Weekly #888 - The Colour Blue Competition

What a marvelous collection of pictures and ideas. Blue has not only been shown as a colour but in a variety of mental and perceptive aspects too. Well done everyone. And the standouts really do stand out! ....

The Blue Diamond by kasperbergholt
Pity this one wasn't a bit sharper. It leaves one puzzled even having read the explanation. The diagonal composition demands attention and the sheer bulk of it makes you want to know more.

Whitby Blues by johnriley
Only partially blue but the nature of that blue is so striking it makes up for it. An excellent portrait and I hope the model had a copy of the photo as he would surely be well pleased with it.

Riding the blue by stevistds
Nice, well balanced image - but it's mainly green. especially the trim on the loose surfboard that even overcomes the blue on the owner's wet suit! It contains 'blue' but the colours overall are very well distributed.

In the Swim by Nigelk
Really attention grabbing. Is it an abstract of someone diving in? Is it an arm or someone's hand? All these questions hit you instantly. It has a fantastic dynamic too as the tip of the (hand?) pushes the water aside and then one's eye follows that turquoise arc all the way round, back to the start again. If you overlay a 'rule of thirds' grid it's almost bang on.

Tones of Mediterranean Blue by dewsburya
A beautiful picture postcard view. There is indeed lots of blue in there but the bright orange of the boats, allied with the shoreline does tend to overwhelm it.

Glass and Sky by Simonmac
Wonderful composition. The buildings and the sky would have made a super image but then those overhead wires forcibly pull the whole thing together, especially as they are centred on the top right thirds intersection. The diagonals don't go from corner to corner but one's eye doesn't care. Their overall positioning centres the entire view in the frame. The blue sky is then suffused around all of it via those reflections in the glass.

Blue Sky by sueriley
Bbrrrr! Cold, Winter. Blue in its icy cold aspect. Even the empty, abandoned picnic table helps. Devoting most of the frame to sky shows off the stark shapes of the trees, which helps the perception of cold even more. An excellent winter photo.

Blue Solo by Flan
Definitely 'minimalist' and no argument! With that in mind, since minimalism entails removing every unnecessary element, do we need the vignette? It takes attention outward, toward the corners, to the detriment of the cormorant.

Hirta by Lubbyman
Lots of blue but there is a jarring strip of green at the bottom. Its clear definition vies with the misty lack of definition above it. I removed it (for myself, that is) and I liked the result much better as it all became cohesive.

Art Exhibit by Noelcmn
Another aspect of 'blue'- I'm presuming to denote 'unhappy'? I love the way you have isolated this. Given its intent it needs that isolation to focus one's mind. Beautifully photographed, you have captured what the sculptor wanted to express very well.

I am completely unable to separate Simon's and Nigel's submissions. They are different in themselves but each has almost identical technical merits to do with their composition. Frame them, set them in front of an audience and you would probably get a 50 - 50 split of opinion!
That said, Noel's interpretation of the sad, sculpted head (or mask?) just smacks straight out of its frame in a raw presentation, perfectly suited to both blue as a colour and as an idea.

1st Art Exhibit by Noelcmn
Joint runners-up
In the Swim by Nigelk and
Glass and Sky by Simonmac

Brilliant! What a colour blue is and these are really striking examples. The winner is superb, smacking us straight between the eyes in its simplistic and powerful drama.

Thanks, davidwozhere, for a stimulating competition - it made me realise just how infrequently blue figured large in my photos except as sky or water. And a very worthy winner, too. Quite striking. The original artist should perhaps share some of the credit - I'd love to see the sculpture in the flesh, so to speak.

As for the green streak in my photo... it's interesting to get the opinion of someone who wasn't there when the photo was taken. For me, the green streak helps to give a sense of location and distance - it was taken from about 400ft up a hill, the green streak anchors it to that place in my mind and evokes certain memories and emotions. Without it, it might have been taken from the deck of a ship. But someone who wasn't there at the time necessarily looks at the photo quite differently. So thanks, Mr Davidwozhere, for such a thought-provoking comment!

Steve

Well, that was a surprise, though I'm quite chuffed that my many visits to the Gallery has paid some dividends. Frankly, I do no like looking at the pic, it's a tad hard hitting, especially given that Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a harsh prevalent reality in South Africa. As this was taken in 2015, I doubt if I will be able to get the artists name (Did not record it at the time) but what I do remember is that it was a fascinating exhibition, and most likely, all of them have been sold by now, usually to international clients.
Thank you David for the win, your kind words, and for the Challenge and the C&C's. Congrats to Nigelk ( an intriguing image and the one I thought had it in the bag so to speak) and Simonmac, I echo the words of Johnriley- What a color blue is.
I'll have a new challenge up shortly.

Well done Noel, a striking photograph, "blue in the face from it" , as it were
well done to the podiums of Nigelk and Simonmac both very worthy entries.

Great comments and critique from host Davidwoz and interesting competition also.
Yes the vignette on my own submission was unnecessary and only spotted it, when entered

Thank you for setting the competition, your observations and for my placing.

I keep coming back to the fantastic winning shot.....I could swear that it talks to me.....

All the best