Weekly Photo Contest: Nov 18 - 25 : Strength

[The Bad Guy]

Continuing on from last weeks contest 'Persistence', I give you the challenge of portraying 'Strength' in photographic form.

How you interpret this is completely up to you. I don't care. Just make 'em good.

The usual rules apply:

• The photographs must be of your own creation.

• Explore, get creative and have fun with it.

• You may only submit one photo per weekly contest round.

• Please do not comment on any photos until after the judging has taken place.

• The contest runs for one week, starting NOW!

• At the end of the week, The Judge (last week's Winner) will choose a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place photo, providing as much feedback as they possibly can.

• 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).

 

[AllergyDoc]

 

[tizeye]

 

[oblomow]

Being the only vegetarian in a meat loving family

 

[deep diver]

This young lady was really struggling to stay up on a very narrow edge, especially in those clunky flip-flops. She did it until got what she wanted.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Suppose I should make it a portrait for @The Bad Guy!
Those scares show his strength, as he was still the boss of the pride!
_DSC9180 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

 

[malofx]

Don't let go baby!

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

The beast and his cage.

 

[The Bad Guy]

Competition is closed, I'll back later with the winners.

 

[The Bad Guy]

Alright, well let me start by saying this was a rather piss weak turnout, but a big thank you to those that did manage to provide some images. I'm not sure any of them really portray 'strength', but I've got some photos to look at, so that's something.

If I'm ever to start another contest, I'll make sure to choose a theme you're all comfortable with like landscapes or birds in the backyard so everyone can play.

With that said, here's what we've got.

@AllergyDoc - Well, okay. I see what you did there and that is definitely a clever play on the theme.
However, as an image...this is a snapshot of a dam.

@tizeye - Another curious take. Maybe the guy needs his shirt off and be lifting his arms or something to really get the portrayal of strength across? Then again, he'd probably beat me in an arm wrestle. I am getting old afterall.

@oblomow - Nargh, that's just cute.

@deep diver - Speaking of cute. I get it and maybe it'd portray strength more if the lil' one wasn't being so resourceful with that ledge there. Then again, her little legs look to be flexing quite a bit. That's definitely a 'strong' look of disdain that staff member is giving.

@Apple fanboy - Those eyes say 'sad' not strength...I'm guessing this guy is in captivity? But you're right, those scars certainly tell a story.

@malofx - That's a great portrait and definitely the least snapshot like of the lot, well done. Personally I'd make the copter a different colour, but that's nitpicking though. In regards to the theme, the rotors suggest that she's not really doing it too hard in this photo.

@Darmok N Jalad - Gah, another beautiful beast looking forlorn. Not your fault (well it is, you took the photo), but all I can see is a great beast in a cage. It's taking my strength not to shed a tear.

Alright, due to the lack of numbers, there's only going to be one place getter and I think it might be surprising given my comment above.

The winner is @AllergyDoc - I'm going to be honest and say the photo is ****. There's nothing good about it. But if I squint, while scratching my head and rubbing my stomach I can say this probably took on the theme the best.

Congratulations and over to you.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Alright, well let me start by saying this was a rather piss weak turnout, but a big thank you to those that did manage to provide some images. I'm not sure any of them really portray 'strength', but I've got some photos to look at, so that's something.

If I'm ever to start another contest, I'll make sure to choose a theme you're all comfortable with like landscapes or birds in the backyard so everyone can play.

With that said, here's what we've got.

@AllergyDoc - Well, okay. I see what you did there and that is definitely a clever play on the theme.
However, as an image...this is a snapshot of a dam.

@tizeye - Another curious take. Maybe the guy needs his shirt off and be lifting his arms or something to really get the portrayal of strength across? Then again, he'd probably beat me in an arm wrestle. I am getting old afterall.

@oblomow - Nargh, that's just cute.

@deep diver - Speaking of cute. I get it and maybe it'd portray strength more if the lil' one wasn't being so resourceful with that ledge there. Then again, her little legs look to be flexing quite a bit. That's definitely a 'strong' look of disdain that staff member is giving.

@Apple fanboy - Those eyes say 'sad' not strength...I'm guessing this guy is in captivity? But you're right, those scars certainly tell a story.

@malofx - That's a great portrait and definitely the least snapshot like of the lot, well done. Personally I'd make the copter a different colour, but that's nitpicking though. In regards to the theme, the rotors suggest that she's not really doing it too hard in this photo.

@Darmok N Jalad - Gah, another beautiful beast looking forlorn. Not your fault (well it is, you took the photo), but all I can see is a great beast in a cage. It's taking my strength not to shed a tear.

Alright, due to the lack of numbers, there's only going to be one place getter and I think it might be surprising given my comment above.

The winner is @AllergyDoc - I'm going to be honest and say the photo is ****. There's nothing good about it. But if I squint, while scratching my head and rubbing my stomach I can say this probably took on the theme the best.

Congratulations and over to you.

He was sad because it was raining! H women to look after and food delivered, I don't think his life is to bad! Certainly better than Ted the lion who he shares his park with. Castrated due to a birth defect they didn't want to pass on. Poor old sod. Now that's sad!
_DSC0685 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

 

[Scepticalscribe]

He was sad because it was raining! H women to look after and food delivered, I don't think his life is to bad! Certainly better than Ted the lion who he shares his park with. Castrated due to a birth defect they didn't want to pass on. Poor old sod. Now that's sad!
_DSC0685 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr

But permitting him to pass on the birth defect would have been even more unfortunate.

 

[Apple fanboy]

But permitting him to pass on the birth defect would have been even more unfortunate.

Well yes, or living a solitary life. Just seems a drastic thing to do. He is my favourite line there though. The one I posted above I believe is called Scooter. Silly name for a lion.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

An interesting - if challenging, topic, one that is difficult to portray visually in the sort of first world setting most who post here currently live in.

Moreover, to be quite candid, I think the tone taken by the OP when judging is a lot less generous (and a lot more dismissive) than it might have been, and this, too, detracts from the competition, which is normally conducted in a fairly friendly atmosphere.

 

[AllergyDoc]

My photo is just a snapshot, but one with a lot of meaning to me (which I’m not allowed to mention until the contest has ended). This is the O’Shaunessey Dam, owned and operated by the City of San Francisco. It dams the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley of Yosemite National Park. It was the target of an eco-terrorist, the antagonist in my first novel. I drove up there to get firsthand knowledge of the structure, take a bunch of “snapshots.”

A lot of controversy surrounds the dam, and the day I chose to drive up there was the last day of march hosted by a group named Restore Hetch Hetchy, who were also in the novel. I thought it was a big coincidence. They brought a guy in who was supposed to look like John Muir who made a speech. RHH is a small group, nowhere as big as the Sierra Club, but they keep plugging away, hoping to convince SF to tear the dam down and restore the valley. It wouldn’t do much for the Tuolumne as the New Don Pedro Dam sits on it downriver.

I’ll be back in a bit with a new challenge/thread.

 

[deep diver]

An interesting - if challenging, topic, one that is difficult to portray visually in the sort of first world setting most who post here currently live in.

Moreover, to be quite candid, I think the tone taken by the OP when judging is a lot less generous (and a lot more dismissive) than it might have been, and this, too, detracts from the competition, which is normally conducted in a fairly friendly atmosphere.

I completely agree. Everyone of us that has judged has faced some kind of frustration, but this is the first time I've seen anyone personalize it and take it out on the group.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Honestly, I wasn’t terribly upset by the judging. I took it as semi-cynical. For every Paula Abdul you need a Simon Cowell?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Honestly, I wasn’t terribly upset by the judging. I took it as semi-cynical. For every Paula Abdul you need a Simon Cowell?

In the professional world, perhaps, though I will say that nothing Simon Cowell says or does strikes me as worth emulating, and he is not a role model I would recommend.

However, this is a hobbyists forum, and some courtesy and respect wouldn't go amiss in such circumstances. Addressing those who have entered the competition in a tone of contempt detracts from the competition and leaves a sour taste.

One can be critical in a respectful manner, something the OP wasn't.