Photowalk 25 - Priddys Hard

Remind me to always check my lens between changing filters. Remind me to make sure that I clean off any dirty, greasy, fingerprints that will ruin half the shots in a set. Remind me not to touch the lens on my camera!

So, despite the fact that most of the shots I took today had a smudge on part of the screen, I did get some OK captures, and got a chance to try out my Cokin Star Filter, and get a "no sky" landscape.

In The Green Taken With Fujifilm S5700, Aperture Priority, F5.6, 1/6th, ISO 100, Focal Length 6.3mm, Hand-held

Bit soft this one, should have turned the ISO up to increase the shutter speed. Used my Cokin Star Filter to exaggerate the Lens Flare, then played around with the levels and saturation channels in Photoshop to make it a bit more dramatic.

Primeval Taken With Fujifilm S5700, Aperture Priority, F13.6, 1/300, ISO 64, Focal Length 6.3mm, Hand-held

Gave this a black and white / sepia treatment. Cloned out a leaf in the bottom right to make it look like the tree trunk has a mouth. Maybe....

In Blue Taken With Fujifilm S5700, Aperture Priority, F5, 1/240, ISO 100, Focal Length 26.3mm, Tripod

One for the "No Sky Landscapes" technique challenge on our Flickr group. I went for the minimalist look, using the Rule of Thirds to compose. Just tweaked the levels and added a little more saturation in post. Used high-pass sharpening to take the softness out of the boat, but left the water alone.

Nice Bloke Taken With Fujifilm S5700, Aperture Priority, F6.3, 1/350, ISO 100, Focal Length 6.3mm, Hand held

Got chatting to this guy on the bridge about cameras, and he agreed to let me take his picture. If you look on the right, by the rail, that softness is caused by my fingerprint on the lens. Grrrrr!

For this set I've started to use the "Lens Correction" filter in Photoshop, I quite like the vignette it produces.

HMS Campbletown Taken With Fujifilm S5700, Aperture Priority, F6.3, 1/80, ISO 64, Focal Length 6.3mm, Hand held

I need a boat to get closer to these beauties! Used the Cokin Grad and Polariser on this one, with the camera steady on the tripod, but look where the gun is on the front. Fingerprint softness! Bah!


A nice Photowalk, really enjoyed using my Cokin Filters, and it was a pleasant change not to use HDRs.

Thanks, Rob.