Weekly #479 - Three Competition

Thanks again for your submissions. As is often said, opinions on the photographs are purely personal, there isn't a panel of judges to get a consensus so I'm sure some will agree with the comments and others just as likely to disagree. Writing detailed comments isn't actually easy because it could easily offend so if anything I write does it isn't intended. I'm not surprised some shun the task having just won the competition for that very reason. "Who is he to criticize our work?" some might say.
However, the comments entrants make when no criticisms are provided would suggest the task is appreciated so if you do happen to win, please give it a go yourself. It actually helps one learn by looking and saying what makes the photographs right or wrong for oneself and I believe it's always appreciated when this is done.

Now to the enties this week. Wow, what a selection. They're all really good. You've all proved three of something really does make a good photograph. Now I've got an impossible task to choose the best ones. Oh dear! Well all I can do is choose the ones I like most. For some I may have given a reason for not choosing it but it isn't to say they're still not good. I note all of the have opted for three of something rather than a design based on the number 3 form.
I can't eliminate any for being off subject.



Wild Goose chase - Perspicador

We're off to a flying start (literally) with Perspicador's Canada geese in the process of doing a formation take-off. The fact that the goose on the right has nearly left the frame doesn't seem to matter here as it might because the trailing goose balances it out perfectly. And the little splashes of water as their feet catch the water has been captured well. As a competition entry it nearly works but is spoiled by that dominant coot in the foreground which unfortunately is watching the photographer and not the geese!
As its the wrong way round you could crop off the lower part of the photograph where the coot is or alternatively clone it out. A faster shutter speed and a wider aperture (I'm sure there was no need for f11) would quite likely have made the geese that bit crisper (no I didn't mean roasting them!) A fine capture (but do something about that coot!)


Three - davidstorm

I can see what drew you to take this shot. The weather in late autumn was against you but it has produced a very atmospheric shot. The composition is excellent. I feel we should cue Delius's North Country Sketches to go with it. In fact I just have, track 1 Autumn - the wind soughs the trees. Moody! I'm wondering if this would work well as a contrasty black and white shot to highlight the detail and form of the trees, or would that dark cloud on the left spoil the balance? Mmm. Yes I like this.


kitchen window lavender - wozfromcov

The idea's good and I like the way the window back lighting has put a bright fringe around the flowers and stalks. Given the subject is three it might have been better to have all three in focus though I appreciate you canot put the clock back and take it at a smaller aperture now which might achieve that. Just having one thing is focus in a photo is normally fine, but perhaps not for a 'three' competition theme (but that's just me, others may have different views on that.) In actual fact the left flower looks to be the more dominant one (in size and position) so the photo may have been better if that had been one in focus with the other two flower heads leading into the picture back to it. It's all a matter of opinion though. Also, it might be better not to have the 'subject' flower so central.
What I do find distracting is the bright background 'bar' (presumaby part of the window frame.) The rest of the background is just fine though. It isn't so easy to get photos taken against window light like this right but the result here is pretty good considering.


Media City - kh1234567890

Certainly three here but no indication as to three of what! Another of kh1234567890's puzzle pictures. It looks like some communications system on another planet, perhaps its on one of those recently discovered planets circling Alpha Centauri. The photograph is novel but I get the feeling the blue cast has been intentionally introduced and one wonders why it was felt necessary. Whilst I like the repeating pattern on the masts and the simplicity of the composition, the masts appear somewhat disconnected (a base of some sort would hold it together) and I feel the false colour spoils it, but with these things others will certainly think otherwise.


Pink x Three - tyronet2000

Think I'd agree it's a geranium. Well three well defined and similar flower heads placed in an interesting diagonal formation. The exposure's good, the left one is slightly sharper than the others two but all three are acceptably sharp. Is there anything unwanted/distracting that could be cropped or cloned out? I think there is, the bright pink bud bottom centre (whereas the adjacent dull one isn't a problem.) The out of focus blooms in the background on the left are not a problem either, in fact they help to fill an otherwise uninteresting space with something relevant.


Three Little Men - GlynM

It seems quite a bit of work has gone into this to produce an outstandingly sharp image, or indeed three images stacked, each pin sharp.
I suppose it is the sort of technique that might be used for advertising purposes.
Having ascertained its technical qualities which can't be faulted, is the image itself worthy?
Well we have three different Lego figures, I've no idea if they all form part of a particular set but not withstanding they are all related. I presume the photo was taken specifically for the competiton given its date stamp, so thank you for doing that. Yes, admiration for your effort here annd if I don't choose this one it seems I'll have the middle figure gunning for me.


Fonts - bforbes

Quite an eye catching photograph of three drink taps with even the colours (what little colour there is) formed symetically. I'm presuming the colours are 'popped' as I cannot believe all the rest of the objects abd poster would be plain black and white (or should that be black and chrome?) Should the disconnected parts of that stand on the right be left in or hidden somehow? Debateable, they're not too much of a distraction. And getting the chrome to look like chrome is really well handled.


Threesome - johnriley

This one's certainly different to the rest. Thw photographer has petrified his subjects to take their photograph. I wonder if he has released his spell on them now. (Note to self, must be careful if I see JR pointing his camera at me!) Well its certainly a novel interpretation of the theme and an opportune capture to have what looks to be a robin sitting on the knee to make up the threesome. Given the size differences of the figures compared to the robin it's hard to pull this off but its quite amusing. Well done.


Swimming lesson - mikeprotts

A cute picture of three ducklings. The composition is excellent, albeit maybe slighly too central? Perhaps crop a bit off the right hand side so the ducks look to have somewhere to go. Considering a 500mm lens has been used you've got a reasonably sharp result but to me it seems to be lacking in contrast. With wildlife photos it helps to be able to see the eyes (presuming they are above water) but here they are not that apparent. Again a contrast boost may have helped with this with a general lightening up of the image. It's a good photograph, it just needs a bit of extra processing to get the best from it.

Reserved - Simonmac

Three graves, three people walking past. Reserved? Were you implying something? Quite a novel idea. It might have been better if you were more level with the gravestones rather than looking down on them. Looking down on them makes then seem less important than I reckon you meant them to appear. I'm not sure if it was lucky timing or planned having the group of figures walking past. If it was meant it was good timing.


Red Bottles - Noelcmn

The empty bottles is the other competition, the monthly one! Oh, there are three of them. I see! I like the image, the lighting's good, there's a great 'bottlery' glass texture but the competition's so stiff this week we'll have to see how it fares.


Triple Arch - ken2390

It's a really good photograph of the bridge at Bath with its triple arch. The lighting wasn't helpful which has left the photo a little drab. You've made the best of it but on another day doing nothing different the shot may have been lifted by perhaps the golden hour lighting or some activity in the water. Still an excellent record shot though.


Super Grass - johnjm

A great photo 'powered by plants' as Flora advertise themselves combining three buttery related images. The subdued reflections make this quite impressive. The image has some really stiff competition from some of the other submissions so again we'll have to see.


So to decide (an almost impossibe task as its so close!)

1st. Three Little Men - GlynM
2ns. Fonts - bforbes
3rd. Three - davidstorm
HCs Pink x Three - tyronet2000
. Super Grass - johnjm

But well done everone for entering and submiting such great photos. Thank you.

Top notch photography on that winning entry, enviable PP technique, lovely colors, a touch of reflections and a clear -nothing-to-distract background make for a worthy winner imho. Congratulations Glyn, and extended to bfrobes, davidstorm, and the HC's Tyronet2000 and Johnjm. Great challenge. simple idea drawing a fantastic range of images. Thanks JAK, and for the judging exercise and comments.

Congratulations to the Winner and other places, also the HC's one of which was awarded to me. Thanks to JAK for the interesting subject, the judging and the comprehensive comments.

Cracking contest.

Thank you John for your judging and comments. It was good timing!

And thank you for your helpful comments with regard judging per se.

Great winning shot and lovely places and HCs. Good stuff all round!

All the best

Simon

Wow, many thanks John for the unexpected win. I thought is was a great, very well managed competition that brought out many excellent images.

Congratulations to my fellow podium sitters, Barrie & David (I really liked David's beautiful picture), the HCs Stan & Johnjm and everyone else for another fantastic set of pictures.

I find it is getting much harder to pick new competition subjects but will have a think about it and put something up shortly.

Glyn

Congratulations to all, the detail in the winning image is astounding. Thanks to John for setting and judging the competition, and also for my second place. Just a note,the bar was all black and chrome so no popping required, but you are correct I do need to sort out the right edge.