Weekly Photo Contest - Nov 15-23 (Theme: Uniformed Service)

Welcome to this week's photo contest!

Theme: Uniformed Services - that is those in uniform who serve the common good

I am extending the contest one extra day because of my family obligations on Thanksgiving.


Rules:

1. You may only submit one photo per contest.

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

3. The contest runs for exactly one week, starting NOW! (see time/date stamp at the start of this thread)

4. 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 possible. (Judge has 24 hours to make decision)

5. 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)

Contest is now closed. I will try to have the results posted later tonight, but definitely by tomorrow.

As usual, there are a lot of great images. I’ve done my best in the C&C to critique without being critical. I hope my comments will be received that way.

acearchie – I cannot argue with your creative interpretation of the theme. Given the situation, the Glamcab Girls were definitely serving the common good. I love how the rich red of the uniforms pops out when all of the other colors are fairly flat. The expressions on the women’s faces and the way they are looking in different directions certainly conveys the good humor and chaos of the moment. My only complaint is the motion blur in the left woman’s head and the right woman’s hand. They are very distracting, but not in your control.

milbournosphere – I love this shot. We are so used to seeing the painful images associated with service. It is great to see a lighter moment. I get a sense of real engagement between you and this soldier. B&W was a wise choice and the textures you have captured are fantastic. I am bothered by the boom right over his head. It feels like it is intruding. I would also like to see you open up the shadows a little. I would like to see a little more of his face.

JDDavis – Just outstanding. The lighting and contrast bring out so many layers of texture and shading. The image speaks very loudly of the values and commitment of those that serve. Where is this?

fcortese – I am having a lot of difficulty with this image. The orange of the leaves is the most dominant feature for me. Too much of the left side of the image is a bit blown out and the wall cuts the image in half. I would also like to see a little more tonal texture in the statue. This is not a bad image, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

CK Williams – A college dorm mate went to Ranger training right after graduation. He had the same intense focus I see in these men. You convey a lot even though the distance limits the amount of detail. I normally do not like flat tones, but it works in this image. I would like to see you take out the wire in the upper left. I would have cropped out part of the forest. When I did that I got a better sense of this as a waterborne exercise and the elongated frame enhanced the sense of movement.

SLC Flyfishing – I don’t know if you intending it, but I found a lot of humor in the contrasts in this image: the small boat among the large boats, and the gunner and photographer. You did a good job capturing the colors and textures of the ships. The flags and the red behind the gun are nice spots of color to break the military drab colors.

Xzag – I like the concept, but this image does not work for me. You captured the colors well, but it has too many technical problems. A properly composed image will have a prominent vertical or horizontal line. This image should be rotated and so that the kiosk is perfectly vertical. My second problem is that I am confused about what is really the subject. The kiosk and officer is in focus but the out of focus man is the dominant feature of the iamge. My eye just does not know where to go.

lobsterplant – You have done a great job of capturing the pride and distinction of this veteran. The way you composed this makes me feel that he is connecting to me. That is a hard thing to capture. My only issue here is the reflection in the glasses. I know you cannot control that, but I would have liked to see his eyes better.

So………………

3rd: acearchie
2nd: lobsterplant
1st: JDDavis

It is up to you Jeff. Looking forward to the next theme.