Visual Counterpoint

Having been unable to set up a system whereby I may approve comments and having been forced to remove two more from Solution in Sepia (please see my comment!) I have been told I now must restrict comments on this blog to members only by Webs.

It is a sign of the times that a very small mind can have such a far reaching effect.

If you wish to comment and are not a member please feel free to e-mail me on

godolallie@aol.com with 'Comment on visualcounterpoint' as the subject. This is needed otherwise the mail may be dumped with the rest of the trash!

Have a great day my friends.

Liz,

PS

Find another cess pit you creep. This is a  flushing toilet!

I have had to set my blog for comments to be approved before publishing.

This is to prevent my site from being used for advertisements or comments of an unsavoury nature that I do not approve of, nor I am willing to allow.

I have removed two comments.

I welcome the wonderful comments I have from decent people who only wish to share in a view of nature that this site tries to show.

Thank you my friends,

Liz

The recent snowfalls encouraged me to carry my camera with me on my daily walks with the dogs.

The first day was very overcast and the poor light and yellowy-grey sky made things very difficult.

I used a polarizing filter but not until the sun appeared on the second day did this help improve the sky. I obtained a few photographs including one of the church in Grappenhall village.

I dug out the car on the third day and drove to Delamere Forest where I was surprised to find a lot less snow although the mere was completely frozen over.

The following day I stayed locally and explored along the Manchester Ship Canal bank. Here my dog Chris acted as 'point' and found a way through the tree branches that had fallen across the track. He repeatedly failed to realise that I would find crawling under the snowladened arches far more difficult than he did.

I have added photographs to The Winter Room, The Monochrome Room and The Sepia Room.

It is probably easiest to view these via  'Recently Added' on the photo gallery bar.

Greg A Kiser has set a new lesson in Tips and Tricks that has kept me busy with my camera despite the bad weather.

His article describes the technique better than I could so please follow the link if you are interested in playing with light.

The only suitable plastic object that I have is an embedded dandelion clock.

The unicorn was added to increase the fantasy atmosphere and the final photograph was produced in Photoshop layers.

I am sure I will be playing again with this technique in the near future after I have found some more objects to fuel my imagination.

Morning

Fantasia

Nightfall

Midnight Magic

The Lion and the Unicorn

I did not sleep well with defeat. See last entry 'Sepia solution'.

This is my homework for Greg A Kiser's assignment on Tips and Tricks

 I took my camera with me this morning although this causes more pain, as I want to try to understand the knowledge that Greg so generously offers.

I am determined to try to impove my skill with the great camera (Canon 20D) that I am lucky to own so that next year when I take my caravan to Wales and  Scotland I may be able to capture more of what I see with my eyes and mind. I therefore am determined to try to hone the skill I will need in my own backyard.

I could not carry my friend's tripod so I was severly limited with camera shake affecting the ideal exposure.

It was early in the morning (sunrise), as this time is quiet  and I can walk my dogs without too much audible assault.

The sky looked a promising subject.

1. Without Filter

2. The above photograph enhanced in photoshop

3.Then I added the polarizing filter

The photograph was underexposed, as I failed to correct for the filter.

4 the above photograph after a visit to photoshop

5. Altering the exposure to obtain the best possible under the circumstances.

6. the above after a visit to photoshop

I used Greg's 'Rule of Thumb' to take my photographs at a right angle to the sun.

Someday I hope to be able to take photographs that photoshop cannot improve on!

Thank you Greg for taking the time and trouble to help a novice like me.

I stand in awe of your talent with the camera and will do my best to learn from the lessons you generously give.

I took my camera on the walk I give to my dogs for the first time in many weeks.

I was trying to follow the instructions of Greg A. Kiser in the use of a polariser filter and hoped to be able to capture the photographs for the latest assignment he has given on Tips and Tricks.

I was unsuccessful in my attempts to use this filter correctly. It was very early and the sun was low.

The amount of light available made it difficult to obtain a photograph with the filter attached.

I could not possibly carry a tripod that far in order to provide the stable platform required.

I was frustrated and shot directly into the rising sun.

When I got home and looked at all the photographs I had taken . This one was the only one I felt any mutual emotion for.

This is how the photograph originally appeared and has not been altered in photoshop to sepia.

I took my touring caravan to a forest site that I knew well for a rest from fighting the noise.

I have previously photographed here in winter and wanted to picture it in early summer. I found out that photography in a forest in full leaf is very difficult, as I have yet to be able to take good pictures in poor light. I cannot physically carry a tripod with me so camera shake is a big problem with the exposure times that are often required.

The week before I went to my first photographic meeting of the local club and listened to a talk given on photographing wildlife. I have no desire to get seriously involved in this but when I saw that a rabbit regularly breakfasted on the grass around my caravan I decided to follow the advice given and wait for it to come to my camera and me. It provided a welcome diversion from the disappointing results I had obtained so far in the forest.

I realised that I had to take the photograph through the caravan window, as the rabbit ran at the first sight of any human.

It rained heavily through the night and I wondered whether I would have any luck on the morning that now dawned very dull. I chose the ‘kitchen’ window, as this gave the best view of the area where the rabbit usually stopped to eat and waited patiently. The rabbit arrived punctually.

I obtained quite a few photographs of the rabbit before he suddenly sat up and wiped his nose with his front paws, as if to remove the drops of water that had come from the wet grass. I was extremely lucky to get one shot before he scampered away.

The grass was cut later that day and I did not get another chance to photograph the rabbit, as he obviously had moved on to a new pasture.

I climbed the heights above the forest in the day and as the sun was setting and the photographs I obtained can be seen in the Summer Room together with others taken in the forest and from the edge of the mere where seagulls are busy nesting on tree stumps that protrude the surface of the water. I used the abilities of the Tamron 18-270mm lens to the maximum to obtain the picture posted of these garrulous birds.

I have also added one photograph to the Macro Room showing the birth of a Dandelion ‘clock’ that I took when I was finding it impossible to photograph the pictures that I saw all around me.

Greg A Kiser has featured me on his web site and turned his spotlight on my photographs.

What can I do but perform on the stage I stand upon.

I stand on the Earth.

The greatest stage ever given to mankind by God.

I believe the power that created this universe does not require us to believe in anything except the truth.

Truth is simple and is held in darkness and light.

Monochrome?

Can there ever be such a thing when white holds every colour we can see under our sun and darkness holds an energy that accelerates the destiny of every sentient being in this universe to a future beyond the horizon.

'Dark energy' holds the power that we need to 'bring to light' and capture the present for the future with a camera that speaks from the past.

My Canon fires.

The photograph has yet to be developed.

Meanwhile fly

with the wings given you and view this world from a new perspective.

I am having severe computer problems.

I cannot cope with them on top of the physical and mental pain I have to deal with every day.

I do not understand this world sufficiently to be able to survive in it.

I am sorry to disappoint any follower of this website.

I have recently paid to upgrade this site to enable me to publish more photographs.

I do not see myself capable now of doing so.

I cannot afford a new computer. This one cost me over £500 a few months ago.

I can only apologise to anyone who came here to see something new.

'The Steep Learning Curve'   from Visual Counterpoint Room 

I fear the learning curve is too steep for me.

I remain completely in the dark and photography is all about light.

The filter I bought has not enabled me to take better pictures because I do not understand how to use it properly.

I am probably too old and damaged to be able to learn to enjoy this fascinating hobby. I fear I shall only get more frustrated with my inability to capture the picture that I know is there.

I wish I had bought a camera years ago when I was still capable of learning to use it.