For Noel & Stephen, a photo from New South Wales, East

Photographer's Note

I was in the old Sydney suburb of Glebe yesterday, trying out the Big Stopper filter. As I sat there waiting for the clouds to come overhead, it made me think of two of our TE'ers Stephen (SNunney) and and Noel (Noel_Byrne) who like me, hang out in cemeteries and churchyards just a little too much. So this is just to let you know that someone over the other side of the world is thinking of you :)

This is St John's Anglican Church located on Glebe Point Road. It was designed by local resident and famous Australian architect Edmund Blacket. Blacket is known as "the Wren of Sydney"and is responsible for such beautiful Victorian Gothic buildings as Sydney University, St Saviour's Goulburn, St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney and many hundreds more smaller designs. St Johns was opened in 1857 and houses a magnificent organ.

The suburb of Glebe was so-named because colonial land grants of 400 acres were called "glebes".

If you would like to see some other of Blacket's works you'll find them here:

St Saviours I

St Saviours II

Sydney Uni

Canon 5D MkII
20 seconds
f/18
ISO 100
17m
Tripod
B+W 10 Stop Filter

jjcordier, besnard, ikeharel, Sonata11, kathryn_weir, eldancer1, Noel_Byrne, macjake, ourania, photoray, danos, baddori, ktanska, kennyblack, Robert1969 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

bayno (16195) 2012-09-01 22:25

Ciao Lisuzza,
i 20 secondi di apertura hanno dato un effetto alle nuvole veramente bello....si muovevano velocemente...
il mod della chiesa non è drammatico ma spettrale ehehehe sembra quasi di essere in transilvania, manca solo il vampiretto che esce fuori all'improvviso, perfetta scelta del B&W...il viraggio ti è venuto benissimo...è quasi un seppia...molto bella..vedo che sono il primo a commentare...bene bene...
buona serata...
Valter

jjcordier (62328) 2012-09-01 22:32

Lisa
L'effet créé par ta longue pose est vraiment étonnant dans le ciel. Le choix du noir et blanc "dramatise" la scène. Du très beau travail de photographe.
Amicalement
JJ

anupam06 (745) 2012-09-01 23:08

Hi Lisa,

This is fantastic. Chosen POV and the wide angle view coupled with a controlled long exposure seems to have worked very well here. You have managed to capture the sense of movement very well though I feel that long exposure has over exposed few area of the Church, which again is expected. Love it!

TFS & Have a nice sunday,
Anupam

besnard (48787) 2012-09-01 23:14

Bonjour Lisa
Une prise en contre-plongée qui met en valeur cette église. Le choix du noir et blanc, le travail effectué sur le ciel donne un côté dramatique à l'ensemble.
Amitiés et bon dimanche.
Nicole

emka (58140) 2012-09-01 23:26

ciao Lisa,
I haven't noticed that Stephen and Noel hang out in the cemeteries our Polish friend Fis2 does. Strange shot, the rays look very original. Excellent choice of sepia, it makes a bit eery atmosphere here. Creative capture.

WArm regrads

MAlgo

JFS (32129) 2012-09-02 0:07

Hi Lisa,
Impressive and powerfull shot, Noel & Stephen will be happy...Spectacular POV, drmatic sky. I like it!
Enjoy Sunday!
Cheers,
Juan

ifege (9430) 2012-09-02 0:20

Spectacular sky Lisa - can't be just your big ND filter (or is it?) and a great photo of the Blackett church.
cheers
Ian

snunney (67334) 2012-09-02 0:38

Ciao Lisa,
Many thanks for this dedication. I really must get into slow exposure photography and find an excuse for hanging round cemeteries even longer:-) The lens distortion works very well here accentuating the mood created by the use of black and white. That sky is quite fantastic! Enjoy what's left of your weekend. You never know who you might meet in a cemetery.

Silvio1953 (98129) 2012-09-02 0:48

Ciao Lisa, cielo favoloso, grande esposizione lunga, conversione in seppia di gran fascino, bravissima, buona Domenica, ciao Silvio

lousat (57626) 2012-09-02 1:39

Ciao Lisa,questo e' davvero un gran colpo di genio.Stavolta hai cambiato soggetto per i tuoi lunghi tempo di esposizione,lontano dall'acqua,per creare questo effetto fantastico col cielo,magnifica esecuzione e qualita' impressionante!! Buona settimana e complimenti,Luciano

brianmcc (5536) 2012-09-02 1:46

hi lisa,
wow, this is a real eye catcher of a picture. the black and white format, the incredible sharpness of the church, and the stunning effect of the filter on the clouds all combine to produce a really powerful image. your low viewpoint sets the scene well forcing the viewer to look upwards to the church and then to the dramatic sky, and its 'other worldly' effect. i can see your new toy getting a lot of use.
have a great day,
brian

carlo62 (12582) 2012-09-02 1:55

Ciao Lisuccia
hai invertito l'effetto, dal basso mare all'altissimo cielo, ma il risultato non cambia, magnifico in entrambe le situazioni. Ottima scelta del B&W con leggero viraggio, rende il tutto più drammatico e scenografico.
Saluti e baci
Carlo

ikeharel (37316) 2012-09-02 2:17

Hi dear Lisa,
Thanks for a warm critique posted on mine - I get exited to be so much appreciated...
Grand composition, your's is a masterpiece of photography. Convey a unique ambiance through this photo, with fine outlines and an a skew angel upon.
Mystery with sepia tone.
My cong.'s. Impressive.
Have a good start of a new week,
Ike

timecapturer (30324) 2012-09-02 2:25

Hi Lisa
now this I like a lot! So atmospheric and executed so imaginatively. The effect is striking and in this mono-chrome presentation quite magical. Sophisticated and majestic imagery!

Enjoy your Sunday - Brian.

janneman (2200) 2012-09-02 2:36

The B/W is a good choice, as is the low POV.
Excellent work!

Regards, Jan

Bartleby (12741) 2012-09-02 2:49

Hi Lisa,
love the result! Those rays in the sky are very dynamic and the distortion adds to the dramatic effect.

Philippe

francio64 (38188) 2012-09-02 4:51

Ciao Lisa,
questo è un bianco e nero d'autore.
Le gradazioni di grigio sono eccellenti.
Bellissimo il cielo che sembra quasi esploso. Bello l'effetto distorsione.

Well done!
Cicc

Sergiom (39223) 2012-09-02 5:28

Ciao Lisa

WOW! This is superb. Your technical skills are getting to a superior level. The point of view is perfect and the movement in the sky is movie like.

Have a nice whatever day it is in Australia.

Serge

Sonata11 (28331) 2012-09-02 6:54

Hello Lisa,
Wooooow !!!!! what a shot, AWESOME effect. Excellent photo. I really, really love it. Great lighting and dof with sharp details. Impressive and spectacular!!!!
All the best and have a nice Sunday,
Barbara

ACL1978 (5775) 2012-09-02 8:07

Lisa - no slight to you by any means, but I saw the shot before reading the name attached to it and simply assumed this was one of Noel's!

You've put your own stamp on it, of course, with the wide angle stretching the FG and the long exposure giving dramatic movement to the clouds - and what great light as well, making the building glow against itself! Great shot.

Andrew

kathryn_weir (1742) 2012-09-02 8:33

hello dear Lisa,
A striking and dramatic shot- it is good to see you putting the big stopper through its paces :) Be careful haunting those cemeteries , won't you.
I like the way you have used a low POV and used the large expanse of lawn to lead us in. The movement in the sky lends a dramatic sharpness to the lovely stone facade and your choice of vertical format combined with the B&W add greatly to the impact. Great work, thanks for sharing, don't work too hard this week
hugs
Kathryn

eldancer1 (17036) 2012-09-02 9:14

Beautiful! Awesome capture of this church and I like the effect of the long exposure on the clouds, thanks for the photography lesson. Good dof with nice contrast. Very well done, tfs.

Noel_Byrne (7352) 2012-09-02 10:01

Hiya Lisa :)

I seen your note (thank you!) where you mentioned that you waited for the rigth clouds, and golly biff, was it worth while. This ha such a fantastic mood, and Sepia, something we dont see much of here on TE, is 110% the best option. The sense of scale and height in the building is brilliant, and the effect on the clouds spectacular.

Indeed, we may all spend too much time in graveyards, but if I were to capture a shot like this, I would have no problem with my friends referring to me as "the ghoul" Wonderful work, thank you!

Dublin just got beaten by Mayo, ho hum!!

Have a wonderful Sunday
NOel

williewhistler (7283) 2012-09-02 12:57

Hello Lisa, your low view point combined with the wide angle lens has produced a really interesting,almost Gothic,effect.
The movement of the clouds adds real drama.Love it to bits!
Best wishes Les.

kabel (991) 2012-09-02 15:00

Hello Lisa, your photos have taken a quantum leap artistically with this image. Top rate and highly creative. This is such a wonderful photographic site for developing ones skills.
Have a great weekend,

Sincerely,
Karen

macjake (39227) 2012-09-02 15:38

Hey Lisa
this photo sucks!
oh wait, thats Peter talking lol
at least he'd be happy there are no rocks in it! haha

of course i love it.
it smacked me in the face because of the visual effect of the clouds.
it has the same visual effect as if you zoomed in or out during a long exposure - looks really really cool.

would have looked even better if there were some gravestones around but thats not your fault.

as mentioned, the shot has a dramtic effect, its an eye catcher! nice work.
cheers
craig

dkmurphys (36801) 2012-09-03 0:57

Ciao Lisa,
Superb POV and a truly artistic composition. I like the dynamic of the sky, well seen.

Daniel

Bluejeans (64231) 2012-09-03 5:17

Ola Lisa ,
Ficou fantástica esta tua foto com o uso de 20 segundos deu uma bela sensação de movimento das nuvens , criou um efeito 3D, boa escolha pelo preto e branco , gostei do ponto de visão junto do chão , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

rbellemare (2087) 2012-09-03 7:54

Hello Lisa,

Very nice picture. I like the effect of the cloud moving. Nice light and beautiful point of view. Great composition.

Bravo

Réjean

ourania (12367) 2012-09-03 10:16

Ciao cara Lisa,
il punto di vista e la composizione sono affascinanti. Dalla terra ferma e piatta, alla chiesa grandiosa e solida e poi al cielo dinamicamente, drammaticamente e costantemente muovente. La tranquilita', la solidita' e la resistenza nel passagio degli anni fanno un intrigatissimo contrasto con l' infermabile mozione delle nuvole e del tempo. La tonalita' generale ed i contrasti drammatici invitano a riflessioni oltre all' osservazione della meravigiosa architettura. Complimenti e grazie!
Tanti saluti e buona giornata,
Ourania

MJR (3147) 2012-09-03 14:32

Lisa

Your new toy is obviously bringing out your creative side. Amd why wouldn't it, why else spend the money !

I love this, your moody long exposure work brought into much more frindly daytime hours, and now brought to bear on skyscapes as well as water. The B&W is a perfect complement.

I would not have given this sort of shot much time in a magazine, but reading about your filter, your trials, and seeing the results quite changes my mind.

And, thinking about it, you could get quite different effects with different points of view, with left right cloud trails or diagonals etc, depending on your desire and subject; though in this case you have struck a perfect combination with the tall church details excentuated by the vertical trials and vertical format.

You sold me on the idea of filters two years ago, ( sadly kids and snatched shots mean they often dont see the light of day,) and this story excites me to try this out too. its REALLY provocative !

( I dont like so much on TE these days, inspired to comment on even less and get really moved by very few. You might guess this falls somewhere off my scale ! )

hope all goes well down under..

kind regards
CCL !

zoomer (3580) 2012-09-03 15:08

Greetings,super dramatic work! Looks like the location for Judgement Day.Powerful image,all the best,Wolf.

photoray (4926) 2012-09-03 20:07

Howdy NSWlisa,

Intriguing for grass level view of the classical gothic church, and moving radiating clouds to top it off. Fine resolution and the monochrome adds character.

Being a history nut, I enjoy historical cemeteries. One of my favorite tombstone engravings: "I told you I was sick"!

Stay healthy and have fun,

Sincerely,
MtManRay

PS: Old Sacramento is a great place even when no event is happening. Lots of great restaurants and watering holes and unique shopping. No strip malls and no big box stores, just tourist fun strolling Gold Rush history, etc....

danos (73974) 2012-09-03 21:43

Ciao Lisa,
incredible the created atmosphere and the beauty from this B/W photo with the church as the clouds above to are captured perfect.The use of 20 seconds worked excellent in this snapshot.

Have a good day,danos

baddori (18988) 2012-09-03 23:24

Lisa
Una new stagione fotografica.
Il distorcere basculando i volumi.
Il seppia e le costruzioni offrono una atmosfera "nuova inghilterra o scozia".
Sangue artistico e cuore napoletano.
GF

Nard (6913) 2012-09-04 4:00

Hi Lisa
Very good effect giving a ghosty atmosphere a bit worrying. The choice of B&W and the good contrast enhance the picture. Well done
Regards
Bernard

westcoastgirl1 (660) 2012-09-04 5:37

Hi Lisa

I had to have a closer look at this photo to see this sky. Neat! I have never heard about this Big Stopper filter. It certaintly creates an interesting effect. I also like your choice to go black n white and to use a wide-angle perspective. You have chosen all the right enhancements to maximize the interest of this church!

Take care,
Tosca

abmdsudi (26233) 2012-09-05 6:30

Hi Lisa
Great surreal image, a hair standing shot for me being out there and no people around, this looks ready for Halloween night! Immense capture Lisa, the filter does a remarkable job with wonderful effect in the sky area and it does have a surreal and haunting quality about it with mysterious feel with the highlighted and the shiny old church and your processing is so appealing, resulting in this attractive scene.

There's loads of lovely detail and sepia works well for the timelessness feel of the image, it really brings out the texture and draws the eyes to main focal of interest. Slow shutter has revealed a lot of detail considering the light conditions there with good contrast and soft shadows but it conveys the bright light very well, and this conveys certain atmosphere and mood of the place so well. Well done, Congrats.
Warm regards

jemaflor (68913) 2012-09-05 12:11

Hi Lisa,
Impressive result with this angle and the effect in this sky, interesting result with the b&w and these contrast, well made.

COSTANTINO (42746) 2012-09-06 4:13

Hello
what a fantastic shot in sepia
excellent chosen point of view
really artistic showing
a movement inside this photo
great work
regards
Costantino

ktanska (21513) 2012-09-08 10:14

Hi Lisa,
I prefer this one of the two shots of this subject. Effect of the filter is amazing, strong motion of clouds in bright day light. The wide angle is superb for this theme especially with low angle showing also grass texture close and clear. Lines are quite slanted, but I guess many details would have slipped out of the frame if you tried perspective correction.
Kari

kennyblack (4125) 2012-09-10 10:12

Ciao cara Lisa
Sarà mistica,sarà,spettrale ..... ma resta il fatto che è una bellissima foto, molto superba per il POV che mette in risalto la costruzione archittetonica della chiesa. La scelta del seppia di giusta gradazione è perfetta.
Sei una grande fotografa Lisa e lo dimostri con questo tuoi bellissimi lavori. Complimenti.
Un abbraccio e bacioni da .... M & D

willperrett (2955) 2012-09-11 5:02

Hello Lisa
I go away for a couple of weeks, and when I come back I find you've got a new toy that I'll be honest to say I've not come across before! How does it work? Am I to assume it's a really strong ND filter that allows you severely long shutter speeds to get that cloud blur? Your ISO 100 and small aperture also helped I suppose. Sounds expensive though: reckon I could get the same effect in Photoshop for nix! Good work: you know I always like monochrome.
Regards
Will

Robert1969 (6230) 2012-09-17 3:29

Hello Lisa,

The B&W filter does its job very well and
creates a very nice effect in the sky.
Point of view, light management and the
composition are as always great. The B&W
version makes the picture timeless and
extra exciting.

Friendly regards,
Robert Alderliefste