Weekly Competition #254 - Monochrome Competition

I have to say how impressed I've been with the quality of the entries which, of course, makes the judging both harder and more enjoyable.

Whose Hand Print is this
Tyronet2000

An intriguing image indeed; a child's handprint appears to be pressed into stone. I find the background fighting for my attention with the stone and my eye keeps being drawn away to that one overexposed leaf. I'd be tempted to crop off about half the leaves at the top and burn the rest in a lot. Darkening the leaves will really bring out the point of the picture.

Gloom-on-Tyne
Davidtrout

A stunning picture that really jumps out at you, I never seem to have a camera with me when I see these scenes. I like the strip of land at the bottom which gives fantastic emphasis to the glowering sky. I can’t suggest anyway to improve it and I’d definitely enjoy having this hanging on my wall.

Rusting
Pentaxophile

I really enjoy seeing this kind of photography; this photograph reminds me of a Ben Nicholson painting and everything including the shadows goes to make up a harmonious whole. I suppose in an ideal world it would be great to have the background in focus too but that wasn’t possible I can see. Could it be improved with a little cropping at the top and left? No matter it’s another I’d have on my wall.

Cassie with red gels
Johnriley

A brave decision I think to use a coloured gel on the key light and it certainly compliments her hair colour. Two things bother me slightly; one is the wrinkles and spots on the black cloth and the other is her complexion. Retouching skin is certainly a hot topic in the fashion industry and there is the moral dilemma where the model might think her blemishes were worse than they are since you had to re-touch them! I’d be very tempted to risk her wrath and do it.

Polyanthus in Yellow
GlynM


So many plant close-ups are spoiled by using blemished blooms but not this one and it certainly fits the bill. It doesn’t seem particularly sharp anywhere which I find strange given the lens and data supplied, curious. I do think it would have benefitted from some diffusion over the light source to reduce the contrast, the shadow over the flower on the right is too strong but you could have a go at lifting in PP. I have a 12” pop up diffuser that came free with AP in my camera bag always.

Brown vs Brown
Noelcmn

In such an arid landscape you wonder that the animal can survive at all. The choice of 170mm lens gives a pleasant foreshortening and the composition is good using the classic rule of thirds. Somehow there just doesn’t seem to be enough going on for my taste.

after the storm...
stopher

Another cracker! You’ve got the exposure bang on and the panoramic format is just perfect for the subject matter. Another one I would very happily have hanging on my wall at home, well done!

Swan on Frosty Morning
davidstorm

Tricky lighting and I think giving less exposure to retain highlight detail would have resulted in the baby being thrown out with the bath water. It is an attractive and evocative image which could be slightly improved by cropping a little off the top just to lose that distracting bit in the top right corner.

Sheeps Island out to Rathlin
Sean282

Stunning! Stunning! Stunning! A photograph that has all the hallmarks of being considered and visualised before the button was pressed. The black frame is used well to tie the whole image together. I’m running out of wall space at home now.

Wheel meet again
Droopsnoot

Its so refreshing so see a different approach to the more usual pictures of big wheels, this one looks like a giant robotic mantis. I’d imagine it was quite tricky to get the exposure right and you’ve certainly managed it.

This hurts my eyes.
Geordie01

It hurts mine too! Well observed and great colour; although I don’t know the scale of this I’m surprised that 10mm and f8 is producing such soft corners but I still like it very much.

One Day I'll Win
Frogherder

For a moment I was almost convinced! Some diffusion of the light source would help as would some subtle vignetting to draw the eye into the four leaf clover.

Blue
Bforbes

This is a beautiful picture; I’ve no idea what it is and I really don’t care either. It really warrants going back to again and again and enjoying those so subtle changes of tone. I’m moving to a bigger house now just to have this one on the wall too. Great!

Lichens on a table
Lee55555

Sorry but this just strays outside the brief with too many colours.


From holy Island
Paulb531

Its good to see a picture from Holy Island rather than that usual view of it. I can’t help but feel this is overexposed, especially if taken at dusk; the whites in the sky are certainly blown. For me the picture is about the line of receding poles and they are just too small in frame.

Apache AH-604 Navigation
BAJ

All the colours of the spectrum in a Monochrome competition!

Pick your seat
Arrondee

Great use of angles, colour balance and depth of field; I thought it was taken with a lens wider than 35mm. This is the sort of image that stock library would sell quite well but its let down by clutter at the top of the frame. Lose the area in shadow and the picture is much improved.

The NV
Sandinista

Another one with too many colours; those yellow trees are the culprit I’m afraid.

red suspension
AxelLuther

A favourite of mine with lots of subtle changes of red but I do find that shadow, if that is what it is, on the left hand edge a little annoying.

Refreshed
Joclick

Another one with too many colours I’m afraid

Severn at Oatfield
TOZZA27

Great exposure but somehow I want to drive there and remove that bottom branch with a chainsaw, it annoys me that much. There is actually quite a lot to commend this picture but in the end there isn’t really any focal point to draw the eye.

Comb-Edge
GaryJohn

Great colour and I like this sort of subject matter and approach but there is something uneasy about where you’ve placed the window in the frame. I think a square crop from the left edge would be better.

Berlin office block
malcolm leader

This picture is worth looking at again and again. At first its just a glass tower but then you notice the patterns made by the open windows and so on. I like the composition and it is a reminder of just how good Optios can be

Green Meany
VonBatCat

Great colour and I really like the way the edges fall out of focus but sadly there doesn’t seem to any point that is particularly sharp which is a real shame.

Three Silhouettes
perpinya

Another intriguing image and well considered, I’m sure a more conventional approach to exposure would have resulted in a far less interesting picture. You’ve used the sun’s position to your advantage.

The Blues
gunner

I really like that sweeping blue line but I wished you’d put something other than the plastic crocodile there. Think how good a large smooth pebble might have looked instead. I do appreciate that your daughter does probably get more fun from her crocodile though.

Earthen architecture
Alun

I want to like this but somehow it just isn’t working for me, I think it could work well in b+w though.

Winter Wonderland
JAK

If you haven’t already used this as a Christmas card then you should. It has all the classic compositional elements like the lines leading in from the bottom corners and the three elements. My only suggestion would be to take the mid-tones down a notch.

Brean Sands
jaspers45

What a beautiful colour, I can certainly see what attracted you to this scene but I can’t help but feel there is no real focal point.

Stormgrey
drofmit
That sky looks like something out of a horror film! I can’t help but feel that the foreground is a bit scruffy though but exposure is great and its good to see another Optio picture represented.

This has been a really tough competition to judge and I can’t procrastinate any longer so…

1st Sheeps Island out to Rathlin by Sean282

2nd Rusting by Pentaxophile

3rd Gloom-on-Tyne by Davidtrout

Congratulations to the Winner and the runners up. Thanks to gartmore for the judging and the very useful comments.

I also didn't have a blue pebble!

My first entry for a while, glad to see some great entries and thoughtful judging.

Many thanks gartmore for the win. I'm chuffed. Was my first evening out with the K5 so remember it's was really nice to bring home a keeper the first time out, after driving home thinking at the time I hadnt much.

I'll try and get the new comp up and running later today after a bit of a think

Well done to ken for stepping in and judging the comp, very considered and constructive judging.

Congratulations to Sean282- winning a comp with a shot from your first outing is pretty good going! .

My own favourite shot was "Seats" by Arondee.

Onto the next one.

BTW- would bforbes care to post a larger pic. of whatever it is in his very intriguing shot.

Thanks for the judging Ken - great topic - it even got Joclick in a lather enough to enter one of her (rare) photos.
Very well done to Sean for a very evocative picture and also to the runners up for their entries.
My choice was a shot that , because it was taken with the *istD early on , was for some reason a PEF file and therefore rejected.The second choice was thrust upon me therefore.Sorry about the branch !!

I shall pass on your comments to my lady when she returns.

Tony

Thanks Ken,both for an interesting subject and your detailed comments. Thanks also for my 3rd place and congratulations to Sean and Will.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Thanks Ken, Your comments are appreciated I'll try the methods suggested (I was in the middle of a field in bright sunlight and used my map to try and reflect a 2nd 'softening source')

I did find a £2 coin on the way home, which prompted the title.

Congratulations to the winners, well deserved.


regards
Bernard

Congratulations to Sean & the other placings...worthy winners.
Many thanks to Ken for stepping in and for the thoughtful & constructive judging. Very pleased that my entry was potentially worthy of some of your wall space!

Well done Sean, Pentaxophile and David for the podium places. Thanks for stepping in and setting the comp Ken and well done on your excellent judging.

I could not agree more.

Thanks very much for the second place and the comments Ken. The winning shot was superb so am more than happy with runner up position! Congratulations to David forhis shot too. Agree re keeping the background in focus, in retrospect I should have stopped down a bit.

Thanks for your comments.

Congrats to the winners and thanks for the considered judging and comments.

John

Thank's for your comments anb congratulations for the winner.

Josep