Weekly Competition #114 - Distance Competition

Some great photography there.
As usual, it's just the judges opinion

Tony-O - Between the Living and the Dead.FF B-W.
I like this image Tony, Although I prefer the close crop of the colour version in the gallery and the BW of this one. It really works in the context of this competition and now doesn't need a title. If the tomb had just been a wall it would still be a good image but the extra meaning of living and dead gives it more. Just needs a tighter crop.

Dr. Mhuni - Bridge too far
Really nice image, instant sense of distance. I think I would have crouched down to get a more dramatic perspective. Great colours, tones and sharpness. I have found myself looking at it for longer than its simplicity would suggest.

darlene - Trussell
I love structures like this. Nice colours. Shame about the bush - bottom left. I would like to see a more dramatic angle (standing closer to the bridge) and maybe combining 2 or 3 exposures to give the sky some tone. (but not HDR as such), Maybe a graduated filter. I feel the bridge cuts across the image somewhat, but doesn't lead anywhere. But it is a pleasant, tranquil and interesting shot.

nathanever82 - Looking Away
I like the look of this, Strong shapes, good meaty tones. I like the way the figure is sitting like part of the structure, but in the context of this competition, it looses its way when you can see she is just sunbathing rather than being lost in distant thoughts.

organicimagery - Pondering distance
Nice thoughtful image, with a pleasing composition. But for me the haziness doesn't work in Black and white. Instead of looking atmospheric it just looks like it needs adjusting. The composition and points of interest are still there when the contrast is corrected. As a stating point, try going into 'Levels' and pull the black in to 14, the white to somewhere around 220 and the centre slider to 86 then toggle the 'undo' you may see my dilemma. I also cropped it top and bottom and removed the sensor gunk from the sky (wink)

bforbes - Off Fishing
Nice image, lovely colours and exposure, good sense of distance. I normally like big skies, and the bottom segment, really the essence of the picture, has some lovely aspects. However, the bottom looks squashed and insignificant. If you crop out at least half the sky the image is improved dramatically. I went as far as cropping it so the horizon is in the top third (almost no sky) and the effect is striking to say the least. Have a go. Lots of potential here. Be brave!

sureshpardeshi - keep distance
Thanks for the brave first post Suresh, (now rotated and replaced in this position)
I like your interpretation of distance. It's a funny and interesting photo, but it has something of a 'snapshot' quality, with no real composition as such.

Bluejohn - Wild Blue Yonder
Gorgeous photo, great sense of distance. I feel a little constrained and keep wanting to see more each side and especially, more of the shapes and less of the pale blue, unless the sun beams could be emphasised some how.
First job though - a sensor clean! or set the clone tool to work.

Snappycaz - A long way back or where did we park the car?
I'm waiting for an Everest shot, but for now (as I write) you take the honour of furthest Horizon from this wonderful vantage point. What gorgeous colours!
With this image my eyes wander around and ultimately settle on the frustrating glimpse of escarpment in the foreground. More please.

mr.mellow - Into the distance
Fond memories of this place. what a fabulous bridge. Very clear sense of distance, lovely sharp image and beautiful colour, especially on the unconverted image - I keep forgetting to convert my AdobeRGB images too
This is the sort of angle I would have chosen, but actually, looking at it here, it results in a slightly unbalanced image and I want to crop off the land on the left so its all bridge. Do you have any pointing in the same direction but from under the bridge?

johnriley - Recessive Recession
Nice idea, very striking. You had me guessing for quite a while, but eventually the flaws gave the game away. I'm quite fond of the colours and texture in the floor, you might find me knocking at your inbox asking for the original to use in a composite of my own.

Bill_And - Harvest.
Nice composition, screams out distance. Maybe the tree could come in a little from the edge. Love the sky. Don't like the underexposed areas or the green tinge over the ground.

Draken - Beggar
Great photo. Like the treatment. Not sure about the crop. I think it would look better still, if you crop into just the beggar and woman. Beggar in bottom third and no ceiling. I also think it would talk of distance more poignantly if the woman was just next to the beggar but striding past without noticing.
But a great picture none the less.

simonarthurs - Distant from Lynmouth
Can I see the Welsh coast on the horizon? I'm not sure, might be a trick of the light. So this becomes a picture of an unattractive, grey, stony beach.
I would prefer less grey and the foreground interest leading out to whatever distant object you are alluding to in your title.

Prieni - Keep your distance
Another astonishingly clear and colourful shot - screams out Prieni!
Very poignant, and novel interpretation. Great picture, good one for the stock libraries

mattox - Rye Pier
Lovely shot to take you back to a happy place. For the rest of us tho', it must stand on its own, and in this respect it has some failings.
I don't know what options were available to you for moving around, but I don't like the way the posts lead to the edge of the picture rather than into the image and some point of interest.
The horizon needs to be leveled.
The expanse of featureless sea and sky doesn't help the image but it does look inviting.
Despite these things I am quite drawn to the image - perhaps it's the tonal quality, the sea (I love sea) and the interesting wooden posts.

GlynM - Distant Cathedral
Nice sense of distance, but er... that's about it for me! It's a bit of a snap shot. It records a sunny day over Guildford. Needs a better composition with a better sense that the cathedral is the subject rather than just sticking up in the middle of the picture... and some more interesting weather - Showers and sun beams preferably.

Hyram - Foreshore and Far Shore
Nice picture of an aggressively defensive teasel, I would have submitted this with a 'keep your distance' style title, or nothing descriptive at all.
As your title has made us look at the shorelines, the image now has little going for it. The image is of a teasel and not leading the eye to the far shore at all. So for me, it can go no further in this competition.

Steve Chasey - country road NZ style
Great sense of reaching out into the distance - I want to be on my longboard heading down that hill. I'm afraid that for me it's an unremarkable picture tho'. I feel the need to increase the saturation and remove the blue cast. I want more interest and I reckon a landscape format would help there as the road itself isn't enough.

mecrox - Slow Afternoon at the Funfair
Now we are talking! As I write this, mecrox is the clear winner.
The title is unnecessary, plus I reckon she would look like that on a busy day anyway. What a fantastic face, she is miles away
A perfect response to this competition and a brilliant photo in it's own right - well done!

terje-l - Quo Vadis
Great bridge, rather ordinary shot.
Lovely colour in the sky but in the absence of lots of cloud perspective - rather too much of it.
Looks like the bridge gets a whole lot more interesting further along.
Not for me this shot, sorry.

Danny_boy - Communication tower
Wow, that's a lot of tower for one TV dish
Unfortunately it's a drab and uninventive picture. more effort please ! Sorry, didn't mean to be harsh...

mikew - Measuring a distance
The plastic vernier gauge in an antique carb ruins this for me and the fact that it isn't measuring properly, just kinda hanging there makes things worse. Sorry Mike, Nice and sharp where it matters tho'

Jyrkira - Spark plug
These descriptions used to not be allowed and I preferred this contest when no descriptions were given. To me this is obviously all about the 'plug gap', and even to the uninitiated, the fact that the gap is perfectly in focus and the rest isn't, is description enough.
This is a very nicely taken photo, would make a great reference shot. I like the angle and the black background and it is well lit.
Good idea!

Sandy - Jumping Distance.
This is a lovely shot, but it says height (and a few other obvious things) but not 'distance'.

randall85 - View of Paris
I heard you weren't allowed to photograph the Eiffel Tower?
Nice shot, very novel view and perfect for this competition. I like the processing.

JudithAnn - The CanadianPrairies...
Wow, Judith, what a lovely shot, I bet you love this don't you? Well, I'm pretty captivated myself
Not at all keen on the the burnt out sun tho'. For me this is too intrusive.
My eye isn't led off to the far distant horizon, but instead over to the nearby trees and that big white blob.
It says Summer and morning and abundance but not really distance.
I took a few seconds to open it in PhotoShop and clone out the sun, at first just by 50% and then fully and I think it is better for it. Just my opinion though.

PentaxRocks - The Green Bridge Of Wales
Lovely picture, technically spot on I would say and very commercial too I reckon. But it's a picture of the 'bridge' and just happens to have stuff a long way off. So not a winner here, but maybe on a different competition.

ASheridan - Strauss Faces the first ball
Another image with things that happen to be a little way off, but not really an image which says 'distance'. I'm afraid the photo itself is a bit uninspiring too.

MarjutL - Morning walk
This is a captivating image. I quite like the extra narrative provided by the walkway and figure walking.
However, if you crop the image just above the figure you are left with a sensational image which would look great about 100cm wide!
Beautiful shot, and could be a winner but I am drawn to the less obvious interpretations, so maybe not this time.

MoshTerlecky - Greenwhich foot tunnel
That's a great photo! Love the processing, although it might be worth extracting some texture from the black foreground.
I like it.

thoughton - A track well travelled
Powerful shot, like it, have you tried BW?

1st - mecrox
2nd - MarjutL
3rd - Prieni

Honorable mentions (no particular order):
Jyrkira
Dr Mhuni
randall85
and quit a few more!

Congratulations to mecrox - a great candid shot.

Many thanks to Darkmunk for the competition and the judging.

I should have thought more about my title but it was a last minute substitute

Prieni's was my favourite but then they quite often are

Mecrox, how did you manage to take that with a 70mm lens and still live to show the picture? Excellent (and brave!)

Congratulations to mecrox and the other winners. Thanks to to Darkmunk for the quick judging and his comments on my entry, I'll give them a try.

Congratulations mecrox, great picture! And good for you that you are allowed to present it without consent. Wouldn't work in ye goode olde Germany without a model release.
With or without consent, I imagine it ever so hard to get it right in the first place. And you nailed it here. Well done!

Darkmunk, you got yourself your work cut out again this week. This was not easy to judge, many great entries again. Thanks for awarding me 3rd place.

Prieni

Good job Darkmunk. Some nice images this round. Thanks for the judging and my HM. Congrats to the winners, especially Mecrox - a clear winner for me too.

Great judging and, I think, this is the first week I've fully agreed with the judge.

Congrats to Mecrox...here's hoping I can get an entry in for next week.

Good quick marking Darkmunk which must have taken a long time and an excellent winning shot.

Mike

Congrade to Mecrox and the other Winners Thanks Darkmunk for the great judging.....Keep you distance, by Prieni's was my favourite too.

Excellent Judging on some very good photos.
I will be posting one of the Millau Viaduct from below soon.

Thanks for the nice words Darkmunk! And congratulations for the other winners as well.