Weekly Competition # 179 - 'Adversity' Competition

ALERT - JUDGING PROBLEM

Last night (Saturday) I was up to date with my judging comments (prepared in Word).

I have been out all day (catching up on Christmas preparations) and I have come home to find that my computer refuses to start up Windows (possibly a hard drive failure).

My only means of communication to the outside world is via my Notebook, so rather than try and assess the latest entries on a tiny Notebook screen, I am planning to complete the judging tomorrow morning using my work computer.

I will post the results - 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. but there will not initially be any judging comments as these are currently inaccessible.

I hope that the IT man that I have used in the past will get my main computer running and then I will be able to add the comments for each entry.

So many apologies and did I tell you how much I hate computers

Apologies for the delay and the lack of comments at the moment, but at least I have made it into work, although I am not too sure about the journey home.

Many thanks to everyone for entering at this busy time of year. I hope to be able to add comments for each entry once my computer has been sorted out.

However, a computer failure is totally trivial, compared to the poverty, hunger, strife etc. that exists in the world.

So, on with the results :-

1st Place - Brand New / Second Hand - Dr. Mhuni
2nd Place - All That Jazz - Aliengrove
3rd Place - Adversity for a Seven Year Old is... - Dr. Orloff

Highly Commended - An Accident - AxelLuther
Highly Commended - Overcoming Adversity - toner_monkey
Highly Commended - The Old Man and His Field - thoughton

Well done Doc M and all of the placegetters.

All the best Hyram for the recovery.

After all the hard work judging is, what a blow to have the computer crash. Congratulations to all our fine winners!

We'll look forward to your comments as and when you can Hyram, but in the meantime many thanks for getting a result in.

Great, many thanks for making the effort to get an early result up Hyram when facing your own adversity - and for choosing my entry as the winner.

Good luck with your hard drive.

Will post a new topic later. Thinking hat going on...

Well done all - thanks for your efforts Hyram - glad the `puter is sorted - thanks John for the upload advice too.

Tony

Well done Dr Mhunia and Dr Orloff, both great pictures! Congrats too to the Highly Commended. And thanks for my second place, Hyram! I look forward to reading all your comments, should your computer recovery be successful. Hope it works out!

Well done Dr Mhuni, that's a superb shot, one of the best I've seen on this site in ages.

Congratulations Dr Mhuni, Aliengrove and Dr Orloff, they are all great images worthy of the top three places, and well done to my fellow highly commended entrants. I'm in good company

Thanks Hyram for commending my picture and for your efforts to post a result with all the problems.

Many congratulations and much kudos to the worthy winners and the commended entries. A pleasure to view all your excellent shots. Plus an honourable mention to all other entrants

really great shots this week (my favorit is not even under the first 6 - so also great diversity). Hyram, I know exactly what you must have felt (had a similar problem with one of my judgings this year) but as ou said - there are real problems in the world - so thanks so much that you also brought this back to our minds.

Thanks for competition Hyram. I look forward to reading your comment when you can your 'puter sorted out. Conratulations to those on the podium, all well desreved.

First – apologies for the delay in posting the comments, caused by a hard drive failure on my computer. The computer has now been rebuilt with a new hard drive and the data recovered.

Second – the usual disclaimer that what follows are just my personal thoughts and I hope that nobody will be upset and perhaps a few might agree with some of what I have said !

As I had hoped – a huge variety of ideas in interpreting the ‘adversity’ theme that demonstrate the power of the camera to tell – or hint – at a story.


DrOrloff – Adversity for a Seven Year Old is…

Well you definitely get the award for being first off the mark ! Black & white really suits portraits, I think. It makes you really focus on what the photo is saying. The whole stance, especially the disgruntled mouth and resentful dark eyes say ‘I’m fed up…’ Good clarity, nice crop although I would have cropped it just a shade closer on the left hand side. I don’t remember being a 7 year old (too long ago) but I do remember as a child that quite minor issues made you feel as though your whole world has fallen in. It is only as an adult that you get a more balanced perspective of life.

Sandinista – Crumbling

A building that has fallen on hard times and, as you say, what of the people…. Alternatively you could think that the building is being demolished to make way for a new development – regeneration that will create new jobs. Working in the property world, I would tend to think the latter. Nice composition, good colours in the rubble and clarity. Unusually the graffiti is a bonus. Quite a subtle photo that says – or suggests – a lot. I might have knocked the ISO down a touch.

AxelLuther – An accident?

Photos that tell – or hint at – a story are so intriguing! That football (as you say -cause, coincident?) is a nice extra detail. Was this a moment of misfortune or did it lead to a greater misfortune – we don’t know. And why just one track in the frost? Anyway, it leads the eye into the picture very well and the detail of the road surface in the foreground is good.

I’m relieved that sitting in the middle of the road to take this didn’t cause another accident: did you have someone guarding your rear?

Sorry to see that the Black Forest appears as cluttered with road signs as everywhere else these days, which detracts from the photo just a little – as well as the scenery.

I like the low vantage point and the crop.

VonBatCat - G Otter get out of here

… or maybe they thought you had brought the wire cutters or a key? Nice one of (unconscious?) comedy performances from these four, furry friends. You’ve done well in poorish lighting to capture the detail in the paws and coat and those dangling tails are good too. Have you all noticed there is real, serious intent in those four pairs of eyes – definitely looking for the escape route! I might have cropped it to remove some of the extraneous detail.

aliengrove – All that jazz

Attractive portrait, with good detail and, again, I like the B&W treatment. I think I might have cropped the sides a little to reduce distracting bits and pieces, like the seated figure in a white T-shirt on the left. I wondered if the cyclist might also be cropped but, if you do that, you lose the intriguing solitary trainer in the tray and, overall, there is a nice sweep to the photo from foreground left to more distant right, which works well. So I guess you were right to leave in. Good if you could zap the figure in the background, just by the busker’s head. But I am being picky.

Dr.Mhuni – Brand new/second hand

As a thumbnail I thought that this looked like a Dr. M. entry

Really thoughtful juxtaposition of ease and plenty set against meagre poverty. It’s a nice overall composition, with your usual, crisp focus and the single figure is a very good point of detail. I think I might have cropped the top edge where the roof shadow doesn’t add anything, although it does balance the kerb line at the bottom. A great entry, making a real point.

bforbes – In the face of …

.. have a cup of tea! Heartfelt: we’ve all endured the dripping rain, the grey and the cold on what should be our sunny holidays! This tells a nice story and the sombre adults contrast well with the little boy who looks happy enough!

Nice sharp detail with a pleasing palette of blues and greens. Ideally, I would have removed the shopping bag from the scene to improve the photo – but perhaps they were total strangers and would think you were nicking their sarnies!
Perhaps more at the bottom of the image and less at the top might help, although feet are rarely worth seeing.

johnriley – Beauty in Adversity

As a thumbnail, I guessed this a typically idiosyncratic entry from JR (meant as a compliment). Rather poignant, I thought initially but then it brilliantly reminded me of Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in ‘Death Becomes Her’, which is a lovely black comedy about the (fruitless) pursuit of everlasting youth and beauty. Right at the end, the aged Meryl and Goldie are helping each other down a flight of steps and fall, breaking into pieces…

But back to the photograph - very sharp, as for all of John’s photos. Would it have worked in B&W I wonder ? Where was it taken ?

JudithAnn - Unseasonal weather … December Fog in Canada?

I guess we have swapped weather patterns. Our usual damp, cold autumn fog has deserted us for lots of snow – even in southern England – and the weatherman kindly promises us there is more on the way!

I would crop this a bit to raise the bottom edge so there is a line from verge to verge, which concentrates the eyes on the approaching vehicle lights, and chop out those little bits of foliage on the far RH side. The colours are, of course, very subdued but soft and give a little bit of a lift but oh for a stray ray of sun light and a little less fog. Perhaps enhancing those headlights in PS would help to give a lift ?

johnedwinagar – Adversity over

Relief all round, I’m sure. I assume that this was a real rescue, rather than a training exercise. Nicely taken with good focus: hovering helicopters sway about quite a bit. There seems to be a hazy halo around the helicopter – created by the exhaust maybe and the reddish object there is distracting. Shame how reality can get in the way of a good shot!

joanjbberry - Misfortune – why it always rains in Cheshire, England

It is unexpected how pollution can sometimes produce rather beautiful images and if this were a little sharper it would be very dramatic. I would have cropped it slightly. I must like symmetry because I would probably have raised the RH side of the photo very slightly so all the cooling towers form a straight line, which contrasts with the curvy, billowing smoke and steam clouds. Very good blue/pink/purple colours. There is a strange mark in the bottom LH corner that could be usefully cloned out. I think that I would also try tinkering with the contrast.

mudge - After the Storm

Good to see an entry taken on an Optio. I must be getting unobservant – had to read the description to see what was wrong with this nice sunny study that could suggest ‘adversity’. Given that windmills are designed to catch the wind, it must have been quite a storm!

I couldn’t enlarge it – I wanted to read the red warning sign – but think it says ‘property closed’. A nice image with attractive shades of blue but it does not say ‘adversity’ to me.

Toner_monkey – Overcoming adversity

Pleased to see someone has used a good action shot of overcoming adversity. Inevitably the standing figures are something of a distraction but obviously they are part of the scene. The foreground figure is a winner – very sharp, the arms, neck and face all concentrated effort and athleticism that bely the wheelchair. Very well taken at just the right moment before racquet and ball make contact and the colours are good.

Kosh – Cold Robin

This bright, almost spherical robin is lovely and sits well against the contrasting brown, black and white background of hedgerow and snow. He looks quite perky so obviously fluffing up the feathers works a treat and I hope he isn’t too hungry in the harsh cold (which has returned today with a vengeance).. It looks like what little light there was isn’t quite enough to give this photo just the extra bit of sharpness it needs and I also think I would have cropped it just a bit (to the bottom and left hand edges. The snow looks rather grey and a bit of tinkering is needed to produce a whiter snow effect – there has been a recent post on this problem in the Forum.

DoctorJeff – Should have bought that tumble dryer

A good idea, although I am not sure if the inability to hang one’s clothes outside or take the rotary dryer down in December really counts as ‘adversity.

Unfortunate juxtaposition with the plant frame in the background, but the sunlight on the frozen lines works well. I think a closer crop is called for probably coupled with some cloning of extraneous items. A frozen item of clothing left hanging on the line would have been nice !

gabeion – When is Spring Again ??????

My sentiments exactly although regrettably the photograph does not really indicate adversity, merely some cold weather.

An interesting idea, but unfortunately the bright light source is on the ‘out of focus’ background and the subject matter is in the shade. I think that a brightly lit leaf and a shady background would have worked better. But it still would not say ‘adversity’ to me.

Timcx500e - Caged

Another caged ‘animal’ and also taken against the light, which makes life difficult for the photographer.

Definitely adversity has struck for this poor bird and one can only hope that he / she was born in captivity and was not captured, having known the joy of being free.

Inevitably all that wire has not helped the image, but not much you could have done about that.

However I do wonder why you opted for a landscape crop, which has resulted in more wire being visible.

Definitely an on-theme entry, but it needs better light to make a better impact.

thoughton – The Old Man and his Field

An interesting, well observed entry. It works well in black and white. I like the parallel lines of boulders that define the terraces (presumably) and the implement that has been discarded to allow him to work the ground with his hands.

As an image it definitely says ‘adversity’ to me although he may well be happier than many with wealth who don’t normally face any adversity.

ArsenAl – What we Breathe

Something completely different – an interesting use of the Pentax (presumably) 10-17 fish-eye at its extreme end.

I like the crop but think that I would prefer a touch more land at the bottom in the middle. Would the very dark land benefit a touch of lightening ?

A great sky and good blue with the smoke merging with the clouds.

If I had to guess a title for this image, it would be ‘global warming’ or ‘pollution’ or ‘industrial landscape’ but not ‘adversity’, although no doubt many would disagree.

peterm23 – Running On

A very nice wintry scene – almost black and white. Good composition with the runner drawing your eye through the photograph to the background.

A very nice entry that I am drawn to and stands out as a thumbnail but like some of the other entries, it does not say ‘adversity’ to me - the runner is quite probably enjoying a good workout in crisp conditions.

TOZZA27 – Careful Tenants !!!!!!!

I was so stunned by this one that I am not sure what to say !

As someone who works in the property / construction industry, I am naturally shocked.

It is the sort of photograph that I take for work when wandering some old, neglected building that I would much rather not be in.

The image has converted well to digital and tells its story well, but naturally does fall into the category of great photography.

Thank you for the entry and I guess that ultimately it was the dentist who suffered from a dose of adversity, when the judgement was announced.




The awards have already been announced but there is one further award :-

Best Actress Award – Dr Orloff’s daughter. Well, I think she was acting!!!

Thanks Hyram, and very glad your computer problem has been sorted, especially that the data has been recovered.

Thanks Hyram - kind comments indeed - and yes it was a sort of Pyrrhic victory in the end - he was found against by the High Court and we were awarded our £20k costs,and he had to quit the premises - it was subsequently sold for conversion into 4 flats.Sadly he then brought a claim for "moneys expended on the upkeep of the property over 30 years" !!!!I went through his account totalling £80k and got it down to £3000.He tried to bribe the Surveyor appointed by the court who helpfully informed my people !! Sadly we were badly represented in the hearing and somehow got done for £9k costs which was a bit of a blow !Eh ho !! Such is life - he lives his miserable millionaire life in Jersey now as a tax exile and we get on with ours ..............at least I managed to beat him for my uncle who suffered mentally for years as a lodger in his own house.

Tony