Weekly Competition #200 - Age Competition
| Title | Weekly Competition #200 - Age |
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| Judge | thoughton | Closing Date | 15/05/2011 | Opting Out | If you'd like to enter but not keen on creating and judging the following competition you have the option to opt out. If you're selected as the winning photo simply create a report saying that you'd like Admin to take over and we'll do the rest. |
| Description | |
To celebrate the landmark 200th edition of the Pentax User weekly competition I hope that 'Age' will be an appropriate subject. I'm expecting photos of old things, but young things and middle-aged things are all acceptable. Any interpretations considered, as long as they somehow say something about 'age' Photos should be taken on a Pentax camera, or a Samsung DSLR. |
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Winning Photograph
Competition Entries
Photographs uploaded to the Weekly Competition #200 - Age competition.
Posted 16/05/2011 - 10:32
Link
#200 - Age
OAPs - davidrobinson
Nice car, and I'm impressed the man who I presume to be the owner has colour coordinated with it! I find the highlights on the windscreen and the reflection of the shoes a bit distracting, and the cars in the background are a bit messy. An amusing picture, but for me it unfortunately there isn't enough substance to it.
The Ruin - Sandanista
I think the bold toning makes this a love/hate photo. Happily I am in the love camp! An interesting ruin which fills the frame nicely. I do find it slightly cramped at the top but nothing too significant. I'm not sure about the hard shadows, would have been interested to see a shot from a different time of day. It is possibly slightly too contrasty. Nevertheless, a striking photo.
Gravestones - mudge
At first I thought this was some sort of etching, in fact I'm still not totally convinced it isn't! Proceeding on the basis that it is in fact a photograph of a graveyard scene I can safely say this is a solid example of extreme processing I quite like what it's done to the patterns on the cross, but the rest of the image is too confusing for my taste. Grave markers with a crow on top seems like classic horror movie to me, and I think the processing should have aimed more in that direction.
The Veteran - John Riley
Great lifelike colours make this shot stand out. A solid candid portrait. However although this gent does have a vague melancholic look to him I think a connection between his eyes and another object (or the viewer) would have greatly enhanced the emotional impact. I'm not totally sold on the square crop either, I wouldn't have minded seeing his tie.
Silly Old Bear - GlynM
It seems we can always count on you for some nostalgia Glyn A competently shot scene full of childhood memory for chaps of a certain age! Strongly on theme, of the entries so far this photo conveys the strongest 'Age' message for me.
Dreaming - dannyh
A really memorable black and white candid portrait. The man's face has a lot of character and his pose and expression are added bonuses. DOF, BW conversion, and use of vignette are all excellent. My only issue with the PP is the slight haloing at the bah of the head and neck, and above the nose. Nevertheless, this is a great photo, although perhaps the 'Age' component isn't as prominent as it could have been. Even so, I still love it!
How many dawns - marklj
A wondrous dramatic long exposure, with the great colours we've come to expect from you. The tree is great, perfectly positioned, and the light on the fields is fantastic. Slight chroma noise in the darker parts of the sky, which is noticeable but not overly hideous. I remember this image from when you originally shared it with us, and I believe I mentioned then the slight 'leakage' of light through the edges of the silhouette where the sun is in contact with it. Some local blacks adjustment there might help somewhat. The age of the tree might not be all that apparent, and the Age message might be slightly overwhelmed by the incredible sky, but still a fantastic photo.
View from the past - VM
An interesting-looking ruin, which certainly falls under the 'old' category. I can see from the photo that it was a hazy foggy day, but nevertheless this photo still seems quite underexposed. There's realism, and there's drab I think a nudge to contrast and saturation would add something to this. Compositionally I find the leading line of the quite interesting foreground wall leads my eye to the rather unexciting background wall. There is rather a lot of empty sky as well, I think some of that could have been cropped off. Nice to see an entry from an Optio though!
Young and old - Dr Mhuni
Aha, the signature high clarity earthy tones Dr M look Thoughtfully composed, glad you left some space for the missing head. These tall thin photos are one of my bugbears. The statue is obviously rather large so unfortunately the boy is slightly lost at these small web sizes. Pity he wasn't wearing something brighter … or while I'm at it pity he wasn't a saffron-robed boy monk Regardless I'm sure the image would have much more impact at a larger size. I do find the brick statue to be slightly lost against the brick background, but there isn't much you could have done about that. You've nailed the 'Age' part as well, on several levels.
Time and mountains - Tozza27
Competent photo of some interesting stones. The lighting is unfortunately rather ordinary - some kind of reflector or diffuser, or an off-camera flash, would have added some magic to this shot. Crop is slightly too tight, especially bottom right.
Forgotten graveyard - Utopia Poppy
Brave crop, which i think immediately separates this (in a good way) from the standard gravestone shot. You've picked an interesting headstone, added to the title the photo conjures up half-forgotten memories of some Enid Blyton-ish book I read as a child. Solid BW conversion, perhaps slightly dark. The cross in the background is nicely positioned, although I wish it was more distinct without that other headstone behind it.
Creature of a lost time - Prieni
An outstandingly craggy old critter! I rather like the greenish cast to this. I assume the white specks to the left and right of the head are marks on the glass. Whatever they are they are slightly annoying. The off centre crop shows just enough of the shell. A striking photo, possibly a little confusing given the nature of the beast, but I don't see what you could have done about that. A strong candidate for a podium finish.
Long Time Gone - japers45
My first thought upon seeing this was to read the prominent inscription, but the shaded first line immediately caused a problem Nice textures in the stone, and I like the lichen colours. The OOF area somehow seems a bit too contrasty. The composition feels a little imbalanced, and the door's prominence suggests that it should be contributing something to the overall photo, but unfortunately I don't think it does.
Sir Winston Churchill - Malcolm Leader
A competent if somewhat unexciting photo of these two actors. You've managed the blacks and whites well. They are both wearing hats so I feel the overhead sun isn't ideal. Also not sure about that window in the background, the V sign pose would have be more of a statement with an unbroken silhouette. Good eye contact with Churchill.
The Big Guns - glover
Nice contrasty BW conversion, although the gun itself and wheels beneath it are perhaps a tad dark. Shame about the featureless sky, some clue as to the background would have been good. I'm not sure about the partial gun to the left - I think shooting from further left to exclude it would strengthen the photo.
Old Voices - cher-cher
Nice bells. Good detail and a strong vintage-effect conversion. The slightly OOF foreground bell is a bit of an issue for me, although looking at the focal length and ISO doing anything about it would required a tripod which you may not have had with you. The blurred vignette effect doesn't feel quite right either I'm afraid, the transition from sharp to blur is too sudden, this is especially noticeable in the lower right corner.
50 million years and still growing - AlienGrove
Wonderful aerial shot! The snaking mountain range fills the frame nicely, and the cloud layer makes for the perfect 'background'. Who needs short DOF? The low sun is good too, great slight on the snow and nice shadows on the cloud. Fab shot, a strong contender.
Young at heart - Cardiff Gareth
A lovely spontaneous portrait of this fine looking gent. He certainly does look young at heart! Love his mad grin, although the old/young motif would be perfect if he was giving a 'thumbs up' sign which that hand. The seat back is a bit annoying, you could have stood up I would have perhaps cropped some off the top to keep it at 3:2, rather than go for the 4:3-ish format. Nice lighting on his face, considering you are on a bus!
Old and new - coriander
A touching photo of both young and old, extra brownie points for the double whack at the topic The photo does seem underexposed though, most especially on granny's face. The bit of cloth in front of baby's face isn't ideal either. I like the brave crop, it narrows down the focal point nicely and shows enough of granny to make the point.
Standing stones - stevepresto
An interesting shot of these standing stones. Great detail in the foreground ones, although I think the closest most detailed one should be more of a focal point and as such is too close to the edge of the frame. Good moody sky too, except for that burnt out bit. An ND grad filter would have helped here.The ground seems underexposed a tad but perhaps that's just the gloomy weather.
An age remembered - DrOrloff
The strong split tone is the first thing to strike me here. It somehow brings to mind tinted daguerreotypes but doesn't feel quite right, perhaps I subconsciously equate the car with a more modern photographic process and the colour is throwing me off. The photo is otherwise interesting for it's content, but doesn't work for me on other levels. The outline of the foreground car is confused by the background one, and the cropped tree is slightly annoying. I'm also not so keen on the side-on view, although perhaps I am being influenced by the angled view of the car in the post-processing challenge. Edit: reading over this I appear to have completely crucified you Apologies for that, it wasn't my intention, it is simply that I feel this photo is far below your normally very high standards.
Not opened for ages on end! - JudithAnn
A very impressively piece of rusty hardware there JudithAnn! The colours are vibrant, love the rust tones in the wood as well. The photo does immediately make one wonder how long it takes for a lock to deteriorate to this state, and how is it possible the farmer (making assumptions here ) could go without opening this door for so long. Compositionally this was always going to be a difficult one, the left side is filled nicely by the two nails, the right side not so much. So I think it could have done with some of the empty OOF space on the right edge cropped away.
Feeling your age - bforbes
It's certainly an unusual statue! Reminds of a a Nazgul although I doubt it is unless you live somewhere rather unusual! To be honest as with the majority of photos of public art there isn't much to say about this one. It's sharp and has some space to look into. The textures in the bronze have been nicely brought out, and the exposure is good. It is perhaps a bit tightly cropped on the top, left and bottom.
Esso - AxelLuther
Naughty naughty Axel, no exif However I'm confident that you know the rules and this is in compliance. If not we'll have to send the PU heavies round to your house! I presume this is some sort of museum exhibit, which are IMO notoriously hard to photography in a creative way. I think you've done what you can, but the framing is always going to be awkward. The red frame top, left and right is fine, but the lack of a similar frame at the bottom leaves the photo feeling unbalanced in my eyes. The colours are marvellous (as usual, I daresay), with so much red it is all too easy in my experience to blow them out (something Pentax seems to be slightly prone to, IMO). There is something about the PP on the lettering here too that I'm not sure about, it seems slightly over-contrasty, or perhaps over-sharpened. The bright right side of the container is mildly distracting.
The wisdom of age - davidtrout
There was a discussion in the forum this week about blown out highlights and whether or not it ruins the picture. This photo should be posted there, to prove to the doubters that blown highlights are not always relevant. In this case the whole top corner and parts of the right edge appear to be blown out, yet the stunning detail in the face is so compelling that it more than makes up for it. The difference in the large and medium sizes is quite remarkable! One look at this photo and I immediately get lost in the eyes, it took me quite a while to even notice the highlights! A wonderful portrait of this wise old chap, skilfully converted to BW. The skin tones are marvellous.
Remembering old money - stopher
A classic short DOF shot of an intriguing old machine. The amount of rust is impressive for something which I presume lives indoors. I do like the short DOF, but the focal point isn't quite there I think. It looks like the front half of the 10 and 2 button is sharp, but I'm not so sure what else is. Perhaps a slightly greater DOF to fully encompass one button would have clarified things. Composition is fine with the two strong diagonals, and the OOF area gives just enough of a hint of the ornate detail. A solid photo, perhaps not a podium place but certainly not a bad effort at all.
100th birthday cake and cards - HowardJ
Wowsers, congratulations on your dad's milestone! It seems appropriate given the theme of this 200th PU competition. It certainly made me smile to see all the Royal imagery, the official 100th birthday card is one of those things you constantly hear about but personally I had never seen any images of what you actually received. Photographically speaking this has some issues, the lighting seems to be the main problem, the right half of the photo seems to have a yellowish cast, and the photo as a whole is perhaps slightly underexposed. A display like this will always be difficult to compose in an original fashion, I think you've done the best you can with the limited possibilities.
Age of innocence - i-Berg
Classy photo from you as usual i-Berg. I do like the warm slightly desaturated tones that seem to have become a bit of a signature for you over the last year or so. The heavy vignette works here and the content of course has poignancy to it especially once we read that it is also Australia day. Very nice tones and textures in the stone. My one minor gripe is that the lettering is quite hard to read. Compositionally I don't think you had a lot of options, while I would normally say avoid the eye-level viewpoint, looking up with a blue sky background may not have been appropriate given the content, so the angle you've chosen works for me.
Proper mini - geordie01
Well I must say that I rather like the new Mini I won't let that affect my judgment though! This is a fine shot of a well-kept car. I think the crop is okay, cutting through the headlights is an unusual step but I think it works well enough here. I'm not convinced about the number plate though, it is very prominent and frankly not very interesting, perhaps a closer crop of just the foglights, badge and grill would have avoided that. Interesting how the bonnet is so 'new' looking yet the bumper has assorted rust spots. Appropriate, given the theme here! A few minor problems with this image, notable the blown highlights both above and below the leftmost foglight. The blow out on the bumper is forgivable, the one on the bonnet less so. I also find those two red reflections in the top right corner to be slightly eye-catching. Nice blue tones though, and I appreciate how the blue sky reflection in the chrome match the paint job.
A few months old - Hyram
1/20s at 250mm? You must have rock steady hands A cute little fella, framed nicely - and poignantly - by the wire fence. Nice textures in the wood, and background is lovely. The lamb itself has a few problems for me, notably the glazed over left eye (right side as we look at it) when compared to the other eye where the horizontal pupil is more visible. The glazed over eye just 'pops' off the screen more. Also, it may be an optical illusion, but the wet patch above his nose gives the impression of minor motion blur, even though everywhere else seems fine. Nonetheless a pleasing photo of a cute and on-topic subject.
Hibernation - dodge69
First thing to strike me about this is the fabulous lighting and BW conversion. Really classy! Your partner is also photogenic, which helps The focus is perhaps very slightly off, more on the hair than the eye/eyebrow, which is unsurprising really given her dark hair against her fair skin. Compositionally I think you've done the best you can, her face is nicely framed by the hair and duvet. Perhaps a bit more visible mouth (with a slight secret smile?) would be a minor improvement. Image quality seems excellent for ISO800 on a GX10, better than I would have expected. All in all a very nice shot, which I hope your partner approves of (as well as the minor fact that you've entered it into a public competition on the world wide web )
Aitre Saint Maclou Rouen - Ben76
I should dock points for making me type in French, when I can barely say hello in that fine language! A wonderful old building, although personally the effect is slightly spoiled by the more modern doors, and in particular that blue sticker which stands out like a sore thumb! It's the sort of thing I always overlook, and I would consider cloning it out. The crop is slightly awkward, although given the bit of white blown out sky we can see it may have been your only option. Still, I would have preferred to see the entire roof with some nice blue sky behind it - i.e. shoot on another day - which may or may not have been possible. The lighting in general is perhaps slightly flat, the photo needs a bit more 'oomph' to it, which may be as simple as a bit of a contrast and saturation boost, or at worst shooting in better conditions.
The conversation - alexflilipov
A great photo, mostly thanks to the rather lovely young lady, and the fabulous old monk who looks like he's just stepped off a film set! The contrast in their age, hair, clothes, and even height, is fantastic. Love it. Even the bench they are on is perfect. n the downsides the writing in the top left is slightly distracting but not terribly significant given the rest of the image, but the major problem here is the cut off foot of the monk. We can see a tantalising hint of a boot buckle, just a few more centimetres would have made so much difference! Slight softness from the scan but nothing too significant. You've retained the detail in the monk's robe very well. A good image, which would have been so much better had it been complete.
Thank you all for your entries, it has been a pleasure to go through and spend some time with them! I found the winners and HCs very hard to pick! The top four images were all very close, and on another day the winner might have been different. So, without further ado:
1st place: Dreaming - dannyh
2nd place: How many dawns - marklj
3rd place: Creature of a lost time - Prieni
Highly commended: 50 million years and still growing … - aliengrove
Commended: Hibernation - dodge69
Commended: Young and old - Dr Mhuni
Commended: The conversation - alixfilipov
Commended: The wisdom of age - davidtrout
Commended: Forgotten graveyard - Utopia Poppy
OAPs - davidrobinson
Nice car, and I'm impressed the man who I presume to be the owner has colour coordinated with it! I find the highlights on the windscreen and the reflection of the shoes a bit distracting, and the cars in the background are a bit messy. An amusing picture, but for me it unfortunately there isn't enough substance to it.
The Ruin - Sandanista
I think the bold toning makes this a love/hate photo. Happily I am in the love camp! An interesting ruin which fills the frame nicely. I do find it slightly cramped at the top but nothing too significant. I'm not sure about the hard shadows, would have been interested to see a shot from a different time of day. It is possibly slightly too contrasty. Nevertheless, a striking photo.
Gravestones - mudge
At first I thought this was some sort of etching, in fact I'm still not totally convinced it isn't! Proceeding on the basis that it is in fact a photograph of a graveyard scene I can safely say this is a solid example of extreme processing I quite like what it's done to the patterns on the cross, but the rest of the image is too confusing for my taste. Grave markers with a crow on top seems like classic horror movie to me, and I think the processing should have aimed more in that direction.
The Veteran - John Riley
Great lifelike colours make this shot stand out. A solid candid portrait. However although this gent does have a vague melancholic look to him I think a connection between his eyes and another object (or the viewer) would have greatly enhanced the emotional impact. I'm not totally sold on the square crop either, I wouldn't have minded seeing his tie.
Silly Old Bear - GlynM
It seems we can always count on you for some nostalgia Glyn A competently shot scene full of childhood memory for chaps of a certain age! Strongly on theme, of the entries so far this photo conveys the strongest 'Age' message for me.
Dreaming - dannyh
A really memorable black and white candid portrait. The man's face has a lot of character and his pose and expression are added bonuses. DOF, BW conversion, and use of vignette are all excellent. My only issue with the PP is the slight haloing at the bah of the head and neck, and above the nose. Nevertheless, this is a great photo, although perhaps the 'Age' component isn't as prominent as it could have been. Even so, I still love it!
How many dawns - marklj
A wondrous dramatic long exposure, with the great colours we've come to expect from you. The tree is great, perfectly positioned, and the light on the fields is fantastic. Slight chroma noise in the darker parts of the sky, which is noticeable but not overly hideous. I remember this image from when you originally shared it with us, and I believe I mentioned then the slight 'leakage' of light through the edges of the silhouette where the sun is in contact with it. Some local blacks adjustment there might help somewhat. The age of the tree might not be all that apparent, and the Age message might be slightly overwhelmed by the incredible sky, but still a fantastic photo.
View from the past - VM
An interesting-looking ruin, which certainly falls under the 'old' category. I can see from the photo that it was a hazy foggy day, but nevertheless this photo still seems quite underexposed. There's realism, and there's drab I think a nudge to contrast and saturation would add something to this. Compositionally I find the leading line of the quite interesting foreground wall leads my eye to the rather unexciting background wall. There is rather a lot of empty sky as well, I think some of that could have been cropped off. Nice to see an entry from an Optio though!
Young and old - Dr Mhuni
Aha, the signature high clarity earthy tones Dr M look Thoughtfully composed, glad you left some space for the missing head. These tall thin photos are one of my bugbears. The statue is obviously rather large so unfortunately the boy is slightly lost at these small web sizes. Pity he wasn't wearing something brighter … or while I'm at it pity he wasn't a saffron-robed boy monk Regardless I'm sure the image would have much more impact at a larger size. I do find the brick statue to be slightly lost against the brick background, but there isn't much you could have done about that. You've nailed the 'Age' part as well, on several levels.
Time and mountains - Tozza27
Competent photo of some interesting stones. The lighting is unfortunately rather ordinary - some kind of reflector or diffuser, or an off-camera flash, would have added some magic to this shot. Crop is slightly too tight, especially bottom right.
Forgotten graveyard - Utopia Poppy
Brave crop, which i think immediately separates this (in a good way) from the standard gravestone shot. You've picked an interesting headstone, added to the title the photo conjures up half-forgotten memories of some Enid Blyton-ish book I read as a child. Solid BW conversion, perhaps slightly dark. The cross in the background is nicely positioned, although I wish it was more distinct without that other headstone behind it.
Creature of a lost time - Prieni
An outstandingly craggy old critter! I rather like the greenish cast to this. I assume the white specks to the left and right of the head are marks on the glass. Whatever they are they are slightly annoying. The off centre crop shows just enough of the shell. A striking photo, possibly a little confusing given the nature of the beast, but I don't see what you could have done about that. A strong candidate for a podium finish.
Long Time Gone - japers45
My first thought upon seeing this was to read the prominent inscription, but the shaded first line immediately caused a problem Nice textures in the stone, and I like the lichen colours. The OOF area somehow seems a bit too contrasty. The composition feels a little imbalanced, and the door's prominence suggests that it should be contributing something to the overall photo, but unfortunately I don't think it does.
Sir Winston Churchill - Malcolm Leader
A competent if somewhat unexciting photo of these two actors. You've managed the blacks and whites well. They are both wearing hats so I feel the overhead sun isn't ideal. Also not sure about that window in the background, the V sign pose would have be more of a statement with an unbroken silhouette. Good eye contact with Churchill.
The Big Guns - glover
Nice contrasty BW conversion, although the gun itself and wheels beneath it are perhaps a tad dark. Shame about the featureless sky, some clue as to the background would have been good. I'm not sure about the partial gun to the left - I think shooting from further left to exclude it would strengthen the photo.
Old Voices - cher-cher
Nice bells. Good detail and a strong vintage-effect conversion. The slightly OOF foreground bell is a bit of an issue for me, although looking at the focal length and ISO doing anything about it would required a tripod which you may not have had with you. The blurred vignette effect doesn't feel quite right either I'm afraid, the transition from sharp to blur is too sudden, this is especially noticeable in the lower right corner.
50 million years and still growing - AlienGrove
Wonderful aerial shot! The snaking mountain range fills the frame nicely, and the cloud layer makes for the perfect 'background'. Who needs short DOF? The low sun is good too, great slight on the snow and nice shadows on the cloud. Fab shot, a strong contender.
Young at heart - Cardiff Gareth
A lovely spontaneous portrait of this fine looking gent. He certainly does look young at heart! Love his mad grin, although the old/young motif would be perfect if he was giving a 'thumbs up' sign which that hand. The seat back is a bit annoying, you could have stood up I would have perhaps cropped some off the top to keep it at 3:2, rather than go for the 4:3-ish format. Nice lighting on his face, considering you are on a bus!
Old and new - coriander
A touching photo of both young and old, extra brownie points for the double whack at the topic The photo does seem underexposed though, most especially on granny's face. The bit of cloth in front of baby's face isn't ideal either. I like the brave crop, it narrows down the focal point nicely and shows enough of granny to make the point.
Standing stones - stevepresto
An interesting shot of these standing stones. Great detail in the foreground ones, although I think the closest most detailed one should be more of a focal point and as such is too close to the edge of the frame. Good moody sky too, except for that burnt out bit. An ND grad filter would have helped here.The ground seems underexposed a tad but perhaps that's just the gloomy weather.
An age remembered - DrOrloff
The strong split tone is the first thing to strike me here. It somehow brings to mind tinted daguerreotypes but doesn't feel quite right, perhaps I subconsciously equate the car with a more modern photographic process and the colour is throwing me off. The photo is otherwise interesting for it's content, but doesn't work for me on other levels. The outline of the foreground car is confused by the background one, and the cropped tree is slightly annoying. I'm also not so keen on the side-on view, although perhaps I am being influenced by the angled view of the car in the post-processing challenge. Edit: reading over this I appear to have completely crucified you Apologies for that, it wasn't my intention, it is simply that I feel this photo is far below your normally very high standards.
Not opened for ages on end! - JudithAnn
A very impressively piece of rusty hardware there JudithAnn! The colours are vibrant, love the rust tones in the wood as well. The photo does immediately make one wonder how long it takes for a lock to deteriorate to this state, and how is it possible the farmer (making assumptions here ) could go without opening this door for so long. Compositionally this was always going to be a difficult one, the left side is filled nicely by the two nails, the right side not so much. So I think it could have done with some of the empty OOF space on the right edge cropped away.
Feeling your age - bforbes
It's certainly an unusual statue! Reminds of a a Nazgul although I doubt it is unless you live somewhere rather unusual! To be honest as with the majority of photos of public art there isn't much to say about this one. It's sharp and has some space to look into. The textures in the bronze have been nicely brought out, and the exposure is good. It is perhaps a bit tightly cropped on the top, left and bottom.
Esso - AxelLuther
Naughty naughty Axel, no exif However I'm confident that you know the rules and this is in compliance. If not we'll have to send the PU heavies round to your house! I presume this is some sort of museum exhibit, which are IMO notoriously hard to photography in a creative way. I think you've done what you can, but the framing is always going to be awkward. The red frame top, left and right is fine, but the lack of a similar frame at the bottom leaves the photo feeling unbalanced in my eyes. The colours are marvellous (as usual, I daresay), with so much red it is all too easy in my experience to blow them out (something Pentax seems to be slightly prone to, IMO). There is something about the PP on the lettering here too that I'm not sure about, it seems slightly over-contrasty, or perhaps over-sharpened. The bright right side of the container is mildly distracting.
The wisdom of age - davidtrout
There was a discussion in the forum this week about blown out highlights and whether or not it ruins the picture. This photo should be posted there, to prove to the doubters that blown highlights are not always relevant. In this case the whole top corner and parts of the right edge appear to be blown out, yet the stunning detail in the face is so compelling that it more than makes up for it. The difference in the large and medium sizes is quite remarkable! One look at this photo and I immediately get lost in the eyes, it took me quite a while to even notice the highlights! A wonderful portrait of this wise old chap, skilfully converted to BW. The skin tones are marvellous.
Remembering old money - stopher
A classic short DOF shot of an intriguing old machine. The amount of rust is impressive for something which I presume lives indoors. I do like the short DOF, but the focal point isn't quite there I think. It looks like the front half of the 10 and 2 button is sharp, but I'm not so sure what else is. Perhaps a slightly greater DOF to fully encompass one button would have clarified things. Composition is fine with the two strong diagonals, and the OOF area gives just enough of a hint of the ornate detail. A solid photo, perhaps not a podium place but certainly not a bad effort at all.
100th birthday cake and cards - HowardJ
Wowsers, congratulations on your dad's milestone! It seems appropriate given the theme of this 200th PU competition. It certainly made me smile to see all the Royal imagery, the official 100th birthday card is one of those things you constantly hear about but personally I had never seen any images of what you actually received. Photographically speaking this has some issues, the lighting seems to be the main problem, the right half of the photo seems to have a yellowish cast, and the photo as a whole is perhaps slightly underexposed. A display like this will always be difficult to compose in an original fashion, I think you've done the best you can with the limited possibilities.
Age of innocence - i-Berg
Classy photo from you as usual i-Berg. I do like the warm slightly desaturated tones that seem to have become a bit of a signature for you over the last year or so. The heavy vignette works here and the content of course has poignancy to it especially once we read that it is also Australia day. Very nice tones and textures in the stone. My one minor gripe is that the lettering is quite hard to read. Compositionally I don't think you had a lot of options, while I would normally say avoid the eye-level viewpoint, looking up with a blue sky background may not have been appropriate given the content, so the angle you've chosen works for me.
Proper mini - geordie01
Well I must say that I rather like the new Mini I won't let that affect my judgment though! This is a fine shot of a well-kept car. I think the crop is okay, cutting through the headlights is an unusual step but I think it works well enough here. I'm not convinced about the number plate though, it is very prominent and frankly not very interesting, perhaps a closer crop of just the foglights, badge and grill would have avoided that. Interesting how the bonnet is so 'new' looking yet the bumper has assorted rust spots. Appropriate, given the theme here! A few minor problems with this image, notable the blown highlights both above and below the leftmost foglight. The blow out on the bumper is forgivable, the one on the bonnet less so. I also find those two red reflections in the top right corner to be slightly eye-catching. Nice blue tones though, and I appreciate how the blue sky reflection in the chrome match the paint job.
A few months old - Hyram
1/20s at 250mm? You must have rock steady hands A cute little fella, framed nicely - and poignantly - by the wire fence. Nice textures in the wood, and background is lovely. The lamb itself has a few problems for me, notably the glazed over left eye (right side as we look at it) when compared to the other eye where the horizontal pupil is more visible. The glazed over eye just 'pops' off the screen more. Also, it may be an optical illusion, but the wet patch above his nose gives the impression of minor motion blur, even though everywhere else seems fine. Nonetheless a pleasing photo of a cute and on-topic subject.
Hibernation - dodge69
First thing to strike me about this is the fabulous lighting and BW conversion. Really classy! Your partner is also photogenic, which helps The focus is perhaps very slightly off, more on the hair than the eye/eyebrow, which is unsurprising really given her dark hair against her fair skin. Compositionally I think you've done the best you can, her face is nicely framed by the hair and duvet. Perhaps a bit more visible mouth (with a slight secret smile?) would be a minor improvement. Image quality seems excellent for ISO800 on a GX10, better than I would have expected. All in all a very nice shot, which I hope your partner approves of (as well as the minor fact that you've entered it into a public competition on the world wide web )
Aitre Saint Maclou Rouen - Ben76
I should dock points for making me type in French, when I can barely say hello in that fine language! A wonderful old building, although personally the effect is slightly spoiled by the more modern doors, and in particular that blue sticker which stands out like a sore thumb! It's the sort of thing I always overlook, and I would consider cloning it out. The crop is slightly awkward, although given the bit of white blown out sky we can see it may have been your only option. Still, I would have preferred to see the entire roof with some nice blue sky behind it - i.e. shoot on another day - which may or may not have been possible. The lighting in general is perhaps slightly flat, the photo needs a bit more 'oomph' to it, which may be as simple as a bit of a contrast and saturation boost, or at worst shooting in better conditions.
The conversation - alexflilipov
A great photo, mostly thanks to the rather lovely young lady, and the fabulous old monk who looks like he's just stepped off a film set! The contrast in their age, hair, clothes, and even height, is fantastic. Love it. Even the bench they are on is perfect. n the downsides the writing in the top left is slightly distracting but not terribly significant given the rest of the image, but the major problem here is the cut off foot of the monk. We can see a tantalising hint of a boot buckle, just a few more centimetres would have made so much difference! Slight softness from the scan but nothing too significant. You've retained the detail in the monk's robe very well. A good image, which would have been so much better had it been complete.
Thank you all for your entries, it has been a pleasure to go through and spend some time with them! I found the winners and HCs very hard to pick! The top four images were all very close, and on another day the winner might have been different. So, without further ado:
1st place: Dreaming - dannyh
2nd place: How many dawns - marklj
3rd place: Creature of a lost time - Prieni
Highly commended: 50 million years and still growing … - aliengrove
Commended: Hibernation - dodge69
Commended: Young and old - Dr Mhuni
Commended: The conversation - alixfilipov
Commended: The wisdom of age - davidtrout
Commended: Forgotten graveyard - Utopia Poppy
Posted 16/05/2011 - 10:42
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Well done Tim, surprisingly swift judging considering your travelling.
Excellent choice of winner, congratulations to dannyh, a deserving shot!
Thanks for awarding me a place on the podium, with this choice of entries I'm pleased (did my sweettalking you help? )
Well done everyone, congrats to the podium and the HC's, off to the next century of competitions...
Prieni
Excellent choice of winner, congratulations to dannyh, a deserving shot!
Thanks for awarding me a place on the podium, with this choice of entries I'm pleased (did my sweettalking you help? )
Well done everyone, congrats to the podium and the HC's, off to the next century of competitions...
Prieni
How inappropriate to call this planet earth when it is quite clearly Ocean. - Arthur C. Clarke
Prieni's PPG page
Prieni's PPG page
Posted 16/05/2011 - 11:10
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Thanks for setting an appropriate subject for #200 and judging it so expertly Tim. There were some great entries. Congrats to the podium and award winners and also thanks for my commendation.
David
David
Posted 16/05/2011 - 11:13
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I second David`s comments on the judging Tim.
Challenging comp and well supported - congrats to dannyh and the runners up and HCs.
Onward and upward.
Tony
Challenging comp and well supported - congrats to dannyh and the runners up and HCs.
Onward and upward.
Tony
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I am now on Flickr which is nice !
I am now on Flickr which is nice !
Posted 16/05/2011 - 11:35
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Excellent result and thank you for the second place and the comments on my pic. The noise annoys me - 54 seconds was a touch short. Helped with the colour but not the noise
I thought Dannys picture was excellent and the first thing that came to mind was Abel Magwitch. A cracker.
I thought Dannys picture was excellent and the first thing that came to mind was Abel Magwitch. A cracker.
Posted 16/05/2011 - 11:53
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Well done Tim in getting your well considered judging to us so soon after your trip. Well done dannyh on being our prize-winning 200th competition winner. I'll let Dan know you've won and he will sort out your prize!
Your other prize is of course setting and judging competiton #201, so we'll look forward to seeing your choice!
Your other prize is of course setting and judging competiton #201, so we'll look forward to seeing your choice!
Best regards, John
Posted 16/05/2011 - 12:54
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Congratulations to dannyh and the other podium places.
Many thanks to thoughton for setting and judging the competition with comprehensive notes about each entry.
I was determined to enter something young to counter all the 'aged' entries and not knowing any babies settled on the black lamb, who lives next to the house
Many thanks to thoughton for setting and judging the competition with comprehensive notes about each entry.
I was determined to enter something young to counter all the 'aged' entries and not knowing any babies settled on the black lamb, who lives next to the house
Hyram
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Posted 16/05/2011 - 12:54
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Thanks for the quick and efficient judging Tim, I'm sure it was a very hard one, congratulations to the winners and to HC/C
Kind regards,
Alex
Kind regards,
Alex
Posted 16/05/2011 - 13:03
Link
Very well done with the judging Tim, I'd forgot you were away. It all adds to the pressure.
Stunning winner so congratulations to dannyh and all those who had a special mention.
Stunning winner so congratulations to dannyh and all those who had a special mention.
Barrie - Too Old To Die Young
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/
https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/
Posted 16/05/2011 - 13:06
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Dreaming! i thought i was dreaming, had to read through all the comments before accepting that i had won.
Thanks so much looking at many of the other submissions i thought i really didnt have a chance.
Many thanks to all Pentax users who have helped me thus far with comments and suggestions on my photos and in the forums. This pic was originally in my gallery and a few members suggested a B&W conversion, i feel like actually the members have won this comp not just me.
I'll try and get this weeks comp up tonight
Yippee woooo hoooo and over the moon
Dan
Thanks so much looking at many of the other submissions i thought i really didnt have a chance.
Many thanks to all Pentax users who have helped me thus far with comments and suggestions on my photos and in the forums. This pic was originally in my gallery and a few members suggested a B&W conversion, i feel like actually the members have won this comp not just me.
I'll try and get this weeks comp up tonight
Yippee woooo hoooo and over the moon
Dan
Posted 16/05/2011 - 13:43
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Thanks for your comments- really very helpful. You are 100% correct about my entry and that is very useful feedback indeed. Well Done to the winner (I new it would be there or there abouts- very good)- my personal fave was "The Conversation".
Posted 16/05/2011 - 13:43
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Thanks Tim for another great subject, your excellent reviews and your considered, but probably very difficult, judging.
Thanks also for your kind comments on my bear picture. My initial reaction at the start of the competition was that it was quite a difficult subject but actually, looking at all the entries, I think it worked out really well.
Congratulations to dannyh for a fantastic winning image, the runners up and everyone else for such a great set of well executed interpretations.
Glyn
Thanks also for your kind comments on my bear picture. My initial reaction at the start of the competition was that it was quite a difficult subject but actually, looking at all the entries, I think it worked out really well.
Congratulations to dannyh for a fantastic winning image, the runners up and everyone else for such a great set of well executed interpretations.
Glyn
Posted 16/05/2011 - 13:53
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Thanks Tim for your comments. As you so rightly say it was very difficult to take more than a "record" image and the lighting in the hotel room was not ideal. Anyway I'm pleased that you saw something that you had never seen before. For your info the other cards were from the Welsh Office, Welsh Assembly Government, Department of Pensions and from Anglesey County Council.
Thanks once again,
Howard
Thanks once again,
Howard
Cymru Am Byth
Posted 16/05/2011 - 14:07
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Very well done Danny, good field too. Thanks for the comments Tim, nice work! Fitting for the 200th all 'round, IMO.
Posted 16/05/2011 - 14:27
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Thank you Tim for your judging, very well done. It was a fantastic topic for the 200th comp.
Congratulation to our winner dannyh, it was a thought provoking photo...also thought the conversation was a stunning piece of work too.
Congratulation to our winner dannyh, it was a thought provoking photo...also thought the conversation was a stunning piece of work too.
Posted 16/05/2011 - 15:31
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Well done Dan on your first place, well deserved. Congratulations to all placed and HC's and thanks Tim for an excellent topic for the comp and a high standard of judging.
Great simplicity is only won by an intense moment or by years of intelligent effort. T.S Eliot
Gear Not enough!!
PPG
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Gear Not enough!!
PPG
Flickr
My not so new website
Posted 16/05/2011 - 15:34
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Good subject, well judged, with thoughtfull and perceptive comments. Thanks.
Steve.
Steve.
Posted 16/05/2011 - 20:16
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Well done to an excellent winning shot and the other quality shots. Thanks Tim for an exceptionally well judged competition and the crucifixion.
Posted 16/05/2011 - 21:11
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stevepresto wrote:
Good subject, well judged, with thoughtfull and perceptive comments. Thanks.
Steve.
+1Good subject, well judged, with thoughtfull and perceptive comments. Thanks.
Steve.
I just knew and old face in B&W was going to win it - unfortunately not many 19th Century sun aged North American Indians going about east Scotland!
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