WDPC PRINT COMP OPEN 2017

Two entries into WDPC Print Competition 2016 

FIREFLOWERS

6 Image Focus Stack

plus added texture effect from topaz

(which I don't usually do!)

Score 18/20

DAISY

Taken from behind

Score 16/20

Like a Fire Flower 

Please wait 'til the day 

When we can bloom spectacularly in the night sky. 

"I'm glad I could love you from the start." 

Is what I'll sing to the sky.

FIRST COMP THIS YEAR - DIGITAL OPEN

FIRST COMP THIS YEAR

DIGITAL OPEN

EUROPEAN MANTIS 20/20

WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN 13/20

Don't think the judge liked this one!

He thought it was a sunset - its actually 4am sunrise.

Not sure he spotted the fisherman either.

WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN

Dance to your Daddy my little laddie

Dance to your Daddy my little man

Dance to your Daddy sing to your mommy

Dance to your Daddy my little man

You shall have a fishy on a little dishy

You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in

You shall have a herring on a little dishy

You shall have a herring when the boat comes in

Come here me little Jacky

Now aw've smoked mi backy

Have a bit o' cracky

Till the boat comes in

Dance to your Daddy sing to your mammy

Dance to your Daddy my little man 

You shall have a fishy on a little dishy

You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in

You shall have a mackerel on a little dishy

You shall have a mackerel when the boat comes in

Dance to your Daddy my little laddie

Dance to your Daddy my little man

Dance to your Daddy sing to your mommy

Dance to your Daddy my little man

You shall have a fishy on a little dishy

You shall have a fishy when the boat comes in

You shall have a herring on a little dishy

You shall have a herring when the boat comes in

---------------------

Don Dixon - Praying Mantis

I saw a girl, she reminded me of you

She did the things that a girl like you might do

Her body was green and she had two vicious jaws

She found her a mate as she kissed him with her claws

Yes but I survived, it was on TV

She had six strong legs and it frightened me

She had insect eyes, but I could still see

That the looks she gave him, you give to me

I feel like a praying mantis

(I sense her acting)

Just like a praying mantis

(I sense her antics)

I can't help it I've been too frantic too long

She bit off his head so he would not feel the pain

She wanted his body so much she ate his brain

Yes but I survived, no you won't catch me

I'll resist this urge that's tempting me

I'll avert my eyes, keep you off my knee

But it feels so good when you talk to me

I feel like a praying mantis

(I sense her acting)

Just like a praying mantis

(I sense her antics)

I can't help it I've been too frantic too long

Yes but I survived, it was on TV

She had six strong legs and it frightened me

She had insect eyes, but I could still see

That the looks she gave him, you give to me

I feel like a praying mantis

(I sense her acting)

Just like a praying mantis

(I sense your antics)

I can't help it I've been too frantic too long

Like a pray ay ay

I feel like a praying mantis

Ay ay, oh ay

WDPC PHOTO TREK 2016 inc Creative Tutorial.

WDPC PHOTOTREK 2016

MY 6 ENTRIES

1 - Ancient and Modern

2 - Colour

 3 - Emotions

 4 - Monochrome

5 - Through the Window

6 - Creative

See how I created this shot below :)

Creative

Hands over Face

I left this very late in the day – Took both photos with Camera on a tripod with remote and 2 second timer.

The photos were not sharp once I got them on the computer just didn’t have time to take again.

I thought I would try and hide the bad focusing with a texture or effect!

First take a picture of your subject’s face, and then another one with the subject covering his/her face with hands. Later you include both the pictures as layers in a single document in Photoshop. Picture with just the face as bottom layer, and the one with hands on top. You then change the top layers blending mode to overlay (try other blending modes too, sometimes they give better results), experiment a bit with opacity settings, try changing to black and white, adding some texture etc.

My First Shot below

My Second Shot below

Open a new document in Photoshop, add both images as different layers on to the document, the picture with hands covering the face should be the top layer. 

Click edit > auto align layers to align both layers best we can.

Now that you have both images as layers, change the blending mode of the top layer to overlay,

So below is how our picture now looks once I changed the blending mode to overlay and adjusted the opacity a bit.

I then just deleted the bottom half of the top “Hands” layer to try to make it a bit cleaner.

Click Layer > Flatten Image to merge the layers into one.

Now change to black and white.

In Photoshop, click image > adjustments > black and white.

Try adjusting the sliders or contrast settings to get the right balance between black and white areas in your picture. Now all I did was to use the eraser tool to clean up a bit and the result is the image below. You could also try to add some texture or using any other filters on the image for different effects.

ANDY LOWE PHOTOGRAPHY GIF :)

LINK TO MY FOOTBALL PICTURES

HERE

WDPC Image of the Year 2016

WDPC Image of the Year - One print and one digital.

Nettle Weevil - Digital - Score 19

Street Fighter - Print - Score 18

 Just as an extra
I visited Manchester to see The Stone Roses (which was great)

I snapped a pic of my son and his mates outside Salford Lads Club - as they all love The Smiths....

Just so I can post some lyrics - Not The Smiths - But The Stone Roses

The UK is in a bit of a state at the moment due to leaving the EU - These lyrics are pretty relevant at the moment :) I think they show the power of togetherness!

"All For One"

All for one, one for all

If we all join hands, we'll make a wall

All for one, one for all

If we all join hands, we'll make a wall

All for one, one for all

If we all join hands, we'll make a wall

Inside of me, third eye to see

In harmony, all designed to be

The mystery, all eyes to see

Chemistry, all one family

All for one, one for all

If we take a stand, we shall not fall

Inside of me, for I to see

In harmony, all designed to be

The mystery, all eyes to see

Chemistry, all one family

Beside of me, all over me

Behind of me, right in front of me

Inside of me, for I to see

In harmony, all one family

Inside of me, for I to see

In harmony, all designed to be

The mystery, all eyes to see

Chemistry, all one family

All for one, one for all

If we all join hands, we'll make a wall

The Stone Roses - All For One

1.    Who are these legends? 

The Stone Roses are an indie psych rock band from Manchester, England. Started in 1983 and still going strong they have two long players on their immortal roll of honor. All For One (May'16) is the lead single from The Stone Rose's third album, Third Eye, due for release this year. All For One is the first new music from The Stone Roses in 21 years.

2. What have The Stone Roses got in the tank?

All For One comes on with a swinging riff and sounding more direct, like Oasis, and with the same anthemic sing-along pay off. All For One is an upbeat, snappy tune with Ian Brown's detached trademark vocals providing the trippy vibe of yore. A stellar comeback.

3. Who do The Stone Roses sound like? 

The Telegraph compared aspects of All For One to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry and The White Stripes. The Stone Roses have generally been compared to Oasis, The Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, Primal Scream and The Smiths. 

4. What have the press said about All For One? 

"Has undoubtedly got anthem potential" - Manchester Evening News.

 

"Stone Roses circa the 90's, but with a revitalised spirit" - Consequence Of Sound.

 

"A starry-eyed psycedelic jangle with some old school blues-rock swagger to it" - Stereogum.

 

5. Which bands had a hand in The Stone Rose's magic sound? 

Some of the key Stone Rose's influences are The Smiths, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, T. Rex and The Clash.

6. Why should I give All For One a blast? 

All For One is a belter that brings something fresh and something nostalgic together for the old fans while introducing new fans to a pivotal band of the nineties without alienating their modern sensibilities. A classy balancing act has been achieved with All For One and it's 'we are all in this together' message continues in the fine Northern traditions of solidarity and is ripe for all ears.



7. What are The Stone Rose's classics? 

Fool's Gold is the band's most successful song, a modest top ten or twenty hit around the world, a tight dance masterpiece led my a drum masterclass and the only ten minute song worth listening to. She Bangs The Drums is an intense, euphoric banger with the best bass intro to an indie rock song ever. Made Of Stone is a melancholic sing-along that still charges at windmills, has a fiery John Squire lead break, and is the best song The Stone Roses ever made.

8. Any more words? 

All For One was produced by Paul Epworth who has worked for Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Primal Scream, Adele and U2 to name a few. 

In 2004 one hundred musicians and critics voted The Stone Rose's debut album The Stone Roses (1989) the best British album of all time in The Observer, ahead of The Beatle's Revolver, The Clash's London Calling and Van Morrison's Astral Weeks.

"Inside of me, for all to see

In harmony, all one family"

WDPC Focus On "STREET PHOTOGRAPHY"

FOCUS ON...

Street Photography

Shopping came 6th over all.

Sounds from the Street...

THE JAM 

Sounds from the street, sounds so sweet

What's my name?

It hurts my brain to think

Sounds from the city, sound so pretty

Young bands playing

Young kids digging - And I dig them

The USA's got the sea

Yeah, but the British kid's got the streets I don't mind, the city's 

right

Sounds from the street, sounds just fine

I know I come from Woking and you say I'm a fraud

But my heart's in the city, where it belongs

Words from the voices

Rock and roll rejoices

It's something new, it's something young for a change

Sounds from the street, they sound so sweet

They gotta take notice

Why should they stop us? We don't need them

We're never gonna change a thing

And the situation's rapidly decreasing

But what can I do?

I'm trying to be true

That's more than you, at least I'm doing something

Shopping...

THE JAM

High town - high street connections

With clothes at the top of my list

You could steal things from the jewelry department

But you can't take kind or steal a kiss

As I flit from shop window to window

I'm trying to pick up a friendly bargin

But it's not like the adverts all make out

And there's no one to greet you as a friend

I dress myself for the part

I smile but it just don't work

Something about my face - must just be the wrong shape

I better try another brand pretty quick

I'm haunted by the colours and holding a reminder that I must be inadequate

High town - high street connection

With clothes at the top of my list

WDPC Print Round 3 Close up - Macro 2016

WDPC Print Round 3 Close up - Macro 

ELEPHANT HAWK MOTH PUPAE (16)

SOUTHERN HAWKER (15)

Judge: David Steel

WDPC Digital Round 3 NATURE.

WDPC Digital Round 3 NATURE.

Southern Hawker - 16

Red Damsel - 17

The Who

Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)

You talk about your woman

I wish you could see mine

Yeah, you talk about your woman

I wish you could see mine

Every time she starts to lovin'

She brings eyesight to the blind

You know her daddy gave her magic

I can tell by the way she walks

Her daddy gave her magic

I can tell by the way she walks

Every time she starts the shakin'

The dumb begin to talk

She's got the power to heal you

Never fear

Oh, she's got the power to heal you

Never fear

Just a word from her lips

And the deaf begin to hear

WDPC Focus On - LOW LIGHT

Make a Wish (3rd overall)

Funeral Pyre

Down in amongst the streets tonight
Books will burn, people laugh and cry in their turmoil
(Turmoil turns rejoiceful)
Shed your fears and lose your guilt
Tonight we burn responsibility in the fire
We'll watch the flames grow higher!
But if you get too burnt, you can't come back home
And as I was standing by the edge
I could see the faces of those led pissing themselves laughing
(And the flames grew)
Their mad eyes bulged their flushed faces said
The weak get crushed as the strong grow stronger 
We feast on flesh and drink on blood
Live by fear and despise love in a crises
(What with today's high prices)
Bring some paper and bring some wood
Bring what's left of all your love for the fire
We'll watch the flames grow higher!
But if you get too burnt - you can't come back home
And as I was standing by the edge
I could see the faces of those led pissing themselves laughing
(And the flames grew)
Their mad eyes bulged their flushed faces said
The weak get crushed as the strong grow stronger
In the funeral pyre
We'll watch the flames grow higher
But if you get too burnt - you can't come back home
(Well I feel so old, when I feel so young
Well I just can't grow up to meet the demands)

WDPC Print Round 2 MONO 2016

LOLA (17)

VINTAGE TRAIN SPOTTING (18)

WDCP Digital Round 2 LANDSCAPE 2016

LAKESCAPE (19)

STARSCAPE (18)