[matthew]

The theme for the July photo challenge is MONOCHROME.

How you interpret the theme is completely up to you, but remember that monochrome means more than just black and white. This month especially it includes any image that makes expressive use of a narrow range of colours, so be creative and have fun. While there are no right or wrong ways to interpret the theme, how well your photograph captures it will be considered in the judging.

For the CHALLENGE: You may enter up to three photos. The original images must have been recorded within the past year, meaning on or after 1 July 2011.

To submit an entry to be considered for judging, post it in this thread. You are also encouraged to post experimental, fun, or other thematically-appropriate photos here, so please indicate whether each one is for the competition or for more casual enjoyment. If that's not clear, then the judge(s) will be fed the last three photos posted by each person.

Thanks, everyone, and if anything's unclear, or if there are any questions, let me know!

[shuttertalk]

Thanks for your efforts again Matthew - this should be an awesome challenge! I'm really looking forward to what everyone will be putting up.

Just announcing the prizes - this month we have a cracker of a sponsor, and I am really excited about the prizes they've generously offered!

For the winner, as selected by the judges:

1 x Topaz Labs Photoshop Plug-in Bundle, valued at $299 USD.
http://www.topazlabs.com/bundle/
The Topaz Plug-in Bundle helps amateur and professional photographers accomplish the most common creative and corrective post processing tasks. With 10 powerful and easy-to-use programs, users can quickly enhance their digital images with flexible adjustments that are easy to apply and customize - and often in just 1-click!

One additional prize will be randomly awarded to someone who likes our page on Facebook (I'll post more details on how to do this later). This person will be able to select 1 individual product of their chose from Topaz Labs.


I know Toad uses the Topaz Labs products and finds their plugins extremely powerful and useful, and he's actually written a nice review article which will be published in the next couple of days.


Anyway, all the best with the challenge, and above all else, have fun!

[enviroguy]

Three for me:

On the beach
   

Ghost Ship
   

Sexy in the Snow
   

[matthew]

Very interesting approach, Dennis. Thanks for these.

[LouGnar]

Can our entries include portrait photography, or photographs with people in them?
I just registered for this site today, so I don't know too much about how the contests work. Thank you, have a great day.

Thanks for your efforts again Matthew - this should be an awesome challenge! I'm really looking forward to what everyone will be putting up.

Just announcing the prizes - this month we have a cracker of a sponsor, and I am really excited about the prizes they've generously offered!

For the winner, as selected by the judges:

1 x Topaz Labs Photoshop Plug-in Bundle, valued at $299 USD.
http://www.topazlabs.com/bundle/
The Topaz Plug-in Bundle helps amateur and professional photographers accomplish the most common creative and corrective post processing tasks. With 10 powerful and easy-to-use programs, users can quickly enhance their digital images with flexible adjustments that are easy to apply and customize - and often in just 1-click!

One additional prize will be randomly awarded to someone who likes our page on Facebook (I'll post more details on how to do this later). This person will be able to select 1 individual product of their chose from Topaz Labs.


I know Toad uses the Topaz Labs products and finds their plugins extremely powerful and useful, and he's actually written a nice review article which will be published in the next couple of days.


Anyway, all the best with the challenge, and above all else, have fun!

[shuttertalk]

Can our entries include portrait photography, or photographs with people in them?
I just registered for this site today, so I don't know too much about how the contests work. Thank you, have a great day.

Hi Lou, welcome!

Sure they can, as long as you own the rights to the photos and your subjects are cool with their mug being posted online...

All the best!

[LouGnar]

Awesome, thank you so much.

[shuttertalk]

Hi all, just posted the details of the challenge and prizes on our main site.
http://www.shuttertalk.com/2012/07/photo...hrome.html

Don't forget - you can win an individual Topaz Labs product as well by simply liking our Shuttertalk page on Facebook! All the best!

[Pavel]

Entry 1


The Rotunda from the second floor (BW revised), Centre Block, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa DSC9480 by Pavel M, on Flickr

Entry 2


Boat Launch, Ashbridges Bay Park, Toronto, December 2011 DSC0078 by Pavel M, on Flickr

Entry 3


Sunflower fading bw, Brickworks, Toronto, September 2011 DSC6467 by Pavel M, on Flickr

[matthew]

Very nice. There are some favourites of mine there – I'm looking forward to seeing what our volunteer judges make of them.

Rob's review of the Topaz Labs Plug-Ins, which Julian hinted at earlier, can be found here: http://www.shuttertalk.com/2012/07/topaz...eview.html

In the introductory post I mentioned that Monochrome images can include those that only use a narrow range of colours. Here's a recent one of mine that I like, which is kept within blues and greens:

[matthew]

Last call, everyone! The Monochrome challenge will be wrapping up in 24 hours!

Remember that you can enter up to three images taken within the past year, and the judge's pick will win the Topaz Labs Photoshop Plug-in Bundle, valued at $299 USD.

[NT73]

For the competition entry 1.

   
Ashes to ashes

Timber from the Cutty Sark.

[NT73]

For the competition entry 2.

Messing about on the river.
   


Again from the Cutty Sark, after renovation.

[LouGnar]

Picture #1

[slejhamer]

Does this use up my 3 pictures?

This is just for fun.

[matthew]

The Judges had their work cut out for them this month, but after a good round of discussion picked Pavel's "Sunflower Fading" as the winner for the Monochrome challenge. Congratulations, Pavel!

The judges also quite liked The Rotunda, but Boat Launch had them somewhat stumped. Pavel, I don't think this is the first time this photo has had that effect.

The judges also singled out slejhamer's triptych for its creative treatment and use of the complimentary blurred background, and LouGnar's untitled photo for the intriguing story that it tells. NT, they liked your ropes from the Cutty Sark, and Dennis, your Ghost Ship made quite an impression as well.

As an aside, it was fun seeing the beach/marine sub-theme emerge – incidentally, my warehouse photo is on a dock.

Thank you all for some really great entries this month. It's been a lot of fun – now stay tuned for the August announcement, which will introduce a few changes for our next challenge.

[shuttertalk]

Wow, congrats Pavel! Well deserved yet again...

[Pavel]

Thanks Matthew and the judges. I liked a number of the entries in this competition and I can fully understand why judges had a hard time picking the winner this time around. I was particularly taken by NT's imaginative entry #2.

I am frustrated that nobody in this universe (except me) likes my entry #2 (boat launch). It is one of my favorite photos, but just like with a number of other photos of mine that I really like, nobody else likes them and instead some of my photos that leave me cold do surprisingly well. Thanks again Matthew for running this.

Pavel

[NT73]

I see the boat launch now. What we call a boat launch, is when the queen or dignitary whacks it with a bottle of champagne and says i name this ship "whatever".

What your pic is, is a slipway where boats are launched from.

Other than that congratulations again. (see other post) .
---------------------------

I have been having trouble connecting with the site during the last few days. ( Time out) Seems OK at night but very slow.

[NT73]

Post #19 took 30 seconds to load.