Weekly Competition #351 - A touch of red Competition

Weekly Competition - #351 A touch of red

The thing about choosing non-genre specific subjects for these competitions means that you get to see a wide range of photography. By selecting the colour red rather than say, trees, sport or architecture, it's been possible to attract any of these subjects and many more, including natural history, portraits, abstracts and landscape among others.
And what an interesting collection of interpretations there is. This week has seen a healthy number of entries and some extremely fine images. Thank you for sharing them.
Picking the winner hasn't been easy; four pictures ended up in my podium shortlist late last night and I was still juggling with the order in which to select them as the bell tolled midnight. I must stress that the final selection is just my personal view, and not a definitive ruling on what is the best picture, second best, third best etc.

A Wansbeck Walk - by Tyronet
This is the kind of image I envisaged when I set the competition although I have kept a fully open mind regarding the various styles and interpretations of the theme. I like the harmony of colour between the red and green. The red, positioned on the classic intersection of the thirds, is quite small in the frame but it immediately draws the eye. And it also draws attention to the fact the umbrella is not critically sharp, possibly as a result of movement during the very slow shutter speed used. I think the image showing the wet road which you posted in the Gallery is a better picture.

Rotation by Walkeja
Another umbrella, also contrasting red and green. but this time the movement is clearly deliberate. Its a good idea and I like the imagination behind it. But I can't help feeling that the composition could have been arranged better. The mixed background of brick wall and trees is confusing; if you had positioned the subject against either one or the other it would probably have worked better. Also I would like to have seen the top arch of the umbrella which appears somewhat chopped off.

Liege and leaf by Simonarron
It may not be terribly original Simon but it clearly meets the requirements of the competition topic and its a superb picture of the robin. Photographically the picture is spot on, with the bird being rendered wonderfully sharp and the background bokeh is lovely. Emotionally the image also has a lot of appeal - I think its called the aaah factor

Kawasaki by billyspad
This striking image immediately grabs attention and so does the red. I believe a lot of care went into producing this at both the taking stage and in post processing. The bike is positioned against a non-conflicting background in a complimentary but neutral colour. The post processing had teased out all the fine detail in the machine. In particular I like the attractive but totally abstract detail in the mirrors.



Old Victorian Postbox by Mudge
This is a lovely shot of the old postbox, the red paint certainly stands out. This is enhanced by the background desaturation. In the early days of digital photography colour popping was popular and considered creative. Now it seems to be unfashionable. Clever post processing has moved on and ever more 'creative' effects are being tried, some of them taken to bizarre extremes which will surely also go out of fashion before long. However I still like to see colour popping when its done for genuine reasons, as here, and not just for the sake of cleverness. This picture is a joy and for me it works.

Poppies in an oilseed rape field by Womble
Two touches of red here. Would one poppy head have been more effective than two? Perhaps, that's just my opinion. I would like to have seen an angle where the yellow rape formed a more distinct background as I think the red splash against the out of focus yellow would have been very satisfying. But I accept that to do this you might have been forced to shoot from a higher vantage point and would then have lost the great effect you achieved by shooting somewhere near ground level giving a powerful impression of the poppies.

Fungi by Geordie01
The vibrant red certainly works here against the largely oof green background. There are some slightly distracting light areas in the background but because of the bokeh they are muted and don't intrude too much. Its an excellent natural history image of the fungi which is also enjoyable to view.

A rose by any other name by unnameduser
The more I view this the more attractive it gets. The slightly soft focus on the model is very effective and the colours blend together wonderfully. Once again we have reds and green contrasting with each other in an appealing manner. And there's more than one shade of red, from her beautiful red hair to her lips, then the splashes of red on the petal edges and the glorious expanse of her red dress.

Red where red not wanted by Ken 2390
I can see what you're getting at here. The red in the traffic cone really clashes with the pastel shade beach huts and that seems to be the point. I don't know if you put the cone there, if you did brownie points for being creative, if you didn't, equal marks for being observant.

Liverpool lightship by TimE
The red totally dominates this scene and demands attention. Its a busy view but compositionally you have organised it very well. The curve of the dockside leads the eye to the ship and the attractive major buildings, mostly in white stone, form a fascinating backdrop.

Mannequin by Aliengrove
Risque? I nearly fell off my chair when I first saw the thumbnails. But what a powerful picture. Who was it who said less is more? They were correct. There are just two elements here, the half torso and the red drape. Perhaps three; there's also the featureless black area which gives the image even more impact. What more does it need? Its a picture I wish I'd taken.

Bumbling about by Perspicador
Is this red, magenta or pink? I suppose the boundary is sometimes a matter of opinion when one colour morphs into a another. Who cares, these shades are all related anyway. Not being a natural history or a macro photographer I can only imagine how difficult it must be to photograph bees, insects and wasps etc. Nothing stays still, even the plants seem to sway in the slightest breeze. I'd be more confident trying to get a lively toddler sharp. I think sharpness here is a slight problem, its very close but not quite spot on. However its an attractive image none-the-less.

The ring by Michaelblue
In similar vein to Aliengrove's mannequin this is also an impressive and graphic image. The folds in the robe provide some interesting and attractive shades while the white glove is the all important background to the ring with its gold mount and ruby stone. And like Aliengrove's picture this uses a black canvas against which the rest of the image packs impact.

Arrows by drowies
Sorry but the EXIF says this was taken on a Fuji camera. Much as I enjoy seeing photos of the Red Arrows in action I can't consider this for a Pentax User competition.

Finn asleep by John Riley
What a delightful picture. The deep red makes Finn look really snug and cosy - and safe. There's nothing posed about this, its for real. A simple picture that tells a heart warming story - one for the family album as well as being a quality photo.

Autumn fire by David Storm
Of all the thumbnails in this competition, when first viewed, this one intrigued me most. It had an abstract appeal with very rich colour. Viewed large it is even more appealing. The deep red of the acer leaf has a translucent feel, perhaps due in part to the careful lighting. Then there's the water which slightly mirrors the colour in the leaf, but not overdone. The water isn't merely reflecting in the glory of the leaf, it reveals some delights of its own. Softly focussed but there is texture and hints of bubbles or ripples.

Coffee by Darlene
It could be seen as just a record photo of the menu at the cafe - but record shot it aint. This has real pictorial appeal for me, the sort of thing you would hang on the wall at home in the dining room or kitchen in an arty sort of way. Darlene's input, apart from pressing the shutter, was first seeing the possibility in a seemingly humdrum item and then twisting it diagonally to give it the image an astringency that lifts it above the mere mundane. Oh yes, the red, isn't that a satisfyingly deep and rich hue.

Red hot by Jim-w
Phew talk about global warming. This eye catching photo is certainly well titled. The sharp contrast of the black silhouette against the great red sky has terrific impact. I've suggested in earlier comments that I'm impressed by reds against black. Equally black against red creates a colour combination that demands attention. The red sky and ship's masts and rigging alone would have given us an excellent picture but there is a lot of added interest in the jet trails and the sun flare. Was this done in camera with filtration or later in PS? Whichever it makes a very interesting image.
This might sound daft but technically I think this can be classified as a mono photo. International salons and club competitions define mono not as black and white but as one colour. There's only one colour here apart from the black. Discuss.

Classic purple by bforbes
A competition about 'red' and Barrie enters one called Classic Purple. Well there's red in purple so that must be OK. But the red I'm looking at here is in the models lips, a classic vibrant red that compels viewing. This is an nicely balanced portrait of an attractive woman, with lovely purple and black as a bonus.

Lady in red by Paulb531
This lady in red attracts attention as much through her choice of trousers as anything. although she also has less noticeable red toe nails. I like the juxtaposition with the classical statue, who, as Paul points out, appears to be showing a more than casual interest in her.

Say ahhh by Coker
This gull makes a fine natural history subject although Coker is treating it as a fun picture rather than a serious bird short, judging by his image title. It is perfectly positioned in the frame, perched on what looks like and outfall pipe. The rippled reflection is an attractive element and the all important red is there in the bird's open beak.


A touch of red in a wheat field by JA
The beautiful red poppies set against the golden wheat bring back memories of a glorious summer's day. The poppies are photographed in the classic position at the intersection of the thirds, low down in the frame to emphasise the height of the wheat. A very satisfying image.

Red pest by GlynM
This macro shot isolates the red bug perfectly. Everything else is rendered out of focus in complimentary green, a perfect backdrop. Expertly photographed and a delight to view.

Granville lighthouse by Doctor Jeff
The red top of the lighthouse is given a fine background of blue sky. As a record of the location with the remains of the German occupation evident in the foreground, I can see why you included so much in the picture. But for the purpose of this competition the view would have been much stronger if you had been able zoom into the top of the lighthouse, or else crop in during PP to isolate this detail.

City viewing gallery
The people in this architectural environment photo are ideally placed and the composition is excellent with the diagonal line of the balcony rail running top left to bottom right corner. Its really a street photo, but not shot in a street. The touch of red in the suit of the second man from right, is obvious, albeit occupying a small portion of the frame.

Cardinal in red by Puggy
There's superb detail in the bug which dominates this fine macro photograph. Lovers of macro photography and people who study insects and beetles will love this, but also so will those who just enjoy quality colour photography of any genre. As mentioned in some of the earlier comments on entries, the green bokeh here is wonderful.

Sidelight by cvhennessy
I enjoyed looking at this imaginative picture. The bright light that day gave you an excellent reflection of a red Morgan in the chrome sidelight of a neighbouring car. The reflected blue sky is a bonus and although working at f11 the close focus has rendered any distracting detail totally oof. Well observed and executed.


Red box by grahamevans
The black and white buildings in the background are a perfect foil for this red post box. The colour popping process is appropriate for pictures of this type and works very well. The red is rich and certainly demands attention. I like it.

Bedoin market chill stall by Mowser
There are so many vibrant reds in this delightful travel picture that the eye works overtime to take in all the detail. And that is a bonus, but from a pictorial point of view also a weakness. If just a small area of the chilies could have been isolated, or even a single chille, with all the rest rendered as OOF background this would have been a stunner.

Up and away by Gravelrash
I don't think you can see too many action shots of the Red Arrows; it's such a sensational subject. The composition in this image is excellent. The arrow head of the formation is heading towards the top left corner while the vapour trails sweep in a beautiful arch through the frame. Unfortunately the planes are in shadow so the red is subdued and the lower part of the vapour trails has burned out a little.

Camellia by Offenheimer 45
The most dominant camellia is wonderfully sharp and has vibrant colour, again set against rich greens, one of my favourite colour combinations. Perhaps the secondary flower head, although not totally sharp, could have been rendered even less so as it does compete a little for attention. In the rest of the image the colour is either subdued because of the focusing or by out-of-focus green so it is complimentary to the main point of interest.

Bobbin by Noelcmn
Not being an angler I can only guess that a bobbin is some sort of float used by fishermen. Being, instead, a photographer I can look at this and think 'what an interesting image this is'. The red bit stands out well, despite being small in the frame. The ripples on the surface are beautiful and have wonderful, smooth shapes with some great abstract patterns.

Blood red thorns by drofmit
The blood red spikes look lethal abut very photogenic and once again prove the effectiveness of vibrant red against dark green. The sharpness of the thorns is matched by the sharpness of the image. Very nice indeed.

Results
I: The ring by michaelblue
=2: Autumn fire by David Storm and Mannequin by Alienngrove.
3: Kawasaki by billyspad

HCs: City viewing Gallery by Hullman and Redhot by Jim-w,
David

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

Well done michaelblue, and well done David for being ultra-fast with the comprehensive judging.

It is good to see that we're well back on track with the weekly competitions being nice and prompt and the flow being kept going.

Congratulations to the Winner and other places. Thanks to David for the interesting subject, judging and constructive comments.

My image in the galley is constructed of about 50% photoshop trickery

Many thanks David for another great competition. The number and diversity of entries shows that it was really worth revisiting this subject. I am sure that made it somewhat harder to judge but as usual you produced a grand, extensive, set of comments and faultless judging.

Congratulations to michaelblue for the winning shot, the runners up and everyone else for another fantastic set of images.

Glyn

Thanks David, for your competition and judging, your choice of subject certainly brought in a good entry, in both numbers and quality. The winners had a hard job this week, so the congratulations are well deserved.

Had your work cut out judging these. Thanks for your time

Some awesome entries and well deserved placings.

Congratulations to the winners. Well done David for a great contest and sorting out a winner from so many excellent photos.

Regards

Paul

Phew, what a stunning selection of entries, meaning all the more kudos to the winners. Wonderful winning shot, packs a mean story! Heart congratulations michaelblue, David Storm, Aliengrove, Billyspad, Hullman and Jim-W. Thanks Davidtrout for an impressive comp, judging and constructive comments. Always appreciated!

Thank you David, great judging and very worthy winner.

Wow! That was unexpected!
There were so many excellent entries this week, I'm glad I didn't have to judge them.
Thank you David for first spot, well done to the equally deserving David Storm, Aliengrove, Billyspad, Jim-W and Hullman and thanks to everyone who entered, a joy to view your great work.

Excellent judging too.

Apologies for the late response, internet problems here.

Now on to the next comp........HMMMM???

Well done to Michaelblue for the win and also to other mentions and everyone else
Thanks to David for the comp and judging and for my HC
This image was created in PSE last year, I don't recall exactly what I did as I tend to just mess and if I like the result I keep it.
I guess mono should mean any single colour and black and white should be called black and white or greyscale, although I know people use the term mono for colour and black.

All the best...Jim

Sincere thanks from me too Dave, what a great competition theme, loads of high quality entries and a delight for me to be judged second equal amongst this level of competition. If I get the chance to judge another one I will have to learn to set a more inclusive theme than the one I set last week!

Congratulations to Michaelblue, a superb winner and also to all of the other placed entries. Great stuff.

Regards
David

Thank you David, great judging ,and thanks for all the was said about my entry
Congratulation to the winners It sure was a hard one to judge that's for sure

Sorry for my late comment.... Congratulations Michael, a great winning image, and congrats too to my fellow podium places and HC's . Thanks for the second place, and your comments! A lot of great entries this week, must have been a difficult one to judge!

Great comments and judging as usual, David, thanks for another great comp!