Weekly Photo Contest October 11-18 -- What’s That Doing There?!

[deep diver]

What’s That Doing There?!

This one is courtesy of a friend. His daughter likes to take pictures of things that are out of place. We are not talking about a table lamp being on the floor. This is about things that REALLY do not belong, such as the guy in shorts at a formal dinner. The images must be in real time. Scenes that are staged or manipulated will be disqualified. (Of course, this does not apply to the usual processing that we might do.)

And now the dreaded rules:

· Do not comment, vote, react, or click “like” (no names mentioned, but you know who you are) on images prior to the winners being announced.

· The photographs must be your own work.

· You may only submit one photo per contest.

· This contest runs for one week, if in doubt, check the dates in the title.

· At the end of the week, The Judge (that’s me) will choose a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place photo, providing as much feedback as possible.

· If the Judge (that’s me) is unable to complete the selection within 48 hours of the deadline, then last week's 2nd place has to step in. 3rd place takes over should 1st and 2nd place remain stranded on the same deserted island somewhere in the tropics. Neither alien abduction nor being placed into a witness protection program will excuse you.

· The 1st place Winner will start a new thread with the topic/theme of their choice, and act as the Judge (that’s not me) for that contest. (Winner has 48 hours to create a new theme, after that it defers to 2nd place).

· Bribing the judges (especially me) with anything (such as, and not exclusive to: cryptocurrency, gear, forum favors, copyright transfers) to get yourself 2nd place is strongly encouraged but will not help you.

· Be sure to update the Contest Masterlist as soon as you post a new theme.

 

[needfx]

 

[tizeye]

 

[needfx]

REACCIDENT FREE: 4 DAYS

 

[deep diver]

We're halfway there snd only two images. This isn't that tough of a topic. Think creatively.

 

[Janichsan]

Not a really good picture, but it makes up the numbers.

 

[akash.nu]

Not too sure if this goes with the theme but I found this random bird house in the middle of nowhere in the welsh wilderness. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[AllergyDoc]

 

[r.harris1]

Not a great image. It was way underexposed in my excitement to photograph the eagle. I didn’t know the squirrel was there until I started playing with the images in this set. This is the best of the bunch.
What’s that doing here? by Ray Harrison, on Flickr

 

[Clix Pix]

This morning when I came out into my living room and glanced out the sliding glass door I saw that something new and unexpected had entered the usual scene:

 

[needfx]

Last day, who’s buying rounds?

 

[Hughmac]

So sorry, I have nothing to offer in this challenge

Cheers

Hugh

 

[deep diver]

Last call! This one closes in another 24 hours.

 

[someoldguy]

Gotta sit this one out ...

 

[mollyc]

I’m not sure I have anything for this either. I might have an option to post tomorrow but it will be a numbers only kind of photo.

 

[deep diver]

So sorry, I have nothing to offer in this challenge
Hugh

Gotta sit this one out ...

I’m not sure I have anything for this either. I might have an option to post tomorrow but it will be a numbers only kind of photo.

I challenge all three of you to dig deeper.

 

[Elbert C]

This cormorant may not look out of place in this photo, but I found it sitting at the edge of a lake which is pretty unusual.

 

[mollyc]

Okay fine. This was not the image I originally thought of, but it probably fits the theme, and if not, at least the numbers.

 

[deep diver]

6 more hours to go. The bar closes at 5:00pm EST here is beautiful suburban Cleveland, OH.

 

[needfx]

6 more hours to go. The bar closes at 5:00pm EST here is beautiful suburban Cleveland, OH.

next stop, The Spotted Owl

 

[Indydenny]

In Columbia last week. Fire extinguisher in the midst of the shop! What's that doing THERE?

Fire Extinguisher is Where?? by This Magic Moment, on Flickr

 

[deep diver]

My bank closes in about 45 minutes, as does the contest. There is still time to get in those "incentives" for me to give you 2nd place.

 

[deep diver]

Times up. This is closed. You all get 1st place because none of you sent any money.

Most of the c&c is done. I'll be back before too long with the dreaded judgment.

 

[deep diver]

Okay folks. It’s time.

First the usual disclaimer. I’m just a guy with a camera that I found in a dumpster somewhere. I have no idea what I’m talking about, and my lunacy is strictly my own.

This is an interesting group of images. I tried to find some balance between technical, artistic, and thematic merit. I tend to think in stories so “the story” is, as it always with me, part of my criteria.

Here we go:

needfx: This certainly meets the theme. I suppose that getting that thing there was easier than it will be to get it out. The muted colors make the white boat pop out in this image. I am not a big fan of the purple color cast.

tizeye: I first saw one of these animatronic dinosaurs at the Cleveland Zoo. I didn’t know it was there until I came around the corner and it sprayed me. I don’t mind getting wet but I hate being surprised. You certainly hit the theme. I would like to see the model more but it gets a little lost in the shadows. The bright area in the upper left of the frame pulls my eye away from the model.

Janichsan: You completely missed the theme here. Any college student will tell you that bottle ABSOLUTELY belongs there. This picture is certainly in the realm of “snapshot” but I love the story.

akash.nu: My initial reaction to this image was that it was not level. It was a while before I noticed the mesh on the left side of the pole that sets the orientation. I like the way the various colors work together. The DOF is spot on. I like the way my eye rolls down the slope to the bird house.

AllergyDoc: Personal disclosure on this image: I know where this is and I have several dozen of my own pictures of that mountain and its neighbors. My son attended his last two years of high school at a ranch around the corner from here. (It’s Mapleton, Utah. At 12 square miles, everything is around the corner). Now, my son now lives and attends university about 15 minutes north of here, and he works as a mentor at the same ranch. I hope to be there in the early autumn just as the snow and ice on the mountains begin to melt. I have a lot of emotion tied to this place. I have tried to set this aside in my c&c.
I do love this image. The teepee clearly does not belong there. At the same time, the tree right behind it separates it from the rest of the scene. While I doubt it was AllergyDoc’s intent, I think all of the buildings are out of place. This area is so beautiful, and any building that interrupts the view does not belong, IMO. The flattened colors because of the cloud cover do not hide the magnificence of the scene.

r.harris1: You might not have gotten the exposure quite right but there is a lot of information there. Did you do anything in processing to try to bring out the shadows? I love that this story leaves us with so many questions. Is the squirrel clueless, frozen, or plotting his escape? Is the eagle bored, curious, or sizing up his dinner? It is not easy to capture dramatic tension and humor together in one frame, but you have done it well.

Clix Pix: I would not have known this fit the theme without your comment. I love the way the glass both stands out from and blends in with the sky, and the way that it swirls the clouds. I would like to see this as a study in form and color rather than a landscape by cropping out the trees and cloning out the label.

Elbert C: With this image as well, I would not have known this fit the theme without your comment. I don’t have much to say about this. It is just a beautiful image.

mollyc: Great image that fits the theme, and is definitely in your style. I love the “rustic” hay and pallets, and the variety of browns and textures set against the crisp clean walls and flat tone of the paint. Your lens choice makes it look like the pallet is opening its jaws to swallow up the viewer.

Indydenny: I used to live in Jerusalem. This reminds me of so many shops in the Old City, especially in the Christian Quarter. I love the colors and orderliness in this image which is suddenly broken by the fire hose and cinderblock below. Then there is the sign showing what forms of payment do not belong in that store. Finally, there is the face with butterfly ears at the very bottom that certainly is out of place. Beautiful image.

The bronze metal goes to Indydenny. As I said, it is a beautiful and fun image.

Silver goes to r.harris1. It needs technical work but the story is outstanding.

Gold goes to mollyc. It is the one image that scored high on all three criteria.

 

[mollyc]

What??? I am so surprised! I pulled that out of the archives at the 9th hour! (not quite the 11th!)

Now we all have to describe the photo if it was not immediately evident.

My husband and I built the house we currently live in. We tore down the previous house. Before we tore it down, we "donated" it to the local fire department to do a controlled burn as a training exercise for new firefighters. This was the morning of the burn, when they were setting up pallets and hay as kindling for the fire.

Here are two photos from later in the day when it was actually on fire.

Thank you so much, @deep diver!!! I will think about a new challenge tonight and be back tomorrow!