Cross Street in Soapy Village

Really lovely shot. love the vivid colors, the fantastic blue sky and the detailed textures. Also very good dof, This is a difficult motive to shot, but in my opinion you have done so well. Amazing how far the spring has come in the UK. Congratulations to a fine presentation. But you must promise me to present what camera and lense you have used, is it what I think it is? :-) Take good care my friend and all the best to you and your family. Have a Happy Easter. Jannica

This is my first shot with my new Nikon D700, I have borrowed a Nikon

14 - 24mm Lens from the shop where I purchased my camera, what an

awsome combination these two make, (I might be tempted to buy the

lens too) I bracketed 5 shots 1 stop apart to produce this HDR image.

 

Just a bit of history about the location..........it is in Port Sunlight, on the

Wirral Peninsuler,(some people may remember "Sunlight Soap")

William Hesketh Lever (Lord Leverhulme) chose the site to expand his

soap making empire in 1888, he decided to build a village to house his

employees and personally contributed to the planning of the village and

employed 30 architects to design the 800 houses within it, capable of

housing some 3,500 workers. The village has its own railway station, art

gallery , pub, shops etc and is virtually self contained and relatively

unspoilt, the scene above is just one street, but the whole village is

really lovely. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

Thank You.

Thank you for your very kind words, I value your opinion and observations.

 

I think you guessed correctly, itis my first shots with my new D700, the lens is a AFS Nikkor 14 - 24mm 1:2.8 G ED (Borrowed) I love the camera and the lens, but I may still opt for the new 16- 35mm. The only reason for this is because the 14 - 24 won't accept filters, and the bulbous front of the lens makes it look vulnerable to accidental damage, I'd really like to know your thoughts on this, if you have time. Many thanks Jannica and Best wishes to you and yours for Easter.

 

Your Good friend in the UK

 

Alf

Hi Alf,

 

Interesting story and a great bit of HDR. I really like the results with this lens. I bought a 10-20 Sigma bout a year ago and I am just discovering some of the potential. Hope you shot some more from this town. Like to see more. Have a great Easter.-Jim

Looks to be right out of a storybook, it is quaint and peaceful looking. I appreciate the history lesson…wanted to make some flip remark about it being clean….soap maker and all it seemed appropriate but even I couldn’t pull the trigger on that one ;) I do wonder though if there is a custom sockstress in this little self contained village as I do need some new footwear…….

Beautiful detail and composition with great depth; nicely done HDR and “wow” for a first shot with new gear! Can’t wait to see more images captured with your new toy!

 

Happy Easter and stay well my friend,

 

Pamela

 

great perspectiv, nice detail of the building and gut colours. Well done...!

 

Ricardo

Beautiful work with your new D700, Alf!

Very good composition and hdr elaboration! Interesting and nice village. Happy Easter!

Alf,

 

Thanks for your information, very interesting. Stunning image with wonderful details. Great composition & lighting. Take care, Patsy

Beautiful composition and colors, excellent work, congratulations for the new D700.

 

Cheers.

 

Alberto

JIM

 

Thank you for looking in and for your kind coments, I have a few more shots of the village, and hopefully I'll get a chance to post them over the next few weeks.

The Sigma 10-20mm is a brilliant lens, I used one extensively and would have kept on using if it had been an FX format lens. I can see by your work, that you are getting some great results with yours, and I'm sure you will continue to do so.

Cheers Jim!

 

PAMELA

 

Always good to hear from you. From the Sockstress, I have ordered a sock of the finest quality in all the kingdom to adorn your graceful leg, I'm not quite sure what to do about the other leg yet, as my budget won't stretch that far, but you'd be ok attending the local hop! : - )

 

Sincere thanks Pamela, your words are really appreciated, Oh and theres another one to look at, taken with my new gear too see "Old Red & The Lighthouse", I'd vaue your opinion if you have a few minutes.

 

Take very good care Pamela

 

Warm Regards

 

Alf

 

RICARDO

 

Many thanks for you rvery kind wors, much appreciated.

 

RUUD

 

Thank you for looking in, and for very kind comments.

 

GLAUCO

 

Many thanks for your kind and encouraging comments, much appreciated!

 

PATSY

 

Thank you so much!, I really appreciate your thoughts and kind comments.

 

ALBERTO

 

Many Thanks for your kind and thougtful comments, much appreciated!

 

Sincere Thanks and Warm Regards To All

 

Alf

 

 

Great image - even more wonderful that it is an HDR image and you could not tell. Just curious, did you use all 5 or just 3 images? PS If i had a choice between the 300 or the 700, I would have gone with the 700 but it was not in existence when I acquired the 300.

Thanks for looking in, I did use all 5 images in photomatix to create the HDR, and the D700 is a fine piece of equipment, but then so is the 300, and in fact every Nikon camera I've owned has proved to be good quality. The lens I used for this image (Nikon 14 -24mm) I borrowed from the dealer who sold me the camera while I wait for my 16 - 35mm to arrive. The 14 - 24mm lens is awesome, but lets itself down by not being able to faciltate any filters.

 

I should also mention the dealers name as they have been first rate in terms of help and service, they are CALUMET in Liverpool, UK I can't recommend them highly enough. I bought my last camera from them too. People are quick enough to complain when they get bad service from a dealer, so I think it's only fair to comment in a positive way when you get good service.

 

Thanks again Tony

 

Regards

 

Alf

Thanks for the information - Sometimes I take 5 but mostly go with 3.

Looks a bit like Hogwards out of Harry Potter. Love the colors and the architecture! Excelent HDR.

Best

Arnav

Marvellous definition of colors, facilitating the light in the zones of shade. Regards.

Very nice try and great composition and tonality...Congrats!

 

Regards(Bobby).

ARNAV

 

I like your analogy of "Hogwarts" I know a few witches that live in this area too : - )

 

Thank you for your very kind comments Arnav, much appreciated!

 

 

EFREN

 

Thank you sincerely for your kind comments.

 

BOBBY

 

Thank you for looking in, much appreciated,]

 

 

Sincere Thanks and Kind Regards To All

 

Alf

 

 

A beautiful shot Alf....truly lovely to see such a bright streetscape. I'm amazed that this 'town within itself' is in such good repair....I would have never guessed that it is so old. It appears to be very well kept. Your new camera must be such a treat....always nice when you can borrow lenses to try them out. They are all such a costly investment, but well worth it when you consider the 'joy' derived from using them on almost a daily basis.

 

I hope you find the lens that most pleases you and gives you the best scope of images you are hoping to capture. I do enjoy your images and learn much in observation. I look forward Alf for the images that are to come....Congrats Alf....very nicely done and an inspiration to me. Many thanks also for he history surrounding this lovely little town....sincerely, Gail

Somehow I just knew this image would appeal to you, it really is something. The whole village is immaculate, they have thier own team of gardeners, and a complete garden centre as well as the other things i've mentioned. There are also strict rules for residents, for instance they cannot paint thier houses in colours of thier own choice, they have to stick to prescribed colours. It sounds a bit strict and formal but I can understand why they it has to be this way.

 

I have finally opted for a new 16 -35mm lens and the 50mm f1.4f G that I mentioned, I am truly amazed at the clarity of both, but if you get 5 minutes you can see one of my first results with the 16 -35mm on my latest posting "Time To Reflect" I will let you judge for yourself.

 

Many Thanks for your kind words, your support and encouragement Gail, your creativity is always an inspiration to me, and although I cannot hope to emulate your work, it provides me with great food for thought and your passion for photography that is refreshing and infectious.

 

Kind Regards

 

Alf

 

 

 

 

Alf, I want to be in this image. It makes me feel good. I love the details and composition. Your commentary is a lovely addition. Thank you for posting this for me!

What an exceptionally beautiful portfolio, distinctive in it's style, and wonderfully thought out and presented, coloured and composed. The camera work is quite remarkable also. This is an excellent shot, but there are so many more to learn from. I shall come back later and browse in more detail. Many thanks for showing us this wonderful work. John

LIZ

 

I am really pleased you like it, I will do my best to post a few more shots of this lovely village in the near future. Thanks for your very kind comments Liz

 

Kind Regards

 

Alf

 

JOHN

 

You are very kind, and I appreciate your thoughtful and most encouraging comments. Sincere Thanks

 

Kind Regards

 

Alf

 

 

 

 

 

fantastic image. i have never been able to get this kind of result form photomatix. really beautiful. i am a fool for sharpness in architectural images and this too me looks outstanding, front to back. i wish i could stop by and take a lesson from you.

Again you have chosen a favourite of mine to comment on. If I get a chance I'll send you some information relating to HDR and a short article I have wrote that may help you.

Many thanks for your very kind words Dror.

Best Regards

Alf