Monthly #54 - The Car Competition

The winner and comments will be following soon. First, we have to clear away the debris from our New Year's Eve Extravaganza and wait for our remaining guests to be fed and retire to their own domains.

Then I'll be back!

OOOOPS sorry I just realised my mistake. We are allowed one are we not

New Year's Eve is now packed away till next time and we can look at the competition without distractions.

The Car was intended to be as broad as possible as a subject and could have included everything from light trails on a busy motorway to glamour portraits using the car as a setting. As it is, almost every shot concentrates on the car as an object, but within that there's some good imaginative shooting. Apologies to those whose images have been deleted, but the monthly competition is for new images shot in the competition month.

Perspicador starts us off promptly, and is so often first off the mark. Impressively fast indeed. The shot uses very low lighting and I do think that a tripod and a longer shutter speed would have enabled a lower ISO to be selected. The advantage would be a much lower noise level and a higher degreee of sharpness.

johnjm has produced a very impressive shot that uses selective framing to eliminate any unwated details in the surroundings. A couple of tweaks might make it even stronger, firstly toning down the lighter area on the bonnet and secondly using a smaller aperture to get the foreground more into the depth of field. But that is nit-picking and it's a fine shot.

JAK has a very special kind of car that doubles as a space shuttle, and why not. I'm delighted to see you put the caveat in your description, just for those who might think, “He didn't take all of that shot”, something that can be quite annoying in camera club judging. It can get to the point where people think anything dramatic must have been through Photoshop. So, I'm not making any judgements and those who think JAK is actually Santa in his modern Skoda Sleigh may well be right. Those who believe in Photoshop can give him the “thumbs up” for an amusing and well put together image. I would have actually liked to see his hands on the wheel, but otherwise I'll happily buy into the illusion.

Dariusz offers a minimalistic image that actually coveys a fair degree of menace. I could imagine someone about to walk into shot on the other side of the road, back towards us and unaware that this car is about to pull out and fall into deadly pursuit. This is the stuff of crime drama and just shows how showing very little can allow our imaginations to fill in the rest. A definitely cinematic approach.

Nicesparky uses existing props in an image that is well exposed and colourful. May I suggest that the background could be given more attention? A different, less cluttered backdrip would be less distracting. In other words, the subject matter is interesting but really warrants a better background to show it off.

GlynM has some fascinating models there, worth showing indeed. Again, the background could perhaps be improved by choosing one with less distracting highlights. I used to collect Corgi and Dinky cars, but regretfully none have survived. Where they have gone I do not know, but at some point gone they have. So nice to see your two models here, a satisfying record shot.

paulb531 has gone for graphic design, and that has definitely paid off. It's simple, classic and highly effective. I really like the precision of the composition, which reflects the precision of the engineering.

AndrewA highlights an intrinsic problem with shots of street art, one that camera clubs argue about from time to time. Whose art is this, the street artist's or Andrew's? It's a fine record shot of the art and the technical ability is not in doubt, but to elevate it I think a figure walking into the frame, or across the framwe, would change that considerationcompletely. One that was in keeping with the artwork would be brilliant. As it is, in a way I'm seeing the backdrop without any subject in front of it.

Noelcmn demonstrates how to get a lovely shot out of almost nothing. How many of us have a car but have never looked at in photographically to exploit its possibilities as a still life subject?

drofmit is, as we know, an excellent photographer. It's easy to see why when we see this fine example of keen observation. An open photographic imagination sees details like this where others would just walk on by.

So, to our winners!

First place of course goes to paulb531. Superb, just simple and superb.

Second place to johnjm, so close!

Third place to JAK, see you when you drop out of warp.....

And a highly commended to Noelcmn!

Many thanks to all for entering, and good luck with the 2017 competitions!

Yes I'm back! Happy New Year! Thanks for the third spot John and well done to paulb531, johnjm and noelcmn for their new year's honours. I thought there would be dozens of entries.
I'm wondering how I could have held the yoke and taken the shot without accidentally veering off to Mars! Actually and fortunately, auto pilot was engaged (that's the green light on the dash) so no need to hold the steering control so was able to give full attention to snapping the local views!

That's a wonderful shot, great symmetry and repetition, and as noted by our judge, simple and effective. and B/W most suitable. Congratulations Paulb531. And extended to Johnjm and JAK. Thanks to our competent judge, for all the comments and critiques, as always appreciated. Thanks for HM, a off chance shot seeing that I did not have anything else. Rather difficult angle that light has. Still I'm chuffed with a HC.
Every best wish for 2017!

congrats paulb531, I thought that was a winner as soon as i saw it, very well seen. Thanks for the place John, and a very happy new year to all

Many thanks John for standing in and giving use another great competition.

Congratulations to paulb531 for the winning image and runners-up johnjm, JAK and noelcmn. (I loved JAK's Hyperdrive image .)

Happy new year to you all.

Glyn

Just surfaced to enter Glyn's competition to find out I've won the monthly one!

Thanks John for the win and providing the competition and excellent feedback. Congratulations to runners-up johnjm, JAK and noelcmn.

I will get a competition together sometime tomorrow - hopefully

Paul

Great winning shot... totally graphic... and the title lifted from the picture!!
I just thought that might win... so clean!
I was thinking I had to beat JAK's space Skoda... even with earth in the rear view mirror... a lovely bit of work!
Then along came "Das Auto".... and finally I found my shot yesterday...... after two days of hoar frost...
I take the picture... get it right for submission and upload it... and then spot Noel's wonderful Abstract Graphic!!
Still, I have already used the shot again as part of my new year's greeting to a 2CV group!!
And John, thank you for the competition and the judging... and the compliment!!
But spotting this sort of shot was not my forté 15 years ago...
I need to thank my good lady wife for showing me detail shots like this.. she has always looked for this sort of shot!!
She would have seen the line-up of bonnets in "Das Auto" well before me...and taken it... but she uses S#ny!!
However, as a result of seeing the world though her eyes, so to speak, I also look at detail more...
especially when I need something different!
Thanks love!!
And Happy New Year everyone... may your exposures be right first time and your shutter click at the opportune moment!

Regarding the rear view mirror, I didn't actually change the content, just the hue and saturation of what was there already!

Very nice... very nice indeed!!