Another extra

16-85@40mm, fr8, 1/30s, flash.

I did promise a picture of Toby taking a picture for the challenge.

Xmas: Toby's Fourth

Xmas family games.  Another variation on the get the cute kid in ploy.

18-105@45mm, f7.1, 1/60sec, ISO 400. 

Xmas: Toby's third

Xmas drinks - or in this case Boxing Day.  A closer crop might be better, but I like that you can see a bit of Sarah's hand. Shame about the smear on the glass.

50mm, f2.2, 1/800sec, ISO 1600

Xmas: Toby's Second

This is my attempt at the Xmas lights theme. It's not really straight, but I'm not going to spend ages in PS tranforming it.

18-105@18mm, f3.5, 1/13sec, ISO 1000. 

Christmas bonus

16-85mm@80mm, f5.6, 1/10s, ISO 400

Not a Chrimbo challenge, but just to show Toby and my tripods enjoyed their Christmas, warming their feet by the fire.

(That's the last from me for now, you'll be pleased to know. Hope you continue to have a fun filled festive season and a great new year)

Chrimbo Challenge - Tom's last

16-85mm@22mm, f8, 1/30s, ISO 400, remote flash off-camera

Like Toby's, fairly tenuous Christmas link (although there is Santa peering over Sam's shoulder). Was trying to get the Samster nicely centred through the arch, but as they say, never work with animals or children who decide to destroy your props within seconds of you piling them up.

Chrimbo Challenge - Tom's fourth

16-85mm@20mm, f8, 1/25s, ISO 400

Tried this b/w and colour and still not sure which I prefer. Think the splashes of red work quite well, so stuck with the colour in the end.

Chrimbo Challenge - Tom's Third

16-85mm@58mm, f8, 1/30s, ISO 1600

Corny and reflected self (and Alice) portrait, but thought a bit of festive cheesiness was needed.

CHrimbo Challenge - Tom's Second

16-85mm@80mm, f5.6, 1/10s, ISO 400

Christmas Eve, wandering back from Pizza Express after Sarah's 40th with a very sleepy Sam. Would not be surprised if Toby has a very similar shot tucked away somewhere, which is why I'm posting it first! ;)

Convinced it's not straight, but I've had too many wines to work it out and chap walking across the frame is too close to the bottom to do any straightening anyway.

Xmas: Toby's First or "What idiot put those in the girls' stockings?"

And here's my first attempt. The Xmas link is a little tenuous, but I like the photo. Also notable for the fact that I have done virually nothing to it digitally (v. minor crop and a little sharpening). 

50mm, f1.8, 1/60sec, ISO 800.

Chrimo Challenge - Kevin's first attempt

We went out for a stroll last night after stuffing ourselves with turkey. I took my camera along just in case. Not as many xmas lights as in previous years, but I did spot a tree with coloured lights. Realising that trying to hand hold the camera to get a sharp shot was nigh on impossible in the dark, I decided to mess about with long exposures and camera movement, and here's the result. I only took half a dozen shots as it was bloody freezing and I was holding up the walk.

Santa was there too :)

Exposure details: 1s, f/8, ISO 200. 24-105mm IS lens with (stupidly) IS left on. Idiot.

Chrimbo Challenge - Tom's first attempt

Bit experimental - Alice has strung these baubles up against the bathroom window on very fine wire. Fired camera in completely dark room and then "painted" the baubles with a torch during exposure time. Darkened the background as much as poss in PP to try and isolate the decorations. Movement of me and the torch caused air movement which moved the baubles during the exposure, which means it's not as sharp as it should be.

D300, 30secs, f25, 16-85@28mm, tripod and remote trigger.

Bleedin' Obvious Challenge 3 - Chrimbo

Anything Christmassy. Atheists and Humanists permitted to apply the Pagan version of these rules (available on special request). Santa, elves, trees, baubles, pressies and anything remotely associated with this special time of year to be considered fair game. Tasteful female nudity will attract additional marks, as usual.

Same rules as usual.

* Theme: Chrimbo
* Submit up to 5 pictures.
* Post processing and digital manipulation is allowed (Tom is not permitted to comment on high ISO noise though :)
* A brief line should accompany each photo (e.g. location or subject, camera, exposure details, etc).
* The photo must be taken between 9th Dec 2008 and 9th Jan 2009.
* Deadline: 9th Jan 2009.

Challenging challenge

Bit of a dearth of weather for the last challenge, but some nice pics anyway. Typically, all the interesting frost and ice appeared after the deadline!

Think it's Kevin's challenge next?

Late challenge: Tom's second, third and last

The two rain shots are both at 1/250s, f8, ISO 400, 16-85@65mm, with flash

The umbrella close up is 1/50s, f5.5, ISO450, with bounced flash

A noisy noise etc Pt 2

Rather than just being a sad pixel-peeper, there is a reason for the 100 per cent cropping! This example, again shot at 1600ISO, but when the idiot behind the camera realised he had a VR lense and wasn't taking advantage of it!

f5.3 and shot at around 1/15s this time - clear difference how less noisy the image is if the shot is properly exposed...which is a lesson I'll try and remember (or perhaps pack either my old film Richoh, ditch the D300 and stick to the lower MP D70 or buy a monopod re Kev's suggestions! ;) )

Again, first two images are unprocessed, converted straight from RAW. Second two are with very light noise reduction applied.