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Fortnightly Challenge August 20-September 2 : Water

Designer Dale

Designer Dale

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Mar 25, 2009
3,950
101
Folding space
Welcome to the Fortnightly Challenge

The purpose of the Challenge is to provide a venue where photographers of all skill levels can work to improve their craft by shooting along a common topic for two weeks - one fortnight. Helpful comments and critiques are key to reaching the intended goal - better photography.

About Your Photos

Shoot for the topics listed on the schedule. You may shoot for upcoming topics, but post photos only to their matching Challenges. Try to avoid using photos from your archives just for participations sake. If you really want input on an older image that fits the Challenge topic, please let us see it.

You may post as many photos as you wish for any one Challenge.

About Your Comments

Comments are critical to the success of the Challenge. If you post a photo, add a comment to another one. If you are only viewing, please add your comments, too.

Comments should be meaningful, something that the photographer can use to improve his/her work. Explain why you like or dislike a photo. Spend a moment looking at a photo before commenting on it. Try to answer the question "I like this photo because…" It really helps the photographer.

The Topic Schedule

August 6-19: Reflection
August 20-September 2: Water
September 3-16: Architecture


Dale
 
^^^ Very nice sunset. This picture emotes tranquility to me. On the other hand, my grandson emotes the opposite:

averylucabd681201107301.jpg
 
Keleko said:
A couple from the summer archives:


Cool Kid Keeping Cool by Gerg1967, on Flickr


River Stick by Gerg1967, on Flickr
Click to expand...

I like the second one better. It has nice colors and the framing gives it a good feel of movement.

Ravaroo said:
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravaroo/6064868724/]
DSC_3553 by Ravaroo, on Flickr[/URL]
Click to expand...

Great pic. I would like to see the horizon a bit higher in the frame but i can't see where to crop it. The bottom has just the right framing for the pier and the sky is too wonderful to crop either. I'll have to live with it...:)

Mine. Alder Lake on the way to Mt. Rainier. The water really was that shade of green on this day. I had to stop and take this shot.


EXIF Summary: 1/400s f/8.0 ISO100 Tamron 28-75 f/2.8@28mm
I have a folding grey card and have been working with manual exposure.

Dale
 


Boat was moving kinda fast, so as I looked at it, a few more feet in either direction would've been "better". Further to the right and it would've been centered; further to the left it would've been off-centered enough to suggest movement.
 
Been an incredibly busy few months but I lucked out and got a chance to take a few pics related to this challenge. These were from a sailing trip in Annapolis, MD. BTW, my D90 got completely soaked by waves and spray and stayed that way for about 2 hrs but it kept shooting and it seems to be none the worse for the wear.

p250341029-5.jpg


p420205447-5.jpg


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rekud300 said:
Myrtle Beach
Click to expand...

Neat shot. I like the symmetry, I just wish the first pillar on the right was not there. You should try this one early in the morning or at sunset if you get the chance.

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macrumormonger said:
[url=http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5233680712_bfe01a4b79_b.jpg]Image[/URL]

Boat was moving kinda fast, so as I looked at it, a few more feet in either direction would've been "better". Further to the right and it would've been centered; further to the left it would've been off-centered enough to suggest movement.
Click to expand...

Beautiful colors and the mosaic on the water is really cool. You're right in that you might could move the horizon down some and have more sky in the shot but the composure is pretty good as is. Centered might only work if you had been dead centered on the harbor. The boat lines lead you back to the center. For me...all I want is a little more sky.
 
macrumormonger said:


Boat was moving kinda fast, so as I looked at it, a few more feet in either direction would've been "better". Further to the right and it would've been centered; further to the left it would've been off-centered enough to suggest movement.
Click to expand...
I like the framing just as it is, especially since it is one of those shots where you are just lucky to have your camera.

JDDavis said:
Been an incredibly busy few months but I lucked out and got a chance to take a few pics related to this challenge. These were from a sailing trip in Annapolis, MD. BTW, my D90 got completely soaked by waves and spray and stayed that way for about 2 hrs but it kept shooting and it seems to be none the worse for the wear.

...edit...
p420205447-5.jpg



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Click to expand...
I like this one the best. The choice of B&W was a smart move.

Nice work from everyone who has been posting.

Mine. I tried that long exposure waterfall thing on a bright day with no filter.


EXIF Summary: 1/8s f/22.0 ISO100 Canon kit lens@18mm

Dale
 
JDDavis said:
p420205447-5.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice shot, I think it really works as a BW.
One thing I'd do here is get the water a bit darker and sails a bit brighter (In Lightroom's Tone Curve push "Darks" down a bit and "Lights" up a bit) to create a little bit more punchy and contrasty effect. I'd also maybe crop a little bit of the bottom (and left to keep the proportions right).
On a second thought, looking at the thumbnail (on white background), I think the levels are ok, you don't want to lose the texture in the waves ... I don't know, it's difficult to asses this sort of a thing on a screen, the mood changes with the background of the photo. I guess if you print it you'd put it in a dark frame with an off white paspartu, which doesn't glow like the white screen does ... so I guess what I'm saying is, for online viewing on a white page it's ok as it is, for other viewing purposes I'd make it a bit more contrasty.
 
Keleko said:
A couple from the summer archives:


Cool Kid Keeping Cool by Gerg1967, on Flickr


River Stick by Gerg1967, on Flickr
Click to expand...

I've seen the first one before, but I really like it. The fast shutter speed works really well, and you caught a great moment. It's like the creature from the black lagoon just popped up to grab us.

The second one seems too far away. The really interesting part is where the branch meets the water, and it's very small in the frame. Well seen, though.


fcortese said:
^^^ Very nice sunset. This picture emotes tranquility to me. On the other hand, my grandson emotes the opposite:

averylucabd681201107301.jpg
Click to expand...

Adorable grandson. You probably won't be surprised to see this comment: not sharp enough. At 1/1000s, the shutter speed should have been fast enough, but with f/4 at 105mm, you have a tricky focusing situation. It also makes me wonder how it might have been framed differently to have more visual interest in the frame. Perhaps seeing his shadow in the bottom left would have been better than an expanse of brown water at the upper right?

rekud300 said:
Myrtle Beach
attachment.php
Click to expand...

The underbelly of a wharf is a subject much loved by photographers, so you definitely found yourself something interesting to work with here. It'd say this one is a candidate for either a slower shutter speed or a much longer focal length. With a slow shutter speed, you'd get the nice contrast between sharp, steadfast posts and soft, flowing water. Of course that would require a tripod and an ND filter. Otherwise, you might maximize the excitement of a fast shutter speed by bringing is right in to where the big splashes are (about halfway into the picture here). Give them more presence in the frame could be really exciting.

macrumormonger said:


Boat was moving kinda fast, so as I looked at it, a few more feet in either direction would've been "better". Further to the right and it would've been centered; further to the left it would've been off-centered enough to suggest movement.
Click to expand...

Lots to love here, especially the sky and the ripples in the water. I would crop in at the bottom and left to get the boat closer to us and to get that strong waterline further away from the center. This one looks like a really good candidate for framing with the thirds (putting the main boat at the lower left intersection). The left part of the sky is just a bit too bright and draws too much attention away from the boat, so it would be no big loss to crop that out. The bottom part of the frame is just more of the same that we get in most of the bottom half of the photo, so again no big loss to trim some off. The boat makes a pretty good silhouette, but it does intersect with part of the background, and there are lots of other masts sticking up into the sky, so the boat needs a bit of help to pop out at us. I would ever so carefully dodge some of its hull and cabin--just a touch--to give it more presence.

Melizard said:
Wow, great photos!

Here is sort of a random photo of mine from this summer:

Click to expand...

I like the sense of depth in this one. It has visual interest in the foreground, middle ground, and background, pulling the eye deep into the frame. The subtle ripple in the center works beautifully as a subject, even though it is in the center. There's enough asymmetry to keep the photo from looking static. It has a very soothing, meditative quality to it. Nice one.

Designer Dale said:
Mine. I tried that long exposure waterfall thing on a bright day with no filter.


EXIF Summary: 1/8s f/22.0 ISO100 Canon kit lens@18mm

Dale
Click to expand...

It's really tough to pull off a good waterfall shot when direct light is hitting the water, even if you do have an ND filter handy. A good formula for waterfalls is to have some soft, golden light somewhere in the distance, but no direct light on the water itself: much easier said than done, of course!


And a contribution from me: some groovy water in the Julian Alps...

MilkyCyanStream.jpg
 
Phrasikleia said:
It's really tough to pull off a good waterfall shot when direct light is hitting the water, even if you do have an ND filter handy. A good formula for waterfalls is to have some soft, golden light somewhere in the distance, but no direct light on the water itself: much easier said than done, of course!


And a contribution from me: some groovy water in the Julian Alps...

MilkyCyanStream.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes, and yes. The shot was at 5:28 Pacific with the mountain at my back. Golden Hour lasts about 10 min... If I make it back here in September I'm going to take my camping gear so I can hang out longer.

Nice photo. Well composed and all that good stuff as per usual..:)
Did the long exposure affect the water color or is that it's natural tone? Some of the glacier fed streams here have the same color. Others that are fed from carbon deposits (Carbon Glacier) are grey.

Dale
 
Designer Dale said:
Nice photo. Well composed and all that good stuff as per usual..:)
Did the long exposure affect the water color or is that it's natural tone? Some of the glacier fed streams here have the same color. Others that are fed from carbon deposits (Carbon Glacier) are grey.

Dale
Click to expand...

Thanks, Dale. Yes, the water really is that crazy milky cyan color. Google "Soca River" to see other photos of water in the Julian Alps. If I remember correctly, the water has some mineral element that is typical of "karstic" regions. Wherever the water is very shallow, the limestone rocks beneath it make it look very milky in color, and in deeper parts, it's a vibrant turquoise color. I never tire of looking at it. It's like seeing CGI graphics in real life. :)
 
P, thanks for the constructive comments and for the explanation of the amazing colors in the Julian Alps. Here's a photo from this past Sat night between bands of heavy rain of the fast approaching Hurricane Irene in Times Square, NYC:

timessquare166020110827.jpg
 
Mt Rainier from a 6 day trip. Heading back in a few weeks for wildflowers


MR-Wild.jpg


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Designer Dale said:
I like the framing just as it is, especially since it is one of those shots where you are just lucky to have your camera.


I like this one the best. The choice of B&W was a smart move.

Nice work from everyone who has been posting.

Mine. I tried that long exposure waterfall thing on a bright day with no filter.

[url=http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6189/6094295310_ee51f04857_b.jpg]Image[/URL]
EXIF Summary: 1/8s f/22.0 ISO100 Canon kit lens@18mm

Dale
Click to expand...

I usually take the summer off for waterfalls, as sunlight obviously ruins them.
I know why you did this, but f/22 hurt more than helped shot. Lens diffraction sucks. I learned this the hard way :(
 
This is my kind of thread. I love the water.. can't see too many fantastic interpretations of it for me.
Here's my take- courtesy of hurricane Irene and offshore winds, early Saturday morning on the space coast of Florida.:)

_8275233.jpg
 
HBOC said:
Mt Rainier from a 6 day trip. Heading back in a few weeks for wildflowers


Image

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I usually take the summer off for waterfalls, as sunlight obviously ruins them.
I know why you did this, but f/22 hurt more than helped shot. Lens diffraction sucks. I learned this the hard way :(
Click to expand...
This is one of the best portraits of the mountain that I have ever seen! Great composition and colors. I was up there on a moody day early this month and I will post one of my shots over in photo of the day tomorrow. I wish you luck with the wildflowers, the season is unpredictable this year.

I will post a different shot of the same waterfall with a better lens later.

Dale
 
HBOC said:
Mt Rainier from a 6 day trip. Heading back in a few weeks for wildflowers


MR-Wild.jpg


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I usually take the summer off for waterfalls, as sunlight obviously ruins them.
I know why you did this, but f/22 hurt more than helped shot. Lens diffraction sucks. I learned this the hard way :(
Click to expand...

Lovely photo of Rainer. It really helps that you have a rock breaking through the water to add foreground interest; it's a bit small in the frame, but it does the trick.

Yeah, summer and waterfalls don't tend to mix well. Overcast days are usually best, unless it's a location where the waterfall gets plenty of shade.

srf4real said:
This is my kind of thread. I love the water.. can't see too many fantastic interpretations of it for me.
Here's my take- courtesy of hurricane Irene and offshore winds, early Saturday morning on the space coast of Florida.:)

_8275233.jpg
Click to expand...

Gotta love back-lit sea spray. Very nice.
 
Mountain Biking reflections

Took the family tent camping at Michigan Ludington State Park last weekend, awesome place.
Did some road / fire trail rides there, ended up at the park main beach for sunset time.

Q:
Which picture gives you the "Mountain Biking reflections" feeling better?
(the after ride contemplation thing….where you “reflect” upon the ride and/or the day’s events)


Picture 1, sun above the horizon
_MG_1055.jpg


or

Picture 2, sun at the horizon
_MG_1068.jpg



My w#rk content filter appears to be blocking some of the images in other posts, I'll comment on them from home....
 
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