Weekly Competition #88 - Reflections ! Competition

Well, another round has ended. Again it was a pleasure to look at and comment on a lot of outstanding images. At first you gave me the shakes, by entering FIVE pictures in the first couple of hours after the start.
Lucky for me it normalised over the days that followed. Thanks for that !

Now......on a very personal note. This round I again ( for the third time) find myself facing the dilemma of the possible exclusion of a entrie in the final ruling. Again because it was entered in a way you could describe as " Not fitting the spirit and rules of the competition." The rules, written down by John Riley, are found here, for everyone to see and read.They are certainly not engraved in stone, but common sense and good manor should be respected. Respect for all the participants, and for the spirit in which these competitions are held.Remember........ There are no prizes to win here other than receiving kudos and joy of the honour. I hope it is the last time I am confronted with this issue.

OK......time for the results. may the force be with me.

Gartmore: Shop window:
A testimony to the old film days. I love this one. There is so much to explore in this picture. It is almost, as if you are granted a peek in a window through the past. Every time I look, I find new things to explore. The breaking sun after a storm, the clouds in the background, the people getting out after the rain.The puddles on the old pavement. All captured very well as a reflection, not only in the shop's window but also as a reflection of time. Well done.

John Riley: Hadee:
A lot of reflections to choose from, in this picture. But I am not that fond of the drastic "haircut" done by the hard edged
clone tool of the girls main reflection. I like the old Nikon in the background, as a detail. But it needs a bit more effort to pass the bill of convincing.

Hyram: Distorted reflections:
Seeing this one, I can't help feeling sorry for the guy, who has to polish those air vents. You captured a great reflection here, but I think, getting closer would have made it a stronger image. The distortion is the place to explore, but now the surrounding bits and pieces tend to distract my eyes from the main subject. But maybe, it wasn't possible to get closer.

Tony-O: In The Flesh:
This could have been a great shot, but somehow the pandemonium of colours is way to distracting for my eyes. There are four points of interest here. The butchers meat, the older woman and man walking to each other and the mirror reversed word: Stadt. IMO you should convert this one to mono, and flip the complete picture horizontally.
That way you would have a very strong image, and possibly a podium candidate. Now there are to many things fighting for attention, and therefore weakening the overall image.

Nathanever82: Reflections on a Photograph by.......
Looking at this entrie, I want to understand it. It has a sci-fi look over it. Obviously it is a gallery with visitors, we are looking at. And the first impression I had, was one of awe. Was that night lighted city view visible, when you turn around? Or was it the picture, you refer to in your title. Anyway.....you got me puzzled. A great capture Nathan!!
Definitive one for the wall, printed large. Well done.

Bigcog: On the bauble:
I like the idea, but unfortunately there is nothing sharp in this picture. And for this picture to work, at least something should
be in focus. Now it is like me looking at something without my glasses on. It is to straining for my eyes. Sorry.

Bforbes: Loch Lomond.
A reflection well captured. I expect you don't have this mirror like conditions often in that neighbourhood. I think that it could use some lift in contrast. It is kind of flat (no pun intended) and therefore missing the impact, it should have. Try playing with levels, curves and saturation. I think it will improve the overall impact.

Daniel Bridge: Lapwing:
When I started this competition I was expecting these kind of shots. Difficult to judge them within this weeks theme.
It is a wildlife shot and yes, it has a reflection also. But sadly this otherwise technical great picture is let down by one thing.........The crop of the reflection at the bottom. A bit more space, and it would be perfect. As a wildlife shot and as a reflection. To bad......

Bob and his Pentax: Reflecting on classic Campers:
A good idea,and from a technical point of view, well executed. But somehow I miss the Ooompf factor. I think getting in closer and stepping to the right a bit would have resulted in a stronger picture, telling the same story, but with much more impact.

Sanderscapes: Friars cragg.......:
A great reflection, captured here. Again under conditions you won't find any time you visit that place. There is not much to fault here. It is sharp, level and has enough contrast. But.....I am not sure the little rock, glued against the bottom border adds to the picture. It is to small as a point of interest. And, if there on purpose it should be detached from the bottom by giving it a bit more space.

Terje-I: Street reflection:
This is the kind of image I had in mind when starting this weeks theme. I love the pastel colours of the building
found in the pool. But to really work, I would have cropped it a bit further to a rectangular picture, by loosing the upper 1/4 th of the picture, and maybe the lower 1/5 th. That way there is still enough info to say: reflection. Now the street pavement is getting to much attention. Good effort, though.

Piotro: Personal reflection:
It almost seems that way. The Coot is looking like: Huhhhh, is that me in the mirror?? A great capture and there is little left to say against this picture. It is sharp, rich of detail and has a good colour feel, without over doing it. If I want to nit pick, I should say I would have liked a bit more room on the left to live. It feels a bit to narrow for me. But other than that, a great capture.

Daltoned: Fish eye effect:
A great idea ! But the overall picture could have been much stronger if you had thought of two things.
First: Exclude yourself from the reflection by stepping to the left a bit. Unless of course, this weeks theme is ; self portraits. But it isn't, I am afraid. Second: If you had used a polariser, you could have prevented the reflection in the window glass and therefore giving the mirror inside the shop (main subject) the attention it needed.
A little tip: This is the kind of shot, that asks for the use of a tripod. It slows you down, and makes you think again before you press the button.

RR: Saintly swan:
I wonder what made you decide to go for the B&W approach, here. I like the duck coming into the frame on the upper right corner. Though I think a bit more space to the right would have been ideal. It is a pity the second circle of ripples is cut off now. I love the two headed reflection of the swan's head. Very surrealistic. And therefore I keep wondering if B&W is the right choice here. The deep blue of the water, in conjunction with the reflected head would have made it a stronger image, I imagine.

Belinda B: Abstract Sculpture:
An very different view on this weeks theme. Well thought of, and with a great tonality. Obviously natural light is reflected everywhere on this sculpture, But because this modern piece of art, is so great to look at on it's own merits, it is hard to place it within this weeks theme. Perhaps getting close to one of the polished shiny metal forms would have opened a world of opportunities (reflection wise), I don't know for sure. But to judge this as a reflection is a bit hard, for me. It is never the less a great picture of a great subject. Does this conclusion make sense??

Smiff: Trees and sun:
Was this one cropped afterwards or is it the full Monty?? It almost looks monochrome, but it isn't.
Because of the portrait format I have the impression we miss a lot of the surroundings. And by showing us the reflection only there has to be a bit more information visible to make it work. Somehow I feel a horizontal format would reveal more of the scene,and with more detail to explore without leaving your original idea.

Josh: Black Swan:
I saw this one a while back. As you mentioned in the info. And I know it is a great picture. And I know it is accepted
in the PPG. And knowing all of that doesn't stop me, from saying: It isn't perfect. To be perfect and end very high in this weeks round, there should be a bit more room at the bottom. Ideally the reflected tree should be free. And to my eyes( which could be wrong, due to an optical illusion, caused by the tree) the picture leans a bit to the right. Not much, but I think it is noticeable. In spite of all the above, It still is a great picture.

GlynM: Tv reflection:
Often we see reflections on the Tv screen, and ever so often we hate it. In this case, obviously we don't.
Seeking for a reflection, and capturing one is a difficult job. What puzzles me a bit, is the outer border of the screens reflection. It has more clarity to it, than the rest. It is almost like you made a selection of it, during post processing, and than pasted it back in. Composition wise, I think you should do some cropping, and use the TV's casing as some sort of border/frame for the picture.

Beebee: Lake Vyrnwy-Wales:
All the ingredients, were there. Up to you to make it into something good. First about the straightening part. I think you are wrong. Period. There are a few exceptions, I know. But throwing a bucket full of water over the edge isn't one of them. I levelled it in PS and it just looks as it should, after straightening.. So I really don't know, why you think this picture would look better, leaning over. Maybe you couldn't avoid cropping off to much mountain at the top of the picture, after straightening it. In that case you should have stepped back, or zoom out a bit, before taking the picture. Using levels in PS/Elements show severe clipping of the highlights in the sky. That's to bad. And by closing the mid tone slider in levels to 0,90 you 'll notice the overall appearance of the picture gains more bite. Now it seems a bit flat.

Givingtree: Greers Ferry Sunset:
If only.........That great light source in the sky wasn't there. Now it has blown out the highlights complete, and destroyed the beautiful detail in that cloud formation. Otherwise the lead-in lines forming an X would have produced a very good picture. Sometimes all the things fall together, and sometimes they simply don't. The struggle of every
photographer, chasing the perfect picture.

Dr. Mhuni: Me in bowl in garden:
You did a good job here, specially on the lighting part. Considering the fact you used the pop-up flash, I might say: You did very well. I have asked the question before. How to judge this. It is a reflection, and of course it's also a self portrait. It's a good decision, you left the upper part in tact. It makes it easier for me, to see it as a reflection.
Even you as a subject, seems to take a moment to " reflect", on your choice of subject. Well done.

Prieni: HK reflection V:
What can I say.Stunned, Awe, Fantastic. These are just a few words that come to mind, when seeing this picture. There is simply nothing to fault here. It's the kind of reflection I hoped to see. And it is executed so well, I almost hate you for it. Thanks for making me " Humble", again.

Hefty 1: Cat's eye reflections:
Oh boy, that Jaguar E-type. Talk about classics. I wonder if you had reflections in mind when you took this picture.
I'll take a wild guess.......NO. It just happens to have a reflection in it. Obviously you focussed on the typical E-Type head light, and of course you should. The car deserves it. But if you would have known, this weeks theme and you had the possibility to turn back time, I think you would have chosen a different angle of view. To accentuate the reflection of the car a bit more, without giving up the characteristics of the Jaguar.

Steve Chasey: Washington DC:
It's difficult to compete with a landmark, so famous and so often photographed. And possibly from every angle you can think of. It looks a bit washed out and flat to me. And certainly needs some PP to lift contrast and saturation. The hazy sky isn't helping in this matter, I think. I know it is hard to get a shot, without people and with perfect light (dusk or dawn) at the same time, but I think that is what is needed to lift a registration of a landmark to the level of a great photograph.

Rees: Gated Reflection:
Not the most ideal conditions for photographs, it seems. Harsh, overcast light. Which resulted in a flat overall appearance. That and a main subject that is obscured by reed and branches, makes it almost impossible to produce a good picture. I think, returning another time, under different conditions would be advisable. The odds were just against you, in this situation.

Nimitz: The English Church:
Wow, this is a remarkable and great picture. A perfect reflection and compositional it works also. Even the placement of the church, dead in the middle adds to the strength of the picture. HDR has helped here in a positive way, and gives it a painterly feel. Very pleasing to the eye. The only minor concern I have, is the slight halo visible above the church roof and tree line. (result of tone mapping??) Other than that, a picture with postcard/poster potential. Well done.

Ben76: Mont -Blanc:
The bigger I see this picture, the more a like it. So much detail is revealed if you see this one full screen. It is a great capture, exposure is spot on. And so is the overall sharpness. More contrast or saturation could work, depending on personal taste. It is not needed, but available when needed. The only thing I could wish for was a wider view. Not because this picture needs it, but merely to accentuate the greatness of this area. Well done.

Father Ted: Rushing Nowhere:
I like the idea behind this picture. Obviously you have given it a lot of thought, before pressing the shutter button. The overall appearance seems a bit flat, and could use a lift in contrast, specially of the mid tones. If you use the highlight/shadow option in Elements or PS and move the mid tone slider a bit to the right, you see what I mean. Histogram levels indicate some serious clipping of the dark tones. With room enough on the opposite side.
So you can do it over in Raw, without any trouble.
Finally two little tips. Clone out that little piece of lamp post, on the far right of the picture, above the bus.
Lastly......, try flipping the entire picture using the option:rotate-----> flip layer horizontal.
That way the words: Liverpool Waterside are visible and becomes more balanced.

Galoot: Metisse Scrambler:
Taken this week, I have to assume it was taken for the occasion. There are reflections visible. And you managed very well in controlling all those highlights.The overall picture shows a very fine piece of craftsmanship. A bike with a beautiful engineered engine block. But the reflection part, is in my opinion to small to really stand out. Wasn't it possible to get in closer, concentrating on the reflection itself with perhaps a hint of the engine in the OOF area ? Now the rest of the machine is winning the battle for my attention. Sorry.

Ericp: Blue steel:
In many ways I could copy my comments from Galoot's entrie and use them on this one.But I don't, because in general it is a very different picture. It's funny that the two of you entered after each other. Technically a very good photograph, with a lot of reflections to explore. Palm trees, cars and other bikes are visible, if you take the trouble to look for it. Overall it is a solid entry, and executed in a very good way. Photoshop shows a lot of clipping in the highlights, but somehow it works for me. Sometimes you must forget technical perfection and opt for the aesthetic pleasing route. This is an example were the latter wins . Well done.

GilesBysh: Reflection:
I won't comment on your friends choice of brand. I do on the overall quality of your picture.
When opening in PS/Elements or any other decent raw converter you will notice a histogram showing a lot of room
for making this picture a lot better. Highlights are blown, but that isn't the main issue. There is a huge gap on the
left hand side (dark tones) If you close this gap the image will gain a lot more power, and clarity of the reflection.
Composition wise it would have been nice to show the whole lens, even if it is a Nikon.
Now I have the feeling of a rushy and hasty job. And that a pity. Because a few minutes worth spending in post processing, would have made this a much stronger and better entrie in this weeks competition.

Mikew: Bonnet:
Another classic pops up, here. And a lot of reflections are visible.It must be hard to avoid your own face, getting caught in the act, with so many mirrors in front of you.If I am not mistaken I can see you, on the dome shaped thing, just behind those yellow windings. I like this one. It is very dynamic, and certainly invites you get up close and personal with what's under the bonnet. I would have liked the reflection of the old car on the left, being complete. It would have added to the story. Overall a great capture. Well done.

Johnny_Rino: Reed reflections.
I can understand, what you were trying to achieve, but sadly it failed technically. There is to much movement in the water, It lacks critical sharpness and the clustering of individual reed stems results in black blobs without any detail. I think it would have worked better I you had find a couple of isolated stems, reflected in dead calm water.

Bill_And: Mersey Dawn:
This is a beautiful capture. Perfect light, dead calm water conditions and a great cityscape in the background. It is a scene, everybody wishes they could be there. Nothing to fault here. A very pleasing image. Well done.



And now the prizes:

First place: Prieni.
Second place: Gartmore
Third place: Nimitz

Highly commended: Piotro
Commended: Nathanever82
Commended: Ben76

Thanks for entering everybody, congrats to the winners and over to you Prieni.


Martin.

Many thanks for the detailed and prompt (nice to get this first thing Monday morning) judging Martin, and congrats to the winners and Prieni in particular - nice image Ralph. I really liked Gartmore's photo too.

Am a bit confused, though - what happened to the pic of the derelict mill in N Ireland taken with the K100d? It appears to have been withdrawn, which is a shame as I thought that was outstanding.

First thing to say is congratulations to Prieni,great image.And thanks to Martin for another good judging round. I will look at your b/w suggestion and try it out.As to the flipping of the image,i thought about it and then realized i had forgotten how to do it!! Tony

Congratulations on the judging (good grief late night or early morning?) which is once again very detailed and thoughtful and also to Prieni for an excellent winning photograph.

Mike

Excellent work Martin. A hard round to judge. Thanks for the third place

Well done Preini - excellent shot.

Congratulations to Prieni - a great image.

Many thanks to Martin for his well considered judging.

An interesting set of images this week, resulting from a fairly open subject matter.

Wow, that was quick judging. Now I have to take next Monday off so I can stay up until 1 a.m. on Monday morning (UK midnight)

First I have to say I'm humbled to win this. I knew I had a strong entry but I fell in love with two entries: Gartmore's (probably as I just got "Magnum Magnum" for my birthday and I think Gartmore's entry would not look out of place in this great book) and Nathan's.
Of course there were a lot more entries that could have won, excellent crop!
So I was a bit surprised to find my shot on the competition page.
It was quite hard for me choosing the entry for this week as there were so many shots that I really like in the archives. It seems I made the right choice.

Thanks for choosing my shot, I'll think about a new theme and start a new comp later today.

Prieni

Thanks to Martin for his perceptive and thorough judging and also for giving me the 'top' place of second

I thought Prieni's picture would win as soon as I saw it! Gosh, Prieni, thanks for your praise - I feel quite humbled.

Ken

Thanks Martin.
To be honest I wasn't fully happy with the image, but thought I'd throw it in anyway. I'd timed it to get a nice evening light, but when I got over to Liverpool it was grey and overcast and as you say, "Flat".

I hadn't thought of flipping the image to have the words the correct way around

Congratulations to Prieni.

Thanks Martin for a hard work with judging all photos. Grats for winner/winners, IMHO a bunch of very nice photos were submitted into this competition.

Piotr

Thanks as always Martin for a well appraised competition and congrats to Prieni.

Well done Prieni. Thanks Martin Rapid as ever. I'll have a try at your suggestions. if i post the revised image would you mind commenting again as i've not done alot with my Elements 5.0

No problem,
Just PM me, because this thread hasn't got a notification tool to alert me.

Martin.

Many thanks for the splendid judging - a mammoth task indeed.

I was a little puzzled by the reference to a hard edged clone tool and haircut as the image was a straight shot of a reflection in a piano. Perhaps it's something you are seeing in the wood or maybe an artefact from downsizing.

Here's to the next round!

PM send.

Martin.

Thanks, you are 100% correct.
Not a lot of time to enter, and the wrong choice. ( again ) !
Working away again, this time in the pissing rain on the Isle of Skye

tough call, well done one and all

Thanks for your kind words, Martin. Will try your suggestion.

Can I now add my thanks for Martin's honest appraisal which has been very useful in revealing a problem with my monitor....it's far too dark and I need to now address that.