And The Winner Is
This is very difficult - there are several photos I could easily select as the winner.
The fact that 45 pictures have been entered made my life a little more difficult. Also the fact that the quality is very high means I have had to be quite a perfectionist in choosing a winner.
I do feel that this week has raised the bar in quality.
So here is my thoughts on a great collection of photos.
Dmac77 - This picture would benefit from losing the other boat to the left of the real subject. The overall effect feels a bit forced - I think we should see more of your work in the future. The overall effect I like but I think it works better on the trees in the back ground than the water.
Maxxamillian - So little blue but that does not distract from the fact that the blue screams out against the orange -. Quality shot.
jeffmode -I love it - I have a bad tempered old cat that always looks ready to kill. You have captured a wonderful look of a cat that is truly contemplating the world. I'm not sure it looks unhappy - great picture though.
dewailang : Great colours and beautiful water. Where was it? Removal of a few TV antennae and the satellite dish would make it perfect.
Edge100 - This is in York if my memory serves me correctly. I'm not an HDR fan but you've used it to good effect and I wasn't surprised when you re-entered this picture. The one occasion that I went to York 20 years ago it was wet and miserable. You captured it well.
JohnMC - I want to try this sometime - I like all of it - there is nothing wrong with it but could a longer exposure be better to get longer arcs. Regardless - I really like this too. It seems a little dark on my screen so I would brighten it a little but I realise that could just be screen differences.
Indydenny - You make me want a holiday and this is a nice photo. I would have prefered some cropping to make the whole this more symmetrical and the white fence on the right distracts too.
Abraxsis - With the UV on these daffodils you get a whole new take on things - especially on how maybe insects see flowers. A clever shot but I'd have perfered them upright as nature intended.
todd2000 - I love contrast so I like the red and the blue. Sadly I found the angle of shot and the plastic barriers distracting which is a shame because I love the colours.
LittleCanonKid - Another photo I wasn't keen on at first but it grew on me. Flowers at the end of their useful life and they seem depressed (blue) about it - they're not perfect any more. It fits the theme twice in my book. They tell a story all of their own.
Tesselator - Love this too - would make a great desktop. Beautifully presented I find it a little harsh but the overall quality is exceptional.
epyfa - I like the colour contrast on this - not over powering but really vivid however my eye is distracted by the skyline - the powerlines for example.
The General - Nice cityscape but for me it lacks something - maybe HDR would help , a lens filter of just some tweaking in a photo editor of some sort. It doesn't need much I think it just feels a bit washed out.
NeGRit0 - This feels a bit forced -I feel depressed by the scene - its blue and that's how I feel but was that the original intention of the photo? I would also of leveled the foreground.
Deep Diver - This is just such a beautiful photo. This is a photo that doesn't need much comment.
lu0s3r322 - Lovely blue - I'm distracted by the front of the car being cut off and the people. A strange angle shot of the car without distractions would have been interesting especially in such an amazing blue. See JDDavis's shot for an idea of what I mean although obviously you wanted to capture the whole car but I think a few other angled close-up shots to could have worked well.
rost12 - Looks like good old UK weather making everyone feel blue - as an expat that really makes me feel like I'm back there. You really have a story here - it is a bit too depressing. Great shot though. (PS - where is it?)
telecomm - Another great photo that would make a great desktop. Sometime there is nothing more to say - If its good enough to grace my MacBooks desktop - then it's very good.
PeteB - Very interesting - minimalist shot - clever use of the sky to capture nature close and alongside man and his machine - except they are so far apart.
hector - I'm a bit unsure about this photo - the bottom left corner is distracting - the pink tower has its head cut off - I'd have cropped to a centre section concentrating on the street scene so that although the tower was cut - it would look deliberate as oppose to accidental.
joe.cavers - I love the fact that you caught the various phases of the colour change with these flowers - beautiful colours - I would have liked a different angle, less busy back ground or just a tight crop on the front most flowers. Keep up the good work - you will benefit from getting rid of the Kodak P&S and getting and SLR.
chrisandersen - What great colours that contrast well - I think I would crop of the left edge. It appears a little washed out - I felt a little tweaking of the contrast would help. I do like it though.
imfrog2002 - I think that this needs cropping - the background is too distracting - I'd have probably shown just a small part of the branch - the detail is there - it looks interesting.
mariahlullaby - I love the look in in the cats eye - it looks naughty. Sadly as with other pictures I'm distracted by the back ground this time in the top left corner.
JDDavis - I like this too. Interesting angle but instantly recognisable. Beautiful blues contrasting well. Makes me want to buy a speed boat this year instead of a new car.
firstapple - Beautiful picture - lovely blues however it almost feels warm but without the slight defrost and drip of water that would have set it off well. Obviously still to cold for that.
Pomeroy - Having tried to photograph a Jay - I know they are difficult - well at least the ones that live in the forests near my garden are. It would have been beautiful if the background was blurred and the subject sharply focused. I think you would benefit from an SLR even though the Canon SX10 is well reviewed.
Greg_C - Its a nice picture of a palm tree but to be honest its not talking to me and I don't feel inspired. It is nicely framed and nicely taken but I'd have prefered more.
Clix Pix - Another picture that I could use as a desktop - very simple but very effective. Out of curiosity - what are the darker specks on the shot. I thought maybe dust on sensor but other shots on your PBase page do not show this. Quality shot here and others on PBase.
ipodtoucher - No losing that needle in a haystack - I would probably straighten this and crop the bottom. I would have prefered you to be more daring and chosen a picture from your "extreme macro" or "light painting" photo sets.
SUPERSTEVE9219 - Loved the photo - a huge looking sweeping road that is in really very small compared to the landscape. I'd have used a photo editor to remove the cracks - in my opinion they distract from an other wise flawless shot.
cosmokanga2 - I like what you're trying to do here - but honestly it's too crowded. There are several things in the photo that demand my attention and distract my eye so that I cant really enjoy this a great scene. I think "Lone Canoe" and especially the more daring "Tower in Window Reflection" from your collection both work better.
mattyb240 - beautiful valley that's for sure - have friends out that way. This photo seems a little flat though - needs big clouds, maybe a polarising filter and this would be interesting. Right now I don't get a feeling of just how big it is. Loved the sign though.
zuma022 - I did a photo shoot like this a few weeks ago, it was challenging - yours has real depth to the hole the original drop made - it feels dark and cold - very moody and almost literally frozen in time. I would have liked to see a higher resolution version and I would have removed the micro droplets of water spray. I would also have liked to see the surrounding water in focus. My mistake when I did this, was to accidently use a very ISO and then my light source failed. I'm still waiting for it to come back.
TheReef - Yet another picture that could grace the desktop of my Mac and probably a lot of other people too. I would crop off some of the left hand side and the brown in the bottom right corner and then it would be perfect.
mickbab - This joins the now long list of possible desktop pictures and is beginning to sound like a cliche - however it remains a compliment as far as I'm concerned and this beautiful picture is just that : beautiful.
alvse - This feels like a safe choice for the contest - you have amazing work in you collection - I would have preferred you to be a bit more daring - for example some of your Sculptures By The Sea photos are just screaming to be posted here.
BarryJ - I've seen contest work by you like the "Canada thistle" before but technically this photo isn't in the same league. The subject matter has buckets of potential - a new angle, position of shot and lighting really would have bought the story of "Mr. Blue and his tiny friend" to life. Do love that title by the way.
Sdashiki - A post apocalypse deconstruct of urban myth - cool. Showing a daring irrelevance to essence and thus creating a state of incertitude in the eye of the casual observer. Good to see someone keeping polaroid going. I like it.
-hh - Love this - pity you only posted a low resolution copy. My wife loves it and so does my son. Its so good that it looks like it was captured from one of those top wildlife programs on TV.
daustin - I can see the temptation with these flowers with such vivid colours but a close-up of just a few would in my opinion been far better
lucarelli - Not my cup of tea as photo's go but it's up there on quality and great contrast of industrial against nature - very cold and very well done.
magnetdoc13 - Very very clever - how did you do that? Looks like flash was involved. I love the idea - it looks like something out of a scary story. The only downer on an otherwise perfect picture is the lines running through the shot. I really love this - I can't tell you how much I wish the lines weren't there.
EchoAdmin - With this shoot - I'd have preferred a different angle and/or cropped a bit closer. Or a little landscape to provide a feeling of scale.
geekindisguise - This has to be the largest photo submitted - showing up any imperfections in your work (but don't let that deter you posting high resolution photos in the future). This is almost perfect - just a little drift of the blue on her right eye (left as we look at it). Having looked at your blog I think I prefer the colour version of Zoey - you captured some lovely rich skin tones with it. I'm a slightly distracted by her arm but this is a beautiful picture of someone who so obviously knows how to pose. Good work.
So here goes
1st Goes to Maxxamillian - I thought it was not only a beautiful picture but brave to only have a small amount of blue in it. Maxx - you get to post the next topic for contest. Good luck.
2nd Deep Diver - This is a very close second - an absolutely beautiful photo.
If Maxxamillian doesn't come back with 48 hours - its up to you.
3rd - magnetdoc13 This is a highly imaginative shot - and I like it - hopefully you will be brave enough to slowly take out the lines.
There were so many shots that were so good I won't list any highly commended - I hope my comments give insight enough.
This is very difficult - there are several photos I could easily select as the winner.
The fact that 45 pictures have been entered made my life a little more difficult. Also the fact that the quality is very high means I have had to be quite a perfectionist in choosing a winner.
I do feel that this week has raised the bar in quality.
So here is my thoughts on a great collection of photos.
Dmac77 - This picture would benefit from losing the other boat to the left of the real subject. The overall effect feels a bit forced - I think we should see more of your work in the future. The overall effect I like but I think it works better on the trees in the back ground than the water.
Maxxamillian - So little blue but that does not distract from the fact that the blue screams out against the orange -. Quality shot.
jeffmode -I love it - I have a bad tempered old cat that always looks ready to kill. You have captured a wonderful look of a cat that is truly contemplating the world. I'm not sure it looks unhappy - great picture though.
dewailang : Great colours and beautiful water. Where was it? Removal of a few TV antennae and the satellite dish would make it perfect.
Edge100 - This is in York if my memory serves me correctly. I'm not an HDR fan but you've used it to good effect and I wasn't surprised when you re-entered this picture. The one occasion that I went to York 20 years ago it was wet and miserable. You captured it well.
JohnMC - I want to try this sometime - I like all of it - there is nothing wrong with it but could a longer exposure be better to get longer arcs. Regardless - I really like this too. It seems a little dark on my screen so I would brighten it a little but I realise that could just be screen differences.
Indydenny - You make me want a holiday and this is a nice photo. I would have prefered some cropping to make the whole this more symmetrical and the white fence on the right distracts too.
Abraxsis - With the UV on these daffodils you get a whole new take on things - especially on how maybe insects see flowers. A clever shot but I'd have perfered them upright as nature intended.
todd2000 - I love contrast so I like the red and the blue. Sadly I found the angle of shot and the plastic barriers distracting which is a shame because I love the colours.
LittleCanonKid - Another photo I wasn't keen on at first but it grew on me. Flowers at the end of their useful life and they seem depressed (blue) about it - they're not perfect any more. It fits the theme twice in my book. They tell a story all of their own.
Tesselator - Love this too - would make a great desktop. Beautifully presented I find it a little harsh but the overall quality is exceptional.
epyfa - I like the colour contrast on this - not over powering but really vivid however my eye is distracted by the skyline - the powerlines for example.
The General - Nice cityscape but for me it lacks something - maybe HDR would help , a lens filter of just some tweaking in a photo editor of some sort. It doesn't need much I think it just feels a bit washed out.
NeGRit0 - This feels a bit forced -I feel depressed by the scene - its blue and that's how I feel but was that the original intention of the photo? I would also of leveled the foreground.
Deep Diver - This is just such a beautiful photo. This is a photo that doesn't need much comment.
lu0s3r322 - Lovely blue - I'm distracted by the front of the car being cut off and the people. A strange angle shot of the car without distractions would have been interesting especially in such an amazing blue. See JDDavis's shot for an idea of what I mean although obviously you wanted to capture the whole car but I think a few other angled close-up shots to could have worked well.
rost12 - Looks like good old UK weather making everyone feel blue - as an expat that really makes me feel like I'm back there. You really have a story here - it is a bit too depressing. Great shot though. (PS - where is it?)
telecomm - Another great photo that would make a great desktop. Sometime there is nothing more to say - If its good enough to grace my MacBooks desktop - then it's very good.
PeteB - Very interesting - minimalist shot - clever use of the sky to capture nature close and alongside man and his machine - except they are so far apart.
hector - I'm a bit unsure about this photo - the bottom left corner is distracting - the pink tower has its head cut off - I'd have cropped to a centre section concentrating on the street scene so that although the tower was cut - it would look deliberate as oppose to accidental.
joe.cavers - I love the fact that you caught the various phases of the colour change with these flowers - beautiful colours - I would have liked a different angle, less busy back ground or just a tight crop on the front most flowers. Keep up the good work - you will benefit from getting rid of the Kodak P&S and getting and SLR.
chrisandersen - What great colours that contrast well - I think I would crop of the left edge. It appears a little washed out - I felt a little tweaking of the contrast would help. I do like it though.
imfrog2002 - I think that this needs cropping - the background is too distracting - I'd have probably shown just a small part of the branch - the detail is there - it looks interesting.
mariahlullaby - I love the look in in the cats eye - it looks naughty. Sadly as with other pictures I'm distracted by the back ground this time in the top left corner.
JDDavis - I like this too. Interesting angle but instantly recognisable. Beautiful blues contrasting well. Makes me want to buy a speed boat this year instead of a new car.
firstapple - Beautiful picture - lovely blues however it almost feels warm but without the slight defrost and drip of water that would have set it off well. Obviously still to cold for that.
Pomeroy - Having tried to photograph a Jay - I know they are difficult - well at least the ones that live in the forests near my garden are. It would have been beautiful if the background was blurred and the subject sharply focused. I think you would benefit from an SLR even though the Canon SX10 is well reviewed.
Greg_C - Its a nice picture of a palm tree but to be honest its not talking to me and I don't feel inspired. It is nicely framed and nicely taken but I'd have prefered more.
Clix Pix - Another picture that I could use as a desktop - very simple but very effective. Out of curiosity - what are the darker specks on the shot. I thought maybe dust on sensor but other shots on your PBase page do not show this. Quality shot here and others on PBase.
ipodtoucher - No losing that needle in a haystack - I would probably straighten this and crop the bottom. I would have prefered you to be more daring and chosen a picture from your "extreme macro" or "light painting" photo sets.
SUPERSTEVE9219 - Loved the photo - a huge looking sweeping road that is in really very small compared to the landscape. I'd have used a photo editor to remove the cracks - in my opinion they distract from an other wise flawless shot.
cosmokanga2 - I like what you're trying to do here - but honestly it's too crowded. There are several things in the photo that demand my attention and distract my eye so that I cant really enjoy this a great scene. I think "Lone Canoe" and especially the more daring "Tower in Window Reflection" from your collection both work better.
mattyb240 - beautiful valley that's for sure - have friends out that way. This photo seems a little flat though - needs big clouds, maybe a polarising filter and this would be interesting. Right now I don't get a feeling of just how big it is. Loved the sign though.
zuma022 - I did a photo shoot like this a few weeks ago, it was challenging - yours has real depth to the hole the original drop made - it feels dark and cold - very moody and almost literally frozen in time. I would have liked to see a higher resolution version and I would have removed the micro droplets of water spray. I would also have liked to see the surrounding water in focus. My mistake when I did this, was to accidently use a very ISO and then my light source failed. I'm still waiting for it to come back.
TheReef - Yet another picture that could grace the desktop of my Mac and probably a lot of other people too. I would crop off some of the left hand side and the brown in the bottom right corner and then it would be perfect.
mickbab - This joins the now long list of possible desktop pictures and is beginning to sound like a cliche - however it remains a compliment as far as I'm concerned and this beautiful picture is just that : beautiful.
alvse - This feels like a safe choice for the contest - you have amazing work in you collection - I would have preferred you to be a bit more daring - for example some of your Sculptures By The Sea photos are just screaming to be posted here.
BarryJ - I've seen contest work by you like the "Canada thistle" before but technically this photo isn't in the same league. The subject matter has buckets of potential - a new angle, position of shot and lighting really would have bought the story of "Mr. Blue and his tiny friend" to life. Do love that title by the way.
Sdashiki - A post apocalypse deconstruct of urban myth - cool. Showing a daring irrelevance to essence and thus creating a state of incertitude in the eye of the casual observer. Good to see someone keeping polaroid going. I like it.
-hh - Love this - pity you only posted a low resolution copy. My wife loves it and so does my son. Its so good that it looks like it was captured from one of those top wildlife programs on TV.
daustin - I can see the temptation with these flowers with such vivid colours but a close-up of just a few would in my opinion been far better
lucarelli - Not my cup of tea as photo's go but it's up there on quality and great contrast of industrial against nature - very cold and very well done.
magnetdoc13 - Very very clever - how did you do that? Looks like flash was involved. I love the idea - it looks like something out of a scary story. The only downer on an otherwise perfect picture is the lines running through the shot. I really love this - I can't tell you how much I wish the lines weren't there.
EchoAdmin - With this shoot - I'd have preferred a different angle and/or cropped a bit closer. Or a little landscape to provide a feeling of scale.
geekindisguise - This has to be the largest photo submitted - showing up any imperfections in your work (but don't let that deter you posting high resolution photos in the future). This is almost perfect - just a little drift of the blue on her right eye (left as we look at it). Having looked at your blog I think I prefer the colour version of Zoey - you captured some lovely rich skin tones with it. I'm a slightly distracted by her arm but this is a beautiful picture of someone who so obviously knows how to pose. Good work.
So here goes
1st Goes to Maxxamillian - I thought it was not only a beautiful picture but brave to only have a small amount of blue in it. Maxx - you get to post the next topic for contest. Good luck.
2nd Deep Diver - This is a very close second - an absolutely beautiful photo.
If Maxxamillian doesn't come back with 48 hours - its up to you.
3rd - magnetdoc13 This is a highly imaginative shot - and I like it - hopefully you will be brave enough to slowly take out the lines.
There were so many shots that were so good I won't list any highly commended - I hope my comments give insight enough.
Congrats to Maxxamillian and everyone who entered, too! Can't wait to see what the next theme is.
