Weekly photo contest - Jan 25th to Feb 1st

[Nathan King]

Good Evening!

As photographers, we often go to great lengths to create something aesthetically beautiful. Our photo catalogs are filled with subjects that make us relaxed and happy - sunsets, birds, nature and smiling people. This week is different. The subject is destruction. I'm purposefully not specifying any other details, so get creative and give me your unique take on the word.

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The usual rules apply:


· 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 a week and starts now!

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

· If the Judge is unable to complete the selection within 48 hours of the deadline for close, then a vote will be carried out to select a winner. This will be based on the number of "likes" each image has. In the event of a draw, the second place winner from the previous week will choose the tiebreaker.

· 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).

· Please update the Weekly Contest Master List when you post a new contest

 

[malofx]

This is Downtown Los Angeles, this photo was taken last year during one of the biggest fires we have had in the past 10 years.

 

[stillcrazyman]

Rust
Destruction

 

[someoldguy]

Combine fire , water , impact from falling tree(s) , wait at least 10 years and you get.....

 

[Apple fanboy]

These guys specialise in destruction. It's in their DNA.
Stormtroopers Laser Quest by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

 

[deep diver]

There was an abandoned sugar mill on Maui. A photographer named Tom Sewell bought some of the equipment and now has it on his property as pieces of art. This is a cutter blade used to break up the sugar cane.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Looming storm cloud

 

[deep diver]

Combine fire , water , impact from falling tree(s) , wait at least 10 years and you get.....

View attachment 818273

Just slap a little paint on there and it will be as good as new.

 

[Hughmac]

Demolition of local power station chimney...



Explosion by Hugh Russell, on Flickr

Panasonic DMC-G6, Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8, 1/500 @ f/8

The tiny black dot to the left of the chimney top is a drone taking footage of the demolition for a live feed.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Giuanniello]

Let's see if this fits, it is part of the underground Napoli tour, as some of you might know Napoli is rich of underground tunnels, they were first started by the Greeks and then the Romans then, in recent times, used during WWII to be safe during bombing, this it at the very end of the underground path where there probably was a barber shop next door.

Good luck everybody with the contest

Giovanni

 

[F-Train]

I like posting photos in these threads because they impose the discipline of a subject. I'd prefer not to participate in the competition part.

I've decided to post this photo after seeing Giovanni's above.

I'm in the process of doing a portrait of my rapidly gentrifying New York neighbourhood. It's an odd case. It was a middle/upper middle class neighbourhood until the 1980s, when it became cocaine central (part of the film Maria Full of Grace is set, for good reason, in my neighbourhood), and it is rapidly returning to its middle/upper middle class roots. A one-bedroom 100m²/1100ft² apartment in the building where this was shot sells for US$300,000 and up. The buildings are all six stories, and each has a large courtyard/garden. This photo was taken at a courtyard entrance.

The neighbourhood portrait will include large format photographs. One of those photos will include the basic content of this one, which is basically a sketch or study. The location may not be the same. These bomb shelter signs, aggressive fencing and surveillance cameras are everywhere. My current thinking is to shoot the large format photo during recess at a local school that has one of these signs posted prominently in its playground, but in the current social climate it may not be so easy to arrange that.

A few of the Co-Ops that own the buildings have taken the signs down, but most continue to post and maintain them. The one in the photo has no doubt been there, in one form or another, for about 60 years. The basements where one is supposed to take shelter from an atomic bomb attack are the perfectly ordinary basement floors of the buildings, which are maybe 4m/12' below ground.

Looked at from the point of view of this thread, there could be an interesting discussion about how and why this photo fits the subject.


Leica M (Typ 240)
Summicron-M 50mm f/2

 

[bruinsrme]

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Nature at work. I tried to capture the theme also in the composition and edited on purpose in b/w. Not to frame for wonderful aesthetics and for destruction is more difficult than one thinks. What I like about the contests is that it gives me a reason to go out and shoot, so this one was specifically done last weekend for this contest.

 

[oblomow]

Remembering the destruction that was caused by the wearers of these helmets.

Some people in Saxony (Dresden area) still have weird sympathies.

 

[Janichsan]

 

[tcphoto1]

The aftermath of a fire in an antebellum house.

 

[tizeye]

Dungeness mansion, Cumberland Island, GA.
Destruction strikes twice. The first mansion was built in 1793 and burned down in 1866. Land purchased by the Carnegie Family and retained the Dungeness name for the second mansion serving as a winter home in 1884 and while not used after the Depression, also burning down in 1959. Now a National Park and Seashore noted for the feral horses that roam free on the island.

 

[Giuanniello]

Rust
Destruction

This is interesting, it proofs what I heard a little while ago which is kind of like nature will eat it all back in a bunch of years and go back to square one, it was enlightening to me to understand to which degree we are just guests on this planet and how we should try out best to preserve it and then I check the news and read that we are almost back to a new cold war...

 

[Nathan King]

In the process of judging! Sorry for being a day late. My dog was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and getting him into a cardiologist on short notice has been taking quite a bit of my time. Check back soon!

 

[Hughmac]

In the process of judging! Sorry for being a day late. My dog was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and getting him into a cardiologist on short notice has been taking quite a bit of my time. Check back soon!

Oh no, hope he'll be OK soon. Take your time √

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Giuanniello]

In the process of judging! Sorry for being a day late. My dog was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and getting him into a cardiologist on short notice has been taking quite a bit of my time. Check back soon!

Forget the contest, take care of the dog and let us know when he's back in shape!

 

[Janichsan]

In the process of judging! Sorry for being a day late. My dog was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and getting him into a cardiologist on short notice has been taking quite a bit of my time. Check back soon!

No hurry. Taking care of the loved ones is more important.

 

[oblomow]

take your time. Everything can wait. I hope it's ok.

 

[Nathan King]

Judging is more difficult than I imagined!

malofx - Los Angeles

The color tells the story here, and I like that you filled a majority of the frame with sky. You were at an elevated position, so the perspective is natural and without distortion. Images like this are difficult because you need enough clarity to make the image appear crisp but still need to maintain a sense of atmosphere. I think you struck a nice balance. A classic documentary image that I might expect to see in the newspaper.

Stillcrazyhan - Rust

Tough exposure due to backlighting and subject in shade. Low vantage point offers an interesting perspective. How long will our creations remain after we’re gone?

Someoldguy - Damaged house

Interesting subject! Not only is the second floor falling off the right side of the house, but the entire second story split in half!

Apple fanboy - Stormtroopers

Quirky. It’s an image that begs questions from the viewer. The high contrast monochrome works well. It's awkward in a good way that reminds me of a Diane Arbus photograph.

Deep diver - Sugar Mill Blade

There is interest in both geometry and color here. Warm and cool colors on the blade clash while repeated triangles and diagonal lines compete. You’ve created some tension here. If you look closely there are actually four repeated rows of triangles. Good aperture choice that gives a bit of isolation but enough to completely retain the pattern/context.

Darmok N Jalad - Storm Cloud

The wide angle of view gives you the sense that the cloud is hanging over you even though you’re looking at it. I like that you cut it off at the top; it makes me wonder how much longer it goes.

Hughmac - Explosion

You caught the demolition at just the right moment. The tower is still visible above the tree line, but you can see from the debris trail how far it has dropped. The off-center framing is nice, and the power lines add visual interest to that side of the frame. I wish you were a bit closer, but I imagine that wasn't a possibility.

Giuanniello - Barber Chair

Given the history of your subject this absolutely fits the theme. Outstanding use of sub framing. I like that you’ve left the rocks in the foreground black with the exception of some highlights and were not tempted to go crazy with the shadow slider. The negative space draws your eye in, and gives the subject some room to breathe. The high contrast works very well in monochrome, and I like that you have a full range of tones from pure white all the way to pure black.

Bruinsrme - Sleepy Best Friend

As a fellow dog owner I can testify to the destructive nature of our best friends. I like your framing with the paws taking up the entire foreground space. Beautiful dog!

CmdrLaForge - Tree

This is a photograph that if you explained it I think I’d shrug my shoulders, but it actually works. Your plane of focus is well in front of the subject, but I think this is one of those rare cases where that slight defocus adds something. Extra points for going out and taking an image specifically for the contest!

Oblomow - Helmet Light

There is more meaning in this image than initially meets the eye. Nothing really grabs your attention...until you recognize the shape of the helmet and are reminded of the nasty historical baggage associated with it.

Janichsan - Ruin

Images of ruins always make my mind run wild. What did the structure look like in its prime? The excellent craftsmanship of the remaining wall hints at something grand.

Tcphoto1 - Antebellum Fire

I hope that was able to be saved! They haven’t made homes with that attention to detail in decades. Any slight distortion is immediately visible in photographs of interiors with wide lenses, and you clearly took care to keep the camera level.

Tizeye - Dungeness Mansion

Part of what makes this so interesting is the greenery that is working to slowly reclaim the ruins. The organic lines of nature meet and begin to take on the precise angles of the house as if becoming impeccably maintained shrubs. The ruin has really retained an uncannily strong sense of pattern and regular form. Interesting capture.


1st Place - malofx
2nd Place - Giuanniello
3rd Place - Apple fanboy

 

[Apple fanboy]

Judging is more difficult than I imagined!

malofx - Los Angeles

The color tells the story here, and I like that you filled a majority of the frame with sky. You were at an elevated position, so the perspective is natural and without distortion. Images like this are difficult because you need enough clarity to make the image appear crisp but still need to maintain a sense of atmosphere. I think you struck a nice balance. A classic documentary image that I might expect to see in the newspaper.

Stillcrazyhan - Rust

Tough exposure due to backlighting and subject in shade. Low vantage point offers an interesting perspective. How long will our creations remain after we’re gone?

Someoldguy - Damaged house

Interesting subject! Not only is the second floor falling off the right side of the house, but the entire second story split in half!

Apple fanboy - Stormtroopers

Quirky. It’s an image that begs questions from the viewer. The high contrast monochrome works well. It's awkward in a good way that reminds me of a Diane Arbus photograph.

Deep diver - Sugar Mill Blade

There is interest in both geometry and color here. Warm and cool colors on the blade clash while repeated triangles and diagonal lines compete. You’ve created some tension here. If you look closely there are actually four repeated rows of triangles. Good aperture choice that gives a bit of isolation but enough to completely retain the pattern/context.

Darmok N Jalad - Storm Cloud

The wide angle of view gives you the sense that the cloud is hanging over you even though you’re looking at it. I like that you cut it off at the top; it makes me wonder how much longer it goes.

Hughmac - Explosion

You caught the demolition at just the right moment. The tower is still visible above the tree line, but you can see from the debris trail how far it has dropped. The off-center framing is nice, and the power lines add visual interest to that side of the frame. I wish you were a bit closer, but I imagine that wasn't a possibility.

Giuanniello - Barber Chair

Given the history of your subject this absolutely fits the theme. Outstanding use of sub framing. I like that you’ve left the rocks in the foreground black with the exception of some highlights and were not tempted to go crazy with the shadow slider. The negative space draws your eye in, and gives the subject some room to breathe. The high contrast works very well in monochrome, and I like that you have a full range of tones from pure white all the way to pure black.

F-Train - Fallout Shelter

Well seen! The security camera sign, security camera and fallout shelter sign create a diagonal line that clashes interestingly with the rigid grid structure created by the brick and fence. It’s interesting in a post-apocalyptic Orwellian police state sort of way. I'm very interested in seeing your project when complete.

Bruinsrme - Sleepy Best Friend

As a fellow dog owner I can testify to the destructive nature of our best friends. I like your framing with the paws taking up the entire foreground space. Beautiful dog!

CmdrLaForge - Tree

This is a photograph that if you explained it I think I’d shrug my shoulders, but it actually works. Your plane of focus is well in front of the subject, but I think this is one of those rare cases where that slight defocus adds something. Extra points for going out and taking an image specifically for the contest!

Oblomow - Helmet Light

There is more meaning in this image than initially meets the eye. Nothing really grabs your attention...until you recognize the shape of the helmet and are reminded of the nasty historical baggage associated with it.

Janichsan - Ruin

Images of ruins always make my mind run wild. What did the structure look like in its prime? The excellent craftsmanship of the remaining wall hints at something grand.

Tcphoto1 - Antebellum Fire

I hope that was able to be saved! They haven’t made homes with that attention to detail in decades. Any slight distortion is immediately visible in photographs of interiors with wide lenses, and you clearly took care to keep the camera level.

Tizeye - Dungeness Mansion

Part of what makes this so interesting is the greenery that is working to slowly reclaim the ruins. The organic lines of nature meet and begin to take on the precise angles of the house as if becoming impeccably maintained shrubs. The ruin has really retained an uncannily strong sense of pattern and regular form. Interesting capture.


1st Place - malofx
2nd Place - Giuanniello
3rd Place - Apple fanboy

Thank you for the third place! Most unexpected. I saw this place get demolished on my work commute. When it was left one night with just the sign and wall, I knew it was my last chance to photograph it before it was gone. I hadn’t been shooting that long then so my composition wasn’t great as it was a busy scene.
So when I shot the stormtroopers at comicon a year or two later, I decided to revisit the image for a composition. Still wish I had a better image in decent lighting of the demolition.
Sadly it’s an Aldi’s now (budget supermarket).
Well done everyone, and thank you for taking the time to critique everyone despite your issues with your dog. Hope all is okay.