Weekly Competition #152 - Duotone Competition

The diversity entry pleasantly surprise me and they are all off high quality as well, I couldn't wish for more.

I’m only sorry it was not always clear what they subject of the entry was but I’m glad it worked out to these results.



Galoot - Pittenweem Harbour
The photo on his own is very nice, the composition is one of the strongest points. There is a nice flow in the photo and for once the weather is good in the UK, the clouds finish the photo.
Too bad you got a very open part in the left lower corner but that’s all.
The only sad thing is that I don’t find that the duotone enhance your photo. The “purple” makes the photo a bit depressing while I don’t feel that from the photo, maybe a lighter tone would have been better.

Johnriley - Alas The Perfection of Nature Fades
Wonderful photo and it feels like something old even the background looks almost like an ornament to complete the picture. The tone is I thinking very suiting and is pleasant to the eyes.
The only remark I can think of is that you maybe should have cropped a bit from the right side so that the flower would be more in the centre.

Hyram – Curvaceous
Daring tone you used with the photo and I think I like it. The curve and the shadows and the reflection that play together. At some points it almost looks like water, lovely effect.
Too bad though that the logo is so prominent in the photo since it draws a lot of attention although without it, it wouldn’t have worked either. Maybe you could have make it slightly less visible but that’s a matter of taste most likely.

Aluther - Crawling the Building
Great to see so many techniques coming together in your photo and go along really well together.
You also have a lot of luck with the nicely clouded air that reflects in the glass.
I like how the organic part of the photo is warmly coloured and the mechanical side is cold, don’t know if you thought this way but if you reversed the colours it wouldn’t have worked I believe.
There is not much to say more about it only that you did very well and that I’m glad you took the risk of submitting such a photo. Not everyone would have liked it.

Cardiff_gareth - Pink Rose
Already have seen this one before Gareth and I liked it then and I still liked it now.
The Lighting is really good with your photo, the shadows and highlights give the flower dept that it needs. I believe I gave the advice to use a milder colour tone and I still think it would work better because it would make the photo calmer and brighter, the colour is quite depressing, the same as with Galoot photo. For the rest I wouldn’t change a bit about your photo, it’s super.

Aliengrove - 4pm
A nice tri-tone without any selective colouring I believe and also two colours that don’t blend easy so kudos for that, it’s hard to get that right. The composition of the photo could be slightly better though, it’s just not it. I think you should have taken a step back and place the sundial on the 1/3th line on the left so that you get more off the right in the photo. By the looks of it you would only get more dark in your photo but that perfect since the brighter sundial draws your eye to it. For the rest a very nice photo.
Btw, it’s one of the few clocks where they know how to write IV since most of the time they use IIII .

Belinda B. - Summer's End
Great entry just like the rest. The composition is just right and the tone brings over the feeling off the decaying off the flower off dead in the photo so you scored some points with that. The only thing I would have done is break away the leaf in the right lower corner. I know it’s part of the plant but without it more attention would go to leading actor so to say.

i-Berg - The Mill in the Mist
What a lovely photo is that, I never had much luck with mist so I can only admire your photo.
You have chosen the same kind of duotone I would have done, the subtle warm tone creates the illusion of the sun that’s about to break the mist. Oh and I like the depth in the photo the mist makes, the darker tree in the foreground and the more you look in the distance the more grey it becomes.
If I must be really critical, next time you should take with you a chainsaw to make that bush in the foreground disappear.

Joel67 - Golden rose
The abstractness is very speaking off the photo and the bold golden tone only makes it better.
This a very hard piece for me to judge, there are some parts about the lighting I wished it might be better but then you would have lost that great effect you’ve now that amazes me.
Maybe you should have cropped a bit more so that it becomes a square format, you would have lost some of the amazing long effects but the photo would become more submersive (is that a word?).

Darlene- Tower of terror
I wanted to say I would have loved to see a subtler tint but the title fits this perfectly. The colour really make your photo grim, I wouldn’t want to stay in that hotel.
The composition does work well also, although when I think about it, it shouldn’t be that good but it is. I also love the fact that the duotone makes the words less visible, the always attract quite some attention of your eyes because you want to read it. A very nice photo which would’ve been very different without the toning I think.

DrOrloff – Acer
Do you know that you sometime don’t like something but you can’t lay a finger on it, that’s the same I’ve with your photo and I know you can do better than this. I liked though that you really dared to use such a colour, it does not make the photo better I believe but it changes it, it makes the leafs almost look evil or deadly. The composition works also well, the three leaves form a good balance.
It’s just like I said that the photo doesn’t work for me and I don’t see anything to improve it.

Jyrkira - Swedish reindeers
Lovely animals aren’t they and to see them in the wild is stunning. The tone works well I think, it makes it photo colder and that’s perfect since there is snow and all so it’s cold. The composition is also very nice it’s only the exposure that is letting it down. The snow is too “grayish” I think and it should be white so your photo should be slightly brighter, I think it would make it more catchy.

Tomw - Rail Lines
I still remember you B&W version of this one but I like this version better, the tone just put more life in to the photo and make it more pleasant to look at. The rails makes a really nice turn that flows through the photo and help guide your eyes through the photo.
I think you should lose some sky and crop it off till the tree top and the right side, it would improve the competition a bit I believe, for the rest it’s a great entry.

Bforbes - The Way to Whistler
Great photo. I like how the sides in the front brings tension to the mountain behind it which is nicely exposed. The tone helps the photo I believe, at least it’s very natural and cold and that fist well.
There is nothing more to say, it’s a stunning photo.

GlynM - Golden Ball
I really like your entry. It’s creative, the colours are just right, pleasant to the eye and you took a photo of something reflective which can be very hard to light but you did it very well.
The returning pattern is also great and precisely under the right angle.
Just a great photo and I don’t see anything to improve it.

Bluejohn - Whitby Harbour
The few number of elements in your photo make it look calm and the tone enhance that a bit.
I believe the tone is applied to uneven or at least it gives that illusion but I like that. The movements of the waves alone is almost a subject on his own and the fight against the barrier and the calmer water it protects or held prison, still not sure which.

Gartmore – Cumbria
Great photo, I like how the tone make it more glooming then it already is but the rays of sunlight gives hope for something better. The silhouettes of the mountains are very nice and work well together, I think many would have taken the urge to make that be exposed perfect but I’m glad you didn’t, it’s a stunning photo.

Doctorjeff - Orleans Cathedral
Indeed too bad of the modern cars or else the photo would have looked older then it is.
I think you burned out a bit too much but since it’s done with film, I will see it through the fingers.
The composition of the photo is quite strong I think, it’s one of the best things off the photo.

JudithAnn - Duotone of Pink and Green
What did you do to the photo, have you done some selective colouring or something like that, I surely find it creative and it makes the photo pop so to say and the car is very green.
I really like how the man stand proudly leaning against the green monster.
The only grudge I have is that I find the composition too narrow, it feels a bit restricting if you know what I mean. For the rest I really like it.

Malcolm leader - Maldon sunrise duotone.
Once again a bold duotone, it’s hard to make them work I think but it does work with your photo.
The tone makes it look dark, almost regrettable or mad that the water is gone for the boat.
There is also quite a lot to see in your photo first you notice the things in the foreground just to discover what’s further in the distance. Great photo, what more can I say.

Dougf8 - duo tone v2, Weston Super-Mare Pier
Doug you thought it took me quite some work so let’s give it a long title or not?
It’s an interesting photo, the nets on the foreground give tension to the “pier” as we call it here and when you look a bit further you see a rock sitting there calmly, great these little things.
The duotone or tritone that you did is very nice and it looks actually very natural and interesting, I think in colour or B&W it would look bland almost.

Nathanever82 - Red Glamour
Yes this version is accept. I was hoping for some portraits and I’m happy there is at least one.
The reddish tone works well I think, it brings over a feeling of love or blood that didn’t went so well and that she is not in a perfect mood ready to slap you if you aren’t careful. I really like that power in the photo. For the rest the technical aspects are alright to my eyes so no remarks about that.
Is this photo taken in the theater?

Beebee - Tatra mountains sunrise – Solvakia
I find it very hard to tell if this a duotone or not so please tell me what it is or not in a comment.
The contrast in your photos are very nice, you’ve the blue flat sky and the reddish mountain full with humps. The only problem is the photo is a bit boring if I might say that. The only thing that’s in the photo is the peak of the mountain and that’s full with elements that repeat. I think a wider shot with more of the landscape would be better and make the photo more interesting. Hopefully you can do something with this.



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Alright that was it.

Now to the podium.

I’m having a mighty hard time to chose a photo though, they are all so different and so good in their own right.

Since I can recommend them all I only have Highly recommended and the ones are.
* Aluther - Crawling the Building
* Joel67 - Golden rose
* Tomw - Rail Lines
* Bforbes - The Way to Whistler
* Nathanever82 - Red Glamour

Now the #’s 3 – 2 – 1, this really though you know… Can’t I give them a shared first place?
…
Okay it’s now 40 minutes later lets so let’s put something down.

#3 Johnriley - Alas The Perfection of Nature Fades
Since it has to be one, the honour goes to you John, it’s a great photo and did some amazing post processing on it.

#2 i-Berg - The Mill in the Mist
The best loser they say. Your photo had something, it’s just the feel and the subtleness.

#1 GlynM - Golden Ball
The most eye catching photo of them all and I like the creativity of your photo and that’s why you can judge the next competition.

Congratulation GlynM

Hey hey, thanks heaps Stefan! Well judged, and well done also for the challenging choice of topic.

Glyn - Congratulations, a stand out. Well done to John and to all receiving a 'Highly Recommended'.

thank you Stefan, well done, and great competition!

COngratulations to Glyn for the win, and good luck for next week!

Congratulations to GlynM - a very impressive shot and thanks to Stefan for the competition and judging.

Somewhat disappointing that feedback was provided to some entrants during the competition, who were then invited to submit a new entry

I would not have entered if I had known that this would happen

Wow! Many thanks for the first place which I really was not expecting.

I almost did not enter as there seemed to be a lot of discussion about what was actually required. I was however impressed by Aluther's early entry and this inspired me to have a go at selectively using two different colours although, as I wrote in the comment with my submission, I did not really think it was a traditional interpretation of a Duotone.

Congratulations to John and i-Berg for their winning entries, Aluther, Joel67, Tomw, Bforbes & Nathanever82 for their highly recommendeds and everyone else for a great set of images.

Congratulations and thanks also to Anvh for the effort he has so obviously put into his excellent comments and judging as well as generating so much discussion for one these competitions.

As this win was somewhat unexpected I have not yet got a new subject prepared but I will give it some thought and post something up later today.

Glyn

Thank you all, that proved a difficult theme for many, but there were some excellent results from it. I still think that there may be some confusion as to what a duotone is, so maybe that's a good subject for another day!

Nice judging Stefan and good luck to Glyn with the new competition!

Congratulations to Glyn. A well deserved win with an outstanding entry. Thanks to Stefan for my commendation, his judging and the courage to try something different.

Thanks to Anvh for the competition and many congratulations to GlynM for the winning entry.

Hi Glyn – congratulation for your eye-catching winner photo. Beside all, what Stefan already said – I also love the harmony of the two colors – this is simply perfect and the golden ball so much draws (my) attention.
Was also amazing to see the other contributions – there were so many interesting, impressive and special works like the gold in Joel’s rose, the mystic mood in i-bergs photo or Johns vintage style flower (for just mentioning some).

Thanks to Stefan for the detailed and brilliant judging and also for suggesting such an interesting topic. Especially since I switched to digital photography, I am really a big fan in experimenting with post processing (not all results are in a way that I would show them here, but I am not too old to learnlearnlearn :wink

Aluther - I don't know if you saw my earlier comment. I was a bit confused by what was needed for this competition but was inspired by your entry. I thought is was brilliant and it made me think about what I could do using two selective colours. While mine was done in very controlled conditions and while I'm sure you must have done some post processing, yours appears to be as shot, in the open, and was very well done.

Glyn

Thank you all, it was a very hard one to judge which one had one.
The first three are so close together for me.

@Glyn, that was one of the reasons for this comp.
Sharing ideas and how things can be done. I chose duotone because I use it a lot in my photos and it just can make a photo so much better if you do it right instead of a B&W.
And many have learned something this week, Doug for example did his first duotone I believe.

Hyram, I don't know what you call feedback and you are making suggestions now.

I've contact some off the entries with the question if their photo was a B&W and pointed out that it wasn't allowed.
That was all.

Sorry for being an active judge
Maybe we should hide the entries from now on till the competition is close. Since the first one to enter have a disadvantage since the later one can look at the entries and therefore submit a stronger photo.

Congrats to the winners and thanks to the judge.

I am still not entirely sure what this duotone exactly is. It appeared to me that many photo's were a monotone...you know the same colour in many different shades. I was delighted with the winning photo...simply because it truly did have two-tones of colour.

I myself went into lightroom and took the saturation of the green in the grass down. That made it pinked toned. The blue truck, I increased the yellow tones by uping the saturations, thus giving me green. The mans shirt was the same blue as the truck and his jacked have the orange/pink tone already in it. When I was done...I could now see two pronounce tones. That being green and pinkish.

I do feel that I did overcrop it...if that is what you meant by too narrow??? I also would like to know if it was a duotone or not? The orginal was a blue truck...green grass, and the man in a organge jacket, with the lighter blue sky. You can see the orginal in my own gallery.
I loved making it for you...and as ever and alway learned a great deal more about lightroom.

And my two cents worth about hiding the pictures in the competitions until it is closed....I say NO, do not do that. These competitions are not for prizes nor money...but simple to learn and have fun and enjoy other pentax users. It has not been anvantages going last. Glyn himself has won when he has posted first...and later. I can understand Hyrams point too, it was not that you informed them that B&W was not alowed, but that they could re-enter, I think you should have just let them know in your comments that they failed to read your direction carefully....Being on topic and doing as the judge ask is a BIG part of these competitions. I know that from time to time, a judge will tell me.."not on topic" or "Not what I was looking for" Hey...thats okay!!! I learn from it everytime. I know when I did the mystery Macro...at least half of the entries were just macro, without the mystery. I knew that they could not win, but I also knew that the photos were wonderful and I could still judge them on other merrits...but in the end it was a MYSTREY comp.

I LOVE the way these competitions work...and even if we have an occational bump in the road...thats okay too.

I do feel that you did a fantastic job Stefan, and have personally been delighted that your are entering the comps. Thanks again for all you hard work.
Regards,
Judithann

I would just like to say that I support JudithAnn's comments here.

I love the way these competitions evolve over their duration and I think hiding the entries would take a lot away from the fun we have here.

When you compete here you are always faced with the dilemma do you you post early or late. Its part of the competition.

If you think you have a really good idea and want the credibility of getting it in before anyone else you might want to post early and take the risk that it could seed someone else's later entry, remember the Design Icon fortnightly competition? If you think you have a really unique interpretation, that no one else will think of, then you might choose to post late. I think its all part of the fun and quite a few people have proved that you can win these competitions posting both early and late. Posting up an entry early might just inspire someone who otherwise might not have participated.

Certainly from my direction, particularly as a beginner to this craft, when there is any doubt about what is needed it can be worth waiting to see which way the competition is going. On top of that if we hid the entries then what would we talk about in the discussion thread?

I love these competitions and the people here. I learn something new every time and I'm always impressed by the quality of ideas and implementation displayed here. I don't think we need to change it .

Glyn

Judithann thank you for your feedback, it was informative.

Many had a problem in regards to what a duotone was and that's why I accept a lot of different views on this.

Yes with too narrow I meant over-cropped.

I've seen the original in your gallery and from there I concluded it was al right for this comp since you brought back the number of colours.

About what a duo-tone is and what not is a difficult question it seems, just look in the discussion on the forum.
The classic approach is to make it a B&W and tone that but I believe these creative ones can also be called duotones or tritones but I ain't sure.
Your entry would most likely not be accept in other competition, you really should replace the colours completely and be left with two tones.

I think it's the safest to say it's okay if you can print your entry with two colours of ink.
However I'm sure someone else have a different view on this.

About the comp, I feel also it's just for fun and the problem was I thought I was being unclear about the topic rather that they read it wrong and therefore the fault was also with me and therefore granted them a pardon so to say.
If that's a wrong or right discussion, I don't know but it was one I personally felt I should do.

The next one is a traditional one so hopefully that one works as it should.

Glyn, thank you also. It's all just for fun

Wow , Stefan you have put a lot of work in this competition. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU!

Also congratulations to Glyn I loved how your shot look and to all the others.

Despite all the controversy I thought the best photo won. So congratulations.

AS DID I