Go on then, I'll go first....
Zoom! by
another scotsman, on Flickr
A very nice start anotherscotsman and nice use of long exposure! I love the warm colours as the train goes into the tunnel and the shadows in that corner that concentrate the focus on the train’s lights. Have you considered either a bit of selective darkening to the top of the picture or a vignette? I think it would keep the eye on the light trails and stop it wandering out of the top of the picture. Just a small suggestion to enhance a great photo!
SFPD on Flickr
I like your use of depth of field in this one rx7dude. The boat is nice and sharp while the notorious island in the background is still sharp enough to see what it is without competing for attention. It’s a shame the boat is so close, as all the motion is in the water around the boat and that’s cut off at the bottom. I think it’s worth having another shot at this if you’re local. Pity you didn’t step back a few feet!!!
Here goes...
Merry-Go-Round by
Charles Griggs, on Flickr
There’s all sorts of motion going on in this shot. The twirling lights on the roundabout silhouette the shadowy figure’s walking by in the foreground make for a dynamic shot. I went to your Flickr site to have a look at a larger version and from what you said I find this picture all the more remarkable for having being taken handheld!
Good timing on the light trails! The dead palm frond, though, is distracting and keeps drawing my eye. Secateurs?
I’d suggest maybe cropping out the bottom and right of the picture where there’s nothing happening and see what you think.
Excellent use of panning funkyturtle. I like the dark motorcyclist against the light colourful background. Even the neutral colour of the road sets off the rest of the photo. Very nice.
What a lovely dog! She looks to be in her element and thoroughly enjoying herself. Nicely placed in the photo too. Nice use of depth of field. It doesn’t quite meet the brief I'm afraid as the fast shutter speed has effectively stopped all motion but a lovely picture nontheless.
a rig shot i attempted.
Dom's BMW by
Bhupesh Patel, on Flickr
I’m guessing this photo is a composite, is that right? A lot of zoom blur photos make me go cross eyed but you’ve made good use of it here, both making it an appropriate background and guiding the eye to rest on the feature you’re looking to portray.
Excellent timing and nicely caught (both of you!). If it were mine I’d either crop or clone out the bits intruding into the top of the picture—a couple of things on the ground and something on the wall. I’m afraid it doesn’t quite meet the brief as the shutter speed has stopped all motion but definitely a good photo for the family album!
Sometimes light trail pictures can be a bit repetitive, though fun to do, but definitely not this one. The exposure is excellent, giving just enough definition to the objects round about that you can see what they are, but not so much that they become distracting. Is that the moon behind the clouds? As MacRy would say, I wish I’d taken that!
A wonderful use of creative motion and I like it a lot. If ever they make a follow up to Close Encounters you could sell them this for one of their stills! I’m guessing it was pretty dark, but the appearance of dawn adds a lovely glow to the scene.
I like the way the runners are in the light portion of the photo and the darkness surrounding them draws the eye to them. I like the mix of panning and the blur of the runners and the tangle of all their legs! If I were to make one suggestion it would be to have the camera pointing further to the left to give them space to run into the picture instead of out of it. Nice photo though!
This is a great street photograph. I would hate to ride one of those through Paris! Nice use of focus. I’d crop a bit off the bottom and right to get rid of whatever’s intruding into the right of the picture or just clone it out. Doesn’t quite meet the brief though, I’m afraid, as the shutter speed has taken the motion out of the picture but I like it very much.
I like your use of a plain background to focus all the attention on the movement, which is nicely lit. I haven’t tried one of these photos but imagine you need good reflexes! The out of focus glass rim distracts a bit though, as it cuts through the water movement. I shall look forward to seeing more. Hope you got to eat the strawberry afterwards!
Library_Congress_HDR01 by
J Kramer, on Flickr
Library of Congress · Washington DC
I like photos with blurred moving figures and just one or two being still. The people are colourful too, contrasting with neutral columns. It wouldn’t have worked half as well if they’d all been wearing dark clothes would it? I’d prefer to see the columns sharp to contrast with the moving figures. At the moment the focus seems to be on the beautiful ceiling.
I think you’ve been watching too many Bond films!!
The helicopter and boat match beautifully and the spray shows just how fast they were travelling, though for the theme I’d like to see a bit of blur in the boat too. I’d straighten up the horizon and the angle of the boat will emphasise just how fast it’s going.
A lovely autumn scene and nice colours. The smoke gives the sense that the train is moving though for the theme I’d like to see a bit of movement in the train as well.
This is one of the best of your hummingbird shots to my eye, and you’ve had some crackers. What makes this one special is partly the subdued background which emphasises the bird, and the way the background colours tone with the bird. I like the way the bird is positioned in the picture and how the wing blur conveys movement. Lovely shot MCH!
Does the sea suddenly get deeper at the back of the picture? That area is much darker than the rest and I just wondered. I like the way the picture gets lighter back to front and gives it more depth, brought out by its being in b&w. If it were mine I might just increase the contrast a little to give a little more detail in the waves. I like the picture but for the theme I’d like to have seen a bit of blur in the waves to emphasise their movement.
my first and only try at a panning shot at the track
View attachment 605942
And, just like one of your horses, you came in at the last minute!
Welcome to the forum! Nice panning shot, the horses and riders are pretty sharp and the grass nicely blurred. It’s a shame about the bar in the foreground, I bet if it wasn’t there you’d have some wonderful movement in the horses’ legs. Don’t be afraid to crop a photograph. If you took off the top third of that black board you’d end up with a much stronger picture imo. As long as that bar wasn’t there of course!
So, what's it to be? Any of the top three I've chosen could be winners and in the end it comes down to personal choice. In the end this is what I've gone with:
Highly commended: anotherscotsman and Flunkyturtle. Couldn't finish without giving them a special mention!
3rd place: MCH-1138
2nd place: RedOctober
1st place: Alexander.Of.Oz
So, congratulations and over to you Alex!
Night lights final.jpg
_DSC1275
308
Untitled
