SiJ '16 - the "blooper reel"

Yesterday's alternative. Somehow I just like the blurry image of my daughters better.

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My alternative for the day. Perhaps more Dutch (the coffee grinder on wheels) but I like the composition of my posted shot better. BTW: the sticker on the car reads "ma's car"; usually the expression is "grandma's car")

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and a neonized version of another one.

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But manipulation can certainly be done. I'm quite fond of that lens, it was my most commonly used before I got the GR.
You're right, of course - I'm just not yet comfortable (and probably not very good) with hefty push/pull action, so I try to keep it to a judicious minimum. Let's say that I usually approach post processing from the (maybe overly) cautious side and go for a muted, yet natural look. In this case, the lighting was really tricky, with surprisingly dark shadows, yet rather hard, almost painful highlights to my right which I managed to avoid by moving into the shadow of a house. In order not to lose the dramatic effect, I exposed for (the upper half of) the clouds, but they seem to have been a lot brighter than they actually look - I don't know how to put it in better words, really, and I know it sounds kind of stupid. Anyway, this meant that the in the foreground, colours really faded away, very visibly so in RAW ... So I tried to bring them back. Curiously, the clothes really look alright, but the faces sure don't ... I don't mean that they're not sharp, that's intentional, I mean the colours. And it would have taken a lot of work to correct that, so I decided to call it a blooper. It might look good in black and white, though - I'll probably try that out a bit later.

M.
 
This is my first time doing this challenge so I am appreciating now just how hard it becomes, the longer the month goes on. Still, we must tell ourselves it's for a good reason, we'll be better for it. And I actually had a few choices for today's post as well.

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Yes, it does indeed get harder as the month goes on. I'm setting intermediate goals for myself, such as making it to day 15. When we did this for the first time back in 2012, it was easier for me since I was on vacation for, if I recall correctly, the first two weeks of the month. Last year I stopped at day 9. Still going this year, but it's going to be a challenge to find thirteen more night shots (the number of week days left in the month). We'll see how it goes.
 
I participated first time last year. And I remember it was tough. I had many safety shots at home, I just didn't have the energy to go out and shoot in the dark after work.

Now it's easier. I've been without work for 6 months, and have a bit more time. But mentally not so keen on photography at the moment. However, I'm starting a business of my own now, and hopefully I'll be busy and struggle to deliver photos for this challenge. We'll see
 
Here's the rejected larger shot of the old sewing machine whose image I posted yesterday:
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The Singer website will search any serial number for any machine they ever made, and this one was made in 1913. My wife bought it a year ago at an estate sale for $35. It is a full cabinet model and the machine drops down into the cabinet so it looks like a table. The only broken part is the belt you see on the right. It's leather and has just worn through and broken. The detailed scroll work is just amazing and is a style you don't see anymore. Like yesterday's image the winged critter under the thread is actually a sphinx. The drawers were full of parts and needles and, amazingly, letters. One was a carbon copy (a real one) of a hand written letter from 1923 by the 31 year old woman who owned this machine. It was written to the Registrar of voting for Rockbridge County and requested that she be added to the Registry of voters. A slice of life from a century ago.
 
Here's the rejected larger shot of the old sewing machine whose image I posted yesterday:
singer-L.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

The Singer website will search any serial number for any machine they ever made, and this one was made in 1913. My wife bought it a year ago at an estate sale for $35. It is a full cabinet model and the machine drops down into the cabinet so it looks like a table. The only broken part is the belt you see on the right. It's leather and has just worn through and broken. The detailed scroll work is just amazing and is a style you don't see anymore. Like yesterday's image the winged critter under the thread is actually a sphinx. The drawers were full of parts and needles and, amazingly, letters. One was a carbon copy (a real one) of a hand written letter from 1923 by the 31 year old woman who owned this machine. It was written to the Registrar of voting for Rockbridge County and requested that she be added to the Registry of voters. A slice of life from a century ago.

Recently brought one back from my mother-in-law's I'll have to dig out the receipt we found with it - not far off the price of a car in them days IIRC
 
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