Silhouette - Weekly Photo - 7

Silhouette

Well, if Making a Murderer isn't just what good TV is all about. Ruth and I sat through 6 episodes in one sitting. We never sit through that many episodes of anything and we've never stayed up until 02:30 watching a show either.

I had the idea for this shot right as we decided enough was enough, but equally I was too tired and I wasn't prepared to start taking photos.

The next day however, I coerced Ruth into sitting in front of the TV and got this shot.

It didn't come out as hoped, I was needed the 50mm lens really and more space, but it still captures the idea I had of someone transfixed by a TV show.

Silhouette

Colour - Weekly Photo - 6

Colour

Yes yes, I'm late and I know it. I did have a pretty good excuse though. I visited Washington DC at the weekend. Yup I flew all the way to the US for 2.5 days of mooching around the most sparse city on the planet, or it certainly felt that way.

There were two photos that I really wanted to capture on the theme of colour. The first was the iconic US flag. The other was a photo of Martin Luther King's memorial. However, I settled on something a little different.

I'd always wanted to visit the Library of Congress. Little did I know it actually spans several separate buildings. The more you know, right?

Anyway, as I was reading up on DC and the Library, I found that they had a re-creation of Jefferson's library with many of the same books. Jefferson had a great saying, "I cannot live without books". Whilst not a regular reader, I've always enjoyed how books really open up my imagination and transport me somewhere else. It's quite amazing how vivid and colourful we can make these imaginations.

And whilst many of the books in Jeffersons library were actually far from the kind that would encourage an imagination (for example, there were multiple books on bankruptcy), the library itself was a feast of colour.

Post-processing for this photo saw some cropping, a slight negative vignette and, new for me, less clarity. I found reducing the clarity gave a softer edge (well, duh), but felt it was more in keeping with a library hundreds of years old.

COLOUR

COLOUR alternative

Broken - Weekly Photo - 5

BROKEN

Tim chose this weeks theme and he came away with a corker of a photo. Very well done Timmy.

For me, I had hoped that a Saturday spent roaming around Bath would have given me a plethora of shots to choose from, but alas, even though I had to deliver a broken iMac to a store in Bath, because of the miserable and rather cold weather the camera stayed locked in its bag.

Instead, I went for a walk on the Sunday and knew something was bound to turn up.

I found a broken fence that was, at first glance ,perfect and I took a few shots in the bushes. However, walking back I wasn't particularly pleased that I found something so obviously broken. I'm deeper than that, more artistic even, right?

And that's when I found this shot. I shared a phrase with a close friend many years ago and it's stuck around with me at various times "One man's gem is another man's stone". There are lots of similar lines out there, but fundamentally it's a simple message and in this case, whilst the path is 'broken' it's a mirror into a stunningly beautiful reflection. And perhaps it's then far from broken. Or something equally as deep and inspirational. Maybe.

Once more black and white and a little vinaigrette-ing too.

As I'm already 5 days late and had very little time for post-processing, I would like to concede that I would have preferred to add more 'snap' to the reflection, but this will suffice.

BROKEN

Personal - Weekly Photo - 4

PERSONAL

I chose the theme this week and went for personal. I had two shots in mind. 1) was of a collection of personal items that I keep in a small wicker basket and the 2) was a macro shot of a watch that was given to me on my very dear Uncle's death.

I can't say either has progressed my photography capabilities, which perhaps is something that Tim and I should strive to do each week, but they were apt for the theme.

I did opt to use an old post-processing trick, a vignette, which I probably over-used in the past, that really helped draw the focus into the centre of this shot.

PERSONAL

My alternative photo for this week was the collection of personal items. Each one is many years of memories for events, people and jobs. Each one treasured and remembered and each one quite personal to me.

PERSONAL alternative

My Home - Weekly Photo - 3

MY HOME

Tim was being a complete cop-out with this weeks weekly theme, but it did make me think.

I was originally intending to take a photo of the woods whilst on a run with the dog. A sort-of metaphor for where I yearn to be. But I reflected further and decided that I'd take a photo of the house instead. However, I don't think I've ever fully replaced my childhood home as 'my home', because that's where I've spent more of time, I've had more highs and lows and it was spent with my close family. In time, maybe when I have my own family, perhaps that will change.

So, there's no interpretation to this photo this week, it's simply my physical home,  but I did want to add a twist to it.

I waited 'til night, flicked on all the lights that could be seen from the back garden, ran out into the freezing cold and kneeled low to see what kind of shot I'd get.

MY HOME

Old - Weekly Photo - 2

OLD

For me personally, 1971 is a time before time.  But, it's still remarkable to think that whilst quite literally nothing in my house is older than 15 years old, save a few medals or a photo or two, that coin, which is the focal point of my weekly themed photo for the topic 'Old', is from 1971 and it's still as functional for it's designed purpose as it was when it was first minted all those years ago.

Yes, whilst many are tarnished and not quite their original bright copper colour, I can't think of much else, in fact nothing else, that can stand the test of [my] time so well than a coin.

OLD

I purposefully shot in a rich light so that I could bring the contrast out between the 'gold' of the newer coins and contrast them with the rotting '71 coin, but I can't decide whether I actually like it. And I'm not even sure whether it meets my original vision either.

A further edit brought the colours more in keeping with their reality.

OLD too

Fam - Weekly Photo - 1

FAM

Tim selected the theme for this week with 'fam', which, for those not as cool as Timothy, means family.

I generally struggle to define what family means to me, but I do know the feeling it brings and I certainly feel it when I, my dog and my wife are all in bed discussing what we're going to do for the day.

The photo is a low quality selfie taken with my iPhone 6s. Hardly what Tim and I had in mind when we agreed to begin a themed weekly photo to help direct and motivate us as we sought to rekindle our interest and discipline with taking photos. Nevertheless it's appropriate for the theme and is my weekly photo for FAM.

FAM

Friends and family

No 21st century family can be complete without friends, of which Tim is [master] chief among both groups. It's also fitting that Tim should be the subject of my second weekly photo now that we're weekly-photo-takers in crime.

Whilst an untouched candid shot taken, whilst whimpering about the cold in my garden, it was a joy to take (reminding me of my love of the clack of DSLR mirrors doing their job) and it's also a joy to look at too. So, here's my second weekly photo of the week (!), TIM SURRY.

TIM SURRY