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Weekly Photo Contest Challenge: Shapes (October 31 - November 7, 2020)
- Thread starter inkmich
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The Challenge is officially closed. Thanks to everyone who has submitted an entry. My goal is to provide my thoughts and opinions by the end of the day but if I'm honest with myself it just might be tomorrow.
Why shapes? Honestly, I’m not totally sure but I do believe we humans are wired to detect patterns so I did find that aspect interesting. I also thought it might be different. Regardless, once the thought occurred to me it just felt right so I let my intuition carry the day. Tomorrow at work I will get back to being the rational process-oriented engineer. J
It goes without saying that the comments/thoughts given below are from a truly amateur photographer so please keep that in mind (i.e., I don’t know what I’m talking about but I know what I like – most of the time).
Janichsan –
Cubes, squares, lines, it’s hard for me to express why I like this picture but I do. What struck me most was the clean bright green lines against the blackness of the cube itself. It’s different, unique, so therefore inherently interesting to me. I also appreciate the effort of trying to capture an image at night.
deep diver –
Yes, I likey. I live in a city and I’m drawn to cityscapes. There is so much to see and consider in this image. I want to explore it. Oh, and it’s B&W. I think I might have to admit to myself that I’m just drawn to B&W images. One other thing that stood out to me in this image; what if there was less exposure or if the picture was taken at a different time of day (early morning or sunset)?
Steven-iphone –
I have an admission to make. I first I didn’t quite get this picture. But once I considered it more deeply I had an ‘Aha’ moment. Lines. You start connecting lines and you get shapes (primarily the bars and the tree trunk in the right of the image). It’s the greenery then that makes this image stand out. That creeping vine/weed is no ordinary ‘line’. For the purposes of this contest though I do wonder if we need the large tree trunk in the left of the image included.
tizeye –
Short cylinders (and lines of cheese and bars). The appeal of this picture is its simplicity. It’s not complicated. Additionally, I appreciate an image that captures the work that goes into making something. That is the Detroit in me I guess.
akash.nu –
Beautiful! There is even the symmetry of the image itself. I’m sorry, I don’t have anything else to add.
OldMacs4Me –
Ah, another image that appeals to me in its simplicity. I really appreciate the beauty in the little, sometimes not noticed, things that are all around us. Nearly everything (and everyone) has its own beauty if one takes the time to really see it. And again, someone took the time make this even if most of us won’t notice it.
cogi0490 –
I think we humans are also hardwire to like bright shiny things as well. But after that initial impression there is something else that captures the eye; the pattern that is formed on the ceiling. Not only are there the shadows and shapes but they come in different colors. My eye goes back and forth trying to match the shape and color to the light fixture. Once again there is the challenge of trying to capture a clean image at night.
Clix Pix –
I have but one question. What is this!? That is the intrigue in this image. Yes, yes, we have the shapes, but how was it captured? Aesthetically this image may or may not be more interesting if I knew more about it. As it is the colors don’t excite me that much but the shapes themselves do.
cupcakes2000 –
Yes, we definitely have shapes (lines, rectangles) but my curiosity is getting the best of me. What is this? Is this part of a locks in a canal, a dam, something else altogether? And the colors, what gives (I do like the colors by the way, you don’t see them naturally everyday). Now this is me (of course), I think this picture would have even more appeal/mystery if the water in the bottom of the image was cropped out.
AllergyDoc –
I like where this picture is going but if I’m honest I have to say that I really wonder how I would feel about this picture if it was ‘warmer’. We have our hay, mountains, interesting clouds, but it leaves me a little cold. Also, and I hesitate to even add this, the houses in the background take away from this image for me. Perhaps a different perspective would have hidden the house behind a hay bale or put it out of the frame altogether. Keep in mind I say all of this liking the picture and its potential. Did I mention that I’m an amateur.
Kenoh –
Did I mention earlier that I generally like B&W and cityscapes. Yea, well, here we are. I should add something though so how about this; I wonder how I would feel if this image had a little less black/empty space in the bottom of it.
Ukiyo Evenings –
I have to ask. Did you take any pictures of just this installation with no people or anything else included? I really like whatever it is and I have a feeling I personally would have liked a picture of just it and nothing else (I have an affinity for the abstract as well). Otherwise, I’m drawn to this image because I want to have a better sense of the installation.
oblomow –
One word immediately comes to mind seeing this image. ‘Monumental’. There is almost an element of Brutulism in the design of this bridge (Daughter #2 is an architecture student so I’m learning new design language stuff). This is one of the pictures I can’t really explain why I like it but I do. I like the touch of green in the lower right-hand portion of the image and how the whole image is set off against the night sky.
someoldguy –
I like this image very much. Simplicity and it also captures the work that goes into making something (lasting). I love the landscapes of the desert southwest of the US and this looks to me like New Mexico (or perhaps Arizona).
mollyc –
Of course ‘leaf’ is a shape! Especially a maple leaf. A wonderful image @mollyc. I initially thought that this theme may not have any pictures of the natural world if any submitted but I thought someone just might find a way and you did. I have nothing else to add, I very much like this image.
Apple_Glen_UK –
I really like this image too but there is one thing though. I think this image would be even more compelling if the strip of cement at the top of the image and the bit in the lower right-hand corner were cropped out of the image. I just know that this is an image I would have taken myself. (where is this?)
Judging a Challenge is not a trivial task. I guess I knew that in the abstract but actually doing it really makes you appreciate the effort involved. Any opinions of mine express here that may be thought overly critical or just plain off I truly meant to be constructive from my viewpoint. I will add that I that this has been a more rewarding experience than I initially thought it would be. I believe I will look at my pictures a little more critically moving forward.
Third place: someoldguy, oblomow
Second place: mollyc
First place: akash.nu
It goes without saying that the comments/thoughts given below are from a truly amateur photographer so please keep that in mind (i.e., I don’t know what I’m talking about but I know what I like – most of the time).
Janichsan –
Cubes, squares, lines, it’s hard for me to express why I like this picture but I do. What struck me most was the clean bright green lines against the blackness of the cube itself. It’s different, unique, so therefore inherently interesting to me. I also appreciate the effort of trying to capture an image at night.
deep diver –
Yes, I likey. I live in a city and I’m drawn to cityscapes. There is so much to see and consider in this image. I want to explore it. Oh, and it’s B&W. I think I might have to admit to myself that I’m just drawn to B&W images. One other thing that stood out to me in this image; what if there was less exposure or if the picture was taken at a different time of day (early morning or sunset)?
Steven-iphone –
I have an admission to make. I first I didn’t quite get this picture. But once I considered it more deeply I had an ‘Aha’ moment. Lines. You start connecting lines and you get shapes (primarily the bars and the tree trunk in the right of the image). It’s the greenery then that makes this image stand out. That creeping vine/weed is no ordinary ‘line’. For the purposes of this contest though I do wonder if we need the large tree trunk in the left of the image included.
tizeye –
Short cylinders (and lines of cheese and bars). The appeal of this picture is its simplicity. It’s not complicated. Additionally, I appreciate an image that captures the work that goes into making something. That is the Detroit in me I guess.
akash.nu –
Beautiful! There is even the symmetry of the image itself. I’m sorry, I don’t have anything else to add.
OldMacs4Me –
Ah, another image that appeals to me in its simplicity. I really appreciate the beauty in the little, sometimes not noticed, things that are all around us. Nearly everything (and everyone) has its own beauty if one takes the time to really see it. And again, someone took the time make this even if most of us won’t notice it.
cogi0490 –
I think we humans are also hardwire to like bright shiny things as well.
But after that initial impression there is something else that captures the eye; the pattern that is formed on the ceiling. Not only are there the shadows and shapes but they come in different colors. My eye goes back and forth trying to match the shape and color to the light fixture. Once again there is the challenge of trying to capture a clean image at night.Clix Pix –
I have but one question. What is this!? That is the intrigue in this image. Yes, yes, we have the shapes, but how was it captured? Aesthetically this image may or may not be more interesting if I knew more about it. As it is the colors don’t excite me that much but the shapes themselves do.
cupcakes2000 –
Yes, we definitely have shapes (lines, rectangles) but my curiosity is getting the best of me. What is this? Is this part of a locks in a canal, a dam, something else altogether? And the colors, what gives (I do like the colors by the way, you don’t see them naturally everyday). Now this is me (of course), I think this picture would have even more appeal/mystery if the water in the bottom of the image was cropped out.
AllergyDoc –
I like where this picture is going but if I’m honest I have to say that I really wonder how I would feel about this picture if it was ‘warmer’. We have our hay, mountains, interesting clouds, but it leaves me a little cold. Also, and I hesitate to even add this, the houses in the background take away from this image for me. Perhaps a different perspective would have hidden the house behind a hay bale or put it out of the frame altogether. Keep in mind I say all of this liking the picture and its potential. Did I mention that I’m an amateur.
Kenoh –
Did I mention earlier that I generally like B&W and cityscapes. Yea, well, here we are.
I should add something though so how about this; I wonder how I would feel if this image had a little less black/empty space in the bottom of it.Ukiyo Evenings –
I have to ask. Did you take any pictures of just this installation with no people or anything else included? I really like whatever it is and I have a feeling I personally would have liked a picture of just it and nothing else (I have an affinity for the abstract as well). Otherwise, I’m drawn to this image because I want to have a better sense of the installation.
oblomow –
One word immediately comes to mind seeing this image. ‘Monumental’. There is almost an element of Brutulism in the design of this bridge (Daughter #2 is an architecture student so I’m learning new design language stuff). This is one of the pictures I can’t really explain why I like it but I do. I like the touch of green in the lower right-hand portion of the image and how the whole image is set off against the night sky.
someoldguy –
I like this image very much. Simplicity and it also captures the work that goes into making something (lasting). I love the landscapes of the desert southwest of the US and this looks to me like New Mexico (or perhaps Arizona).
mollyc –
Of course ‘leaf’ is a shape! Especially a maple leaf.
A wonderful image @mollyc. I initially thought that this theme may not have any pictures of the natural world if any submitted but I thought someone just might find a way and you did. I have nothing else to add, I very much like this image.Apple_Glen_UK –
I really like this image too but there is one thing though. I think this image would be even more compelling if the strip of cement at the top of the image and the bit in the lower right-hand corner were cropped out of the image. I just know that this is an image I would have taken myself. (where is this?)
Judging a Challenge is not a trivial task. I guess I knew that in the abstract but actually doing it really makes you appreciate the effort involved. Any opinions of mine express here that may be thought overly critical or just plain off I truly meant to be constructive from my viewpoint. I will add that I that this has been a more rewarding experience than I initially thought it would be. I believe I will look at my pictures a little more critically moving forward.
Third place: someoldguy, oblomow
Second place: mollyc
First place: akash.nu
Congratulations, Akash.nu, Molly and Someoldguy, Oblomow! This was a fun challenge, wasn't it?
Inkmich, thanks for the challenge and for the comments. I am not surprised that you're wondering what the heck the image is that I shot! As it happened, I needed another external drive, one for archival purposes, and after I got it home got to looking at it and was surprised by the intriguing shapes it presented. Just for fun I went over to where the light was shining in though my sliding glass door via the deck, set the drive down on top of a red file folder I had lying nearby, angled it this way and that way, then started shooting.
The metal of the drive has some kind of sparkly stuff in it so that was a surprise when viewed through the camera lens, and then I just experimented until I got something interesting with the way the light was hitting the thing at the angle it was positioned, plus the reflectivity and the multitude of shapes that revealed themselves. Who'd thought that one could get such interesting results from what on the surface appears to be an ordinary 5 TB Lacie external drive?. I know I was surprised! A day or two later it occurred to me that this would make an interesting (albeit puzzling) entry for the weekly competition......
Inkmich, thanks for the challenge and for the comments. I am not surprised that you're wondering what the heck the image is that I shot! As it happened, I needed another external drive, one for archival purposes, and after I got it home got to looking at it and was surprised by the intriguing shapes it presented. Just for fun I went over to where the light was shining in though my sliding glass door via the deck, set the drive down on top of a red file folder I had lying nearby, angled it this way and that way, then started shooting.
The metal of the drive has some kind of sparkly stuff in it so that was a surprise when viewed through the camera lens, and then I just experimented until I got something interesting with the way the light was hitting the thing at the angle it was positioned, plus the reflectivity and the multitude of shapes that revealed themselves. Who'd thought that one could get such interesting results from what on the surface appears to be an ordinary 5 TB Lacie external drive?
. I know I was surprised! A day or two later it occurred to me that this would make an interesting (albeit puzzling) entry for the weekly competition......Thanks for (half of )3rd! You're right in believing my image is from New Mexico . It was taken at Quarai , one of the Salinas missions .( https://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm ) I had a day to waste in Alburquerque , so went down to try to find the 3 missions . Found 2 , probably drove by the access road to the third . Almost nobody goes to these places , there were a few locals having lunch , plus a ranger in the museum . The other place I was at (Gran Quivera) I was the only visitor there that day . Got a great tour from the poor Ranger who was exiled there .
Congratulations Akash! I can say it again now, the Vatican is a great place to get a neck ache ?
Thanks @inkmich Amateur commentary is good too! The artwork was an installation called Hexalite by a local Emirati artist for Dubai Design Week 2016. It was fairly busy that weekend with people always in the shot so I opted for portions of the installation/not focusing on the installation itself. Here are some other photos from that afternoon. You can see the full piece in the link above.
@Clix Pix Ah so that's what it was! Very you to delight in something unexpectedly commonplace and figure out how you can extract meaning/feel from it. I thought it was the pointy end of a makeup accessory ? was very curious to find out.
@cupcakes2000 I think your image would indeed look great printed large ??
Thanks @inkmich Amateur commentary is good too! The artwork was an installation called Hexalite by a local Emirati artist for Dubai Design Week 2016. It was fairly busy that weekend with people always in the shot so I opted for portions of the installation/not focusing on the installation itself. Here are some other photos from that afternoon. You can see the full piece in the link above.
@Clix Pix Ah so that's what it was! Very you to delight in something unexpectedly commonplace and figure out how you can extract meaning/feel from it. I thought it was the pointy end of a makeup accessory ? was very curious to find out.
@cupcakes2000 I think your image would indeed look great printed large ??
Omg 
thank you for the kind words @inkmich . Congratulations to all the participants. There were some great entries.
Most historical and famous buildings in Rome are so precise, it’s the fascination of the Romans to bring symmetry to the world.
The visit to Vatican was one of a kind experience I must say.
I’ll get the next one up soon.
thank you for the kind words @inkmich . Congratulations to all the participants. There were some great entries. Most historical and famous buildings in Rome are so precise, it’s the fascination of the Romans to bring symmetry to the world.
The visit to Vatican was one of a kind experience I must say.
I’ll get the next one up soon.
Why shapes? Honestly, I’m not totally sure but I do believe we humans are wired to detect patterns so I did find that aspect interesting. I also thought it might be different. Regardless, once the thought occurred to me it just felt right so I let my intuition carry the day. Tomorrow at work I will get back to being the rational process-oriented engineer. J
It goes without saying that the comments/thoughts given below are from a truly amateur photographer so please keep that in mind (i.e., I don’t know what I’m talking about but I know what I like – most of the time).
Janichsan –
Cubes, squares, lines, it’s hard for me to express why I like this picture but I do. What struck me most was the clean bright green lines against the blackness of the cube itself. It’s different, unique, so therefore inherently interesting to me. I also appreciate the effort of trying to capture an image at night.
deep diver –
Yes, I likey. I live in a city and I’m drawn to cityscapes. There is so much to see and consider in this image. I want to explore it. Oh, and it’s B&W. I think I might have to admit to myself that I’m just drawn to B&W images. One other thing that stood out to me in this image; what if there was less exposure or if the picture was taken at a different time of day (early morning or sunset)?
Steven-iphone –
I have an admission to make. I first I didn’t quite get this picture. But once I considered it more deeply I had an ‘Aha’ moment. Lines. You start connecting lines and you get shapes (primarily the bars and the tree trunk in the right of the image). It’s the greenery then that makes this image stand out. That creeping vine/weed is no ordinary ‘line’. For the purposes of this contest though I do wonder if we need the large tree trunk in the left of the image included.
tizeye –
Short cylinders (and lines of cheese and bars). The appeal of this picture is its simplicity. It’s not complicated. Additionally, I appreciate an image that captures the work that goes into making something. That is the Detroit in me I guess.
akash.nu –
Beautiful! There is even the symmetry of the image itself. I’m sorry, I don’t have anything else to add.
OldMacs4Me –
Ah, another image that appeals to me in its simplicity. I really appreciate the beauty in the little, sometimes not noticed, things that are all around us. Nearly everything (and everyone) has its own beauty if one takes the time to really see it. And again, someone took the time make this even if most of us won’t notice it.
cogi0490 –
I think we humans are also hardwire to like bright shiny things as well.
Clix Pix –
I have but one question. What is this!? That is the intrigue in this image. Yes, yes, we have the shapes, but how was it captured? Aesthetically this image may or may not be more interesting if I knew more about it. As it is the colors don’t excite me that much but the shapes themselves do.
cupcakes2000 –
Yes, we definitely have shapes (lines, rectangles) but my curiosity is getting the best of me. What is this? Is this part of a locks in a canal, a dam, something else altogether? And the colors, what gives (I do like the colors by the way, you don’t see them naturally everyday). Now this is me (of course), I think this picture would have even more appeal/mystery if the water in the bottom of the image was cropped out.
AllergyDoc –
I like where this picture is going but if I’m honest I have to say that I really wonder how I would feel about this picture if it was ‘warmer’. We have our hay, mountains, interesting clouds, but it leaves me a little cold. Also, and I hesitate to even add this, the houses in the background take away from this image for me. Perhaps a different perspective would have hidden the house behind a hay bale or put it out of the frame altogether. Keep in mind I say all of this liking the picture and its potential. Did I mention that I’m an amateur.
Kenoh –
Did I mention earlier that I generally like B&W and cityscapes. Yea, well, here we are.
Ukiyo Evenings –
I have to ask. Did you take any pictures of just this installation with no people or anything else included? I really like whatever it is and I have a feeling I personally would have liked a picture of just it and nothing else (I have an affinity for the abstract as well). Otherwise, I’m drawn to this image because I want to have a better sense of the installation.
oblomow –
One word immediately comes to mind seeing this image. ‘Monumental’. There is almost an element of Brutulism in the design of this bridge (Daughter #2 is an architecture student so I’m learning new design language stuff). This is one of the pictures I can’t really explain why I like it but I do. I like the touch of green in the lower right-hand portion of the image and how the whole image is set off against the night sky.
someoldguy –
I like this image very much. Simplicity and it also captures the work that goes into making something (lasting). I love the landscapes of the desert southwest of the US and this looks to me like New Mexico (or perhaps Arizona).
mollyc –
Of course ‘leaf’ is a shape! Especially a maple leaf.
Apple_Glen_UK –
I really like this image too but there is one thing though. I think this image would be even more compelling if the strip of cement at the top of the image and the bit in the lower right-hand corner were cropped out of the image. I just know that this is an image I would have taken myself. (where is this?)
Judging a Challenge is not a trivial task. I guess I knew that in the abstract but actually doing it really makes you appreciate the effort involved. Any opinions of mine express here that may be thought overly critical or just plain off I truly meant to be constructive from my viewpoint. I will add that I that this has been a more rewarding experience than I initially thought it would be. I believe I will look at my pictures a little more critically moving forward.
Third place: someoldguy, oblomow
Second place: mollyc
First place: akash.nu
This is the The Mary Stanford Lifeboat Pebble Memorial in Rye...
I've taken your comments onboard regarding my entry. Is this better?!
WOW. Congratulations to the winners and look forward to the next topic.tizeye –
Short cylinders (and lines of cheese and bars). The appeal of this picture is its simplicity. It’s not complicated. Additionally, I appreciate an image that captures the work that goes into making something. That is the Detroit in me I guess.
Third place: someoldguy, oblomow
Second place: mollyc
First place: akash.nu
Background on the "work that goes into making". That is my now son-in-law's (boyfriend and meeting his parents at the time) cousin's farm. Daily he processes the milk to cheese, and depending on the temperature, either Raclette or Gruyere. As we arrived at his farm a German tour group was watching him work. While in progress when we arrived, he was just pulling it out of the vat with cheesecloth.
After the tourist left, we sat down with he and his wife for some coffee. Three things I remember. 1) Like a bad apple, if one cow's milk is bad it ruins the entire batch. 2) The pasture had developed in the past week where would support the herd where wintered over and hay fed at a lower elevation, and 3) bought some honey from him, forgetting it was in my backpack and German TSA confiscated at Frankfurt airport.
The actual farm (less the barn) will post in PTOD today.
For what it is worth I do like it better. Others may feel differently of course.This is the The Mary Stanford Lifeboat Pebble Memorial in Rye...
View attachment 1569592
View attachment 1569593
I've taken your comments onboard regarding my entry. Is this better?!
View attachment 1569594
And thank you for sharing the story behind this memorial.
All fair points. I was driving by and decided to stop and get the shot. I could've hidden the houses but there were too many power lines that would've mucked up the shot anyway. Thanks for the comments.AllergyDoc –
I like where this picture is going but if I’m honest I have to say that I really wonder how I would feel about this picture if it was ‘warmer’. We have our hay, mountains, interesting clouds, but it leaves me a little cold. Also, and I hesitate to even add this, the houses in the background take away from this image for me. Perhaps a different perspective would have hidden the house behind a hay bale or put it out of the frame altogether. Keep in mind I say all of this liking the picture and its potential. Did I mention that I’m an amateur.