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Weekly #489 - Water, Water, Everywhere....... Competition

Competition Details
Closing Date: 27/11/2016
Judge: johnriley

We've cured the flooding in our garden with alterations and drainage, but there's plenty of water everywhere at the moment. Rain, rivers, lakes, the sea, but for this competition I'd like to see images that make things look wet, saturated, swimming with water. There's plenty of it falling from the sky, our cameras might well be weather resistant, so let's see what we can do in the rain. Images can be new or old, but must be shot using Pentax cameras, as per the usual rules. Have fun with it!
Competition Entries
johnriley
Posted 28/11/2016 - 01:03 Link
Water, Water Everywhere......

Many thanks for all the entries. I had this picture in mind of things and places just dripping with water, areas awash with water, and all the entries go some or all the way towards that idea. Let's see how it went.
Heronry in the willows at Wollaton Lake by Perspicador – Very often the first to post in these competitions, and the enthusiasm is to be applauded. We have water, but in the context of the competition water where we expect water to be and relatively calm as well. The herons are great and it's an interesting Natural History image. I might darken it a little, which I think would increase the drama.

Watching in the rain by tyronet2000 – This is a very odd looking shot, and all the stronger for that. The audience gives a sense of scale to the foreground, but the lighthouse is a little confusing at first glance. The mist has enhanced this sense of detachment and it looks for all the world like a ghost ship. I suppose in one way this is all about that misty ship, rather than about the water as such, but it's still a great image that challenges our sense of reality.

Local mobile phone shop by michaelblue – Oh yes, this hits the spot, and there is indeed water, water, everywhere. It's a fantastic little scene, simple and yet so evocative. We can feel the human discomfort, and yet a sense of resignation from the people in the shot. The scene is deceptively simple, but composed beautifully. Fantastic!

After the rain by AndrewA – This too drips with water and evokes the competition theme. The bokeh is very smooth and forms a great backdrop to a very peaceful and simple arrangement. If I were to suggest anything it would only be that maybe a bit more depth of field could have brought all the subject into focus. In any event , another very successful shot.

After the storm by GlynM – It was worth digging this one out, and the fact that it's been in a previous competition is fine. The colour is great, no doubt aided by the low light and that sodium lamp glow. Water gushing everywhere, just what was wanted. I've known places like this and it can take a moment to take stock and decide whether or not we can plough onward and continue to drive through it.....I have one suggestion to try, and that is to crop a small amount off the top to eliminate the sky. I think this might avoid the slight distraction that drags our eye away from the main subject.

Wet Night in Sheffield by paulb531 – A great idea and a well arranged image, only spoilt a little by not being sharp. The K5 can take it, so I'd increase the ISO still further to enable a faster shutter speed. Then the girl with the luggage would be crisper, which I think is essential to this composition.

River Foss Flooding, York, December 2015 by JAK – Another great shot that is spot on with the theme. This really shows the futility of the human presence as several workers stand around, really unable to do much at all. The pain that those businesses will feel is implicit in the situation. What really clinches this one is the excellent composition and the really crisp treatment. It's noisy/grainy, but so sharp, and that suits the image perfectly.

Now how do I get home!!! by ken2390 – How great to live next to water, but then nature bites back and the result is poignantly shown here. The solitary figure trudging through the water adds scale and a human element that lifts the overall effect. Technically sound, a little on the dull side so this could benefit from an increase in contrast and a bit more sharpening. It lacks “bite”, apart from the aforementioned biting back of nature. I really like the shot though, and the way it conveys its message.

One of those days by noelcmn – Again, lost of feeling in this shot and the back view helps to make the rider anonymous and a representation of all cyclists wearily making their way home in the wet. We can sense the work involved in climbing the hill, and that just adds to the feeling of misery.

Boiling fish in a lake by drofmit – The text adds interest to this shot and it would all make a great little article in a magazine or newspaper. We are all wiser now about catching fish. There's no denying that there is also water, water everywhere. Good exposure, good composition, nicely sharp and interesting. Excellent street photography, perhaps reportage would be a better term for this one, but we get the idea.

Forest floor by ramseybuckeye – I've trudged through my fair share of forest floors like this in the past few weeks, and this shows the reality of it very well. The limited depth of field is perfect as it shows us where the main subject is without it being lost in a mass of similar colour. Maybe the image is not swimming in water as much as the subject of the competition suggests, but it's a fine shot.

OK, now to choose. There are four images in this competition that, for me, stand out. That is not to diminish the others, as all the shots are fine photography, but the four really are what the competition asked for.

In the end, of the four the one with outstanding technical quality is the winner, which is JAK's River Foss Flooding. Absolutely superb, with great technique.

Second place goes to michaelblue for Local mobile phone shop. This is so perfect a representation of the reality of that world and I absolutely love the shot.

ken2390 is third with Now how do I get home!!! which is a lovely scene, but a tad more crispness would clinch it.

Highly Commended is After the storm by GlynM, which has delicious light and a very appealing quality to it.

I really enjoyed all the images and again thank you to all who took the trouble to enter. It's over to JAK now, so let's see what he can challenge us with!
JAK
Posted 28/11/2016 - 11:13 Link
Well thank you John for the competition and judging. Some varied and interesting images were submitted so thanks for selecting my own. Congratulations to the other places and to all who entered. Hope ken2390 has made it home now!
So it's thinking cap time on for a new competition which I'll post shortly when I've given it some thought.
John K
ken2390
Posted 28/11/2016 - 11:14 Link
Coo, thanks John for my placing. Really did not expect it, against all the other great photo's. Will take your advice.
tyronet2000
Posted 28/11/2016 - 11:25 Link
Congratulations to the Winner and other places. Thanks to John for the interesting subject the judging and the comprehensive comments.
Regards
Stan

PPG
GlynM
Posted 28/11/2016 - 11:57 Link
Many thanks John for another interesting competition.

Lots of thanks also for the HC .

Congratulations to JAK for the excellent winning image, the runners up michaelblue & ken2390 plus everyone else for a great set of images.

Glyn
Noelcmn
Posted 28/11/2016 - 13:10 Link
Wonderful winning shot, albeit somewhat disconcerting. Wonderfully composed. Congrats are in order for JAK, and to the other placements Michaelblue (hectic as we would say around here) and ken2390 (and even more hectic) and the HM GlynM. Lovely challenge, and as with the Judge, delightful to view all the entries. Thanks John for the Challenge and critiques. As always those are appreciated.
Carol8345
Posted 28/11/2016 - 20:44 Link
Some really nice and interesting images. Thank you John for the very detailed narrative.
michaelblue
Posted 01/12/2016 - 08:55 Link
Thank you John for a fascinating competition and for my second place.
Well done JAK it really is a superb shot and to ken2390 for your third place
Any comp. with water in is ok by me
Regards,
Michael
paulb531
Posted 01/12/2016 - 12:18 Link
Congratulations to JAK - great shot. Thanks to John for the competition and feedback. Noel's photo reminded me of my cycle home from work last Monday - another excellent capture.

Regards

Paul
Posted 06/12/2016 - 00:46 Link
Congratulations JAK, wonderful photo of a horrible time. Great job John, well done all on the excellent entries.

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