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Weekly Photo Contest: June 25 – July 2 – Intimate Landscape
- Thread starter kenoh
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Sand
Haven't participated in one of these weekly contests for ages.
476C7811.jpg by Kevin Nealon, on Flickr
476C7811.jpg by Kevin Nealon, on Flickr
OK guys, in the interests of not making this any harder for myself to call, I am closing the comp as of now. I will be back later with a review of each image and hopefully a decision. This is going to be a hard one. Thanks for everyone who has taken part.
OK, so I am currently sat in 31 degree C weather with an ice cold coffee in my hand. I am 5 days into my week long holiday and I am feeling a bit blissed out. This week’s submissions are in a word phenomenal. To be clear, the only way I can really separate the leaders was to be extra picky otherwise it would be almost impossible to select between them.
Thank you for putting up some seriously good entries however, in order to separate them, then my critique may be a bit more pedantic than usual. Please remember that I am not a professional, this is only my opinion and in the scheme of things it ain’t something to take seriously.
I liked all of the pictures and so lets get to it….
@Alexander.Of.Oz – OK, as soon as this one went up I knew I was in trouble. I love the composition on this image. I think the portrait orientation accentuates the long stems of the plants and the use of DoF is very well done in this. I like how it is not the nearest stems in focus and this gives the image nice subtle depth. I do however find the blue at the bottom a tad distracting. It pulls my eye a little bit but other than that, can’t fault it.
@Janichsan – I could swear this was taken in my front garden. It looks exactly like the flowers and rocks I have there. I like the colour contrast of the flowers to the right against the rocks to the left but feel it is a little bit off balance as a result. Sorry a “have my cake and eat it” moment. Lovely focus on the flora but the out of focus area to the left could maybe have been removed. I had a similar image recently that didn't sit well with me for a similar reason. Maybe a tighter crop and pull out that lovely stone texture? Lovely bright and spring time image. Thank you.
@Hughmac – I like this one. I think it is because I am liking the ultra wide angle look currently. I like the blue hue Hugh in the sky that you get on a UWA and I like how you have angled it so the motion of the clouds have given an idea of leading the eye. The flowers are a nice contrast against the green around them but I would maybe have used a pair of scissors to trim the grass away in front of the central ones. Maybe also lift the overall exposure a 1/3rd or so to brighten it but a lovely image of English marshland detail.
@deep diver – Lovely capture of the motion of the water. Slow enough shutter to give some idea of movement while fast enough to maintain some water texture and no blown highlights on it well executed. I like the colour palette but feel maybe a tad warm light would just make it invite you in more. I really like these images and I struggle to capture a subject point for the image. I think this is in that camp. If taken wider, I think this water in itself juxtaposed with the river banks and land around them would be the subject but at this tight angle I feel that maybe you haven’t gone tight enough to really focus in on the water itself. Really like it though.
@Somepix – Wow, nice flowers. I like the hanging bells shape of these little beauties and the colour contrast of the red to green on the leaves. A lovely little growth in the scrubland below it. The texture of that scrub under it looks fascinating. I think this one would benefit from some creative cropping to take away the distraction of the sky around it. As there is not much detail up there I find my eye wandering I would maybe crop it in tighter to make those flowers pop.
@jkramerbob – Love them! Look at that texture! Beautiful light illuminating the fungi and bringing out that peach/salmon/orange colouring. Stunning. My only gripe with this image is that the fungi to the left has been cut in the crop but I have to be pedantic to say that sorry.
@someoldguy – Got to say I was expecting some Utah action this week too but this is a lovely image of beach grass swaying in the breeze. Again, my moan as I have to say something to show I am looking at it properly is that the tops are cut off the blades. While the arc of them gives nice leading lines, I feel it may have benefitted from not having the tips cut off. I am also drawn to the breaking wave through the grass. I am undecided on that one whether it affects my liking of it or not.
@anewman143 – A lovely water fall shot. Nicely captured with a pleasing composition. I do wonder if it would have benefitted from having some foliage on the left to frame to balance the shot maybe – I don't know I think it would.
@E3BK – Beautiful colours and a lovely silhouette. You have captured the light beautifully on the water and the way the foliage has framed the tunnel like view into the distance draws the eye nicely. Makes me want to go through the tunnel and explore.
@mollyc – I think that is absolutely lovely. The texture in the gravel and the shape made with the hands is beautiful. I really like it. My only criticism would be that maybe it would have benefitted from a simpler composition. If you had managed to get it without the shadow and the legs/feet, then it would have been perfect!
@MacRy – Oh my what a beautiful image. Lovely and soft (not in an out of focus way mind you). A beautiful elegant image with lovely soft light caressing the flower. Lovely. If I had to make a comment on an improvement, I would of maybe boosted the sat in the Stamen (is that the right name for the flower anatomy?) just to make it pop a tad more.
@Mark0 – Fantastic picture postcard image of autumn leaves. Lovely colours and a great capture of the wet texture from the droplets. Absolutely beautiful. Again if I had to be pedantic, I would just have said watch the cut lines on the leaves though I really do think I am reaching on that point so please feel free to call me an idiot and ignore me.
@oblomow – Lovely wheat field. A fantastic example of how the landscape is so wondrously flat in some parts of the world. The contrast of the Red against the Green really draws the eye though I do think it could be tighter cropped to accentuate the Red. It is quite remarkable how you have managed to capture the busy texture of the ears of wheat in the foreground but somehow they are so busy that they don't distract. Well done! Good details in the background in the trees and the lower sky.
@Indydenny – Trying to work this one out. Is it a man made beach? Or a sanbox close to the shore. A wonderful splash of colour and a mine of activity for a future building magnate. The texture of the sand is lovely and the little sandcastles are aligned fantastic – I assume it is the builder not the photographer that is responsible for that. My only comment is that almost every tool is cut so maybe it is cropped ever so slightly too much but it still elicits feelings of joy watching a little one at play. Nice.
@scotttnz – Lovely. I really like the position of the red leaf in the foreground giving a point of focus as the landscape draws away from it. A lovely colour palette and I like the low viewpoint. It really makes for a compelling image.
@fitshaced – A lovely landscape on a grand scale. The use of the rocks in the foreground is very nice and they have fantastic texture on them. I would have liked to see an abstract of them maybe as they looks interesting and tonally are a contrast to the rest of the image. I enjoyed zooming round the image looking at all the detail in the image, especially the ridge to the upper left of the frame. Glad to have you submitting again. Thank you.
@zaphodtheprez – Ha ha ha, these little Minis are fun aren’t they? RedBull cans on the back and they scoot round town advertising. I have never worked out if they are used for anything more useful such as deliveries loading product in the can or not. This is a funky shot of them but on balance I find it a bit busy and I wish that they were lined up in a more uniform way to get a leading line from them maybe from a ¾ viewpoint.
Coming out of this and after some serious contemplative thought, I am proposing the following podium positions:
3rd place: @Mark0
2nd place: @mollyc
1st place: @Alexander.Of.Oz
Honourable mentions to jkramerbob, love the fungi and scotttnz for a really great parkshot.
I hope everyone got something form this week. Now over to Alexander.of.Oz for the next one.
Thank you for putting up some seriously good entries however, in order to separate them, then my critique may be a bit more pedantic than usual. Please remember that I am not a professional, this is only my opinion and in the scheme of things it ain’t something to take seriously.
I liked all of the pictures and so lets get to it….
@Alexander.Of.Oz – OK, as soon as this one went up I knew I was in trouble. I love the composition on this image. I think the portrait orientation accentuates the long stems of the plants and the use of DoF is very well done in this. I like how it is not the nearest stems in focus and this gives the image nice subtle depth. I do however find the blue at the bottom a tad distracting. It pulls my eye a little bit but other than that, can’t fault it.
@Janichsan – I could swear this was taken in my front garden. It looks exactly like the flowers and rocks I have there. I like the colour contrast of the flowers to the right against the rocks to the left but feel it is a little bit off balance as a result. Sorry a “have my cake and eat it” moment. Lovely focus on the flora but the out of focus area to the left could maybe have been removed. I had a similar image recently that didn't sit well with me for a similar reason. Maybe a tighter crop and pull out that lovely stone texture? Lovely bright and spring time image. Thank you.
@Hughmac – I like this one. I think it is because I am liking the ultra wide angle look currently. I like the blue hue Hugh in the sky that you get on a UWA and I like how you have angled it so the motion of the clouds have given an idea of leading the eye. The flowers are a nice contrast against the green around them but I would maybe have used a pair of scissors to trim the grass away in front of the central ones. Maybe also lift the overall exposure a 1/3rd or so to brighten it but a lovely image of English marshland detail.
@deep diver – Lovely capture of the motion of the water. Slow enough shutter to give some idea of movement while fast enough to maintain some water texture and no blown highlights on it well executed. I like the colour palette but feel maybe a tad warm light would just make it invite you in more. I really like these images and I struggle to capture a subject point for the image. I think this is in that camp. If taken wider, I think this water in itself juxtaposed with the river banks and land around them would be the subject but at this tight angle I feel that maybe you haven’t gone tight enough to really focus in on the water itself. Really like it though.
@Somepix – Wow, nice flowers. I like the hanging bells shape of these little beauties and the colour contrast of the red to green on the leaves. A lovely little growth in the scrubland below it. The texture of that scrub under it looks fascinating. I think this one would benefit from some creative cropping to take away the distraction of the sky around it. As there is not much detail up there I find my eye wandering I would maybe crop it in tighter to make those flowers pop.
@jkramerbob – Love them! Look at that texture! Beautiful light illuminating the fungi and bringing out that peach/salmon/orange colouring. Stunning. My only gripe with this image is that the fungi to the left has been cut in the crop but I have to be pedantic to say that sorry.
@someoldguy – Got to say I was expecting some Utah action this week too but this is a lovely image of beach grass swaying in the breeze. Again, my moan as I have to say something to show I am looking at it properly is that the tops are cut off the blades. While the arc of them gives nice leading lines, I feel it may have benefitted from not having the tips cut off. I am also drawn to the breaking wave through the grass. I am undecided on that one whether it affects my liking of it or not.
@anewman143 – A lovely water fall shot. Nicely captured with a pleasing composition. I do wonder if it would have benefitted from having some foliage on the left to frame to balance the shot maybe – I don't know I think it would.
@E3BK – Beautiful colours and a lovely silhouette. You have captured the light beautifully on the water and the way the foliage has framed the tunnel like view into the distance draws the eye nicely. Makes me want to go through the tunnel and explore.
@mollyc – I think that is absolutely lovely. The texture in the gravel and the shape made with the hands is beautiful. I really like it. My only criticism would be that maybe it would have benefitted from a simpler composition. If you had managed to get it without the shadow and the legs/feet, then it would have been perfect!
@MacRy – Oh my what a beautiful image. Lovely and soft (not in an out of focus way mind you). A beautiful elegant image with lovely soft light caressing the flower. Lovely. If I had to make a comment on an improvement, I would of maybe boosted the sat in the Stamen (is that the right name for the flower anatomy?) just to make it pop a tad more.
@Mark0 – Fantastic picture postcard image of autumn leaves. Lovely colours and a great capture of the wet texture from the droplets. Absolutely beautiful. Again if I had to be pedantic, I would just have said watch the cut lines on the leaves though I really do think I am reaching on that point so please feel free to call me an idiot and ignore me.
@oblomow – Lovely wheat field. A fantastic example of how the landscape is so wondrously flat in some parts of the world. The contrast of the Red against the Green really draws the eye though I do think it could be tighter cropped to accentuate the Red. It is quite remarkable how you have managed to capture the busy texture of the ears of wheat in the foreground but somehow they are so busy that they don't distract. Well done! Good details in the background in the trees and the lower sky.
@Indydenny – Trying to work this one out. Is it a man made beach? Or a sanbox close to the shore. A wonderful splash of colour and a mine of activity for a future building magnate. The texture of the sand is lovely and the little sandcastles are aligned fantastic – I assume it is the builder not the photographer that is responsible for that. My only comment is that almost every tool is cut so maybe it is cropped ever so slightly too much but it still elicits feelings of joy watching a little one at play. Nice.
@scotttnz – Lovely. I really like the position of the red leaf in the foreground giving a point of focus as the landscape draws away from it. A lovely colour palette and I like the low viewpoint. It really makes for a compelling image.
@fitshaced – A lovely landscape on a grand scale. The use of the rocks in the foreground is very nice and they have fantastic texture on them. I would have liked to see an abstract of them maybe as they looks interesting and tonally are a contrast to the rest of the image. I enjoyed zooming round the image looking at all the detail in the image, especially the ridge to the upper left of the frame. Glad to have you submitting again. Thank you.
@zaphodtheprez – Ha ha ha, these little Minis are fun aren’t they? RedBull cans on the back and they scoot round town advertising. I have never worked out if they are used for anything more useful such as deliveries loading product in the can or not. This is a funky shot of them but on balance I find it a bit busy and I wish that they were lined up in a more uniform way to get a leading line from them maybe from a ¾ viewpoint.
Coming out of this and after some serious contemplative thought, I am proposing the following podium positions:
3rd place: @Mark0
2nd place: @mollyc
1st place: @Alexander.Of.Oz
Honourable mentions to jkramerbob, love the fungi and scotttnz for a really great parkshot.
I hope everyone got something form this week. Now over to Alexander.of.Oz for the next one.
Great feedback Ken. Glad that you're enjoying your well deserved break. Enjoy your last few days fella.
Congrats to Alex on the win. Lovely image. A lot of good entries this week.
Congrats to Alex on the win. Lovely image. A lot of good entries this week.
Thanks mate. Enjoying it right now. Seriously I needed half a dozen first places this week. Great submissions!
What a fantastic effort of providing critical feedback and judging while on holidays! Now that's going above and beyond, @kenoh ! Hope you enjoy your last couple of days with the family and manage to keep that blissed out state going.
Thanks for the nod of the head my way and well done to all who entered, there was an amazing array of imagery put up this week. I really should have subdued those blue patches down low in the frame in PP as they do draw the eye as you mentioned.
It's past my bedtime here, so I'll think about something for the next round and get it posted in the morning.
Thanks for the nod of the head my way and well done to all who entered, there was an amazing array of imagery put up this week. I really should have subdued those blue patches down low in the frame in PP as they do draw the eye as you mentioned.
It's past my bedtime here, so I'll think about something for the next round and get it posted in the morning.
MUCH thanks for taking the time for the detailed feedback ! And , as always , congrats to the winners ...
I'd thought about a southwest pic , but decided against it as this weekend is certainly a beach one for us ( we're celebrating Brexit 1776) over here and the shot I entered helped get me in the feel of things . Just as an aside , it was taken several years back with a Canon Digital Elph. 7 Mp. IIRC . Was my desktop for several years when I was working . Got to see it in the morning and think ' Damn! I'm here when I could be there ".
Iced Coffee , Order a Margarita !!!! Leave the kiddies to the other half .
I'd thought about a southwest pic , but decided against it as this weekend is certainly a beach one for us ( we're celebrating Brexit 1776) over here and the shot I entered helped get me in the feel of things . Just as an aside , it was taken several years back with a Canon Digital Elph. 7 Mp. IIRC . Was my desktop for several years when I was working . Got to see it in the morning and think ' Damn! I'm here when I could be there ".
Iced Coffee , Order a Margarita !!!! Leave the kiddies to the other half .
Lol.. Brexit 1776.... listen, the way you lot mangled our language, we are well shot of you!
The girls are in the kids club, Mrs Kenoh is in the pool floating on an inflatable pink Flamingo that I have to work out how to fit in the suitcase to get home!
I am happy with my caffeine hits thank you. Had a beer night before last and didnt enjoy it so sticking to my coffee.
You? Beer? What's that all about? Stick with the iron bru!Lol.. Brexit 1776.... listen, the way you lot mangled our language, we are well shot of you!
The girls are in the kids club, Mrs Kenoh is in the pool floating on an inflatable pink Flamingo that I have to work out how to fit in the suitcase to get home!
I am happy with my caffeine hits thank you. Had a beer night before last and didnt enjoy it so sticking to my coffee.
Well done to the winners. Lots of great shots. I kind of ran out of time to post this week! Not that I had anything even close to most of these.
Yeah I know! some of the other folks were enjoying a beer and I thought I would have one... didnt enjoy it at all..
Thanks for the comments @kenoh - I was only hoping nobody noticed my poor choice of aperture (forgot it was on 5.6) in getting the clouds too blurred. I'll pack scissors as well as everything else next time I go out
Congratulations to the winners, and all the other contestants for great efforts
Cheers
Hugh
Congratulations to the winners, and all the other contestants for great efforts
Cheers
Hugh
We are staying at the Epic Sana Algarve hotel in Portugal. Direct flight from Glasgow into Faro, 3 hours, 40 minutes connection time. Nice pools, good enough food, nice beach, secure (so the girls can have a slightly longer leash).
No moans from the boss as it is clean and well maintained for her but it is getting too expensive now. We could pay a mortgage for the year on a holiday home for what it is costing now. Double what it was four years ago.
I'm off to LA in a month for work. Closest I'll get to a holiday! But the prices for hotels and flights won't leave much change from 3 grand. Glad I'm not paying!
I think we al knew it was a contest for second place after @Alexander.Of.Oz posted his photo. Well deserved win in a very competitive week! Excellent work by @kenoh on the topic and the judging. Perhaps I should have stuck with my cactus though. haha.
Yes... As you are so good I had to dig deep... Lovely image as always!
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Keep them coming I liked it a lot