[DPCO-IV] - Team Uk/Canada - DPChallenge Forums

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

04/05/2009 04:34:52 AM · #76

Not looking very good in Flora chaps, sorry

Votes: 133
Views: 180
Avg Vote: 5.7293
Comments: 2

SoulMan1978

Sony Alpha a55

04/07/2009 06:35:11 PM · #77

Feels good to be in a challenge again. Me and the world and his wife are in textures.

04/07/2009 08:28:44 PM · #78

Originally posted by SoulMan1978:

Feels good to be in a challenge again. Me and the world and his wife are in textures.

That's great Barry, we're happy to have you back too.

I'll be in for texture, but it might be close on time as my wife has my truck and is off with her friends and my gear is in my truck and I have no idea where they are. I went and did some

shooting today and haven't even seen the shots because I had parent council tonight and arrived home to see the truck gone :( boy I hope she locks it.

So I'll let you know in a few hours.

How's everyone else doing?

MAX!

04/07/2009 11:34:01 PM · #79

I made it I'm now in.

All the best to everyone :)

MAX!

04/08/2009 08:30:50 AM · #80

The running order from Flora (FL) and Fauna (FA)

kingskingdom (FL) 6.5283

Connor (FL) 6.1394

Lutchenko (FL) 5.7764

Moose408 (FL) 5.0793

Quigley (FA) 4.9429

04/08/2009 08:31:48 AM · #81

Originally posted by Quigley:
I made it I'm now in.

All the best to everyone :)

MAX!

Good effort Max, I look forward to seeing it.

04/08/2009 09:03:41 AM · #82

Originally posted by Lutchenko:

Originally posted by Quigley:
I made it I'm now in.

All the best to everyone :)

MAX!

Good effort Max, I look forward to seeing it.

_________________________________________________________________

Thank you Will, but don't look too hard. I'm already in the toilet with this shot, it's just above 4, and I mean just :( I don't get it, I just can't find anything to shoot as of late

that will appeal to the voters in a positive way. For the first time I'm thinking, why bother? I hope this will pass as I do love this site and all the people and of course the side

challenges. Just a slump I guess and I will come into my own at some point, I just hope it's soon. It troubles me to think that my progression as a photographer is going in reverse and

that the best image I have produced is

not that it's a bad image, I love it and it did very well and I'm very proud of it but I do feel that I can do better and I

guess that that's what troubles me. Ever since this shot I've been a creative boob and unable to find inspiration. Has this happened to any of you? Is this a normal state of being? is

there some why I can kick start my creative juices again? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanking you all in advance.

MAX!

Hasselblad Hasselblad H3D

04/08/2009 04:38:48 PM · #83

Hey Max I think we are all in the toilet on this one lol

I do find that if i have a run of poor scores that I get dispondant and that usually results in me thinking that the world of DPC voters are
all conspiring against me.

I am however spured on by my son Connor and Kingskingdom as we are quite competative so we are always striving to get better scores
then eachother.

One thing I do from time to time is look through stock photo sites such as istock and getty to see if I can get some basic ideas and also
look at the sort of crops and lighting that seem to work to see if I can use a similar approach in the current challenge.

However I have fallen into a classic trap in as far as I had some success with a particular style, namely studio shot off centresubject with
black background, and now struggle to submit anything other than that style.

If I try to step outside that style my score simple crashes and burns, but as i have no chance of getting a train into my home made back bedroom
studio I guess this weeks challenge is going to force me out of my comfort zone.

In terms of advice I am pretty new to photography myself so I am not qualified to offer anything useful but from what I have seen so far
keeping the subject as simple as possible seems to work as you have seen yourself with the picture of your dog, and avoid putting the subject
bang in the middle of the shot.

Now I know that Chris

kingskingdom will offer some advice as he has far more experience than I.

Keep pointing and shooting though, it's not about scores its about enjoying it.

Will....

kingskingdom

Hasselblad HC 3.5-4.5/50-110 mm

04/09/2009 03:09:27 AM · #84

Hi Max

It is incredibly difficult to come up with something original and creative each week. I honestly don't think that I have had one original creative idea yet. All of my shots have been adapted from someone else's pics that I have liked (don't tell anyone!). I would worry less about creativity and focus on getting the execution and editing bang on. Once you are a master at execution then you can start thinking about being a creative. I had never used photoshop or a flash light until 12 months ago, but it is amazing how quick and easy it is to learn buy reading the tutorials on DPC and watching free video clips on youtube!

Take this weeks flora competition. The winners photos were not original or creative. They were simple shots of a flower, where the composition, lighting, focus, editing and attention to detail were spot on. My photo was slightly more creative (although a copied idea), but less well executed so only just made he top 10.

Under basic editing you cannot go mad. However If you look at the info on the winning pics each week you will see a set workflow for their editing steps. eg, crop, noise, levels, curves, sharpen, resize, border, resize sharpen save for web. Less is often more with the sliders (dog shot is over sharpened) , but if you use the same basic steps each week you cant go far wrong. I have tried to adopt this step by step approach and have seen a big improvement in my results. Do the edit them mail it over to Lutchenko or me for some comments. We are not experts but you will be amazed at how we all seem to miss the obvious mistakes in our own shots.

Due to work commitments I shoot my pics on Sunday each week. However, from Tuesday to Saturday I am researching ideas from the net etc. I will mail examples from other photographers to Lutchenko and decide if I can be achieve an adaptation given my relative experience and DPC rules. Feel free to mail your ideas during the week. It would be great to get your thoughts on what I have planned too. For me taking the pic takes the shortest time out of the whole process.

Hang in there

Chris

04/10/2009 12:15:31 AM · #85

Thank you so much Will and Chris for the advice and I will use both methods as much as possible from now on.

MAX!

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

04/13/2009 05:33:53 AM · #86

Myself and Connor are in for Trains.
Is everybody else sorted?

SoulMan1978

Sony Alpha a55

04/13/2009 06:35:54 AM · #87

I'm not yet in, got some shots that I think will do well but I'm going out again today weather permitting hoping for better shots. But I will be in (trains that is).

Incidentally I've never known so much of a swing as I've had with my textures shot. Was tanking at 5 exactly round about tend of day 1, but it's gone up more and more ever since and now I'm up to 5.83.

04/13/2009 06:56:44 AM · #88

Textures does seem to have produced some very strange voting characteristics that's for sure.
I'm looking at a total crash and burn so your 5.83 is very much needed lol

04/13/2009 08:39:54 AM · #89

Originally posted by Lutchenko:

Myself and Connor are in for Trains.
Is everybody else sorted?

Just a friendly reminder that final week for the Olympics was Textures IV and Stock Photos: Fitness.

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

04/13/2009 09:20:32 AM · #90

Originally posted by jeger:

Originally posted by Lutchenko:
Myself and Connor are in for Trains.
Is everybody else sorted?

Just a friendly reminder that final week for the Olympics was Textures IV and Stock Photos: Fitness.

__________________________________________

True Jonathan, but if you had the chance to look into the alternative scoring thread, he's looking for one more week :)

So if we already have some of us in the challenge then I'll submit as well, I just need to get my ass out and shoot.

OH and as a side note, I had a stroke of creativeness for the pencil crayon challenge and it's doing pretty good :) With the holiday I didn`t have time to get anyone to look at it and as

a result it has had a comment already about the processing but still the score is at 6.3 so it makes me very happy :)

MAX!

SoulMan1978

Sony Alpha a55

04/13/2009 09:22:07 AM · #91

Now I'm not sure. the chart on

Dirt_Diver's site extends to 12 weeks but the rules say 8. PM-ing DD for clarification.

04/13/2009 09:36:40 AM · #92

Yes Max, you are right about the Alternative Scoring. I had forgotten about that.

As for # of weeks, it has already been confirmed here

04/13/2009 09:41:10 AM · #93

Originally posted by jeger:

Yes Max, you are right about the Alternative Scoring. I had forgotten about that.

As for # of weeks, it has already been confirmed here

Thank you Jonathan, but shouldn't`t you be a ``work`` right now :)

MAX!

04/13/2009 09:43:28 AM · #94

Originally posted by Quigley:

Originally posted by jeger:
Yes Max, you are right about the Alternative Scoring. I had forgotten about that.

As for # of weeks, it has already been confirmed here

Thank you Jonathan, but shouldn't`t you be a ``work`` right now :)

MAX!

I am :P

I sit at a desk all day :) I am "multi tasking" ... lol

04/13/2009 09:47:39 AM · #95

Originally posted by jeger:

Originally posted by Quigley:

Originally posted by jeger:
Yes Max, you are right about the Alternative Scoring. I had forgotten about that.

As for # of weeks, it has already been confirmed here

Thank you Jonathan, but shouldn't`t you be a ``work`` right now :)

MAX!

I am :P

I sit at a desk all day :) I am "multi tasking" ... lol

___________________

Where do you work? Do they know that you "multi task" ?

MAX!

04/13/2009 09:59:17 AM · #96

Originally posted by Quigley:

Originally posted by jeger:

Originally posted by Quigley:

Originally posted by jeger:
Yes Max, you are right about the Alternative Scoring. I had forgotten about that.

As for # of weeks, it has already been confirmed here

Thank you Jonathan, but shouldn't`t you be a ``work`` right now :)

MAX!

I am :P

I sit at a desk all day :) I am "multi tasking" ... lol

___________________

Where do you work? Do they know that you "multi task" ?

MAX!

I work at Sheridan College in the research department doing computer animation. In this industry, our work flow is called "hurry up and wait" because when you are busy, you are really busy, and when you are not, things are usually slow. I usually browse the web when I am waiting for my computer to render images, which in extreme cases, can take up to 30 minutes per frame.

04/13/2009 10:14:30 AM · #97

Originally posted by jeger:

Originally posted by Quigley:

Originally posted by jeger:

Originally posted by Quigley:

Originally posted by jeger:
Yes Max, you are right about the Alternative Scoring. I had forgotten about that.

As for # of weeks, it has already been confirmed here

Thank you Jonathan, but shouldn't`t you be a ``work`` right now :)

MAX!

I am :P

I sit at a desk all day :) I am "multi tasking" ... lol

___________________

Where do you work? Do they know that you "multi task" ?

MAX!

I work at Sheridan College in the research department doing computer animation. In this industry, our work flow is called "hurry up and wait" because when you are busy, you are really busy, and when you are not, things are usually slow. I usually browse the web when I am waiting for my computer to render images, which in extreme cases, can take up to 30 minutes per frame.

_________________

Just don't let it get out that you can do too much at once or you might find yourself with MORE on your plate :)

I'm heading to TO soon, when are you done work, do you have time tonight to do some shooting? Just a thought don't feel pressured to commit to anything.

MAX!

04/13/2009 10:40:29 AM · #98

I could be available, but it wouldn't be until after 6pm. How long do you plan on staying for?

04/13/2009 11:04:36 AM · #99

Originally posted by jeger:

I could be available, but it wouldn't be until after 6pm. How long do you plan on staying for?

__________

I am confined by no time, I'm around for what ever, I just play it by ear. I would just leave home a little later then I was planing, so if that works for you that's cool.

MAX!