Weekly #503 - Curves Competition

Many thanks to all who took part in this competition, it has been an interesting and educational activity for me never having judged a competition before. They are all very good images which fulfil my rather vague brief perfectly making judging an extremely difficult task, so I had to add a fourth place! I hope I haven’t upset anyone, it is after all just my (rather uneducated) opinion.

1st Raindrops Keep Falling on my Car.
2nd Heart in Heart
3rd Curved Space.
4th Fly on the Curve.

Honourable mention to:
Curves in Sage, Old Kilns, Take Your Pick, Lines and Curves, Selfridges, Trunk and Tusks and Newbiggin Bay.


Curves in Sage. An interesting image. I like the handrail curving through the image and leading the eye to the diners in the background. I also like the dark shape in the centre of the image and the way the other structures surround and echo the shape. Well spotted.

Grace of a Swan. I like the crop on this which concentrates the eye on that graceful curve of neck and wing. Unfortunately the head and neck are rather out of focus but it’s still a lovely image.

V8 Curve. Lovely, shiny old car and yes, pretty much all curves. A very effective crop and I like the way the reflections accentuate the curve of the wheel arch.

Hotel Staircase. Wonderful bold curves formed by the red carpets and the zigzag pattern of the steps. The image is a little bit soft all over. Well spotted though.

Old Kilns, Bank Top, Rosedale Abbey, North Yorkshire. I like the way you’ve practically given the address for this one so we can all find it! Lovely repeating pattern of curves diminishing with distance and all created with straight lines. Loads of interest in the brickwork and the foreground and beautifully sharp from front to back. Looks like a place well worth visiting.

Take your Pick. I wish I could! Such beautiful instruments. You’ve taken these from a wonderful angle which shows off the lovely curves of the body and the elegantly shaped f-holes cut into the front. The tones are lovely and suits the subject well and I like the relatively narrow depth of field. Beautifully lit from the window.

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Car. I do like this very well seen abstract image. It took me a few moments to work out quite what it was. You could have taken it on a dry day, but the raindrops definitely make this stand out. The lighting is excellent and creates wonderful shapes with the shadows. This, with the crop, made a fascinating image from an otherwise pretty mundane object – a car door handle!

Untitled. Glorious curved bands of rich blues and gold very effectively set against a dark background. It looks almost as though someone has captured all the different blues of the sky in a net. Wonderful image.

Spread your wings. Good B&W conversion capturing the haunting shadows of the face, and bringing out the form and textures of the sculpture. I love the way the curves of the stone wings are echoed in those of the bird high above. I do think it may improve the image to lose the building so it is just him against that lovely sky.

Heart in Heart. This is a wonderful image, very effectively composed and with a depth of field which complements the subject perfectly as does the B&W conversion. The high ISO has resulted in some noise but this does not detract from the image, rather it adds to it. Very well seen and beautifully photographed.

Lines and Curves. The manipulation of the straight lines in the fabric has produced and accentuated the curves. A simple idea which produces a lovely, very well composed abstract image.

Selfridges. I like the perspective of this shot of a building which is all curves. The eye is caught by the wonderful sunburst, follows the line of the bridge to the sunlit circles at the top, and then slides down to the foreground. Attractive, wispy clouds give interest to the sky too.

Wakefield Canal Walk. An interesting view of the canal and lock very nicely framed by the curve of the bridge and its reflection. The path is an excellent lead in line, taking the viewers eye from the bit of railing to the lock and boat beyond. Some nice rippley reflections give interest in the water. There is quite a big blank area of water but you’d have lost half your curve if it was cropped off. Maybe damping the highlights a little would bring out some more texture there. Otherwise very nicely seen and executed.

Female Curves. Lighting and movement are conditions which make this a difficult shot but you’ve done a great job. The high ISO means it’s not pin sharp but there is a sense of movement which stops her from simply hanging in space. The curves are definitely there; it might have been nice to see a bit more of her head but given the position she’s in I get the feeling she’s just about to flip over. I like the inclusion of quite a lot of the audience below which gives context and an idea of how high she’s flying. The light at the top of the image picks her out of the gloom beautifully. Lovely shades of blue too.

Cooper Memorial Chapel Door. A good image of an unusual and striking chapel door. It certainly fills the requirements with that beautiful lattice work. I do think the image could be improved by cropping off some of the floor in front of the door bringing the viewer closer to the subject. This image makes me want to know more about the building altogether.

Big Sky Parasail. Wonderful bright colours in this image showing off the curves of the parasail. I would have been tempted to crop in both sides for greater impact. A lovely image, but sadly not taken with a pentax camera.

Right Hand Bend. An interesting image of the curve of the road following the curve of the Derwent through Matlock. Lots to see; I like the detail in the rooves and the tiny but neat front gardens which also follow the same curve. Nicely done.

Trunk and Tusks. A rather different perspective of an elephant with this original, well composed, close up shot. The tight curve of the trunk shows just how incredibly flexible it is. The background has been dropped out of focus to avoid distracting the viewer from the wealth of texture in the subject. A fascinating photo.

Partial Solar Eclipse. Simple but effective image, cleverly shot.

The Fly on the Curve. This image is a lovely, elegant composition; leading the eye from the corner through the picture. Perfect depth of field and nicely lit. The spider’s work is fascinating with the interesting potential for a macabre ending for the fly. I would just crop the light strip on the left hand side of the image as having noticed it, I find it distracting, but otherwise a really wonderful image.

Newbiggin Bay. A very nicely composed coastal shot. I like the curve of the beach and the concentric curves created by the waves. The walkers, the houses in the distance and the lovely sky add further interest to this peaceful scene.

Explosive Curves. An interesting abstract. I first thought it was a light painting but you’d have to be very energetic to produce this! No particular focal point but my eye keeps exploring all the fascinating squiggles.

Curved Space. A beautiful composition of swirling light and shade around the flower’s stamen. Lovely subtle colours; altogether a gorgeous image.

A fantastic turnout for this one. Thank you for such a lightning fast judgement, complete with excellent critiques to end a great contest.
Super winner and congratulations to the other podiums (and thank you for mine too).

Congrats David, placegetters and fellow HMs. Another good comp, well done.

Fantastic challenge this, and as usual, a fantabulous range of interpretations and techniques. I so enjoyed viewing all of these images, with several invoking "I wish I took that" response. Thanks Moonraker, for the challenge, and excellent comments and critiques. For a first time judge, you've done superbly well. Congratulations Davidtrout, glorious winning image, and worthy winner. creative photography at its best! Extended congrats to Jockey1, Davidwozhere and Dromfit. And to my fellow Hm's Tyronet2000, JAK, i-berg, Simonmac, and Stephen-s. Thanks for the HM which, given the high standard displayed here, I will gladly accept.

Congratulations to the Winner and other places. Thanks to Sally for the interesting subject, the judging and the comprehensive comments and thanks also for awarding me an honorable mention.

Congratulations to the winner and fellow podia.... I have always liked this shot... but I might have to clone out the background bush, rather than crop.
I agree with Noel on the "I wish I took that" feeling... especially that winner of a shot. That's more the sort of shot my beloved wife would take along with "Take your pick".... but, teehee, she doesnay use Pentax!! She's a Fujista....
Thanks to Moonraker for a great subject and almost instant judging.... and constructive technique critique.... of a fascinating set of views.

Thanks Sally for the competition, your rapid response and well considered comments. Well done particularly as this was your first judging experience. You handled it like a seasoned judge.
Thanks for my win and my congratulations to the other award winners, there were some fantastic entries in there.
Later today I shall post the next competition subject.
David

PS: I lied about the raindrops. The water came from a hose pipe but I couldn't get any inspiration for a title out of that..

A fantastic and prompt result!

We'll look forward to the new competition for sure, and also the monthly will be attended to later today if there's still no response from our winner.

Many thanks for an excellent competition.

Thanks also for the honourable mention .

Congratulations to David for the inspiring winning image, the runners-up and everyone else for another grand set of pictures.

Glyn

Has one gone missing? Sally lists Curves in Sage among the HMs but I can't see it in among the entries now on show.
David

Some are on the next page. Sent me into panic mode last time when I was judging and the winner 'vanished'. John helpfully pointed out what happened.

Congratulations to all the winners and participants; this must've been a tough one. So many amazing photographs. Thank you for taking the time to judge and comment. Always appreciated.

Tough one to judge.

Great competition and great judging.

Thank you for the HM.

All the best!

Great judgement ! Simple and effective picture - deserved winner. Wish my car was that clean !

Paul

Thanks Mags, now found it. Its been rare to get more than 20 entries in the weekly competitions recently.
I didn't think to turn the page. Tyronet's Sage picture may well have been taken when I was with him and a couple of other Pentaxians around two years ago when we met up on the Newcastle Quayside for a shoot.
David

Excellent turn out. Well done to all.

Congratulations to David a superb winning shot. Well done to sally for the competition and judging.

Regards

Paul

Congratulations to winner and everyone who placed... Thanks for my honourable mention, also thanks to Sally our judge for a well thought out subject and comments on all the images ;o)

Thanks Sally for my suprise place. Must admit, I'd have picked the same winner,really good shot David. Great subject and brilliant critique Sally. Well done to all who took part.

Thank you all for your kind and encouraging comments, it was a privilege and a pleasure; the images were wonderful. Good luck to all in future competitions.