Cheam Camera Club: Mono Print

Round 3. Goodness, struggling to find something decent now as I've not really been out with the camera a lot.

Misty Morning, Littlehampton: I will confess if I hear rain when getting up for sunrise I tend to pull the duvet back over my head.  On this occasion, having had a talk on going out in all weathers at the club a few weeks back, I heard the rain and went anyway!  So worth it!  I think in hind sight I could have got my composition a little different but overall I like the atmosphere of the image. Judges Comments: Great negative space, good moody image, very atmospheric, good size in  mount, good leading lines - even though going slightly to the left. Score - 9.5

Supper Time:  Now I had this one printed a few months back, and have not been sure if I should enter it.  I love the image but am aware the fly's eyes are a little dark, and the back ground it distracting.  With not much else to offer, I'm going for it.  I watched the spider for ages wrapping the fly in its web - I should have videoed it!!!  Judges Comments: Creepy image, vegetarian didn't really like to see things eating each other (!!), very difficult to view, would have been better in colour. Score - 8

At least I had feedback this week!!

Annie's Blanket

Made at the same time as the lap blanket for my Mum - Birthday Blanket, the same block design, joining method and boarder was used.  For more detailed information, links to the books and you tube videos please see this post: Birthday Blanket.

So once again, with colours chosen and wool ordered - sit back and hook!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several weeks later.... Ta Dah 

Cheam Camera Club: PDI

Round 4. Two more PDI competitions to go this season.  Need to up my game with these images!!

Out of Season: Taken a couple of weeks ago. I have not been out properly with the camera for some time.  Things just keep getting the way.  I decided I was going out, no matter what, for sunrise the other weekend, and this is what I got!!!! You could only see a few feet in front of you - definitely no sunrise to be seen!! However, very happy with the results - I love the mist in this image.  Lots of rain on the lens. I really do think this image says everything about the seaside when out of season.  And once again I think I love the coast just that little bit more than before! Another misty image coming next week for the third mono print competition. Wonder if I should have cloned out the bin! Judges Comments: ? Score: 9

Penmon Point and Puffin Island, Wales: Taken in July on that infamous trip! Trying to capture the Milky Way but just too cloudy. Just got this one in before the rain started.  This image make me feel very calm!  Judges Comments: ?   Score: 8

All of the above is written in advance of the competition night, When I enter the images I place my images with blurb, and my expected score (a little game I play with myself!) in a draft post and then fill in the judges score and comments the day after.  Well tonight my images were 'mislaid' and never made it to the big screen.  Mine and another members images were 'filed' in the wrong directory.  The chairman took the decision to show the judge the images on a tablet. Small screen which compressed the image and colours.  The judge marked the images in isolation, with no comments.  I approached the judge at the end for feed back - this for me is the most important part of showing my images - how else can I improve if I don't get feedback.  Anyway, Out of Season - good leading lines. Wales - too much negative space. Not really the depth of feed back I'd hoped for and a lot less than every other member.  Hay ho.... never mind another competition next week.

Birthday Blanket

A crochet blanket for my Mum's birthday.  What do you get 'the older' generation (sorry Mum!) for a great birthday gift - most have everything they need? Something handmade, made with love perhaps...  Inspired by The Patchwork Heart, I thought perhaps a small lap blanket may go down well.....

The Willow Block was taken from 200 Crochet Blocks, a book I have had on my shelf for a couple of years! The boarder, taken from Around the Corners: Crochet Boarders - a recent treat! With my colours chosen, and wool ordered - I got started.  I started over the Christmas period, it's amazing how quickly the pile grew while I managed to watch a couple of films!!

  

 

Joined together using a new method, The Flat Braid Join. There are many you tube videos to view for this method.

 

 

Ta Dah.... completed with a whole seven days to go ...... I hope this is the way forward for me this year, finishing stuff and with time to spare!!!!

Cheam Camera Club: Colour Print

Round 3, with several competitions in short succession over the next month, and no real time to head out with the camera, I have raided the images taken in the summer. Both mounted ready since September, they keep working their way to the back of the pile.  Both experimental.

Dahlia: Picked from the garden and with the image taken in doors. I do love a Dahlia.  The print itself has more red, the orange is a little lost - perhaps its should be a PDI. The benefits of your own printer is you can play until your happy with the results.  The disadvantage of sending away, you don't always get what you wanted!!! Judges Comments: Liked the boldness of the image, the crop, the off centre composition, the sharpness of the centre leading to the softness of the petals.  Liked it being different to the more usual flower images. Score: 10

Woodland Leaves: Taken at Amerberly, while Dave was looking at the cars I explored the wood and I will be again!  A multiple exposure within camera.  The background wood is the first image, the second image placed on top is the close up of the leaves with a zoom burst for extra ta dah!!  A zoom burst is when you move the focus ring in or out while pressing the shutter button.  Sometime you get a mush (I have at least 20 or so of this type) .... sometime you get a great effect (this one!). And I like this.  The image is a little bright in the bottom right hand corner, it will be interesting to see if the image is marked down because of this, I suspect it will! Judges Comments: Very much liked seeing something a little different on the stand. Wasn't sure however, how it sat within the other images on display.  He held the image back until the end.  And without much more comment said he liked it and ..... Score: 9.5

I would be the first to admit, I'm very surprised with my marks so far this season.  I have been much more experimental this season, and I suppose that is because I'm more confident in my camera skills. I'm going to have to come down with a bump sooner or later.  One final colour competition to go!!

Cheam Camera Club: PDI

So after this competition, we will be half way through the season, goodness it seems to be moving fast.  I'm pretty pleased so far with my improvement this year.  However, with everything happening at once I don't seem to be out and about as much with the camera as I'd hoped, so after next week, it out in the rain and snow!

PDI

Round 3:

Daisy:  Taken during the summer of 2015, on the first CCC walk at Non Such Park, which I organised as SS.  I'm really pleased with the post processing of this images, and just love the final image.  A handy tip I picked up at the beginning of the season was to not process your images right away.  And in this case it was worth waiting, if I had processed this six months ago it would have been completely different.  Judges comments -  Liked the processing of this image.  He complimented my background, my choice of cloth was excellent - this was interesting as the picture was taken outside, it's just the natural light processed with a small vignette around the edge.- Score 10

Don't Let Go:  Taken as part of my portfolio work for my C&G in 2013, this was accepted as part of the Winchester PDI Competition last year, can't remember how many were chosen out of the entries but I'm pleased it was accepted!  Really need to save some weekends this year to hive bomb again! Judges comments -   Liked the letterbox crop but felt I could have cropped more off the left and right hand side. Liked the detail, a good sharp image. - Score 10

Chuffed!  You wait  season and a half for a 10 and then you get two in one night.  My own goal was to get one 10 this season for my PDI images as the scores last year were so poor.  Once again.... Chuffed!

Starting a fresh.....

The Another brand new year is here.  I really have no idea where 2015 went.  Time just seems to disappear in a blink of an eye.  I started yesterday with the 'annual' clear up in the sewing room.  I have a mass of projects coming up - and as I could not enter the room with tripping up on project bags and not see my sewing machine, the time really had come to take control once more.

Easiest way I find is to take most things out, and then one by one - sort and re home.  With the hope that I do actually remember which draw/cupboard/box they have been stuffed in.

I did discover some projects that I had forgotten about - slightly concerning now that I have so many UFO  that I don't remember them all.  So a decision made, to pick some projects and a time scale - and see what happens.  I have picked six crochet projects, given myself a time scale of three months. I have other projects that need to be started and finished within this timescale so these will he slotted in between!

Crochet Blanket, started December, experimental using two strands of wool at the same time. 

Blue & White Baby Blanket, miss calculated wool quantity so need to undo and recalculate.
Started November, put to one side in case I find the same wool. 

Started Christmas time, inspired by The Patchwork Heart

Willow Pattern Squares, making for a birthday gift. I should have enough for two small lap quilts.

Rainbow Blanket, started back in perhaps November/December 2013 (eeek).
Put to one side as was having problems joining the squares (different sizes).

So, with the new year under way, off I go on this years creative journey. Come back in three months and see if I have completed these six items!!! :)