Monday 31 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 366...THE END!

Good afternoon everyone!

     After 365 days of taking at least one photo and sharing it with everyone we come to the final, bonus leap year, day. It has been a rather emotional ride, and even after all the lows (trying to fit in being at work till 3am AND remembering to take a photo before 12pm!) I have to admit I am both happy and sad that it has come to an end.

I have tried to go out on a high today. I went out to battle the weather and see what I could see.

Result....

And a rough write up on how I took the photos (like the old days :) )

I have recently figured out how to properly use the HDR software Luminance HDR, and I'm very pleased with the results. I find HDR can sometimes be a complete bag of sick, full of too much colour saturation and halo-ing. The Mantiuk 06 tone map in Luminance is a good balance in my opinion. All these shots are bracketed (3 frames, -2 stops, 0, and +2 stops exposures) and then merged in the software. After that I ran them through GIMP to touch up anything I feel needs it, and add a vignette etc.




This one was a bit tricky. In the original shot there were around 6 or 8 telephone wires across the sky. I had to get rid of them, as they were too distracting.

And that's that. The 365 challenge (plus bonus leap year day) completed. I am going to take a little break, just for a couple of days.

But don't be too sad, avid blog reader, I will be back in the new year! First up will be a full article about my thoughts on the challenge, including highlights of my favorite shots. After that I was thinking of doing 'How To' videos on some of the techniques I have learned/made up. What do you guys and gals think?

And of course I will still be taking photos, and posting when I think they are worthy of your time.

Happy new year to you all, and see you in 2013.

Much, much love, and thank you.

Adam

Sunday 30 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 365...!!!!!!

Hello all!

   So here we are, finally at the last day.....well not quite. Most of you will know that this year is a leap year, so it actually has 366 days! One more day to go!

Result...


See you tomorrow, for the final day of the challenge!

Much love

Adam

Saturday 29 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 364

Evening!

    2 days to go! Not feeling so hot today, so not a great shot. Sorry about that!

Result...


Much love!

Adam

Friday 28 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 363

Afternoon all!

         Only 3 days!!! Yikes! There is a story to today's photo. You will see that it is a cockerel. Well, this cockerel didn't start like as a cockrel. He was born a she, a lady chicken. Then one day changed. Apprently it is something chickens can do.

Odd.

Result...





Much love

Adam

365 Challenge - Day 362

Hello!

     That number is getting high now, only 4 days!! I feel a bit sad. But fear not, avid blog reader, there will be stuff in the new year!

Result...







Much love

Adam

365 Challenge - Day 361

Afternoon all!

    Sorry for the delay in uploading, been roaming the country visiting family! Anyway, on to the photo. My sister was very lucky this year in reciving a Nikon D3100. Very nice camera. I am hoping to get out on shoots with her in the new year, so watch this space.

Result...





Much love

Adam

Tuesday 25 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 360...CHRISTMAS DAY!

Morning all!

    And a big Merry Christmas! I know some of you lovely readers have already had Christmas day around the globe, but it's only just got here for me!

Result...


Much love, and have a great day!

Adam

Monday 24 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 359

Evening!

   So it's Christmas eve, well for some of the world! So only right that you all get to look at my Christmas tree in it's full HDR glory!

Result...


Much love, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Adam

Sunday 23 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 358

Afternoon!

   Oddly I started to worry about running out of time on the 365 challenge today. I only have a few days left to get in some great photos, so I went and ventured out today, to check out the flooding near Welney. I also gave HDR another go.

What do you think?

Result...





Much love

Adam

Saturday 22 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 357

Hello!

       The countdown has begun! 9 Days remaining!!!

Result...


Much love

Adam 

Friday 21 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 356

Merry Christmas!

    Started, and finished my Crimbo shopping today! And just noticed that the day is 356, so close to 365!

Result...


Much love

Adam

Thursday 20 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 355

Evening!

   It's official, today is the start of CHRISTMAS! As I have finished work now till next year! Get in.

I had an idea.

Result...


Much love

Adam

Wednesday 19 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 354

Evening ladies and gents!

      Another Christmas themed shot today.....what do you expect?!

Result...


Much love

Adam

Tuesday 18 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 353

Evening!

   Had another go (after seeing another tutorial about it) at the 'shaped BOKEH!'.

Result...



Much love!

Adam

Monday 17 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 352

Evening folks!

  I had another go at another technique that I haven't tried before called 'dropping stuff into water'. Things I have learned:

1 - The glass container you are using should be clean. Photo's show up all your finger marks.
2 - Using something that is quite deep to drop things into is best.
3 - Don't keep dipping your hand in the water to retrieve the things you drop in it, it dirties the water.

So out of the 30 or so shots, I got one.

Result...


Much love

Adam

Sunday 16 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 351

Evening!

   Trying some more abstract photos tonight. I would like to point out that all the following shots came straight out of the camera, all are one exposure each, and post I only tweaked a little contrast, and exposure comp!

(hint: it did involve a PS3!)

Can you guess how I did it?!

Result...







Much love!

Adam

Saturday 15 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 350

Evening all!

   Off out tonight for some friends birthday celebrations! Lovely stuff.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Result...


Much love, you lovely people.

Adam

365 Challenge - Day 349

Evening all!

   I will be honest with you, I had a Christmas dinner with family tonight, had a great time, and almost forgot the photo for today! With 30 minutes before midnight, I came close to failing....

Result...



Of course I didn't fail!!!

Much love

Adam 


Thursday 13 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 348

Evening!

   Still frozen. Still great photos! I don't even have to go far!

Result...




Much Love

Adam

Wednesday 12 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 347

Evening folks!

     Still waking up to freezing conditions outside, still taking advantage of it!

Result...



Much love

Adam

Tuesday 11 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 346

Evening all!

    Boy has it been COLD! Great weather for some interesting macro shots, providing the camera doesn't freeze up!

Result...



Much love!

Adam

Monday 10 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 345

Good evening!

    Who can guess where the star from the tree at work comes from?!

Result....


I love my job!

Much love.

Adam

Sunday 9 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 344

Helllllo!

   Another lovely weekend, very relaxing! Even managed to tidy the house! Anyway, on to tonight's photo.

Result...


Much love!

Adam

Saturday 8 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 343

Evening folks!

   Got the studio out tonight, after seeing an interesting tutorial on photography black objects on a black background. It's all about the rim lighting, and use of coloured gels!

So, grabbed the black guitar, and my camera, and clicked away.

They didn't come out exactly how I thought they would, BUT I am still quite pleased with the end product.

What do you guys think?

Result....





Much love.

Adam

365 Challenge - Day 342

Good morning!

   Late post tonight, had the works christmas party! Every year we give out awards called 'Andys' (named after a guy who works at the studio) for various things, so I thought it fitting to take a shot of said award!

Result...


Much love!

Adam

Thursday 6 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 341

Evening!

    Two worlds collided tonight. A world of crawling through the mud and grime of life, and a world of flight.

Result....


Meet Bobbin, the robin. And yes that is Simon Jnr. on his back.

Much love.

Adam

Wednesday 5 December 2012

365 Challenge - Day 340

Good evening ladies and gents!

    A friend at work showed me a link today, a clever home modification to a camera to give some rather interesting results with BOKEH!

I have nailed it, as you can see, but I will try again!

Result...




Much love!

Adam