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Weekly Photo Contest (May 5 - 12)
- Thread starter JDDavis
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
And the winner is....
But first, as it is customary to make comments here are mine. Please take them with a grain of salt as I am not a pro by any means nor do I normally know what I am talking about. I enjoyed having the privilege of judging this week and enjoyed all the great shots.
biggiej42 - Great timing on the shot and everything with the subject is in focus. I think the color is just perfect (especially with the horse). I kind of wish there was a different background because I find the tents a little distracting and I wish I could see her eyes along with the horse's. Overall a really great shot.
firstapple - Historical altheticism. The cup is scratched and imperfect just as I would expect a hockey trophy to be. I think the brick wall makes a good backdrop and fits nicely with the hockey theme. Great job on getting the names sharp and in focus and not having some solar flare bouncing off that thing. The only thing slightly distracting is the reflection of the people in the cup but I imagine that would be hard to avoid.
sangosimo - Georgia Tech...well being an Auburn fan I promise to judge impartially. Good color and focus and a great athletic moment. I like the perspective from which you shot this, you must've been on the field near the opposite endzone? I wish the shot would've been from the opposite side where we might have caught a glimpse of their faces. Overall, really enjoyed the shot.
techie4life - Really interesting shot and a neat idea. I have never tried stitching software before. I like the idea alot but I wonder how it would look if she started on the left transparent and gradually became solid on the right when she is releasing the ball? Would that have been possible? The only other thing was that I wished the players on the field were not affected by the "stitch". Overall, cool picture.
mikekelley - Great perspective. I love the clouds and how they kind of compliment her movement. I love the look of focus on her face. I thought it was captured very well. I wish it was just a bit brighter or more vivid.
mcavjame - Love this shot. If for nothing else but the look on the lad in greens face in that particular moment. I really enjoyed this one for the moment. I wish it was a bit sharper though with all the boys that were in the picture.
rebrook - I enjoy tilt-shift shots and I've tried a few myself but not with a lens, just using Photoshop. I think this one works really well and the effect was absolutely achieved. I think it's pretty cool and I'm always fascinated by tilt-shift shots but I think it takes away a bit of the "athleticism" of the picture. For that purpose I wish I could see a little more of the serve.
RHVC59 - Great sports moment. Good color and the dust trail is cool. Unfortunately for me the fence just gets in the way too much. It would've been great to get it without the fence and have the catcher, runner, and ump all in the shot.
anubis - I'd say you have your settings dialed in pretty good on your camera then. The color seems spot on. Fittingly the bride looks to be the most excited. The shadow in the foreground and I think maybe the angle of the shot are a little distracting for me.
Ryan1524 - Good moment again. I like that he is in the follow through of the throw and the frisbee is still in the shot. I wish it were sharper and I'm not sure about the background. It seems to be stuck somewhere between not blurry enough and not in focus enough (if that makes any sense). I saw some of your shots and flicker and you have some great stuff there.
01jamcon - I'm guessing this was not shot in England but I'm not sure where. I think the temp of the picture matches the location well though or it at least gives it a feeling of a dustier, warmer locale. This was kind of a transition between action shots for me. I bet there were some pretty cool moments though like a kick on goal or something
Freewayjim - Fun shot. The little one seems to be on his way to passing the other. Not sure if they are going after the puck or what. Backing out a little bit might tell more of a story.
NeGRit0 - Another cool skateboarding pic. It works really well in B & W. It makes it a bit grittier and matches the scene. I get that it's kind of focusing on the "setup" to the trick and his lower body and the rail are the subject. I want to see more of his face to see all the concentration going on.
apearlman - I like this shot alot. I think it's framed great and I think it catches the perfect moment. the exertion of the tackler and even though I can't see her face I still get the fleeting nature of the runner trying to get away. Kind of lake the Discovery Channel when the lion makes it's first lunge for the antelope or something.
DAM-Photography - Another cool wedding shot. The girl on the right has absolutely go everyone beat in the vertical leap department...and she is the only one in heels. I think you got the moment just right but (and forgive me if I'm wrong, I'm still a newb) I think a polarizer might have made the sky and the treeline come out better. It might have made the pic too dark as well I guess.
AxisOfBeagles - Big fan of eastern culture and of course older kung-fu movies. I think you caught the guy right at the apex in a perfect pose. Even better that you didn't do this in the digital age. I enjoyed this pic alot as all of their positions seem perfect. Martial artists are amazing athletes.
cookie1105 - Great shot. You did well with getting the sky and snow working well with each other in the shot. You also had snow in shadow and in light. I'm a snowboarder and skier stuck in the southeast United States so this pic brings back good memories of big mountains.
pdxflint - Great capture and great moment of exertion at the finish line. I thought you got that just perfect. I enjoyed this pic and you nailed the theme perfectly. I'm a little distracted by the graininess. I know sometimes that is on purpose. I'm guessing since it's close in and they are both in focus that maybe it was.
thegord - Another cool skate pic. I like the moment. I like the area he's in. I think the temp of the pic is a bit too warm or something for me...not sure. Was that a tail slide across the metal or something else?
dlegend - Nice. Skidding out on a wakeboard I guess. I like it and I like that you got some spray in it focus and of course his facial expression. I would have like to have seen it closer in on him though.
WebMongol - Cool shot. The colors are good and you stopped the water splashes well. The drops in the top and foreground are a bit distracting but I still think it's neat pic. For some reason I've always like the swimming shots that are head on.
mickbab - Really, really like this one. I'd say it was quite athletic. I don't know to many couch potatoes that stand on others shoulders and twirl fire. It's and intriguing shot and must have been pretty difficult to get right given the conditions. The fact that everything but the action is blacked out is great.
MaddMacs - Cool shot and almost perfect if the lady on the right had gotten off the ground along with the other two. I think a straight on symmetrical shot would've been neat and maybe a higher shutter speed to get less blur...if that was possible in the moment.
2nd Runner Up pdxflint - I thought you nailed the theme and it was a really expressive picture.
1st Runner Up apearlman - Again, you really nailed the theme and I was really engrossed in the moment that was captured. I thought it was excellent.
And the winner is....mickbab - Fantastic shot. I thought it was done really well in probably difficult conditions. It really got my imagination going and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks again for all the great shots. mickbab, you have 48hrs from this post (8:50pm EST) to choose a theme and get the next weeks contest going. If not then apearlman and then pdxflint will be up to bat. Let's keep these contests going strong. I'm learning a ton and really enjoy them.
But first, as it is customary to make comments here are mine. Please take them with a grain of salt as I am not a pro by any means nor do I normally know what I am talking about. I enjoyed having the privilege of judging this week and enjoyed all the great shots.
biggiej42 - Great timing on the shot and everything with the subject is in focus. I think the color is just perfect (especially with the horse). I kind of wish there was a different background because I find the tents a little distracting and I wish I could see her eyes along with the horse's. Overall a really great shot.
firstapple - Historical altheticism. The cup is scratched and imperfect just as I would expect a hockey trophy to be. I think the brick wall makes a good backdrop and fits nicely with the hockey theme. Great job on getting the names sharp and in focus and not having some solar flare bouncing off that thing. The only thing slightly distracting is the reflection of the people in the cup but I imagine that would be hard to avoid.
sangosimo - Georgia Tech...well being an Auburn fan I promise to judge impartially. Good color and focus and a great athletic moment. I like the perspective from which you shot this, you must've been on the field near the opposite endzone? I wish the shot would've been from the opposite side where we might have caught a glimpse of their faces. Overall, really enjoyed the shot.
techie4life - Really interesting shot and a neat idea. I have never tried stitching software before. I like the idea alot but I wonder how it would look if she started on the left transparent and gradually became solid on the right when she is releasing the ball? Would that have been possible? The only other thing was that I wished the players on the field were not affected by the "stitch". Overall, cool picture.
mikekelley - Great perspective. I love the clouds and how they kind of compliment her movement. I love the look of focus on her face. I thought it was captured very well. I wish it was just a bit brighter or more vivid.
mcavjame - Love this shot. If for nothing else but the look on the lad in greens face in that particular moment. I really enjoyed this one for the moment. I wish it was a bit sharper though with all the boys that were in the picture.
rebrook - I enjoy tilt-shift shots and I've tried a few myself but not with a lens, just using Photoshop. I think this one works really well and the effect was absolutely achieved. I think it's pretty cool and I'm always fascinated by tilt-shift shots but I think it takes away a bit of the "athleticism" of the picture. For that purpose I wish I could see a little more of the serve.
RHVC59 - Great sports moment. Good color and the dust trail is cool. Unfortunately for me the fence just gets in the way too much. It would've been great to get it without the fence and have the catcher, runner, and ump all in the shot.
anubis - I'd say you have your settings dialed in pretty good on your camera then. The color seems spot on. Fittingly the bride looks to be the most excited. The shadow in the foreground and I think maybe the angle of the shot are a little distracting for me.
Ryan1524 - Good moment again. I like that he is in the follow through of the throw and the frisbee is still in the shot. I wish it were sharper and I'm not sure about the background. It seems to be stuck somewhere between not blurry enough and not in focus enough (if that makes any sense). I saw some of your shots and flicker and you have some great stuff there.
01jamcon - I'm guessing this was not shot in England but I'm not sure where. I think the temp of the picture matches the location well though or it at least gives it a feeling of a dustier, warmer locale. This was kind of a transition between action shots for me. I bet there were some pretty cool moments though like a kick on goal or something
Freewayjim - Fun shot. The little one seems to be on his way to passing the other. Not sure if they are going after the puck or what. Backing out a little bit might tell more of a story.
NeGRit0 - Another cool skateboarding pic. It works really well in B & W. It makes it a bit grittier and matches the scene. I get that it's kind of focusing on the "setup" to the trick and his lower body and the rail are the subject. I want to see more of his face to see all the concentration going on.
apearlman - I like this shot alot. I think it's framed great and I think it catches the perfect moment. the exertion of the tackler and even though I can't see her face I still get the fleeting nature of the runner trying to get away. Kind of lake the Discovery Channel when the lion makes it's first lunge for the antelope or something.
DAM-Photography - Another cool wedding shot. The girl on the right has absolutely go everyone beat in the vertical leap department...and she is the only one in heels. I think you got the moment just right but (and forgive me if I'm wrong, I'm still a newb) I think a polarizer might have made the sky and the treeline come out better. It might have made the pic too dark as well I guess.
AxisOfBeagles - Big fan of eastern culture and of course older kung-fu movies. I think you caught the guy right at the apex in a perfect pose. Even better that you didn't do this in the digital age. I enjoyed this pic alot as all of their positions seem perfect. Martial artists are amazing athletes.
cookie1105 - Great shot. You did well with getting the sky and snow working well with each other in the shot. You also had snow in shadow and in light. I'm a snowboarder and skier stuck in the southeast United States so this pic brings back good memories of big mountains.
pdxflint - Great capture and great moment of exertion at the finish line. I thought you got that just perfect. I enjoyed this pic and you nailed the theme perfectly. I'm a little distracted by the graininess. I know sometimes that is on purpose. I'm guessing since it's close in and they are both in focus that maybe it was.
thegord - Another cool skate pic. I like the moment. I like the area he's in. I think the temp of the pic is a bit too warm or something for me...not sure. Was that a tail slide across the metal or something else?
dlegend - Nice. Skidding out on a wakeboard I guess. I like it and I like that you got some spray in it focus and of course his facial expression. I would have like to have seen it closer in on him though.
WebMongol - Cool shot. The colors are good and you stopped the water splashes well. The drops in the top and foreground are a bit distracting but I still think it's neat pic. For some reason I've always like the swimming shots that are head on.
mickbab - Really, really like this one. I'd say it was quite athletic. I don't know to many couch potatoes that stand on others shoulders and twirl fire. It's and intriguing shot and must have been pretty difficult to get right given the conditions. The fact that everything but the action is blacked out is great.
MaddMacs - Cool shot and almost perfect if the lady on the right had gotten off the ground along with the other two. I think a straight on symmetrical shot would've been neat and maybe a higher shutter speed to get less blur...if that was possible in the moment.
2nd Runner Up pdxflint - I thought you nailed the theme and it was a really expressive picture.
1st Runner Up apearlman - Again, you really nailed the theme and I was really engrossed in the moment that was captured. I thought it was excellent.
And the winner is....mickbab - Fantastic shot. I thought it was done really well in probably difficult conditions. It really got my imagination going and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks again for all the great shots. mickbab, you have 48hrs from this post (8:50pm EST) to choose a theme and get the next weeks contest going. If not then apearlman and then pdxflint will be up to bat. Let's keep these contests going strong. I'm learning a ton and really enjoy them.
WOW. What another great week. I thought the week started out a little slowly - not very many pictures (although good ones) and then this explosion of entries in the last couple of days. JDDavis - outstanding job as judge. I've been a judge and I am glad I did not have to do so this week. Congrats to all of the winners.
One question (concern?) - the picture 01jamcon posted is very good. I like it a lot. If, however, 01jamcon is in it then he could not have taken it. My understanding has always been that we can only submit our own images. Perhaps we need to add that to the rules.
Looking forward to the next theme.
One question (concern?) - the picture 01jamcon posted is very good. I like it a lot. If, however, 01jamcon is in it then he could not have taken it. My understanding has always been that we can only submit our own images. Perhaps we need to add that to the rules.
Looking forward to the next theme.
Great contest!
Thanks for the runner-up mention, JDDavis... and a great job commenting on all the photos. I agree with almost everything you said.
Mickbab's winning entry is beautiful, with a perfect compositional balance and exposure. But I really can't stop looking at pdxflint's shot of the two sprinters. The facial expressions are gripping, and the whole thing just captures the essence of athletic competition. Bravo!
-Andrew
Thanks for the runner-up mention, JDDavis... and a great job commenting on all the photos. I agree with almost everything you said.
Mickbab's winning entry is beautiful, with a perfect compositional balance and exposure. But I really can't stop looking at pdxflint's shot of the two sprinters. The facial expressions are gripping, and the whole thing just captures the essence of athletic competition. Bravo!
-Andrew
Wow!
Thanks for the win Jeff! I had no expectations of winning.
pdxflint and WebMongol had great photos I though. Well everyone did but these stood out to me.
I will have a new contest up soon once I think of a theme.
Once again well done to everybody and thanks!
Next week's contest can be found here. The theme is Illusion.
Thanks for the win Jeff! I had no expectations of winning.
pdxflint and WebMongol had great photos I though. Well everyone did but these stood out to me.
I will have a new contest up soon once I think of a theme.
Once again well done to everybody and thanks!
I also noticed this and thought perhaps he set it up on a timer?
Next week's contest can be found here. The theme is Illusion.
JDDavis, great topic for the week, allowed for a wide interpretation which made checking in for new entries quite enjoyable.
mickbab: no question at all in my mind that your entry was definately on topic, I just hope they didn't fall off the shoulders of the people they stood on otherwise that fire might inspire other forms of athleticism.. ie running like crazy
firstapple: love the Stanley Cup, I was a late arrival to ice hockey as it hardly rates a mention in Australia, but now in Denver... the chase for that trophy is great!
mickbab: no question at all in my mind that your entry was definately on topic, I just hope they didn't fall off the shoulders of the people they stood on otherwise that fire might inspire other forms of athleticism.. ie running like crazy
firstapple: love the Stanley Cup, I was a late arrival to ice hockey as it hardly rates a mention in Australia, but now in Denver... the chase for that trophy is great!
mickbab: no question at all in my mind that your entry was definately on topic, I just hope they didn't fall off the shoulders of the people they stood on otherwise that fire might inspire other forms of athleticism.. ie running like crazy
Nope, no one fell off. If they did, it could've been quite a catastrophe as they did this bit right in front of the audience and the wooden stand, as seen in this picture.
Attachments
Nice job, JDDavis. There were some really good entries this week, and I'm flattered by the nice comments. BTW, the grain in the shot was because it was shot on color film. I converted it to b/w by simply desaturating it, and I did run a noise reduction filter on it to smooth the grain somewhat, but that's just the way it is with film...
mickbab: great capture! I love the exposure and the dynamics in this shot. Congratulations. It's a worthy winner.
apearlman: thanks for your nice comments on the "photo finish" shot. It was from a high school district championship 4x400 relay. I also like your shot of the two female athletes. It certainly displays athleticism during competition.
mickbab: great capture! I love the exposure and the dynamics in this shot. Congratulations. It's a worthy winner.
apearlman: thanks for your nice comments on the "photo finish" shot. It was from a high school district championship 4x400 relay. I also like your shot of the two female athletes. It certainly displays athleticism during competition.
Thanks. I underestimated how difficult it would be to pick a winner and write up all the comments. I have a new appreciation for all who judge these contests. I also noticed that with 01jamcon's entry. I assumed he had taken on remote or a timer but for clarification, I agree that only images taken by yourself (in whatever fashion) should be entered.
Nice job, JDDavis. There were some really good entries this week, and I'm flattered by the nice comments. BTW, the grain in the shot was because it was shot on color film. I converted it to b/w by simply desaturating it, and I did run a noise reduction filter on it to smooth the grain somewhat, but that's just the way it is with film...
I figured it was part of post processing but it didn't cross my mind that it was color film. I'm at a disadvantage having not got into photography until the digital age. It's a remarkable shot and I think it was an excellent choice in presenting it in b/w.
Thanks.
Yea, the background is not blurry enough, the picture was taken with kit lens a while ago, so the widest was 3.5.
Yea, the background is not blurry enough, the picture was taken with kit lens a while ago, so the widest was 3.5.
