[Derbygirl]

    Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia - used to be Datura but they changed their name)

[Stephen Fralick]

ShutterTalk Digital Photography Contest June 2014: Your Best Photo Shot


Category: Your Best Photo Shot
Contest Begins: June 1st, 2014
Contest Ends: June 30th, 2014
Open To: ShutterTalk Digital Photography Forum Members
Contest Type: International Photography Contest
Prize: Amazon Gift Card (Undisclosed Amount)

Guidelines:

Submit up to three photos of digital photographs showing your most creative photography. This can include anything that is family friendly - scenery, people, trees, flowers, objects, and more.

Images must be posted here in this forum thread and be owned legally by the contributing member. Please also submit information about where the photo was taken along with some brief details.

Digital photography entries should be family friendly and be taken within the last 90 days from the date of entry into the contest. A small amount of post processing is preferred. The photograph should be interesting and draw the individual into the scene and have few distractions.

Judging

Judging will consider different criteria including, but not limited to, creativity, relevance to category, and photo quality. Judging will occur when the contest ends and results will be posted in the forums as soon as possible.

Winning Multiple Times During Monthly Contests - NEW

A member can be chosen as the winner twice within a six month period. This will even the "playing field" to some degree to allow other members the ability to enter their high quality photographs and have the opportunity to also be chosen as the winner during a new monthly contest theme.

Please refrain from commenting on other's posts in this thread until the contest end date.

Letting Others Know about the Contest

We would love to let others know about our contests. We plan to have a contest each month. If you have friends who love photography, please let them know!

If you love social media, please share with your media friends about the contest on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, your blogs, everywhere! We would love to have them in here in the forums and be a part of the contests!


Questions?

Please let us know if you have any questions!

[Freeman]

I fear if I crop out the bits and pieces we lose the point of the picture. My fair lady is only the leading player in the cast. Make sense?
[/quote]

Fair comment, but the viewer, or at least me! does not understand this, I see a distracting Rail, across and down, a diagonal something, and another something in the bottom left, hence my comments. As always though, to each his own. I did make it into a nice pic of your wife though. Cheers. Ed.
[/quote]

Ed: It's good to see our snaps as others see them and I am sure you are right. The background is neither subtle enough or clear enough to add much unless you were there.

May we see the nice pic you made of my dear lady?

[EdMak]

With Pleasure. Cheers. Ed.

[EdMak]

And, no background. Ed.

[MrB]

We are still in the middle of a photo contest thread, which seems the wrong time and place for all this critique and discussion of posted images. In fact, in her Post #1, Barbara has underlined this guideline:-

"Please refrain from commenting on other's posts in this thread until the contest end date."

So please let people post their image entries as they themselves want them to be viewed, and post any comments after the judges have made their decision.

Cheers,
Philip

[EdMak]

Unable to Delete, perhaps Barbera can remove My "Improper" posts. Thanks, and apologies. Ed.

[Freeman]

Noted, thanks, Philip. Regards Jeff

[WDHewson]

Unable to Delete, perhaps Barbera can remove My "Improper" posts. Thanks, and apologies. Ed.

For me all the input is the great part of this site. And we don't get to read the judges opinions.

I'd vote that we delete the "no opinions" rule, and keep the commentary.

[MrB]

...For me all the input is the great part of this site...

I agree, but this is a competition thread and, as such, assessment of images should be left to the judges, as in most competitions.

There are many other sections and many many more threads in the forum, where images are posted and immediate input is welcomed, because the contributions are often highly valued resources for learning.

The guidelines do not prevent input, but surely it is reasonable, in a competition thread, to leave our comments until after the result is announced. It is, after all, only ONE thread each month!

Cheers.
Philip

[Freeman]

Dan is a Romanian shepherd. He hailed me from afar and bounded over to make acquaintance. He was very keen to have his photograph taken, and as you see here, was quite excited about it. I was carrying a small Fujifilm Bridge camera so I was happy to oblige and here is the snap. He will of course never have a copy. I like this shot because it also shows something of the least known parts of Romania and its raw beauty. You can see the forest where I was heading in the distance and the track to the river Olt from Plopii Slavitesti. Trust me, life is tough in these parts but the wildlife is incomparable pretty much anywhere in Europe. Regards, Jeff

[Freeman]

Well, I couldn't sign off entirely, could I, without a bird snap. This is a sedge warbler taken a day or two ago in fields overlooking Nafford Lock in Worcestershire. Nikon D610 this time, 80-400G, using zoom and cropped. I resisted the urge to fill the picture with the bird because I wanted to portray how tiny and delicate this beautiful creature is. Regards, Jeff

[brianapenney]

A display

[EdMak]

First class, full marks. Ed.

[Phil J]

Yes indeed, most impressive.

Phil.

[dave1712]

There are some really great images in this month's competition, so almost didn't submit for the first time! A previous comment by Phil is particularly relevant - pictures I am pleased with often had a difficult technical element (for me) which I find contributes to my view of creativity.

The first is at Camden Market, London UK. An amazing place where a 1/4 mile of shops and market stalls seem to compete for the best 'street art'. The weather was poor, hand-held the only option, and I wanted a small aperture for DoF. To get a low shot in a crowded street I used a right angle viewfinder. EOS 7d, 18mm, 1/500 f16, ISO 6400.

   

The second is at Gun Wharf, Portsmouth UK. A significant historical site for the British Navy with several listed building, now a retail, dining, entertainment complex, jam packed with photo opportunities. Again I wanted big DoF and there was large dynamic range with the bronze, shadow detail and glass. First experiment with RAW file and lots of selective curves in PS. EOS 6D, 21mm 1/100, f11, ISO 100

   

The final picture is at Mayflower Park Southampton UK (according to local historical records the actual place the Pilgrim Fathers departed for USA - they only pulled into Plymouth for repairs after storm damage and a few passengers who missed the boat boarded.) Also overlooks the docks from which the Queens travel to NY. Just over the bank is a busy car park so used low angle. Apart from cloning out an elevated gangway the image is as shot. EOS 6D, 40mm, 1/125, f22, ISO 1600 between rain showers.

   

Hope I got the attachments in the correct place!!!

[brianapenney]

Some great shots here. Thanks for the explanations too.

[Phil J]

Hi Dave1712,

Welcome to the forums. I'll reiterate what Brianapenny has said, they really are great shots and work to be proud of. Well done. When it comes to anything regarding photography, Ed Mac and Philip are always worth listening to for sound advice. So are many others on here, but, those two spring readily to mind.

One point, you can't always go along with what these Southamptonits say . The fact is, the Mayflower sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers to the 'New World' (America) from the Mayflower Steps, situated on the Barbican, in my home town of Plymouth. You have but to look up the names of those who were aboard to verify that the vast majority were from the south west of England. So the most logical embarkation point would have been from somewhere in the South WEST. Had it then been developed, Falmouth might have been another contender.

Best regards.

Phil.

[brianapenney]

Hi Dave1712,

Welcome to the forums. I'll reiterate what Brianapenny has said, they really are great shots and work to be proud of. Well done. When it comes to anything regarding photography, Ed Mac and Philip are always worth listening to for sound advice. So are many others on here, but, those two spring readily to mind.

One point, you can't always go along with what these Southamptonits say . The fact is, the Mayflower sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers to the 'New World' (America) from the Mayflower Steps, situated on the Barbican, in my home town of Plymouth. You have but to look up the names of those who were aboard to verify that the vast majority were from the south west of England. So the most logical embarkation point would have been from somewhere in the South WEST. Had it then been developed, Falmouth might have been another contender.

Best regards.

Phil.

Having been born in Salisbury I can understand both point of views. Now I live in Lincoln which is just an hour's drive from Boston and have a whole new outlook

[dave1712]

Hi Dave1712,

[snip]....
One point, you can't always go along with what these Southamptonits say . The fact is, the Mayflower sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers to the 'New World' (America) from the Mayflower Steps, situated on the Barbican, in my home town of Plymouth. You have but to look up the names of those who were aboard to verify that the vast majority were from the south west of England. So the most logical embarkation point would have been from somewhere in the South WEST. Had it then been developed, Falmouth might have been another contender.

Best regards.

Phil.

Having been born in Salisbury I can understand both point of views. Now I live in Lincoln which is just an hour's drive from Boston and have a whole new outlook

Hmm! this is a photography forum but it seems alternative views can still cause excitement 400 years later (there's a surprise Promise this is the last word by me on the subject as an interested 'local' rather than historian - As I noted it was the view of local historians (also on Wikipedia so it must be right 'They left Southampton, but the second ship the Speedwell sprang a leak, so they put into Plymouth where most of her passengers were transferred to the Mayflower' - or not as the case may be ..... But the Queens definitely leave from the adjacent dock for NY 'cos I've seen it my self

[CraigB]

The Last Surf, Woolacombe, Devon

[Phil J]

Welcome to the forum Craig.

This is a beautiful picture you've created here. Do you have any details of what settings/lens/camera you used?

Best regards.

Phil.

[CraigB]

Hi Phil

I'm glad you like the picture. It was taken on a Canon 400D using an EFS 18-55mm f:3.5-5.6 III Canon Kit lens. Exposure 1.3 sec at F20. ISO 100. Picture taken just after sunset. I can't remember but it might have had an ND filter on.

Regards
Craig

[webber]

My first image is of a bluebell wood in Wiltshire. I used a photoshop filter on the trees to give an added effect of height.

Image 2 is a graffiti artist working in the centre of Bristol. I liked the concentration on his face & his tattoos.

Number 3 is a mono image of a white bench contrasting with Montacute House. I find the graphic lines and triangles interesting.
[/align]

[EdMak]

The Last Surf, Woolacombe, Devon

Mesmerising. Ed.