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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> Canon SLR Challenges - FAQ >> CSLR - Best of... >> Best of 2004 > 3rd Place
Day's End *
by Shu
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10-NOV-2004 Shu

3rd Place
Day's End *
by Shu

Having just gotten home from work, I slipped off my shoes (ahhh-what a relief!)
and looked down to see a rather pleasing image.....red feet, dusty shoes and a
polka dot carpet..... I snapped the shot and this is what I came up with.
Ordinary things are often taken for granted and go unnoticed most of the time.
These feet appreciate shoe relief!


other sizes: small medium original auto
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Carol E Sandgren19-Nov-2004 07:20
Congratulations on placing Shu! I love this shot! -Carol
Guest 14-Nov-2004 05:02
But do the breath holding AFTER the exhale! ;) ~ Lonnit
Guest 13-Nov-2004 21:38
Hold your breath and squeeze the trigger. Well apart from that it's a really great photo Shu. You really got the composition right. Love the colours too. /Jonas
Guest 13-Nov-2004 06:24
I don't see the motion blur, but then, I have different glasses all over the house each with their own purpose. I still see a terrific image that holds its weight technically (vision impairments aside) and can be related to on a very basic level.
ctfchallenge13-Nov-2004 05:42
Guys--I guess I'm learning! "Shu shake" is a real problem, especially when you can't even see it yourself. I'll have to let this one go, since I don't want to "set up" the shot and make it appear contrived in order to get a more sterile image. I think it is absolutely correct that the excitment comes through in an image when your heart and soul drive the process. I am really taking into account all of your suggestions about the slow shutter speed, higher ISO, bracing the camera in some way and firing several shots in order to get a clear one.(I really like that tip!) Lonnet, honesty is cruel medicine, but where can one be lucky enough to benefit from it except right here in the challenge. Shu
ctfchallenge13-Nov-2004 04:30
First of all, don't you mean "Shu's"? (get it - homonym? Shu's...shoes? I know, really bad. sorry! LOL!) Great colors, interesting irony - the concept is the relaxation, yet the red/black/white palette is so vibrant! The shoe shake really, really bugs me though. Sorry 'bout that but total honesty is crucial in these friendly little challenges otherwise we'd just call them picture shares and we wouldn't vote.

2ndly, thank GOODNESS we'd cleared up that thing about you NOT being a twenty-something Asian guy! Imagine what I would have thought on this one! LMAO!

As for the shake, I am ALWAYS dealing with not enough light even though the lens is wide open, and I've got those slow shutter speeds. So, when the lens won't open any further, and I don't want to push the ISO up past 400 b/c I dont' want grain, and I don't have a tripod handy, I go for this nifty little trick I developed... hold that dang camera as still as you can, bracing if you can, and then squeeze that shutter button ever so gently and KEEP IT DOWN!!! Let is fire off 3-4 frames. THere's an extremely good chance that frame 2 or 3 will be sharp! I've done this quite a few times now and have had blurry garbage flanking a very usable shot in the middle!

~ Lonnit
Anna Yu12-Nov-2004 23:49
Beautiful shot, great color and composition. Boost up the iso to 800 and the shutter speed will be much better.
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Nov-2004 22:11
This image reeks of the 'aaaahhhh' factor. Nicely done, despite the camera shake.

Tracy!
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Nov-2004 19:27
Regarding safe hand-holdable shutterspeeds, instead of multiplying the focal length by 1.6 (cropping factor of DRebel/10D/20D), I use a factor of 2. The math is easier that way and sharper pictures are more likely. IOW, shooting handheld with a 50mm lens, I try to keep the shutter at 1/100s or faster. Oh, about the picture: nice compositions and expressive shot! --Olaf
ctfchallenge12-Nov-2004 18:02
Thanks. This is good info! Shu
Guest 12-Nov-2004 17:44
as a rule of thumb, i estimate my minimum shutter speed as a reciprocal of the focal length of the lens. for instance, you are using a 50mm (acts like an 80mm on a 10D) lens but you are shooting at 1/30th of a second. so you are setting yourself up for camera shake problems. your options would be to stabilize the camera with a tripod, monopod or brace it against your body somehow; increase the ISO; incease the lens aperture; use a flash; intentionally underexpose a stop or two and then fix the exposure in photoshop; or use a lens with IS.

grant
Canon DSLR Challenge12-Nov-2004 14:46
Thanks guys. Grant, I'm not aware of camera shake but, frankly, elder eyes, shakey hands are all territory of the elderly. From the angle taken, a tripod would have helped, and I thought of it, but how to take at that angle? I'll never be famous, but I'm having a h--- of a lot of fun with photography. Shu
Guest 12-Nov-2004 14:19
...camera shake...
alexeig12-Nov-2004 07:52
You do have beautiful feet and know how to shoot them
Guest 12-Nov-2004 06:11
Nice image Shu! The composition is excellent. The stark contrast between the bright red feet and dark polka dotted carpet really works and the shoes complete the image. But best of all the image doesn't need an explanation, it says it all. Bravo!