Photo Challenge #8: Looking Up

[paul mc]

I also really liked Paul McNallys unentered photo of the 3 tall buildings, I think that was your best one. Why doesn't that brick building have any windows?

 

Good Luck to the three Finalists.

 

Tracy.

 

That piccy is of two buildings but taken off a reflection off this building which is completely mirrored

The brick building does have windows its just that i took a piccy of the side of it.

[Gillies]

I know Im supposed to say it was tough to choose a top three, but you have no idea, it really really really was hard to choose three. Last night I had a top three in my head, but today I went through every photo one by one, and worked my way down though each one, the top three in my head was changing all the time, eventually I came to seven in which I had to choose from. The following seven are the ones I would have had in the top three, splitting hairs to differentiate between them - so in choosing from these I got critical hat on and stuck to the key elements I was looking for in the challenge, so that was though.

 

Nurse Judy - Winter Gardens Looking Up ... Great perspective, composition and framing in this shot, nicely exposed to catch lots of details ... loved this shot the minute it went on. This personally was my favourite shot.

 

Matt Hillman - Coming in to Land ... Fantastic shot, nice and colourful shot, with loads going on in it. You have the rugged old slates, poo ridden ridgetiles, every bird doing something different, then you have the one in flight above. Really liked this shot.

 

Chippy - Tree Tops ... Superb framing, exposure, composition, perspective and most of all the thought that went into it. Beautiful shot to look at. Great symmetry, almost have a perfect clock face with 30 degree angles between the trees.

 

Pass the biscuits - Hubby with his Habit ... What a shot, excellent, this shot has great thought put into it, and has lots and lots of character, the pencil, the hat, the smoke, the cigar. Superb shot.

 

Rabster - On Sentry Duty ... Very sharp and colourful shot of a Starling, great detail.

 

Finepix - Angel ... I really really like this shot, the exposure, composition, perspective, the light to dark, detail and the thought that went into it, great shot!!! but I had to make a tough choice with this one and this didnt make it in last three as it wasn't framed to the center ... otherwise, my top choice along with Judies.

 

Ollie Jay - Dream ... This shot didn't really do much for me when it initially went on (sorry), but today looking at it more the though that went into it is fantastic, and the end result of having a fish eye view of the goings on in a room in this dark ball on a bright background to emphasis the shot .... all this while looking up !!!!

 

In the end I had two chosen, and then three shots battling it out for my final shot, that was the hardest part.

 

I tried to make this challenge something anyone could do anywhere, it really brought out the photographic eye in people I think - well done to those who had the vision to make a superb shot out of the simplest of subjects in the simplest of surroundings.

 

Thanks everyone for entering, nearly every shot was different and showed some fantastic usage of cameras and more importantly the thought that went into the shots. Oh, and I dont that you all for making the choosing of a final three so hard.

 

Gillies

[sooz78]

I have to say that I love olliejays picture, ok ok I can hear everyone saying that

im biased but I love the effect that the outer part has. It looks so dreamy and I

just love looking at the photo and thats what I think good photos should do to you.

I think making such a good photo out of such a everyday objects take alot of

imagination and skill.

 

Well done Ollie keep up the good work

 

[Ollie Jay]

Thank you Susie it means alot and im really glad you like the pic To be honest i think you probably thought i was a bit mad lying/sitting/standing or setting the timer and running out the way before the shot went off under the light shade in the middle of the room but seeeee it did work and i managed to make the final Not sure it can/will do much though as the standard of the other pics is very high never mind though fingers crossed i can make another final.

 

Once again peeps well done on a great challenge and looking forward to the next one

 

Ollie.

[TubularBelle]

WOW, Paul I didn't even realise that picture was a reflected mirror image, makes it even better.

 

Have to agree with Gillies that Julies Angel and Judys Winter Garden are also top quality pics.

 

I feel quite shy about competing in future comps now because the standard has risen so high. Won't stop me though, just make me try harder. My snails pic was definitely a one off for me, won't be able to do that again.

 

Also wanted to comment on Poledarks efforts who has entered excellent quality photos in several of the Comps (has anyone entered ALL of them). Your time will come Den.

 

Welcome to Matt and Pass the Biscuits and any other first timers, the more the merrier and the more diversity.

Edited March 22, 2006 by TubularBelle

[poledark]

I also liked Judy's pic, really draws the eyes upwards..nice one Judy.

 

"Dream", I can't seem to see much in that pic? I have checked my brightness levels of monitor, but very little shows up in the centre portion of that pic..could someone explain what I should be seeing

 

TB, I shall keep plugging away , I walked (struggled) up quite a hill to get one of my pics, and tried very hard to get a sharp well lit vertical shot....but it would not have been my choice for winner

 

" Tree tops" where was it taken? no leaves on trees for miles around where I live (in the "sunny" south east) barely even a bud!

 

Lovely shot though, really stood out for me...the vision and composition first class.

 

All I got to do now is find a pile of old junk (my workshop maybe ) and get clicking.........

 

Den

[Guest Finepix]

I couldnt' get the image I was after.

There are a 4-ish hula hoops in one of the tree's at school. I'd taken a few images, but I really needed a decent blue sky to set the image off.

Will try again if I get the chance (but it obviously won't be entered into the comp).

 

Thanks for your kind words Gillies. Unfortunately I can't centrally compose any image, it just isn't in me. Obviously some images look better that way, but its a habit of mine I cannot break (!)

[rabster]

My thoughts on this challenge.

 

There are a few missing links now & I can't properly remember what's gone, but my favourites from what's left & I'll put them in order of preference: -

 

1) Ayjay - Waxing Crescent

2) Pass the biscuits - Hubby with his habit (very close to 1st with Ayjays)

3) Pass the biscuits - Catkins (if that's not been photoshopped (& I'm not suggesting it has) it's terrific!)

4) Chippy - No title (** see note below)

5) Cameraman - Going up

6) Hellbelly - Looking Up at Tommy

 

OK, I know it's all subjective & I've chosen six, not three, but those are my favourites.

 

Right, so from the top three Gillies has selected, I was on the point of voting for Chippy's, which has been given the title "Tree Tops" (presumably by Steve?) until I read this: -

 

" Tree tops" where was it taken? no leaves on trees for miles around where I live (in the "sunny" south east) barely even a bud!

 

Lovely shot though, really stood out for me...the vision and composition first class.

So I thought I'd check the exif, none available, I note Chippy resides in Jersey, so doubt the trees won't be anymore in leaf there than where Poledark is. I also note the filename of the image is

http://www.digitaljersey.co.uk/Phonebook/pc_271005_3594_d2x.jpg

So my guess is that Chippy has missed the bit in the rules about the shot has to be taken during the comp open window & in the absence of exif no one has picked up on this. But maybe i'm wrong????

 

If you're looking in Chippy, can you please clarify so I can cast my vote.

 

Cheers

 

Cliff

[Pass the biscuits]

There are a few missing links now & I can't properly remember what's gone, but my favourites from what's left & I'll put them in order of preference: -

 

2) Pass the biscuits - Hubby with his habit (very close to 1st with Ayjays)

3) Pass the biscuits - Catkins (if that's not been photoshopped (& I'm not suggesting it has) it's terrific!)

 

Cliff

 

Thank you Cliff,

(2) Ugly brute aint he?

(3)I wouldn't know how to photoshop it. If you mean the way the catkins stand out,I think it's just the flash that has done that. The range of the flash is fairly short and so the branches in the background remained unlit by the flash while the catkins became highlighted.

[TubularBelle]

Gee I sure hope that Chippys pic was taken within the two week time period as I like it so much, but it just goes to show how important providing the exif details are because, regardless of breaking the rules and whether it was intentional or not, which I'm sure it wasn't as this is Chippys first entry, when photographing something like trees, which at this time of year may be almost completely leafless, it is crucial. Also important for things like photographing birds and wildlife which only show themselves at certain times of the year. In fact, any photo where the composition has some basis to do with the weather and the elements, most definitely needs to be taken within the time frame alloted for it to be fair to everyone. Having said all that, I just remembered that it is different seasons in different parts of the world, DOH!

 

Regardless of when it was taken though, still a mighty fine pic Chippy.

 

Another reason why the time frame is of crucial importance as Steve has obviously talked about, is not only the fact that the aim is for the photograph to be taken specifically for the competition to inspire an active and eager participation, but to give everyone the same opportunity to capture that image, rather than being able to go back 6 months or 6 years and pulling out that fantastic fluke you got while on holiday or doing other stuff.

 

As I am completely dumb about this side of it, I am assuming that the problem is that once you crop or edit your photo, as I have done on probably all of my entries, then you lose the exif data. There must be an easy way to fix this, that somebody else can work out and then explain it to me and anyone else in basic grade 1 English, cheers. I will endeavour to seek this information out before submitting my next entry.

 

Oh, and about links to photos going missing. I have catalogued the entire Competition since it's beginning. The photos need to be saved before they disappear. The standard of quality in the short time this comp has been around is astounding. I have googled other comps that allow photoshop manipulation etc and the average photo buff cannot compete with the technology and/or cleverness that is required. Thank God, this Competition is about Photography, not Technology.

Edited March 24, 2006 by TubularBelle