Critique Nick's (Palouse) 52 week project 2020: WEEK 44

[Palouse]

WEEK 22

Procrastination got the better of me, so I caught up today.

Mounted my 16-35 on to the FTZ and then added a 10mm Meike extension ring. Focus, at 35 is inches from the element. Had some fun.

1. Poppy abstract

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2. Poppy in waiting (heavy crop)

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3. Leaf clamoring for attention. (Decent crop)

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[Pa]

Well done, Nick. That poppy is RED!

 

[Palouse]

Thanks Jim. It helps that background was deep black (a large plastic composter bin) and the light was just right. But the Z has such wonderful colors, as you demonstrate every day!

 

[Clix Pix]

Excellent images here! Love that bright red poppy! Of the three, my favorite is "Poppy in waiting" -- something about it just is really appealing. Glad you realized that you were almost falling behind in this project!

 

[Palouse]

Glad you realized that you were almost falling behind in this project!

It's not having a consistent schedule these days—retirement + Covid + odd and unpredictable weather + whatever else makes it hard to be toeing the line!

 

[Clix Pix]

It's not having a consistent schedule these days—retirement + Covid + odd and unpredictable weather + whatever else makes it hard to be toeing the line!

The lockdown/stay-at-home thing really threw me for a loop because prior to that when opening my blinds in the morning I could pretty much tell what day of the week it was simply by looking at the presence or absence of cars in our parking lot in front of my building, and then once everyone was at home.....aaagh!!!! Had to look at the computer to see that, oh, it's Monday, or Wednesday...... Now things are starting to look a little more normal as some people have apparently been returning to their offices, at least for a few days a week. This past weekend, too, was a definite indicator of change, as the stay-at-home order had just been lifted on Friday and so a lot of people immediately took off on Saturday to visit family and friends they hadn't been able to see since March.

 

[Palouse]

We have a large old Walnut tree on the east side (bedroom side) of the house. And for 2-3 weeks of the year the sun is at the wrong place at the wrong time before the tree is all leafed out. So for the past 2 weeks if the early morning is clear the sun blasts in, so some mornings I;m "awake" well before 5 and some days I manage to sleep in. Throws off the whole day.

 

[Palouse]

WEEK 23

A sudden thunderstorm rolled in from the SW and disrupted a great meal (Cooper River Salmon, grilled Broccoli and Gazpacho, washed down with a youthful Idaho Syrah from the Lewis and Clark Valley). I had my camera out but the dreary light matched my rapidly changed mood, so I give you stormy B&W, which turned out to be rather uplifting by the time I was done with processing.

1. Ornamental grass in all its gloom. Love the grit.

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2. Hanging Fuchsia, the ultimate raindrop collector.

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[Clix Pix]

We're in Week 23, so you might want to change your subject header, too....

Both of these are intriguing, but for some reason that second one is just really fascinating and I keep looking at it..... Nicely done!

 

[Palouse]

We're in Week 23, so you might want to change your subject header, too....

Both of these are intriguing, but for some reason that second one is just really fascinating and I keep looking at it..... Nicely done!

Thanks Connie. The second one had so many saturated colors that the B&W conversion was a lot of fun. I believe that the influence of Freeman Patterson's "Photography and the art of seeing" that I am reading very slowly, is at work here and in week 22 as well.

 

[RonS]

Both are excellent. Great capture on the Hanging Fuchsia.

 

[Palouse]

Thanks Ron.

 

[Clix Pix]

I've got that and other Freeman books somewhere on one of my bookshelves..... I keep meaning to re-read some of them one of these days!

 

[BLX]

Excellent close-ups on week 22+23. It shows how different it presents in color and BW. I like both

 

[Terri French]

Nice, Nick! It’s interesting to see a flower rendered in black and white. It caused me to focus more on the form and the water drops.

 

[Palouse]

Thanks Terri. Yes, focusing on form was my exercise for the day. B&W makes it so much easier.

 

[catalyst]

Dedicated, capable, lazy or washed out? We'll know in a year.

I'm jumping into the 52 week challenge for 2020.

I need to get off my duff and shooting more, be more consistent, and learn in a more organized fashion. I need to develop or improve on my style/s. I need feedback. And above all, I need to have fun.

I'll use my D850 and Z6 with all the glass I have and attempt to justify their place in my bags.

Hopefully I'll do all you long-distance survivors proud--you've set a high bar.

After having dipped in on occasion to your and others' contributions in this thread, I'm sad that I'd not decided to sign up! Keep the good stuff flowing . . .

 

[Clix Pix]

Eric.....this really is the kind of project that is challenging and demanding, but also so, so much fun and it really does keep one on one’s toes when it comes to getting out there with the camera and a lens or two and really thinking about what to shoot, why to shoot it, etc., etc..... Some years ago I had tried a 365-day POTD kind of project and didn’t complete it, which always has bothered me ever since. This time I went with the 52 weeks idea because it is a little more forgiving in terms of time spent in shooting and also allows for those days when one just doesn’t feel in the mood to pick up the camera and take a picture, any picture, for any reason.

I had some encouragement early-on, too, from Nick and others, especially since I had just recently bought new gear and this seemed like a great way to really get to know it and use it frequently, etc., etc. I don’t regret having signed up for this project and I’ll say that for me, this has been a really fun, albeit challenging, exercise over the past several months! I encourage you to think about signing up for a 52-Week at the beginning of 2021 or you could actually start right now and do a six-month’s version (quick, do the math, how many weeks is that?) and join in on the fun!

 

[Palouse]

None of us anticipated COVID when we started; that has made for more challenging and more creative shooting.

 

[Clix Pix]

None of us anticipated COVID when we started; that has made for more challenging and more creative shooting.

Wow, that is so, so true!!!! Never anticipated not just casually choosing to stay at home day after day after day, but being more or less mandated to do so! Definitely a challenge and I was so glad that I’d bought my new gear when I did, and this really forced me into exploring things more than I otherwise might have done, and tapping into creativity that I wasn’t sure was even there.