Single in January 2015 -What I learned in the past month

I kinda liked it. I learned my way around a new camera body (EM1) and lens (O75) since I limited myself mostly to my chose combination for last month. I learned to like the EM1, and live with the focal length of the O75 since the outcome of that lens can be simply amazing. So the challenge lived up to the purpose I had for it. I am glad to be able to shoot more with my other gear now.
 
I think thats my 3rd or 4th challenge in this forum... I really enjoyed the first, and did manage to shoot and comment every day. My enjoyment waned as more challenges came along. I was in two minds for this one. I remembered having enjoyed the last SIJ and joined with enthusiasm. That pretty much vaporised after the first week. I managed another week, I think, but then I just bailed out.

I don't get out of the house much in Summer, being super sensitive to extremes of heat and humidity, and the yard has exhausted its possibilities for anything "new". Not having a cat around has also taken its toll, in some ways. I absolutely loved photographing Tom in all his moods and he was a constantly available subject...

So, what I have learned is that I cannot take photographs on demand, because shooting something every day means going out every day, and most days I have no reason or desire to do that. Come winter, we shall see, but I can't see it changing much... In the meantime, I like my gear, but am less enamoured of the Nikon1 gear than I was.
 
Reading the ongoing comments, as the month progressed, and the afterwards reflections, it seems apparent, that not very many amateur photographers (me), can do a disciplined challenge, such as SIJ, and stay happy and enthusiastic about it for a whole month. That being the case, maybe we need to be a bit looser in the scope of our "events". Maybe there would better word, that wouldn't put such a guilt trip on those that just don't have the liberty, to just shoot what is in their comfort zone, without feeling like a failure.

I'm purposing a "post your best of week" opportunity. One shot each week, taken and posted within the week, Sunday, through Saturday. No limit on equipment. A time to work on our skills in selecting subject, framing, light, PP, and telling a story in picture format. Commenting would be welcome, but optional. It has been mentioned that the gallery style is too hard to follow.so the photos would be posted in the thread. A new thread for each week. No winner to be chosen, just the enjoyment of sharing, what we saw. It's not to be a replacement or in competition with our 2 week themed threads.

Comments on this idea?
 
The 17mm f/1.8 is indeed quite universal, and it can turn out pleasing images, no doubt. But its rendering is too much geared towards the pleasant and serene - there's not a lot of bite in it, it's smooth and sometimes overly nice.

I also did the challenge with the 17/1.8 and these were pretty much my findings.
I like the lens, but often it misses some punch. Well, looking for a 25/1.4 now :rolleyes:

José
 
I'm purposing a "post your best of week" opportunity. One shot each week, taken and posted within the week, Sunday, through Saturday. No limit on equipment. A time to work on our skills in selecting subject, framing, light, PP, and telling a story in picture format. Commenting would be welcome, but optional. It has been mentioned that the gallery style is too hard to follow.so the photos would be posted in the thread. A new thread for each week. No winner to be chosen, just the enjoyment of sharing, what we saw. It's not to be a replacement or in competition with our 2 week themed threads.

Comments on this idea?

I like it very much, though I'm not entirely sure that the looser format will actually attract the same level of dedication - which it doesn't need, of course, but which made the challenge so interesting in the end. I'm pretty sure you could count me in - so we could start it anyway :)

M.
 
I also did the challenge with the 17/1.8 and these were pretty much my findings.
I like the lens, but often it misses some punch. Well, looking for a 25/1.4 now :rolleyes:

José

I've already gone back to the 12-40mm on the E-M10, but looking into adding other primes - the first to arrive is the blissfully inexpensive Sigma 30mm ... If the 17mm will stay, time will tell (there are lots of interesting alternatives).

M.
 
Hello SIJ Photographers,
The project was a good one.
I didn't know the LX100/Type109 was going to exist until I saw it on this forum last October.
This SIJ was a chance to see if it (Type 109) could become a faithful tool.
It kind of surprised me.
Now a good part of the month's shooting will be in the running for an exhibit "Any Minute" to
be hung in March.
The 109 is now the daily traveler.
Thanks to all of you for thoughtful comments and good work.
Keep Eager.
JH
 
So picked the XT1 and the 27 pancake lens for my setup, and managed to shoot / post something like 20 honest pictures total. I shot pictures every single day this month (as is normal for me), often 20-30 per day, and sometimes hundreds in a day (for the wife's website, either here in town for a bike ride, or in NYC for 3 days). A quick count of my January folder and its subfolders tells me I took 804 pictures last month that I felt were worth saving for one reason or another, and that doesn't even include the "Misc" folder, which is where all the SIJ photos (among other randoms) are. Here's what kept me from taking and posting 31 SIJ photos with the 27:

1. The cold did not make it any easier... some mornings I'd see something that might be worth shooting, but it would be 12 degrees out, and my hands were already cold INSIDE the gigantic mittens, so I just didn't stop and do it. Sometimes I did - more often than not I did - but sometimes I didn't.
2. Competition for my camera time from the wife's website. If we're spending a full day leading a bike ride, or touring NYC by bike, I'm going to use the BEST lens I have for each job, not the one I needed for SIJ. I didn't even bring the pancake to NYC, just the 18-55 and the 35 f1.4.
3. I got a pretty damned nasty cold from NYC (thanks, Penn Station!), which has had me bed-ridden several days in the past week. I've missed two days of work over it, which is rare for me. And it's meant I just don't get up, go anywhere, and shoot for SIJ.


I've learned a little about the new software update for the XT1, specifically how I like to use Classic Chrome, AF+MF, and the electronic shutter (when it's time to be QUIET, usually). SIJ was part of that.

I've learned very little about the 27 that I didn't already know...

- It's an "85%" lens for me. It's very good. It's usually plenty. Sometimes it isn't sharp and contrasty enough, though. And it's not as easy to get bokeh with it, which is sometimes very helpful. And knowing that I have the 35 and the 56 means I'm often thinking that I wish I were using one of them instead.
- The 35 f1.4 is a "98%" lens. It tells you a complex story where other lenses simply show you what happened. Its length is a little more limiting, but not MUCH more limiting. Its boxy, tight hood is fantastically helpful when you're walking around in the snow... the pancake loses out here.
- The polarizing filter for the pancake is WONDERFUL in bright blue sky days out in the snow, I'll give it that.
 
I've never done this kind of challenge before and I was happy to finish my first. I shot with the Fuji X100T and the challenge helped me get used to the focal length and learn the camera. Previously my go-to focal length was 35-40mm on APS-C. Now I'm much more comfortable with the 23mm of the X100T. It was difficult posting photos I wouldn't normally have and a trip from China to Canada and back in the middle of the challenge was strange as the time difference (13 hours) left me confused as to what day it was and of course jet -agged.

I had a lot of trouble with the gallery. Internet problems in China makes things slow. It's much easier to post an image link in a forum than it is to upload a photo and I had all kinds of problems trying to view photos to comment too.

I'm going to continue on and keep posting a photo a day. If anyone is interested you can see them at ChangshaNotes - One a Day 2015. I don't know how long I can keep it up but I think it's a good exercise to improve my photography.
 
I enjoyed the challenge hugely for the first week. Then work started again and it got difficult. I just couldn't get out and about in daylight hours, and I ran out of inspiration quickly on indoors shots. I felt I was posting stuff for the sake of it rather than because it was an image I really wanted to share. So I would second the comment that we should do this at a different time of year.
The other thing I learned was that I really don't get on with the 50mm-type focal length. This was my third attempt recently and all those lenses have now been sold.
 
I managed about half of it overall. While I'm glad I tried it I don't think I would do it again. I like to go out and shoot two or three times a week and spend the rest of the time mulling over the images. I positively enjoy being out without a camera because it changes the way I see things and feeds into my way of seeing thing when I do have a camera. Shooting every day doesn't work for me.

The positive thing for me was getting used to seeing the world through the 23mm lens. I spent most of the last couple of years shooting at 30-35mm but when I stuck the 35 on yesterday and went out I found myself wishing I had used the 23 instead. (I should explain that I rarely ever change lenses when I'm out - I pick a lens for the day and that's it. Most of the time I don't even bring a second lens.

For me the idea way to run this challenge would be to post a shot a day from any shots taken in a given week. For example any of your shots taken in week one can be posted on any day of that week. Overall, though, a worthwhile exercise.
 
I think I might carry around the Stylus 1 this month. With a very flexible 28-300 2.8 zoom and a small 12 MP sensor, it's almost the counterpoint to the Coolpix A. I almost took it this morning, and didn't. I was then confronted with a full moon on the horizon. I need some tele time.
 
I haven't struggled at all during this challenge. I found it fun.

What I have learned is that:

- I don't take life too seriously,
- I have too many Dr Who and Big Bang Theory toys,
- I don't have enough Dr Who and Big Bang Theory toys,
- I'm am a little bit of a Sci-fi geek,
- shooting in colour doesn't hurt,
- I like Banksy (no matter how much contrary protest words come out of my mouth),
- It is helpful to have a little tripod when shooting in low light,
- I am too lazy to screw the camera on the tripod,
- hand-held low light shots kind of work,
- blurry is ok in the company of friends,
- it's easier to choose a single theme and run with it.

I only shot one picture while standing outside (in Edinburgh), one shot from inside my car (in Edinburgh), the rest were inside my house (not in Edinburgh). I didn't miss a day. The graffiti image was destroyed by workmen over the weekend and doesn't exist anymore. That made me sad. They replaced it with a new grey fence. I like grey. My living room wall is grey. But I don't like the fence. I hope someone paints it soon.

I haven't shot any pictures so far this month.
 
I've wanted to test Flickr's photo books for some time now. And guess what, I thought that I earned some reward from my determination to the task - and ordered photo book.

WP_20150222_003 1.jpg


+
  • easy to use
  • 40% discount
-
  • only acceptable quality - no manual tuning for photos in the creative (or at least I didn't figure out how)
  • limitations to edit the story (or at least I didn't figure out how)

But anyway, I just wanted to test the process and see the quality by my own eyes.

Of course I only used my own shots. I restricted myself in the challenge to SOOC only JPEGs, so now I kept these restrictions in place, when no fine tuning was available in the photo book tool. And I didn't change the sequence, from 1st to 31st in order, which resulted odd pairs in double pages, sometimes. Sometimes they matched surprisingly well.

Anyway, I now got the book to browse and remember the challenge :)
 
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