I wanted them to look with the camera on a tripod and composing using live view, I focused on the houses and shot them at around f5.6. Then I focused the lens well out of focus so the ornament light was totally blurred into bokeh balls, changed the aperture to f2.8 (wide open) so the balls remained round and not hexagonal and shot them. After basic editing they were both then exported into Photoshop as smart objects and one image copy and pasted over the other so there was 2 layers. After making a layer mask I used the lasso tool to select the houses skyline and feathered the edge by 5 pixels so it wasn't a sharp edge. Then I painted away the more 'in focus' ornament lights for the layer with the larger OOF bokeh balls. Once happy then flattened image and saved
Gareth Williams ARPS

My outfit: K1ii - Pentax D FA 24-70mm f2.8 - Pentax DA* 300mm f4 - Pentax modified DA* 60-250mm f4 - Irix 15mm Firefly - Pentax FA 35mm - FA 50mm f1.4 - Tamron SP 90mm macro - Pentax AF 540 FGZ II

Welsh Photographer
Flickr
Instagram
My PPG
Foundation NFT

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