Okay folks. Here it is. A couple of thoughts before the comments:
1) The usual disclaimer. I am just another participant in this forum. I am not an expert, professional photographer, artist, or anything else. It’s just me and my own thoughts.
2) I have been participating in this forum since 2008. Without question, this is the very best collection of images I have seen. The fact that each image has gotten so many likes is the evidence for that.
3) Each of these images is worthy of placing.
4) It stinks that I have to choose.
5) I recognize and respect that we do not all share the same aesthetic, and that others might judge differently.
6) Because of all of the above, my comments and choices reflect my own very subjective responses.
7) Did I mention that it stinks that I have to choose?
Alexander.Of.Oz
Both this image and the flyswatter picture are terrific. This feels like it could have been taken in the 1970s. Your model looks very much like an anti-establishment protester. The shallow depth of field brings all of the attention to the hand. The way the fingers frame the eye while the hand obscures the face adds an additional layer of visual interest. The peace sign is certainly apropos given the current threats to peace.
dwfaust
What an absolutely beautiful image! You have captured the fragility and innocence of the infant so well. When my first child was born, I marveled at how much she was simultaneously aware and unaware of her own body. I see that in this image. The exposure and soft focus give this a very dreamy quality.
MacRy
When I judge, I always look at the image before I look to see who posted it. Most of your images are quite provocative. I never would have guessed this was yours. Countless words have been written and dozens of theories of psycho-emotional development have been proffered that talk about the parent-child relationship. As a psychotherapist, I have read many of them. In one frame, you have been able to show what most of the words struggle to say. The shallow depth of field makes the focus of this image unmistakable. The vignetting and the placement of the baby’s fingers and the mothers thumb at almost the center of the frame keep my eye locked on that spot. I love everything about this, and I am glad you showed us another side of your work.
mollyc
MacRy showed us something about the parent/child relationship. You have done a great job of showing us the grandparent/grandchild relationship. The grandmother’s hands show a lifetime of experience while she guides the girl’s hands. I imagine that old mixer will one day belong to the girl. My maternal grandmother stood less than 5’ tall and was a giant of a woman. She taught me how to bake cookies. I still have the extruder we used to form the soft doughs. Thank you for the memory.
needfx
I often like to work with form and color. You have nailed it with this image. I love the richness and saturation in the colors. The concentric triangles formed by the shape of the model’s hair and arms quickly pull the eye straight down the image to the hands. The relatively pale tone of the hands makes them stand out from the rich tones of the fabric and hair. The depth of field in this image is so shallow that the point of critical focus is at the fabric and not at the hands, which I would have preferred.
akash.nu
I generally do not like a lot of negative space. In this image, however, it gives the image a 3-D feel that works very well. The imperfect nail polish and the crumbs of frosting on the fingers suggest the model is offering to us something she made rather than just showing it to us. I first looked at this image on my tablet which I have set to a lower illumination. The cup blended completely into the background and it looked like the frosting was levitating above the hand.
oblomow
Another image that shows the innocence and wonderment of the child. I remember watching my kids explore and play that way with the sand on the beach. In spite of the very shallow depth of field, we can see enough of the boy’s face to sense how engaged he is. The dirt on his fingers tells us he has been at this for a while. The only issue I have with this image is that the point of critical focus is on the stones. Given the theme, I would like to have seen the critical focus be on the fingers.
CmdrLaForge
The way the vendor is holding his hand makes it look as though in his trying to stop an impending avalanche of beans falling from the tray. I love the texture in his hand. I did find myself having to struggle to keep my eye on the hand. The lines and slope of the beans, and the hand pointing up that slope draws my eye to the small area of bright yellow at the top of the frame.
IndyDenny
Technically, this is a good image. I have spent enough time watching my own kid in marching band that I know the story. The image itself, however, feels static to me. While I am not a big fan of selective color, that is an approach that might bring more texture to the image. If you had shot this a little wider, then you might have been able to get more of the instrument or musician to convey the story more effectively.
AlexH
It is not easy to throw a piece of pottery. It takes a lot of finesse that is not learned quickly. This image tells the story of someone that has learned well. The clay on his hands reflects what a messy job this is. The almost graceful lines of his hands show the deliberateness and gentleness necessary for the detail work.
cogi0490
This is absolutely beautiful. In this image, I see the woman and rose as being perfect companions. Both are snow covered, but neither seems bothered by that. The way the leaves intertwine with her hands suggest that they are bound together. The delicateness of her fingers mirror the delicateness of the rose pedals. There is a natural gracefulness in this image that is hard to capture. The dark coat and all of the lines bring the eye straight to her hands. It is good that we cannot see her face. I want to know more, but I think that would have spoiled some of the mystery of this image.
someoldguy
That’s really rough. We are sorry to see that you got hurt. Whatever happened, we hope that you heal quickly and well.
Elf69
It is a hand. I think that you had a real opportunity to put the macro settings to full use and shoot some interesting abstracts of your hand.
Robotti
I love the forms, colors, and textures in this image. The way you capture both strength and gracefulness is very characteristic of so much of your work. The projected image is done in a way that makes it look like a costume she is wearing. In spite of the fact that you have lit her right hand differently, I am having a hard time seeing this as having met the theme.
Apple fanboy
I am glad you "hopped" to it just in the nick of time. (Sorry about that). These hands are very cool, and I love the science behind how they function as they do. I like the image overall. It is a little creepy to have that frog staring at me. What dominates this image is the frog’s eyes. I am also having a hard time seeing this image as having met the theme.
Laird Knox
You did miss the deadline, but I saw it as I was starting to write. In the spirit of this being a friendly contest, I will definitely include you. I remember seeing this image not too long ago. The emphasis on the blacks and whites while playing down the mid-tones gives this a stark and eerie feel. It leaves the impression that the hand is moving forward toward the viewer.
As I said, extraordinary work from everyone. This was not easy.
Now, can I have the envelope please?
1st goes to MacRy.
2nd is a tie between dwfaust and cogi0490
3rd goes to everybody else. It is too hard to choose.
A special honorable mention goes to kenoh, even though he threw up his hands in despair about submitting. While his contributions did point to the theme, he fell short on the “photo” concept. Thumbs up to him, however, for his hard work on the new manual “The Pun That Just Will Not Die: A Handbook for the Terminally Inane.” I’m told that the editor handed down a decision to publish this book only in digital format. Ken said he will personally hand out hand written copies to each of us. Let’s all give him a big hand. (If only some of us do so, then that will be only a handful of hands. That will never do.) Okay. My wife just told me she cannot handle anymore and that I have to hand over the keyboard. I am spending too much time on this, but only because I don’t touch type very well. Anyway, I am now taking my fingers off the keys. And with that, I will slowly open my fingers and drop the mic (from my hand, of course).
MacRy, I hand it over to you. We know you will not disaPOINT us.
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_DSC1404 by apple fanboy1, on Flickr
