St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

From http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-181470-1.html

The winners of Hands with 124 entries and (363) votes are...

1st place = edlcsre with 14.46 points and (27) votes (1st) date taken Unknown
2nd place = Beaubeau with 6.25 points and (14) votes (1st) date taken 2014:01:25
3rd place = roger2012 with 6.18 points and (18) votes (1st) date taken Unknown
4th place = plessner with 5.94 points and (8) votes (1st) date taken 2009:03:29

Congratulations everyone - especially those who added a little more by telling us about their photos!!!

> http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/photo_contest.jsp?pcnum=100 <
- Click (ratings) to see all the entries at once

Running Totals - Underlined equals multiple time winners
1st = fad2000, u02bnpx, PW4GDF, edlcsre
2nd = Fuzzycoach, GreyGeek, abby, Beaubeau
3rd = mcdykes, Moonsey, Ken Mahar, roger2012
4th = tjoyce0528, pithydoug, catfish252, plessner

Just hold on and everything will be ok


While fishing on the pier, we were entertained by an old and weathered fisherman.


Hands


MY husbands hand on the Vietnam Wall underneath the name of a classmate killed in that war

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

To help this weeks WPC 1404 - Hands ANALYSIS volunteer please visit http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-182044-1.html

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

An interview with plessner,

1) How long have you been into photography and what got you started?I feel like I have always had a camera in my hand

2) Do you have any formal training and what kind of photography do you do most? No training. I mostly enjoy scenery, sunsets, our farm life, and the grandkids

3) In your opinion, what makes a good picture stand out from the rest? One that makes you say "OH WOW"

4) What equipment did you use and was there any special setup? Can you walk us through it? This was taken with my very first digital camera. We were in DC at the Vietnam Wall and looked up the name of my husbands fallen classmate, it was high up and he put his hand up as high as he could reach and the name was just above it.

5) Do you post process your final images, and if so can you describe your workflow? I really did nothing to this photo I usually do some straightening or brightness adjusting in Picasa

6) Who or what has influenced your photography and what inspired you to take your winning shot? this shot was just one in a long day of sightseeing and taking photos

7) Would you change anything if you could do it again, and if so what? I would like to go back to DC and redo a lot of things there as I have become more experienced in getting my camera to do what I want it to do!

8) What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos? I still need to learn more about post processing and decide what program to go with for that

9) What is your favorite photography accessory, other than your camera?I love my 18-250 lens

10) If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why? it would be that one as it covers a lot of distance

11) What lighting equipment, if any, do you take on a shoot?

12) If you couldn't do photography what else would you do? I do crafts for my work and photography is my hobby

13) Do you have any funny or interesting stories about your experiences?
When grand daughter was very little one grandma was grandma coffee--as she is always drinking coffee and I was grandma camera!

14) Is there somewhere we can see more of your work?
not yet--trying to get something put together

15) Do you have any advice for the rest of us?
have fun with it

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

An interview with Beaubeau,

1) How long have you been into photography and what got you started?
I purchased my Nikon D7100 about 8 months ago. I've been around art and photography most of my life. I love being creative and decided to try photography as a outlet for my creative spirit.

2) Do you have any formal training and what kind of photography do you do most?
I took a few photography classes as our Adult Education Classes. Other than that, I've had no formal training. I'm sure at some point, I will probably focus on a type of photography but for now I really enjoy photographing just about anything.

3) In your opinion, what makes a good picture stand out from the rest?
For me it's composure and then lighting. I try and compose my pictures through the lens. Once I got my camera, I began to look at things that I was accustomed to seeing everyday as a potential photograph. I was amazed at how you can turn ordinary things into such beauty.

4) What equipment did you use and was there any special setup? Can you walk us through it?
I used my Nikon D7100 with the 18-105 MM lens. It was an overcast (and cold day). I was on a fishing pier in Sarasota FL and I was just taking pictures of my grandson fishing. There were a couple of fisherman there and one had a guitar and started to sing to us. I asked if he would mind if I took his picture. He was thrilled as I'm not sure he has much contact with people. He was sitting on the dock so I got down to his level and began to snap away.

5) Do you post process your final images, and if so can you describe your workflow?
I take raw files and process in camera raw. I also purchased NIK Software. I do my initial post processing in camera raw and then occasionally continue to process in NIK. This is an area where I need more training!

6) Who or what has influenced your photography and what inspired you to take your winning shot?
My mom (mother of 9 children) is a great photographer. She didn't really take up her passion until after her children were raised. It was just a hobby for her and she was taking pictures prior to the digital age but she has a great eye and has taken some great shots over the years. My photo was of old and weathered fisherman that spends most of his days and nights on the fishing pier. His guitar was as weathered as he was. He began to play for us and I was mesmerized by his self taught talent. He apparently spends so much time by himself that he was thrilled to have an audience. I began to focus on his hands and then the shot came to me.

7) Would you change anything if you could do it again, and if so what?
I don't think I would change anything - maybe my focal point but I was pleased with the outcome as is.

8) What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?
I wish I had known how fulfilling this hobby could be. I'm a creative spirit of sorts and I love exploring new and exciting ways to express myself.

9) What is your favorite photography accessory, other than your camera?
If you consider Photoshop (CS6) and accessory then I would have to say that is currently my favorite accessory.

10) If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?
I love my 50MM prime lens - it takes incredibly sharp images.

11) What lighting equipment, if any, do you take on a shoot?
I am in the process of learning lighting. Most of what I do is self taught and by trial and error. I am taking a lighting class next month.

12) If you couldn't do photography what else would you do?
Something creative - for sure. Maybe painting.

13) Do you have any funny or interesting stories about your experiences?
I've learned that most people do not like having their picture taken so one has to be very engaging when trying to photograph people. I'm not a fan of "posed pictures" and am finding out how difficult it is to get the' un-posed' shot.

14) Is there somewhere we can see more of your work?
I've started a Pinterest Board called "Photos I love taking". It has a lot of my very early work on there - so I need to bring it up to date and then I'd be happy to share my work. I'm flattered!

15) Do you have any advice for the rest of us?
Just keep shooting and sharing. I think I'm my hardest critic. One of the most difficult things for me is to build self confidence about my photos. I love feedback and feel that by sharing my photos I can get criticism and learn from the opinions of others.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

An interview with edlcsre,

First of all, thank you so much! I'm SO excited!

1) How long have you been into photography and what got you started?
I've always had an interest in photography. When i was at school (22 years ago now!!) i borrowed a Canon A1 for a half term holiday trip and I was hooked after that, shooting film and sending it off and waiting the for package of photos to come through the door and see what i'd got.
I've always been a keen amateur, but it was the advent of digital and the ability to post edit which really caught my imagination. I've been trying to sell some of my work privately since 2012, but don't quite have the courage to try and make it a day job just yet. I try and shoot every image as if it was film, not be lazy with my composition and just shoot loads, its just good practice to get as much right as you can at the time.

2) Do you have any formal training and what kind of photography do you do most?
No formal training, but i did do an on line photography course, which helped me understand more about exposure, and to think about composition, but with a digital camera i just try different ideas and see how they look. I tend to be an outdoor photographer most of the time, either that or abstract/close up work, i like cropping tight and breaking the rules from time to time.

3) In your opinion, what makes a good picture stand out from the rest?
A good picture stands out because its different, or unusual. If you shoot the same thing the same as everyone else, by definition your picture won't stand out, it'll look the same, so its just about either capturing the exact moment, portraying a picture, or breaking the rules to photograph something differently. One of my favourite photos is of the tower hosing Big Ben in London. Everyone who has ever been to London has a shot of Big Ben, but mine is a reflection of it in a puddle in the road. I feel it stands out because its different to the normal shots, and thats why its one of my favourites.

4) What equipment did you use and was there any special setup? Can you walk us through it?
I have to confess this particular shot was nothing more than a shot taken on an iPhone at the hospital. Its my wife's hand and my daughter, who was born 9 weeks early and spent some time in hospital, cuddling up for a little together time. This was one of the first times she was out of the incubator, and it was lit by a window behind her, which gave quite harsh light, but it was all about the moment of her falling asleep holding hands, the tiny size of the baby being highlighted by the comparable size of the lady's hand. I liked the fact there was a wedding ring showing too, just somehow added to the mood.

5) Do you post process your final images, and if so can you describe your workflow?
My standard workflow for any pictures would be to sharpen slightly, all digital images tend to be a little fuzzy, and just tweak of sharpness helps. I'll then most likely look at exposure and so on, and decide if the shot would be better or less distracting in black and white. This shot was post processed quite a lot as it was very grainy to start with, being shot on a camera phone under natural light. I removed noise, added black and white and adjusted levels to remove dark shadows. I also, unusually for me, decided to apply smoothing to the image, to just soften the whole lot a bit, as it seemed to work for the subject.

6) Who or what has influenced your photography and what inspired you to take your winning shot?
I love trying to capture a particular moment, or a mood or feeling, so i try and wait for the moment to take the right shot. You can edit most things afterwards, but you can't edit the moment in if you miss it. Influences in my photography would be someone like Ansel Adams, I adore his work and some of his books are really inspirational. I'll never get to his standard, but i like how he looked at the world, and can teach us much.
This shot was just a lucky chance, the light was right, the subjects weren't even posed, this was just how it looked and i took the photo. Sometimes you just need to be lucky to get the shot, its no more than being in the right place at the right time.

7) Would you change anything if you could do it again, and if so what?
I'd been giving Isobel a cuddle for a few minutes before she was placed down, and my t-shirt was quite a rough material, and you can see the stripes of my t-shirt on her face! I'd have a different t-shirt on, but other than that I don't think I'd change anything else. I like this shot as it really speaks for itself. It would have been nice to have shot this with an SLR but trying to get that lot out in the Special Care Baby Unit wouldn't have been an option, so it was the best i could do with what i had.

8) What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?
That you never finish, you never complete your photography. There is always something else, another style to try, another new camera to get, a new technology to play with. I also wish i'd known now how far i'd progress, and had kept more of my old prints. Major thing is i wish someone had told me how important it was to label and categorise photos. If I wanted to find this image, i'd have to try and remember when it was taken, and search around. If you're digital, take the time to apply metadata when you import anything to help you find it later on. I still don't do it, and always wish i was better!

9) What is your favorite photography accessory, other than your camera?
I'd have to say a tripod, as so many of the shots i take rely on one, but its just an extension to the camera. I think my favourite is my neutral density filter. Adding that to the lens can make crowds disappear, and give you the most amazing effects in daylight you just can't get otherwise.

10) If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?
I shoot Canon and I've been able to use their 70-200 F2.8 lens and if i could have any lens it'd be that one, which I can't afford!! Gives great quality images at lower light, and a good range of view to cover most subject. Of the lenses i do have, it'd be my 50mm f1.8, sometimes i pop that on just to avoid being lazy and zooming the lens, and walk around to get the right shot. A prime lens makes you think more, and sometimes thats good.

11) What lighting equipment, if any, do you take on a shoot?
A couple of flash guns (nothing fancy, mine were £12 each on ebay, and you dial up the power to whatever you want, so i test the power before i shoot) I also rely on the remote firing mechanism, which means I can have one of the flashguns off to the side, or behind. I have a fold up reflector which i also throw in, its handy to be able to bounce light around when you need to.

12) If you couldn't do photography what else would you do?
Interesting one! I work in IT and I'd probably just be more embroiled in work than ever. Photography gives me a lovely escape from my day job, and it brings so much joy to me it'd be hard to imagine not taking photos. I always seem to have a camera of some sort with me.

13) Do you have any funny or interesting stories about your experiences?
Not a huge number, but one memory sticks in my mine. I was doing a time lapse photo shoot of some flower seeds in a window pot at home. I was shooting one frame an hour, camera on a tripod and this went on for 6 weeks in total. Anyway, i was using a timer and this would mean i could leave the camera for 99 hours without having to worry about it. Had to go away for the weekend, and my wife had said my brother in law could stay over while we were away. Imagine my surprise when i finished the shoot to find several photos of him and his friends had interspersed my other photos. I tend to keep the camera in my line of site these days.

14) Is there somewhere we can see more of your work?
I have a website, http://www.chrisrose.net where i have some of my favourite shots, i'm on instagram http://instagram.com/edlcsre and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EdlcsrePhotos and love hearing what people like and what they'd have done differently.

15) Do you have any advice for the rest of us?
I'm not really in a position to advise anyone, but if i have to i'd say don't be afraid to take the shot when you see it. How often do we see the most amazing sunset, or something interesting, and we walk or drive on by without taking a minute or so to take the photo, thinking we'll capture it another time, and we never do. Carry a camera with you as often as you can, and just try out different things. Even if you take 99 awful photos for every 1 good one, you're going to get some ideas of what you're doing wrong and improve over time. Delete the complete rubbish, the out of focus or wrongly composed, but keep the 'nearly perfect' so you can see how you can change the angle, the lighting, the composition to get what you really want.
If you want a real challenge, consider trying to take a photograph every day for a month. Can be anything you like, but you must capture at least one photo every day. Makes you look at everyday things differently, when you're trying to take a shot a day.
Just enjoy yourself and your photography, thats reason enough to do it.

Thanks again,
chris