Mini Competition #54

[Colin Southern]

Off we go again.

Here's how it works ...

- You good folks post images in the thread (please change your post title to a name for your picture)

- When we get 10 images we will attach a voting poll

- After 3 days the poll closes and the winner is declared!

- If you would especially like some critique after the competition poll closes, please make it known in the post

Too easy eh?

Limit of 1 image per post, and 2 image posts per person.

If there are already 10 in the current comp, please start a new thread in this forum

[RobO]

Hi All

Too slow off the mark for #53 so here's one for #54 .....



I'll "duck" from the response[s] to the title .

C&C welcome.

Thanks

Rob

[arith]

I thought it was traffic control however another old redone because I can't get out.

[Steve H]

[ScoutR]

Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/200s: f/9: ISO 100: 95mm

C&C welcome and appreciated as usual
Thanks
Wendy

[Steve H]

[Hans]

Not a technically great photo but just to get to grips with uplaoding images to the forum...

14 Dec 09 D90 18-105mm (@105mm) f5.6 1/60sec ISO200

BTW CC most welcome

[JK6065]

I would greatly appreciate c&c after the voting.

[Benboxer]

f2.8 1/15 sec. ISO1600, Heavily baked in Photoshop!
Comments welcome!

[cneedha]

It is dark in Massachusetts! Had to buy some flowers. C&C welcome.

[Johan]

Lovely contrast of red and black

[Johan]

de gustibus

[sreelalts]

I decided to use a slow shutter speed to capture the dynamic nature of the flow. Since the light was less, it was much easier to go for a slower shutter speed with an f22 aperture. I also used an ND4 filter to further cut the light and prolong the exposure...

[Dave Humphries]

OK folks, Thats 10

The legend continues here:
Mini Competition #55

Thanks all, Merry Christmas,

[Donald]

... to those who invited C & C.

Rob
I'm always full of admiration for you guys who do wildlife. I wouldn't have the patience required to wait around to get that sort of shot. And whilst the title makes us smile, it is also an image that gives us a fascinating glimpse of the bird's behaviour.

Wendy
In Mini Com #52, you said,

What happened is that I discovered the "Clarity" tool in Lightroom and I kind of liked the soft effect created ...

Is that what you did here? It's got a beautiful soft, dreamy feel to it. Gorgeous.

Hans
Although your main purpose was to master uploading images, you nevertheless provide us with a lovely image of a child who is clearly relaxed and happy (which given the sort of work I do [check my profile], is nice to see!). For me, two things distract attention from the child - 1) The flower at the bottom left and, 2) The trunk of the tree at top left. If they hadn't been there, I think a lot more attention would have focused on the young girl. And, finally, the portrait photographers will be more able to comment than I, but I thought one of the 'rules' was to always keep the face in focus. But, in this case, that would have drawn attention away from the fun/playful element of the image; i.e. what she is doing with her foot.

Jeroen
I know that others have commented elsewhere about your image. But I'd just like to add my congratulations on a beautiful picture. For me, the brilliance is not only in the execution, but in the conception of the idea.

Benboxer
I wasn't sure what it was you were wanting from this one. The backstage atmosphere is there, certainly.

Heavily baked in Photoshop

But for me it's overcooked.

[RobO]

... to those who invited C & C.

Rob
I'm always full of admiration for you guys who do wildlife. I wouldn't have the patience required to wait around to get that sort of shot. And whilst the title makes us smile, it is also an image that gives us a fascinating glimpse of the bird's behaviour.

Hi Donald

Thanks for your kind remarks.

I have to confess that this was taken at a wildlife park - the one where they filmed the BBC's Springwatch at Pensthorpe, Norfolk - the birds / wildlife are not captive and co-exist more closely than in the true wild. The walks around the whole parks are long but great, there are many lakes and scoops for the birds, there are hatcheries and even red squirrel runs where the squirrels enjoy big, big cages and runs with overhead linking runs between the cages - they are so at home that they even breed.

I love to shoot wildlife, but generally don't have long enough lenses - yet [limited to 200mm at present].

Thanks again

Rob

[ScoutR]

Hi Donald: Yes, I ended up decreasing clarity on most of the snow shots I took that day. I started out wanting to get every detail in the patterns left in the snow from the wind, and ended up liking them better when some of the detail was softened.

I'm still having problems getting detail and sharpness, but keeping things looking smooth. When I get that figured out, then I'll be after a different effect.

Thanks for you feedback, I'm glad it looked OK to you and it wasn't just me liking it because I had given up on my original intent.

Wendy

[Donald]

Wendy

I'm still having problems getting detail and sharpness, but keeping things looking smooth

Is that not something of a contradiction though? We're sort of programmed to want things nice and sharp, but sometimes sacrificing sharpness for the dreamy, smooth look you got in this image is an end in itself.

I suppose if your saying that you want some areas of an image sharper than others, then your talking about selective sharpening (my way being to sharpen a duplicate layer - remember I'm a GIMP user - put on a layer mask and then just reveal the bits of that layer that I want to appear sharper).

[ScoutR]

I have to confess that this was taken at a wildlife park

Wildlife parks are fine. I don't see why we have to go out stalking like hunters and spend hours finding a subject. Birds, are hard enough to photograph (in my books anyway)
This is a Great Shot! I call it Disco Duck. Even looks a bit like John Travolta

Hope you have some more. I'd love to see them

Wendy

[RobO]

Wildlife parks are fine. I don't see why we have to go out stalking like hunters and spend hours finding a subject. Birds, are hard enough to photograph (in my books anyway)
This is a Great Shot! I call it Disco Duck. Even looks a bit like John Travolta

Hope you have some more. I'd love to see them

Wendy

Hi Wendy

Very many thanks for your generous comments they are all valued. I love your title too, I title for fun [mostly] but sometimes I think it can detract from the picture if someone strongly disagrees with the title.

I have more from Pensthorpe including some of a Medieval weekend they had there too - done quite effectively. Watch the future competitions - I've posted to the latest one, so maybe the one following.

Out of interest, a couple of years ago we went for a late break to Yorkshire and went to a falconry early afternoon - just as the last party were leaving. We paid and waited for the next tour and saw some of them feeding. Because we were the only ones there we got to handle some of the birds, they were flown and we were very privilidged to have been able to photograph for quite a long time - absolutely thrilled!

The one thing I haven't yet managed toss let alone capture with the camera is a kingfisher. I think they are beautiful and they fascinate me.

I so look forward to retirement when I have a better chance to do more hobbies.

Rob