Weekly Photo Contest Dec 23-Jan 5: My greatest gift

[CmdrLaForge]

Hello Photographers,

as per the rules I need to step in and create the new contest as the 48 hours are up and no new contest has been posted.

The theme for this weeks contest is "My greatest gift". Now be creative ! This can be something you get for X-Mas or something completely different. Like your greatest gift are your singing skills, photography skills, skiing skills. Or of course your greatest gift could be your kids, your spouse, ...

And one more thing - if you think it may not be entirely clear why this is your greatest gift (e.g. plane you found in your neighbourhood) then - please give some words of explanation so that it can be better understood.

• The photographs must be your own work.

• Be creative and have fun.

• You may only submit one photo per contest.

• Please do not comment on photos until after the judging has taken place.

• The contest runs for one week, starting NOW! The contest runs for two weeks, this time only !! starting NOW!(see time/date stamp at the start of this thread.)

• At the end of the week, The Judge (last week's Winner) will choose a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place photo, providing as much feedback as possible.

• The 1st place Winner will start a new thread with the topic/theme of their choice, and act as the Judge for that contest. (Winner has 48 hours to create new theme, after that it defers to 2nd place).

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2017 !!

All the best
CmdrLaForge

 

[kenoh]

OK, so lets start this bad boy off. I could have gone all cliche and taken a picture of my daughters. My daughters are undoubtedly the best thing that has ever happened to me knocking meeting my now wife off the top spot. Ah bless....

So, I am going to go with something incredibly special that happened to me last year not once but twice. As you guys know I am a big fan of rangefinders, I adore that I get to to shoot not one but two of these incredible machines. So bear with me, this is a long one.

So, a little over a year ago, an incredibly kind soul had a spark of generosity that I have never experienced before. To be clear, I am usually the generous one, I have this inbuilt drive to want to make people I care about happy. I once sacrificed a pay rise to give it to one of my team members who I felt deserved it more than I did. In fact, my boss actually said this year to me that he was holding back budget because he knew that if I had it all I would grant it all to the team and leave none for me. So I like to make people happy, people other than my family tend not to give me anything except joy - which I am happy for. I am the guy who drives out in the snow to rescue friends in the middle of the night. You get the idea... - actually I can be grumpy but you know that already... Far from a saint.

Except, last year the tide turned and I became the recipient of a level of generosity I have never experienced before. One day a person contacted me and asked if I would be interested in having a Leica M9. Little did the person know, but it was the exact model I had been desperately dreaming of for years.

I thought it was a joke at first, a wind up, a relative stranger offering me something off the map in terms of generosity. There had to be a catch right? Well no, genuine, incredible, unbelievable, just mind blowing. The person will remain nameless as I don't want to embarrass them if they read this. What I will say is that we have become friends and I am so looking forward to seeing them to thank them in person.

So, my greatest gift in the tangible sense is...

M9 Close Up 9 by Ken OHagan, on Flickr

Now, I wish you and your families a great holiday season. I hope everyone is safe and warm and no one is asked to step into harms way. May you get what you want and need nothing.

K.

 

[soulreaver99]

My Greatest Gift

My greatest gift is my super gifted wife

 

[cyclocommuter]

 

[Fozzybadfeet]

DSCF2384 by FZYBDFT, on Flickr

 

[OzBok]

I'm sticking with the cliche for no other reason, than they are my greatest gifts. My Wife and Daughter, taken New Years Day at the zoo. To keep the gift theme going, it was shot with my gift to myself for our daughters birth, affectionally known to her as Uncle Nikon!

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Great pictures so far. Keep them coming, the contest is closing in 2 days. Btw - the judging will be done on the artistic value of the photograph and not on how great the greatest gift is as long as it meets the overall theme.

 

[deep diver]

I also am not a big fan of cliché, and I struggled with deciding what to submit this week. I was inspired by Ken’s approach and his story. He helped me realize that gratitude is the thing that transforms something that is given into a true gift. So here is my story……..

I received my first SLR (a Nikon FG that I still have) as a gift from my parents when I finished graduate school. I was not blessed with any other artistic abilities, but I discovered that I can take decent photos. Life happens, and through a series of very challenging life events, I put down the camera in 1991 and never picked it up again. In 2005 or 2006 my wife gave me my first DSLR (a Nikon D50 that I still use as my second camera). She knows me better than I know myself, and I needed that camera to continue healing from the events of 15 and 20 years prior. In August 2008, I was very seriously hurt in a very gruesome event and we did not know if I would get back enough function in my arm to even hold my camera. It took about 5 months of very painful physical therapy, but I finally got to that place. My gratitude is for the many people that have helped me get back my life, for a father and true soul mate that know me better than I know myself and for their wisdom in helping me discover my vision for my own life.

This image is of a piece of hematite at Cleveland’s Museum of Natural History. It is by no means my best or favorite picture, but it was taken on my first trip out with my camera after I got hurt. For me, the crystalline structure is a perfect metaphor for the order that has emerged from my own chaos.

.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So I have tbh and say when I saw the title of this weeks competition was posted my heart sank a little.

My wife won't let me post pictures of her. I'm not really even allowed to take pictures of her as she hates it.
My daughter was much the same. Tomorrow will mark the 1 year anniversary of since she left us. It's been a terribly tough year as I miss her so much. Birthdays and Christmas were the worst (so we didn't celebrate them at all this year).
So I decided to take the following as the my greatest gift (if not the greatest photo!).
The big yellow thing is from Miss AFB's favourite Anime/Manga (D.Greyman) called Timcanpy. It's precious to me because it reminds me of the hours we spent together making it and how happy she was at how it turned out.
The small lion (that just wouldn't stand up for the picture!), is a keyring that my daughter bought for me called Nicky.
It's precious because she was very small and the wife and I needed to sort out my late mother in laws estate with the solicitor. So we asked a friend if she would mind her in town whilst we were at the meeting. I gave (the career) some money and explained to the little one that if she saw something she wanted our friend would get if for her with Daddy's money.
I expected her to buy herself a little toy or some treat to eat.
But she bought me this keyring as she knew I liked lions. I remember thinking how kind she was to think of me rather than herself.
The other lion was a gift from when she was small for Fathers day one year. He sits next to my bed and reminds me as I wake each day of the beautiful and talented daughter I have.
I miss you Miss AFB. You are my most precious gift. I'm so sorry you are gone.
_DSC1645 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

 

[Indydenny]

Just for fun. This was my neighbor boy's greatest Christmas gift . . . for a few hours. It is about 40 feet up in a tree now and I'm not sure how it would possibly be retrieved. Too bad!

Greatest Gift . . . by Home, Travel & Cuisine, on Flickr

 

[kenoh]

Just for fun. This was my neighbor boy's greatest Christmas gift . . . for a few hours. It is about 40 feet up in a tree now and I'm not sure how it would possibly be retrieved. Too bad!

Greatest Gift . . . by Home, Travel & Cuisine, on Flickr

A guy next to us was walking the streets with a drone and some step ladders duringvthe holidays. He was with his son and looking mightily hacked off... i tried not to chuckle... honest...

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Hello Photographers,

The contest is over. Thanks for participating. I am trying to judge purely on the artistic value of the picture and not on the content.

To me the winners are
3rd place - Apple fanboy
2nd place - Deep diver
Winner - Kenoh

I come back with some more details later.

 

[kenoh]

Hello Photographers,

The contest is over. Thanks for participating. I am trying to judge purely on the artistic value of the picture and not on the content.

To me the winners are
3rd place - Apple fanboy
2nd place - Deep diver
Winner - Kenoh

I come back with some more details later.

Wow! Thank you so so much this is a fantastic bonus to the start of the year! Very flattered indeed.

OK I will work on a new theme...

 

[deep diver]

Hello Photographers,

The contest is over. Thanks for participating. I am trying to judge purely on the artistic value of the picture and not on the content.

To me the winners are
3rd place - Apple fanboy
2nd place - Deep diver
Winner - Kenoh

I come back with some more details later.

I'll take second. Thank you. I would also have chosen Ken to win this one. Looking forward to seeing the comments, and to the next contest. I recommend going back to one week.

 

[kenoh]

New comp up...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/weekly-photo-contest-jan-6-–-jan-13-leading-lines.2026088/
[doublepost=1483701524][/doublepost]

I'll take second. Thank you. I would also have chosen Ken to win this one. Looking forward to seeing the comments, and to the next contest. I recommend going back to one week.

Yep two weeks were only for the holiday break...

Thank you for your kind words.... Hope everyone likes the new competition theme - intended to try to appeal to the old guard and also the new members of our little gang, something they can get their teeth into...

@deep diver, from the back story, glad you are OK now. Great story behind the image.

 

[Cheese&Apple]

So I have tbh and say when I saw the title of this weeks competition was posted my heart sank a little.

My wife won't let me post pictures of her. I'm not really even allowed to take pictures of her as she hates it.
My daughter was much the same. Tomorrow will mark the 1 year anniversary of since she left us. It's been a terribly tough year as I miss her so much. Birthdays and Christmas were the worst (so we didn't celebrate them at all this year).
So I decided to take the following as the my greatest gift (if not the greatest photo!).
The big yellow thing is from Miss AFB's favourite Anime/Manga (D.Greyman) called Timcanpy. It's precious to me because it reminds me of the hours we spent together making it and how happy she was at how it turned out.
The small lion (that just wouldn't stand up for the picture!), is a keyring that my daughter bought for me called Nicky.
It's precious because she was very small and the wife and I needed to sort out my late mother in laws estate with the solicitor. So we asked a friend if she would mind her in town whilst we were at the meeting. I gave (the career) some money and explained to the little one that if she saw something she wanted our friend would get if for her with Daddy's money.
I expected her to buy herself a little toy or some treat to eat.
But she bought me this keyring as she knew I liked lions. I remember thinking how kind she was to think of me rather than herself.
The other lion was a gift from when she was small for Fathers day one year. He sits next to my bed and reminds me as I wake each day of the beautiful and talented daughter I have.
I miss you Miss AFB. You are my most precious gift. I'm so sorry you are gone.
_DSC1645 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

Well said AFB.

Cheers...to our absent family and friends.

~ Peter

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hello Photographers,

The contest is over. Thanks for participating. I am trying to judge purely on the artistic value of the picture and not on the content.

To me the winners are
3rd place - Apple fanboy
2nd place - Deep diver
Winner - Kenoh

I come back with some more details later.

Thanks for the third place. I have to say I feel the picture was pretty poor, so apologies to everyone if they felt they missed out to a sympathy vote. That was not my intension or reason for posting.

Well done on yet another win Ken.

Onto the next!

 

[kenoh]

Thanks for the third place. I have to say I feel the picture was pretty poor, so apologies to everyone if they felt they missed out to a sympathy vote. That was not my intension or reason for posting.

Well done on yet another win Ken.

Onto the next!

Stop apologising! I thought it was really nice... onto the next

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Thanks for the third place. I have to say I feel the picture was pretty poor, so apologies to everyone if they felt they missed out to a sympathy vote. That was not my intension or reason for posting.

Well done on yet another win Ken.

Onto the next!

It wasn't. I still have to do the detailed feedback. Just to much action at the moment but from my view yours was third.

 

[Apple fanboy]

It wasn't. I still have to do the detailed feedback. Just to much action at the moment but from my view yours was third.

Well kind of you to think so.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Hello Photographers,

As promised I am trying to give some more detailed feedback about the judging. To do so I have attached the Smart Keyboard to my iPad Pro and I am using Safari in two window mode. Pretty nice.

@kenoh
I immediately liked this picture. It is a very nice cut. One understands how the full object looks like without fully seeing it. Also good use of focus depth.

@soulreaver99
This is a snap shot. Nothing special about the picture.

@cyclocommuter
This is a nice picture in the snow. I would try to frame it differently and not cut the body where you did. There is to much room over the person. The tree on the left could have been used as a line to the face, the person placed and framed in particular bigger in the overall picture.

@Fozzybadfeet

The persons are center and not cut in a weird way. As they look of the screen to the right they should have been framed a little bit more on the left. Overall ok.

@OzBok
The foot of the girl is cut off and there is so much room over there head. A little zoom in and not cutting off and framing more to the left would have helped. Or zoom in a lot and cut off beyond the hand.

@deep diver
I like pictures of structures with lines. Well done.

@Apple fanboy

A nice still life. Well framed, good lines. The only issue is the front shadow but other then that to me a piece of art.

@Indydenny
Out of contest I think. But thanks for sharing!

And that goes to everyone. Thanks for sharing your pictures and backstories. Don't take my thoughts on your pictures personally. But that goes for every contest every week where sometimes I get feedback that raises the urge in me to get to my keyboard and start explaining the picture. But then I don't do it. Doesn't mean you can share your thoughts on mine or my judging.

On to the next.
LaForge.

 

[OzBok]

Hello Photographers,

As promised I am trying to give some more detailed feedback about the judging. To do so I have attached the Smart Keyboard to my iPad Pro and I am using Safari in two window mode. Pretty nice.

@kenoh
I immediately liked this picture. It is a very nice cut. One understands how the full object looks like without fully seeing it. Also good use of focus depth.

@soulreaver99
This is a snap shot. Nothing special about the picture.

@cyclocommuter
This is a nice picture in the snow. I would try to frame it differently and not cut the body where you did. There is to much room over the person. The tree on the left could have been used as a line to the face, the person placed and framed in particular bigger in the overall picture.

@Fozzybadfeet

The persons are center and not cut in a weird way. As they look of the screen to the right they should have been framed a little bit more on the left. Overall ok.

@OzBok
The foot of the girl is cut off and there is so much room over there head. A little zoom in and not cutting off and framing more to the left would have helped. Or zoom in a lot and cut off beyond the hand.

@deep diver
I like pictures of structures with lines. Well done.

@Apple fanboy

A nice still life. Well framed, good lines. The only issue is the front shadow but other then that to me a piece of art.

@Indydenny
Out of contest I think. But thanks for sharing!

And that goes to everyone. Thanks for sharing your pictures and backstories. Don't take my thoughts on your pictures personally. But that goes for every contest every week where sometimes I get feedback that raises the urge in me to get to my keyboard and start explaining the picture. But then I don't do it. Doesn't mean you can share your thoughts on mine or my judging.

On to the next.
LaForge.

Thanks for the feedback LaForge! Love feedback like that. Finally feel like I'm starting to get control of using the camera, this is definitely the next stage stuff to work on. Those are the little details I'm still learning. With framing and editing/cropping.
Best thing I ever did was joining this forum.

Congrats to kenoh, on the win... and the Leica!!

 

[kenoh]

Thanks for the feedback LaForge! Love feedback like that. Finally feel like I'm starting to get control of using the camera, this is definitely the next stage stuff to work on. Those are the little details I'm still learning. With framing and editing/cropping.
Best thing I ever did was joining this forum.

Congrats to kenoh, on the win... and the Leica!!

Thanks guys, and yes this forum is right at the top in terms of credit for my making any progress with this camera lark.

So thanks to all...

 

[needfx]

Very sorry to hear (read) about Mrs AFB @Apple fanboy

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hello Photographers,

As promised I am trying to give some more detailed feedback about the judging. To do so I have attached the Smart Keyboard to my iPad Pro and I am using Safari in two window mode. Pretty nice.

@kenoh
I immediately liked this picture. It is a very nice cut. One understands how the full object looks like without fully seeing it. Also good use of focus depth.

@soulreaver99
This is a snap shot. Nothing special about the picture.

@cyclocommuter
This is a nice picture in the snow. I would try to frame it differently and not cut the body where you did. There is to much room over the person. The tree on the left could have been used as a line to the face, the person placed and framed in particular bigger in the overall picture.

@Fozzybadfeet

The persons are center and not cut in a weird way. As they look of the screen to the right they should have been framed a little bit more on the left. Overall ok.

@OzBok
The foot of the girl is cut off and there is so much room over there head. A little zoom in and not cutting off and framing more to the left would have helped. Or zoom in a lot and cut off beyond the hand.

@deep diver
I like pictures of structures with lines. Well done.

@Apple fanboy

A nice still life. Well framed, good lines. The only issue is the front shadow but other then that to me a piece of art.

@Indydenny
Out of contest I think. But thanks for sharing!

And that goes to everyone. Thanks for sharing your pictures and backstories. Don't take my thoughts on your pictures personally. But that goes for every contest every week where sometimes I get feedback that raises the urge in me to get to my keyboard and start explaining the picture. But then I don't do it. Doesn't mean you can share your thoughts on mine or my judging.

On to the next.
LaForge.

Thanks for the feedback. I get a lot of practice shooting cards my wife makes and posts online.
[doublepost=1483986106][/doublepost]

Very sorry to hear (read) about Mrs AFB @Apple fanboy

Thanks for your kind words.