fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

I hope I am wrong too. It has become increasingly difficult to find areas within UHH that I find meaningful.

jburlinson Loc: Austin, TX

I hear you. I typically only scan the "main" page for topics (which can be frustrating since folks sometimes don't provide very descriptive titles). Since many of these deal with equipment I don't have, not much joy there. PLus there's a discouraging amount of repetition; but that's common with forums of all types.

I do like this group -- FYC. I guess that's because there is the weekly MIYV, plus what used to be the "masters" monthly topic. I suppose this series will take the place of that. But it will only work if people take the time and trouble to participate: by which I mean (1) share images and (2) provide a bit more discussion/evaluation than can be typical of other groups.

This can be difficult, I know. Time is precious, and it takes time to try to say something meaningful, especially if, like me, a person may not be as visually literate as I'd like to be. But I won't get any better at it if I don't try.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

We started the FYC section to try and fill a gap we saw on UHH - the scarcity of meaningful discussion, beyond “nice shot”, beyond just posting a photo to share, beyond technical critique, beyond gear squabbles. So many of us don’t have the option of a photography club or group in our own home area. The conversation about this hobby we share is what sparks new ideas and promotes growth.

Yes, this is an option going forward to replace the Masters thread, which had shrunk in participation rather dramatically. We hope we can nurture it into life and promote those conversations about our work. Glad to know a few folks also enjoy the conversation!

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

As it so happened, one of my best friends is, and always has been an artist, whose focus transitioned, some twenty years ago, from portraiture to water paintings. In his youth he was involved in competitive kayaking which took him around the country and even to Europe. He says that his interest in water stems from that. His enthusiasm for shooting water he shared with me, and really opened my eyes. I enthusiastically went out with him shooting water and it became a personal adventure. He told me if he painted one of my shots, he would give me twenty percent of all sales of the paintings. He had some really big sellers that were in continual demand, but after painting the same image some fifty times, he felt he needed to move on and explore different ideas. He only used one of my images, and even though I think I have some fine shots of water, my own efforts generally couldn't hold a candle to his, and I was mostly exploring ground he had already covered. So I do consider him to be the most accomplished photographer of water that I have ever seen, within the semiabstract range that he was painting. More recently he connected with a gallery who has been buying primarily seascape paintings. I have always liked these paintings a great deal, and encouraged him to do more of them, but he would always say that they just don't sell. Anyway I am including this cell phone shot that I took one day this past February of one of these paintings in progress. Hope this narrative has not strayed too far afield. The whole point I think, is that the subject of water, even in the narrow categories such as my friend paints in, can be all consuming and productive for a good part of a lifetime. As for myself, rather than to compete with his imagery, I have pursued more abstract water images, and follow my great fascination with ice formations. But not strictly so. Another interest I pursued at the other end of things was the use of an ND filter. I currently do not own one for the appropriate lens in my now Nikon gear, but I think about it, so one of these days I will likely get one.

(Download)

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

I don't know whether to believe the PS info figures on the waterfall shot. Im not sure if its reliability. It says .6 seconds. Looks pretty reasonable. Its a lovely result.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Sounds about right. I didn’t have my tripod and that’s about as far as I go handholding such shots. I hate tripods, which is probably why I abuse them, never seem to remember to take mine along, or can’t find it. I broke my best one during the winter, and constructed a makeshift one out of salvaged parts from it and 2 more, but haven’t used the Frankenstein one much yet.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I made a suggestion based on your comment “I'm not sure my goal was worth pursuing”.

It doesn’t matter what I like. The question is do you like it better?

R.G. Loc: Scotland

One of my favourite water effects to include in a shot is reflections. Good ones can lift a shot to another level. It helps if what's being reflected is a strong subject visually, but even without that, reflections are often pleasing in their own right. Very often a scene that we've seen a hundred ways already can be given a lift and a new twist if it includes a visually appealing reflection.

As my posted examples show, reflections can be clear and accurate inversions of the reflected subject (as in #3), but they don't have to be in order to be visually appealing. Often it's enough if the reflections consists of light, colours, shapes and textures, as in #1, #2 and #4 below.

Good reflections are very dependent on circumstance and I haven't at this point in time got any new or recent reflection shots, but if that changes before the end of the month I'll post what I've found. I think one of the ideas of this series is that it encourages us to go out and shoot new stuff, but our posted examples don't have to exclude archive stuff.
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JD750 Loc: SoCal

I love reflections. Nice work!

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Thanks. Good ones don't come our way very often.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Both shots are awesome, but I'll give #1 a special mention because reflections play a significant role in the composition. Apart from the fact that the reflections add significantly to the visual appeal of the shot, the bright part acts as an eye-catcher which leads the eye into the shot. I thought that was worth a mention because true to your usual form it's a "kitchen sink" sort of shot and there's all sorts of good stuff apart from the reflections which compete for our attention.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Thanks RG. You know I can’t help doing that kitchen sink thing! I like having all that extra stuff and finding something to tie it together. Some of my favorite extra stuff in that photo is the rocks that show up in the dark reflections. That water is clear as glass.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

Both of these photos deal with the topic of water, and that is good. I think you noticed that there are a million different ways that photographers can grapple with that topic. I really enjoyed your first shot is is an iconic "Jersey Shore" photo and the seagull is wonderful. In your second shot, you seem to be venturing into the interpretive or more abstract realm. Nice use of reflections to emphasize the water. I prefer your first shot; but I applaud your experimentation in the second shot. It is that experimentation that can lead us to a place we had not even thought about. Experimenting with ideas you had not tried before is also a very good way to keep your photography new and exciting.

I will add that you have progressed a great deal in your photography; but you must start paying attention to thinks like horizons. I have a very hard time getting my horizons level when I am shooting without a tripod. It is a very easy post processing fix. Good work here Cassidy.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Doesn’t your camera have a horizon indicator? If you use that you can get it level in camera.

If you get it level in-camera that saves time and having to fuss with it on the computer. Also sometimes you lose some of the composition when straightening it on the computer.