Single in January 2015 - How's the ride? (Days 1-10)

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stillshunter

Super Moderator Emeritus
Location
Down Under
Name
Mark
First month of a new year and we're full of resolutions - let personal regret be the stuff of February, for together we have January my friends. ;) Not sure about your own individual resolution, whether it's to get familiar with that new Christmas camera, to assuage the guilt and use the actual kit you have, to “talk less and shoot more”, or simply to get off the couch and interact with the world again. Whatever you need to achieve the opportunity is here to do it with friends. So our leather and metal is polished, saddle up and let's get on the trail.

Look here if you need a refresher on how we roll during Single in January (SiJ) and/or here if you're curious about who else is in our posse and what they're packing. Images are posted in this location, not here. This thread is to talk through the challenges and lessons of the first ten days of SiJ'15 – another thread will be opened for days 11-20 and 21-31.

I thought a little cut and paste from SiJ'12 is timely as I seemed wiser then...must have been the additional brain cells :blush:
During SiJ “more of us will fall or falter if we don't have support from each other. First and foremost it's about commenting on each others images - and extending that to C&C if it's welcome...I'd suggest putting it under you image if you are keen for C&C. But secondly, it's about sharing your experiences. This will prove tough and please be aware it is tough for us all, so share what you're finding hard and we will work through how to overcome it. Some folks will scoff and say "C'mon get over it it's one photo a day". But yes one photo everyday and with the one piece of kit....no flitting through kit, but focusing your eye and attention in that field of view. Subjects will get thinner as the days get longer...but we will work through it...promise!!!”

...and a little hint from experience:

"Shoot safeties!"*
First thing in the morning take the camera and lens out with you and shoot. Make some frames as early as you can. If you defer until after lunch, or when the kids are in bed or the cows fed, then you'll find that come 11pm and you can breath again after another chaotic day, you'll be tearing your hair out (for those unlike me who have much remaining) scanning the lounge room frantically for compositions. You'll get desperate enough that you'd think a still of what's on TV will do. But if you shoot the safety then there is always something waiting for you come post-processing time. OK it might not be your best shot, but you have it...it might get thrown away after all the other pearlers you shot today, or it might just have that something that only come with fresh eyes. Also getting that camera to your eye early reminds you of, and locks in, your field of view for the day. Also it means you start shooting and sometimes the hardest barrier is taking that first shot...after that you just want to shoot more!!! So shoot that safety...maybe before you even log excitedly into Serious Compacts first thing to see what's going on."


Ah nothing like the sight of smoke coming from the flared nostrils of horses, the sound of jiggling metal and the smell of anticipation and adrenalin in the air. Old hands give the new ones a leg up.

Let's ride!
 
I had forgotten all about the wisdom of "the safety". Thanks Mark for the reminder. I'm excited to push myself again. And I'm excited to see what all my photo friends from around the world come up with EACH DAY. I'm still around 17 hours away from January, but if I can make it up past midnight this year (a feat I haven't bothered to accomplish in several years), my first safety shot will be around 12:01.

Let's ride, indeed. (Mark, I have no idea where you came with your horse riding gang motif, but I love it.)
 
Thoroughly looking forward to the off.

The going may be heavy and the ground soft but with a wee pinch of pepper in the right place, I'll see the finish line. :2thumbs:

That's the spirit mate.

Giddy-up

So 2015's here in Australia - I'll let you backward folks in on a little secret....shaping up to be a right corker ;)

Went out to shoot my safety and decided it was probably most appropriate way to start - with dawn on the first day, so here she is - my Day One

View attachment 105020

Not encouraging everyone to thumbnail, but just put this one up so our green riders have a marker to get to the SIJ15 Gallery.

So we Aussies will scout on ahead, just at the walk....y'all catch up.
 
1:05am in Texas, took a safety already but I am hoping to get better opportunities after some sleep time. Excited to see what everyone does. Great start Mark, and thanks for spearheading this.
 
Mid day in the UK, gloomy fyi, and I just armed the A7R with the Contax G 45. I'll be off to Spain (hopefully sunny) on the 4th so won't be able to post for that week but will post them in a bunch when I get back. Chose the Contax 45mm for it's weight/size virtues. I'm interested to see how I manage with this as 35mm is not a comfortable focal length for me, much prefer the 50's so 45mm is somewhat of a compromise for an indecisive person like me!
 
Tuckeroo intrigues me ……… you cannot seriously call a plant a "Tuckeroo"

I prefer Cupaniopsis anacardioides

but I suppose it is from the soapberry family and the tree is liked by the pied currawong
 
Well, I think I mentioned this to be a bit challenge :)

And how right I was, wet snow, temperature +2 C, clouds hanging in the ground. Not so much of an inspiration, *sigh*

16162250831_af70736378_o.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

2015 Single In January 2015-01-01 13.54.52 FUJIFILM X100S f5.6 1_60s ISO400 by Matero04, on Flickr​

However, I think I got something, not this one, just a teaser :cool:

I restricted myself also to use only SOOC JPEGs. I don't really know how this is going to end... (cropping and resize allowed, though)
 
had some friends over for dinner and drinks last night and they stayed over in the guest bedroom......where my X100 is. So my "safety" shots after midnight and the sunrise this morning (to steal Mark's idea) were done with the RX1. So if I don't get anything decent with the X100, I'm going to pull a last minute switch of my ride, but we'll see what "develops". After a massive breakfast and a couple ibuprofen, I took a nap with our dog Charlie and I'm nearly feeling human. Now to clean up the mess from last night.
 
Well, I think I mentioned this to be a bit challenge :)

And how right I was, wet snow, temperature +2 C, clouds hanging in the ground. Not so much of an inspiration, *sigh*

16162250831_af70736378_o.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

2015 Single In January 2015-01-01 13.54.52 FUJIFILM X100S f5.6 1_60s ISO400 by Matero04, on Flickr​

However, I think I got something, not this one, just a teaser :cool:

I restricted myself also to use only SOOC JPEGs. I don't really know how this is going to end... (cropping and resize allowed, though)
It's all about familiarity and sameness I reckon. For me here, where snow is a rare thing, I see so many opportunities from what I glean from this scene. Close-ups, abstracts, high contrast B&W, monochrome landscapes, light through ice....ooooohh there's definitely 31 shots just in this little stretch here alone mate (y)
 
It's all about familiarity and sameness I reckon. For me here, where snow is a rare thing, I see so many opportunities from what I glean from this scene. Close-ups, abstracts, high contrast B&W, monochrome landscapes, light through ice....ooooohh there's definitely 31 shots just in this little stretch here alone mate (y)

Actually, you're right. I found plenty of opportunities when walking in our park. I took some shots to memorize those, let's see if I have to go back during next 30 days (y)
 
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