This weeks contest is officially over. Luckily I've been off work this week and have been able to get a head start on judging. It will still be next to impossible to pick a winner this week. Stay tuned for the results later on today.
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Weekly Photo Contest (May 21 - 27)
- Thread starter JDDavis
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
First off, I have to say that this was impossible to judge. There are 5 or more shots that could easily be the winner in my book. There were so many great shots this week it was amazing. I also have to state that under normal circumstances I would not have had the time to write a comment on every pic and would probably have just commented on the top 3 but I was off work this week and I started reviewing these shots 2 days ago. I believe there were 49 entries this week which is great.
So without further ado you'll find below my comments. Please take them with a grain of salt as your opinions on each one may vary but that's what makes art great.
NStocks - Nice lead off to the contest. I like it a lot. I like the contrast and the dark tones to the shot. It's just blades of grass with water drops but something about it pulls me into the picture. Very nicely done.
Captain Zero - Another nice shot. It really has that early morning feel that I believe you were going for. It's composed very nicely and I like that I can make out the spiderweb and dew on the branch.
Foucault - Again, very nice. The colors in the blurred background make it even better. For some reason, I want the bud to be up and to the right just a little bit.
SUPERSTEVE9219 - Cool shot. I would like to know how you took this and was the vignette done after or was that the result of the shot? Very interesting and I'm glad you expanded on "green". How small of an object are we looking at here?
Freewayjim - I realize you got this from your car (hope you weren't driving!) but I think it would've been even better if the other tower was not in it and the sky was a deep blue. I guess all big cities have to deal with haze now though.
jake.f - Sure it counts as green. This is in New Zealand I suppose? Looks like a beautiful place. A little more contrast in the clouds might help but otherwise I think it's a really nice shot.
Indydenny - That's a green place for sure. I like it but it seems just a bit blasted out to me. Maybe a polarizer would help or perhaps more grass and less sky in the pic. I live in Georgia and it seems we get a lot of bright, overcast days (doesn't sound right?) that makes it difficult to get good skys. (at least for me)
liljohnny51 - Nice calming shot. I think maybe I wanted to see the entire frame in focus, if that was possible. Some reflections on the water drops would really make it pop. I like it though. It seems cool and relaxing.
AxisOfBeagles - Great shot. I like how all of these green shots make for some very relaxed judging. I thought you did a great job. I never get this good of a result shooting into the sun like that.
thegord - I think you got the feel just right for this one. It seems desaturated a bit and that's just how I think green in Nevada should look.
GT41 - Good shot. I bet it makes a pretty interesting black and white. I wish there was a little more green to it to contrast the grey of the statue.
Wazzerb - I sympathize with the weather. We have had one of the wettest springs in a long time in the S.E. United States. It was a little hard for me to understand the pic at first. I guess I'm still wondering if it's tree bark or a mud wall. I'm guessing wall of mud. Either way it's an interesting shade of green.
PeteB - Superb. The colors are great...all that pink in it but the green on the grasshopper is perfect. I can't say enough about this one so I won't even try.
gnd - Very pretty shot. It was done very nicely. That tall stalk behind the poppy kind of pulls your eye from the flower though. I bet this also looks cool as I much wider shot with the single red poppy.
jodelli - Beautiful grass and a great spring shot for sure. It looks spot on. My only wish would be for a different moment, like an action shot or maybe two players talking. Very nicely done though.
mcavjame - Very interesting shot. It's one of those that gets my imagination going. It's a little dark for me but that may have been what you were going for.
runlsd - It's interesting but I have to admit I'm not quite getting it. The noise doesn't actually bother me I'm just not sure what you were going for. I think it is an interesting perspective though.
hector - Cool shot and I nice black and white. I'm fine with the "green" being inferred here. I'm guessing you were behind two people and their shoulders are in the foreground. Wish they weren't there.
nikkosucky - Nice profile of the duck. It looks like an overcast day. Some brighter colors would make this one a bit better and maybe just a little sharper.
doubleohseven - Well composed shot. For some reason it reminds me of Ikea (in a good way)? I like it, I just wish the lettuce was a good bit brighter.
rebrook - New Zealand must be an amazing place. Nice shot but of course the mountain is a bit blasted out. Great idea for a shot though.
Santabean2000 - Cool evening shot and a pretty place. It does look better larger.
Zimmer62943 - Nicely done. Nice shade of green and the color on the tips makes it all the better and more interesting.
pdxflint - Interesting photo. It's another one that really gets my imagination started. The west coast forests and the Smoky Mountain forests really do that. I just wish the greens were deeper, darker or more mysterious (If that makes sense).
herkyjerky - Great shot. Very well done and I wouldn't think you would normally find one on the ground like that.
BarryJ - Nice. I like the idea and the composition. It's just maybe too much sun and not enough contrast for me.
bootedbear - Another great bug shot. We had one of these on our tomato plant last year. He got huge. Very nice work and I like how you can see his feet...hands...or whatever they are grasping the stem.
dL. - I like this shot alot. Puts me in a good mood. You did great with the blues and greens and with the shadows too. Very well done.
LERsince 1991 - Very sharp picture. Amazing, it's like fireworks almost. I like the gradation in the background as if there is an aura around it.
deep diver - I think the most interesting thing about this shot is wondering how you got it. Perhaps it's not radioactive enough to be harmful or cause any problems with your camera? Fascinating shot though.
Clix Pix - NIce shot. Lots of green for sure. I think it was your intent with this shot but it's almost to soft for me. I checked out some of your pics on your link and they are really great.
heron88 - Very interesting shot. I've looked and looked at it but I'm not sure about the orientation or what it exactly is the water is coming off of. The wall of water on the right side is really cool.
bbbbbb - Poisonous? I like it but maybe a little too much flash? I can't tell, I'm horrible with flashes. It's eyes look really neat. I would like to have seen both of them.
CK Williams - Nice shot and appropriate. Thanks for posting it and nicely done.
aprofetto - Cool shot. Is that HDR or something else? The only thing I could wish for different is for the sky to be darker or maybe more menacing somehow.
LittleCanonKid - I like the perspective on the tree. There is a silver maple in my parents yard that I've tried a similar shot with but never got it right. Well done.
Pomeroy - It is a pretty green state in general though. This must be in the eastern part of the state? I enjoyed your shot and it makes me want to get back out west.
orangeillini14 - Very pretty and good detail. There is a bit of noise when you look at it full size. I like it though and it is quite relaxing.
da meat tree - I like your execution of this one an I like the colors in the background too. Nice detail.
gaswerks - Very nice. I think the crop makes it even better. Great blur and the single flower is in good focus. I really like this one.
Chappers - Very interesting plant. Very nicely done. I wish the moth was just a bit sharper. I don't envy you being in that heat though.
True Tao - Nice shot and lovely looking basil. I've never been able to pull of these table setting type photos of food and such. The trick seems to be in the lighting.
She - Wiemerieners are really cool dogs. This shot was a lot of fun. It's bit bright, maybe a little more contrast or more detail in the fur.
RedDragon870503 - Nice. Cool shot and very pretty eyes. It's a bit bright on her face and some of the detail is missing but maybe that was to highlight her eye. Which you did very well.
Todd2000 - Nice shot and interesting perspective. A little more light on the flower would've made it really pop.
djon41 - Interesting and nice capture. A nice idea for a shot and a good contrast between old and new.
NeGRit0 - Interesting. It made me stop and look at the pic to understand. Still, you'll have to tell me exactly what is being weighed in the cup? Edit...never mind...my ignorance in these matters was fixed by entatlrg on the next post.
oblomow - Very nice and a very sentimental shot. I like it, I just wish the woods in the distance were not quite so blasted.
So on to the impossible. My top three were:
Honarable mentions (I just had to) : LERsince1991, dL., and Captain Zero
2nd runner up : gaswerks - I really enjoyed this one and could easily see it hanging up on a wall in my house. Great crop and great execution.
1st runner up : NStocks - Another great shot and a great leadoff to the contest. Great detail and contrast and just the right tone.
Winner : PeteB - Very nicely done and I really enjoyed everything about it. I liked that green was the focus but the non-green background really made the green stand out.
Congrats to everyone on a ton of great shots. PeteB, you have 48hrs from this post to get the next weeks contest started. If not then it will pass to NStocks or gaswerks. Thanks again, and I'm looking forward to next week.
So without further ado you'll find below my comments. Please take them with a grain of salt as your opinions on each one may vary but that's what makes art great.
NStocks - Nice lead off to the contest. I like it a lot. I like the contrast and the dark tones to the shot. It's just blades of grass with water drops but something about it pulls me into the picture. Very nicely done.
Captain Zero - Another nice shot. It really has that early morning feel that I believe you were going for. It's composed very nicely and I like that I can make out the spiderweb and dew on the branch.
Foucault - Again, very nice. The colors in the blurred background make it even better. For some reason, I want the bud to be up and to the right just a little bit.
SUPERSTEVE9219 - Cool shot. I would like to know how you took this and was the vignette done after or was that the result of the shot? Very interesting and I'm glad you expanded on "green". How small of an object are we looking at here?
Freewayjim - I realize you got this from your car (hope you weren't driving!) but I think it would've been even better if the other tower was not in it and the sky was a deep blue. I guess all big cities have to deal with haze now though.
jake.f - Sure it counts as green. This is in New Zealand I suppose? Looks like a beautiful place. A little more contrast in the clouds might help but otherwise I think it's a really nice shot.
Indydenny - That's a green place for sure. I like it but it seems just a bit blasted out to me. Maybe a polarizer would help or perhaps more grass and less sky in the pic. I live in Georgia and it seems we get a lot of bright, overcast days (doesn't sound right?) that makes it difficult to get good skys. (at least for me)
liljohnny51 - Nice calming shot. I think maybe I wanted to see the entire frame in focus, if that was possible. Some reflections on the water drops would really make it pop. I like it though. It seems cool and relaxing.
AxisOfBeagles - Great shot. I like how all of these green shots make for some very relaxed judging. I thought you did a great job. I never get this good of a result shooting into the sun like that.
thegord - I think you got the feel just right for this one. It seems desaturated a bit and that's just how I think green in Nevada should look.
GT41 - Good shot. I bet it makes a pretty interesting black and white. I wish there was a little more green to it to contrast the grey of the statue.
Wazzerb - I sympathize with the weather. We have had one of the wettest springs in a long time in the S.E. United States. It was a little hard for me to understand the pic at first. I guess I'm still wondering if it's tree bark or a mud wall. I'm guessing wall of mud. Either way it's an interesting shade of green.
PeteB - Superb. The colors are great...all that pink in it but the green on the grasshopper is perfect. I can't say enough about this one so I won't even try.
gnd - Very pretty shot. It was done very nicely. That tall stalk behind the poppy kind of pulls your eye from the flower though. I bet this also looks cool as I much wider shot with the single red poppy.
jodelli - Beautiful grass and a great spring shot for sure. It looks spot on. My only wish would be for a different moment, like an action shot or maybe two players talking. Very nicely done though.
mcavjame - Very interesting shot. It's one of those that gets my imagination going. It's a little dark for me but that may have been what you were going for.
runlsd - It's interesting but I have to admit I'm not quite getting it. The noise doesn't actually bother me I'm just not sure what you were going for. I think it is an interesting perspective though.
hector - Cool shot and I nice black and white. I'm fine with the "green" being inferred here. I'm guessing you were behind two people and their shoulders are in the foreground. Wish they weren't there.
nikkosucky - Nice profile of the duck. It looks like an overcast day. Some brighter colors would make this one a bit better and maybe just a little sharper.
doubleohseven - Well composed shot. For some reason it reminds me of Ikea (in a good way)? I like it, I just wish the lettuce was a good bit brighter.
rebrook - New Zealand must be an amazing place. Nice shot but of course the mountain is a bit blasted out. Great idea for a shot though.
Santabean2000 - Cool evening shot and a pretty place. It does look better larger.
Zimmer62943 - Nicely done. Nice shade of green and the color on the tips makes it all the better and more interesting.
pdxflint - Interesting photo. It's another one that really gets my imagination started. The west coast forests and the Smoky Mountain forests really do that. I just wish the greens were deeper, darker or more mysterious (If that makes sense).
herkyjerky - Great shot. Very well done and I wouldn't think you would normally find one on the ground like that.
BarryJ - Nice. I like the idea and the composition. It's just maybe too much sun and not enough contrast for me.
bootedbear - Another great bug shot. We had one of these on our tomato plant last year. He got huge. Very nice work and I like how you can see his feet...hands...or whatever they are grasping the stem.
dL. - I like this shot alot. Puts me in a good mood. You did great with the blues and greens and with the shadows too. Very well done.
LERsince 1991 - Very sharp picture. Amazing, it's like fireworks almost. I like the gradation in the background as if there is an aura around it.
deep diver - I think the most interesting thing about this shot is wondering how you got it. Perhaps it's not radioactive enough to be harmful or cause any problems with your camera? Fascinating shot though.
Clix Pix - NIce shot. Lots of green for sure. I think it was your intent with this shot but it's almost to soft for me. I checked out some of your pics on your link and they are really great.
heron88 - Very interesting shot. I've looked and looked at it but I'm not sure about the orientation or what it exactly is the water is coming off of. The wall of water on the right side is really cool.
bbbbbb - Poisonous? I like it but maybe a little too much flash? I can't tell, I'm horrible with flashes. It's eyes look really neat. I would like to have seen both of them.
CK Williams - Nice shot and appropriate. Thanks for posting it and nicely done.
aprofetto - Cool shot. Is that HDR or something else? The only thing I could wish for different is for the sky to be darker or maybe more menacing somehow.
LittleCanonKid - I like the perspective on the tree. There is a silver maple in my parents yard that I've tried a similar shot with but never got it right. Well done.
Pomeroy - It is a pretty green state in general though. This must be in the eastern part of the state? I enjoyed your shot and it makes me want to get back out west.
orangeillini14 - Very pretty and good detail. There is a bit of noise when you look at it full size. I like it though and it is quite relaxing.
da meat tree - I like your execution of this one an I like the colors in the background too. Nice detail.
gaswerks - Very nice. I think the crop makes it even better. Great blur and the single flower is in good focus. I really like this one.
Chappers - Very interesting plant. Very nicely done. I wish the moth was just a bit sharper. I don't envy you being in that heat though.
True Tao - Nice shot and lovely looking basil. I've never been able to pull of these table setting type photos of food and such. The trick seems to be in the lighting.
She - Wiemerieners are really cool dogs. This shot was a lot of fun. It's bit bright, maybe a little more contrast or more detail in the fur.
RedDragon870503 - Nice. Cool shot and very pretty eyes. It's a bit bright on her face and some of the detail is missing but maybe that was to highlight her eye. Which you did very well.
Todd2000 - Nice shot and interesting perspective. A little more light on the flower would've made it really pop.
djon41 - Interesting and nice capture. A nice idea for a shot and a good contrast between old and new.
NeGRit0 - Interesting. It made me stop and look at the pic to understand. Still, you'll have to tell me exactly what is being weighed in the cup? Edit...never mind...my ignorance in these matters was fixed by entatlrg on the next post.
oblomow - Very nice and a very sentimental shot. I like it, I just wish the woods in the distance were not quite so blasted.
So on to the impossible. My top three were:
Honarable mentions (I just had to) : LERsince1991, dL., and Captain Zero
2nd runner up : gaswerks - I really enjoyed this one and could easily see it hanging up on a wall in my house. Great crop and great execution.
1st runner up : NStocks - Another great shot and a great leadoff to the contest. Great detail and contrast and just the right tone.
Winner : PeteB - Very nicely done and I really enjoyed everything about it. I liked that green was the focus but the non-green background really made the green stand out.
Congrats to everyone on a ton of great shots. PeteB, you have 48hrs from this post to get the next weeks contest started. If not then it will pass to NStocks or gaswerks. Thanks again, and I'm looking forward to next week.
JDDavis
- Awesome job with all the feedback. Remarkable.
If it's ok to add, I agree with the selection for winner. Great macro shot and the contrast of the background with the grasshopper really makes it pop.
A great week of photos.
- Awesome job with all the feedback. Remarkable.
If it's ok to add, I agree with the selection for winner. Great macro shot and the contrast of the background with the grasshopper really makes it pop.
A great week of photos.
Nicely judged JD and my added congratulations to PeteB. A nice group of photos by all. The quality of the images the competition is receiving has steadily increased. Looking forward to next week. Thanks for the comments.
Thanks for the comment, very well judged!
These is my first digital photos
did a black and white film photography course at college, great to start with but moved on now, it makes me appreciate colours, details and manual controls much more.Nstocks macro photography is rather cool. Nice vivid colours, sharp focus and dramatic contrast.
I think if the judge has more time would it be possibly to link the winners names to their posts, makes it a hell of a lot easier to see the winners.
Just an idea
Woah....
I never for a minute thought that I'd finally win one of these things.
Many thanks for the kind comments on my shot. The subject for this competition really made me think hard. In the end, I chose a shot where the focus was the green, and not simply the subject.
Red against green is such an emotive contrast to the human eye (think about how many juicy fruits are bright red against green foliage in order to draw our eye, and thus spread their seed - tomatoes, strawberries, cranberries, etc).
It would have been simple to use this contrast to highlight the green, but the subject would have been red, distracting away from the point of the competion.
It struck me that the green cricket sitting on the red leaves of the fuchsia bush provided the best contrast and the right emphasis on the subject.
Really strong entries from the rest of the crew though.
I particularly liked the entries from LERsince1991 and bbbbbb
New competition up shortly (once I go through the existing list to make sure I don't duplicate a previous one)
I never for a minute thought that I'd finally win one of these things.
Many thanks for the kind comments on my shot. The subject for this competition really made me think hard. In the end, I chose a shot where the focus was the green, and not simply the subject.
Red against green is such an emotive contrast to the human eye (think about how many juicy fruits are bright red against green foliage in order to draw our eye, and thus spread their seed - tomatoes, strawberries, cranberries, etc).
It would have been simple to use this contrast to highlight the green, but the subject would have been red, distracting away from the point of the competion.
It struck me that the green cricket sitting on the red leaves of the fuchsia bush provided the best contrast and the right emphasis on the subject.
Really strong entries from the rest of the crew though.
I particularly liked the entries from LERsince1991 and bbbbbb
New competition up shortly (once I go through the existing list to make sure I don't duplicate a previous one)
Loved that cricket PeteB - Well done - it had such a great look. A worthy winner.
Love Deep Divers work too - Autunite is indeed a radioactive substance but the uranium that comes from it is an alpha emitter - which meaning the radioactive particles that it gives out are big and bulky and don't travel far and probably wouldn't penetrate your skin. Although swallowing some would be bad. So no real risk to you or camera as long as very very close contact is avoided.
Love Deep Divers work too - Autunite is indeed a radioactive substance but the uranium that comes from it is an alpha emitter - which meaning the radioactive particles that it gives out are big and bulky and don't travel far and probably wouldn't penetrate your skin. Although swallowing some would be bad. So no real risk to you or camera as long as very very close contact is avoided.
That's ok, we are all ignorant about something.
Also, just wanted to say thanks for judging. You had quite a task this week. __________________
Now playing on iTunes: Eminem - Old Times Sake (Ft. Dr Dre)
JDDavis: Jeff, you did a truly outstanding job judging this contest. Very well done.
The entries get better and better each week. The winning images were just amazing as were many of the others.
Autunite is a very interesting mineral (that I have never eaten). It is made of very thin cystaline sheets held together by water molecules. When exposed to air, it will dry and turn to a white powder called meta-autunite. It was first identified in Autun, France for which it is named. Display samples have to be laquered or kept in a humidity controlled environment.
The entries get better and better each week. The winning images were just amazing as were many of the others.
Autunite is a very interesting mineral (that I have never eaten
). It is made of very thin cystaline sheets held together by water molecules. When exposed to air, it will dry and turn to a white powder called meta-autunite. It was first identified in Autun, France for which it is named. Display samples have to be laquered or kept in a humidity controlled environment.
Here, here! Thanks for taking time for the comments! There were some great pictures with this topic. Good choices!
The Vingnette is a result of me backwards mounting a 50mm on a 80-200mm lens. As for the size, those metal contacts on the bottom are each about as thick as a quarter.
Thanks for feedback. No its not in New Zealand, its actually take on the east coast of Australia.
Wow! Thanks Jeff. This is my first time submitting a contest in any forum, and very happy with my honourable mention. It's a great way to motivate me to take more and submit more And I really like how you comment every single picture despite of winning or losing.
Great job to the winners and other contenders!
dL
And I really like how you comment every single picture despite of winning or losing.Great job to the winners and other contenders!
dL