weekly photo contest: march 16 - march 21 | Spring Equinox

[StrollerEd]

I did consider setting the theme as Ides of March or even St Paddy's Day, but to avoid all suggestion of politics I have opted for the Spring Equinox - with all apology to those in the Southern Hemisphere who might regard this as unseasonal.

The Equinox is the occasion, twice as year, when everyone on this planet enjoys the same length of day as of night.

Please give your interpretation of the Spring Equinox which has been celebrated for millennia as marking a re-birth. It's special.

As always, standard rules apply:

• The photographs must be your own work
• You may only submit one photo per contest.
• No commenting or liking photos until after the judging has taken place.
• This contest runs for about a week, starting now.
• At the end of the competition, 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 here 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).
• Be sure to update the Contest Master List as soon as you post a new theme.

 

[StrollerEd]

The Equinox is approaching and your photographic images are invited ...

 

[StrollerEd]

It is now the Equinox

 

[Janichsan]

Difficult topic… maybe a sky observatory which has markings indicating the equinox?

 

[OldMacs4Me]

Taken at exactly 3;24 PM today as we made the official transition from 'Winter" into 'Still Winter' where we will remain until further notice.

 

[_timo_redux_]

that ole question
(2009)

 

[mollyc]

 

[StrollerEd]

As it is now March 22nd, and Equinox is past, this competition is now closed.

My thanks to the four who have stepped up. The jury will retire to review the entries.

 

[StrollerEd]

The results are in ..

Again, my thanks to @mollyc, @_timo_redux_, @OldMacs4Me & @Janichsan

And apologies offered on my part that my choice of topic did not provide enough encouragement for others to enter.

I had intended a broad "interpretation of the Spring Equinox which has been celebrated for millennia as marking a re-birth." Indeed I'd expected a host of flowers in bloom, and almost wrongly posted a pic of my own,

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/photo-of-the-day-march-2023.2382370/page-27?post=32043207#post-32043207

However, I'm sure that all were impressed by the variety and excellence of the contributions:

@Janichsan There's a lot of allusion going on in this, the sun rising to announce the new season and the path on the curve to the horizon. The contrasting blue of the sky and green green grass are broken up with threads that mimic one another, causing the eye to wander and then return to the promise of that emergent sun.

@OldMacs4Me A reminder that the importance of latitude as seasonal affective discord in the supposed re-birth of Spring Equinox. Brr ... That blue sky reflected on the frozen ice suggests the sun must be out there somewhere, if only to slowly melt the snow on those craggy peaks.

@_timo_redux_ Which came first? The message is clear in this shot, rebirth certainly the seasonal theme, caught at an angle like the startled parent pigeon. The focus is on the eggs but attention is drawn to the eye of that bird. Both reminder of the season against the urban background of trough and brickwork.

@mollyc At last, a floral tribute to the increase in the length of the day, with the hyacinth as seasonal reminder, reaching out to greet the light of the sun. The eye is repeatedly brought back to that foreground focus despite trying to stray into the unknown along that path, the length of its shadows suggesting the shift into Spring.

The four were so very different, in style as well as content.

Now, the awful task of placing these in some kind of order. All deserve a place on the podium, but which to put first and in doing so pass on the responsibility for setting the topic for the next weekly competition?

But decide I must:

I place @Janichsan on the top spot, the sun having played its part in a display that repaid frequent visit.

There was so much to like about that momentary photo of the bird and her rudimentary nest. @_timo_redux_ therefore takes second place, having bravely risked winning back the baton so soon.

Third place on the podium is shared between @mollyc and @OldMacs4Me whose photos capture the contrast in meaning we attach to the Spring Equinox.

 

[Janichsan]

Thanks for the honors. I'll try to come up with a new topic until tomorrow evening (CET).

 

[Janichsan]

The new contest is up: Weekly Photo Contest Challenge: Fresh! (March 23 - March 30)