Ric’s journey without direction

I’ve not had time to comment or participate the last few days. To put it plainly, I became bored of my techniques which set massive alarm bells ringing. The problem of looking too much at how others create their images and my wanting to recreate them unsuccessfully really did have an effect.
The one thing that could be the answer is to create an image how I would normally, then build on that to take it further, away from the already altered reality that was seen when the shutter button was pressed.
I still love blur, that is a major element of images for me, but a Group on Flickr,creating real moody double exposures or tastefully textured to further highlight film noir and the female photographer that creates blurred images but goes further than I can understand at the moment is where my journey needs to head. So there may be some time before my normality resumes, it’s taking the journey without direction to a whole new level.
for a start, just putting an image that wasn’t anything special but I processed as normally would, then put it in iColorama to see what came out.
View attachment 183295

View attachment 183296
any opinions, advice, criticism or mocking would be highly appreciated with this one.
I like the iColorama version -- nice transformation.
 
The problem of looking too much at how others create their images and my wanting to recreate them unsuccessfully really did have an effect.
Yeah, been there. It's good to remind yourself that the time wasn't lost because you were building skills that'll be there for some future edit. One of my grad school profs told me that doing imitations is a good thing, not because you'd want to do that forever but because it forces you out of your usual paths.
 
Yeah, been there. It's good to remind yourself that the time wasn't lost because you were building skills that'll be there for some future edit. One of my grad school profs told me that doing imitations is a good thing, not because you'd want to do that forever but because it forces you out of your usual paths.
That prof probably hit the nail on the head. Maybe it’s just a thing to allow you to get it out of your head. Your partly to blame though ted. The smoother blurs you do on some of your work made me realise it’s something I needed to do. As for some of the stuff I seen on the Flickr group I linked above, I think it’s just out of reach with mobile editing.
 
The smoother blurs you do on some of your work
If we're thinking about the same images, they were done a bit differently, not the usual Slow Shutter Cam way. I used a physical Neutral Density filter on the iPhone camera lens and kept the shutter speed to 1/2 second or less (usually around 1/3 or 1/4 second). And that seems to give me smoother results than Slow Shutter Cam.

As I understand it, the slowest actual shutter speed an iPhone offers is 1 second. Anything slower than that is either shot as a burst or as video and then automagically processed into a single shot by whatever camera app. And I noticed that people whose work I admired on Instagram, like Andy Gray and Roxanne Overton, were using DSLRs with short shutter speeds (again usually 1/2 second or less, even down to 1/8 second), so I was trying to emulate their setups.

I shoot using a regular manual control camera app like ProCamera or Camera+ or Halide, not the native camera (no shutter speed control) or slow shutter app. The Neutral Density filter knocks 6-8 stops off the exposure so that I can shoot this way outdoors without overexposing everything. It's a bit trickier than the slow shutter apps, but (to my eye) the results have a different look that I like.

(I have some Moment lenses and a Moment case for my XS, so I got a Moment adapter and a 37mm variable ND filter to match. It's small and quite pocketable, so not a problem to carry along.)
 
I’ve not had time to comment or participate the last few days. To put it plainly, I became bored of my techniques which set massive alarm bells ringing. The problem of looking too much at how others create their images and my wanting to recreate them unsuccessfully really did have an effect.
The one thing that could be the answer is to create an image how I would normally, then build on that to take it further, away from the already altered reality that was seen when the shutter button was pressed.
I still love blur, that is a major element of images for me, but a Group on Flickr,creating real moody double exposures or tastefully textured to further highlight film noir and the female photographer that creates blurred images but goes further than I can understand at the moment is where my journey needs to head. So there may be some time before my normality resumes, it’s taking the journey without direction to a whole new level.
for a start, just putting an image that wasn’t anything special but I processed as normally would, then put it in iColorama to see what came out.
View attachment 183295

View attachment 183296
any opinions, advice, criticism or mocking would be highly appreciated with this one.
I like the b/w, the colour one does nothing much for me, it kind of looks blocky and pixelated, not sure what look you were going for?

Which brings me to,
it’s more the frustration of not being able to achieve the look you want.
You KNOW the look you are after? I just find it odd that you are chasing styles and trying to replicate what others do. You also have to remember that the vast majority of folk on Flickr (the ones you'd want to look at anyway) use DSLR's etc not mobiles and they probably also use desktop photoshop and Lightroom. Most of the time you will never replicate those images, as superb as they are.

So maybe you need to just get your images together and make a Ric style. Sure, viewing images from a zillion sources can put ideas into your head, but develop you own take on them.
I think you've already posted some standout shots here, the place is richer for your input Ric of Wales :)
 
If we're thinking about the same images, they were done a bit differently, not the usual Slow Shutter Cam way. I used a physical Neutral Density filter on the iPhone camera lens and kept the shutter speed to 1/2 second or less (usually around 1/3 or 1/4 second). And that seems to give me smoother results than Slow Shutter Cam.

As I understand it, the slowest actual shutter speed an iPhone offers is 1 second. Anything slower than that is either shot as a burst or as video and then automagically processed into a single shot by whatever camera app. And I noticed that people whose work I admired on Instagram, like Andy Gray and Roxanne Overton, were using DSLRs with short shutter speeds (again usually 1/2 second or less, even down to 1/8 second), so I was trying to emulate their setups.

I shoot using a regular manual control camera app like ProCamera or Camera+ or Halide, not the native camera (no shutter speed control) or slow shutter app. The Neutral Density filter knocks 6-8 stops off the exposure so that I can shoot this way outdoors without overexposing everything. It's a bit trickier than the slow shutter apps, but (to my eye) the results have a different look that I like.

(I have some Moment lenses and a Moment case for my XS, so I got a Moment adapter and a 37mm variable ND filter to match. It's small and quite pocketable, so not a problem to carry along.)
Well that explains a lot on why your getting those results, plus Roxanne uses photoshop which was brilliant in blending etc, more so than affinity. The problem in this day and age is trying to have a different style to anyone else….
 
I like the b/w, the colour one does nothing much for me, it kind of looks blocky and pixelated, not sure what look you were going for?

Which brings me to,

You KNOW the look you are after? I just find it odd that you are chasing styles and trying to replicate what others do. You also have to remember that the vast majority of folk on Flickr (the ones you'd want to look at anyway) use DSLR's etc not mobiles and they probably also use desktop photoshop and Lightroom. Most of the time you will never replicate those images, as superb as they are.

So maybe you need to just get your images together and make a Ric style. Sure, viewing images from a zillion sources can put ideas into your head, but develop you own take on them.
I think you've already posted some standout shots here, the place is richer for your input Ric of Wales :)
That’s what I just said to Ted, a lot are using Dslr’s but it’s the full photoshop that holds the key to doing a few things. Regardless I’m exploring subtle tonemapping in my workflow more to see what can come out of it.I’m sure it’ll come round full circle and see that snapseed is still king of my roost though.
 
That’s what I just said to Ted, a lot are using Dslr’s but it’s the full photoshop that holds the key to doing a few things. Regardless I’m exploring subtle tonemapping in my workflow more to see what can come out of it.I’m sure it’ll come round full circle and see that snapseed is still king of my roost though.
Two things come to mind here. I’ve had a look at some of the images on the Flickr group and I think some of the stuff you have shown on here is just as good! Actually, I like it more. Most of the Flickr stuff is quite staged. Is it the genre that you hanker for rather than the look because I think you get the look.

Secondly, clearly it’s easier getting this look on Photoshop but everybody is doing it. If it’s harder on a mobile and not so many people are achieving it then to me that makes it more special and worth pursuing. The people I follow on Instagram tend to be mobile only, although there are some exceptions. This way I feel like I’m comparing like for like.
 
Two things come to mind here. I’ve had a look at some of the images on the Flickr group and I think some of the stuff you have shown on here is just as good! Actually, I like it more. Most of the Flickr stuff is quite staged. Is it the genre that you hanker for rather than the look because I think you get the look.

Secondly, clearly it’s easier getting this look on Photoshop but everybody is doing it. If it’s harder on a mobile and not so many people are achieving it then to me that makes it more special and worth pursuing. The people I follow on Instagram tend to be mobile only, although there are some exceptions. This way I feel like I’m comparing like for like.
I think I just get bored Ann. theres also an obsession with wanting to be able create any technique.Hopefully it’s a fad and normal service will resume.
 
I think I just get bored Ann. theres also an obsession with wanting to be able create any technique.Hopefully it’s a fad and normal service will resume.
I do understand. I have been there myself. Whenever I try a particular technique it comes out completely different.
 
This could have gone in the ‘on the way to‘ challenge as they are walkers making their way to the estuary but it’s experimental so it goes here.
Blurred in iColorama, then into affinity to layer and blend with the normal photo to bring detail back in.

off to the estuary.

E156DC02-3500-4BD7-AE37-A8604D442D49.jpeg
 
This could have gone in the ‘on the way to‘ challenge as they are walkers making their way to the estuary but it’s experimental so it goes here.
Blurred in iColorama, then into affinity to layer and blend with the normal photo to bring detail back in.

off to the estuary.

View attachment 183383
Good one :thumbs: Just the right amount of blur on the people.
 
This could have gone in the ‘on the way to‘ challenge as they are walkers making their way to the estuary but it’s experimental so it goes here.
Blurred in iColorama, then into affinity to layer and blend with the normal photo to bring detail back in.

off to the estuary.

View attachment 183383
I like the blur, I think you've done a good job of the (fake) ICM, it flows nicely round that curve. The two figures I'm not too sure about to be honest. Would the scene have been better without them, I dunno?
 
I like the blur, I think you've done a good job of the (fake) ICM, it flows nicely round that curve. The two figures I'm not too sure about to be honest. Would the scene have been better without them, I dunno?
As a straight photo they belong there but yeah I get what you mean.
 
I like the blur, I think you've done a good job of the (fake) ICM, it flows nicely round that curve. The two figures I'm not too sure about to be honest. Would the scene have been better without them, I dunno?

As a straight photo they belong there but yeah I get what you mean.

I've peered at it all different ways, and I think something needs to be there for interest, and the people fill the bill.

Also: Straighten it! (Ahem. Don't mind my little quirks... :whistle: )
 
I like the blur, I think you've done a good job of the (fake) ICM, it flows nicely round that curve. The two figures I'm not too sure about to be honest. Would the scene have been better without them, I dunno?
As a straight photo they belong there but yeah I get what you mean.
 
I've peered at it all different ways, and I think something needs to be there for interest, and the people fill the bill.

Also: Straighten it! (Ahem. Don't mind my little quirks... :whistle: )
Ok, im not sure how to straighten a multi directional blurred image lol. But i love little quirks :)
 
Ok, im not sure how to straighten a multi directional blurred image lol. But i love little quirks :)

Straighten a deliberately blurred icolorama'ed to death image Ted, really? :lol:

I did say "quirk," didn't I? I'm sure I did. :lmao:

You've got 4 very strong verticals in the image: two people and two posts, all things that are usually straight up in this situation, or at least not all leaning in the same direction. So what's the problem? For some people, nothing. For me, it jerks me out of experiencing the image and starts me thinking "Did he do that on purpose or not? And if he did, why? Or did he just overlook it? Or..." A Dutch angle shot, I have no problem with because it's obvious it's done on purpose (or at least retained on purpose), even though I"m not a huge fan of that style.

It's the same for me with horizons in landscapes if they're a bit off true. It grabs my attention away from whatever the image is trying to project. You've got a magic moment -- really a magic few seconds -- when people first see your image to pull them into it or have them fall into it (whichever metaphor suits you). My feeling is that if you distract the viewer at that moment, you never get that magic instant back, even if the viewer later turns back to the image itself and appreciates its sterling qualities.

I'm not explaining this so well, but it's the best I can do at the moment.

061DDC8B-01D3-45C5-920D-54CBBF41C450.jpeg
 
I did say "quirk," didn't I? I'm sure I did. :lmao:

You've got 4 very strong verticals in the image: two people and two posts, all things that are usually straight up in this situation, or at least not all leaning in the same direction. So what's the problem? For some people, nothing. For me, it jerks me out of experiencing the image and starts me thinking "Did he do that on purpose or not? And if he did, why? Or did he just overlook it? Or..." A Dutch angle shot, I have no problem with because it's obvious it's done on purpose (or at least retained on purpose), even though I"m not a huge fan of that style.

It's the same for me with horizons in landscapes if they're a bit off true. It grabs my attention away from whatever the image is trying to project. You've got a magic moment -- really a magic few seconds -- when people first see your image to pull them into it or have them fall into it (whichever metaphor suits you). My feeling is that if you distract the viewer at that moment, you never get that magic instant back, even if the viewer later turns back to the image itself and appreciates its sterling qualities.

I'm not explaining this so well, but it's the best I can do at the moment.

View attachment 183465
I get it Ted. That’s why this image is in my experiment thread. It did it’s job by making you think but is that enough? I’ve been playing today and every edit I’m doing is taking me back to my normal stamp of images, with nominal blur, except I’ve discarded hipsta now and getting those filters is like a child in a sweet shop.
 
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