Entries: Fortnightly Competition # 83 - 'Relaxation'

Another open topic to encourage as many of you as possible to enter.

With Christmas just around the corner, hopefully most of you will find the time to relax and unwind.

The usual rules apply and the competition ends on Wenesday 28th December @ 6.00pm GMT.

"While visions of sugar plums danced in her head"




Taken last night Dec. 20 2011
Model PENTAX K-x
ISO 200
Exposure 1/25 sec
Aperture 4.0
Focal Length 31mm
Flash Used true
White Balance 0
Metering Mode 5
Exposure Program 5
Exposure Bias 0.0
Focal Length (in 35mm film) 46

fallen asleep in her fairy wings, dreaming of Christmas no doubt.

Relaxing in the Kitchen Sink Jacuzzi

[IMG]http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w20/GlynM/Competition%20Entries/IMGP2522-c2s-small.jpg[/IMG]

My grandson Sam has a short pause for relaxation while being bathed in our kitchen sink .

Pentax k-5 with DA35mm macro limited.
1/40sec, F3.2 & ISO 800
Shot handheld without flash on 23/12/2011 at around 7pm
Cropped and re-sized in PSE10

Glyn

Relaxation for some

It may not seem relaxing to most people but this is how these guys unwind Taken today at a local cyclocross race

[IMG]http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g370/jimbo_609/IMGP7330.jpg[/IMG]

ExposureTime - 1/500 seconds
FNumber - 5.60
ExposureProgram - Action program
ISOSpeedRatings - 1600
ExifVersion - 0221
DateTimeOriginal - 2011:12:27 13:37:07
DateTimeDigitized - 2011:12:27 13:37:07
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 55.00 mm

[IMG]http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp15/chriseast/IMGP2965.jpg[/IMG]

Taken on the move so not quite as sharp as if I had time to compose it!

Pentax K-r with Pentax 18-250mm lens at 50mm, F8, 1/100, AWB, ISO 200. Taken 18.12.2011 at 09.07 in Bangkok. No post processing yet.

Competition now closed.

Results in shortly

Thank you all for entering – only four entries but I guess that everyone has been rather busy relaxing themselves, rather than taking photographs of others relaxing !

First – the usual disclaimer that what follows are just my personal thoughts and I hope that nobody will be upset and perhaps a few might agree with some of what I have said !

It has been interesting to see the various interpretations of “Relaxation”. With the first two entries I came to the conclusion that only children can relax, but then the other entries came in to show that adults have not forgotten the technique.

RPLSF –"While visions of sugar plums danced in her head"

A very impressive first entry. I don't know if the photograph is posed or if you just got lucky. A charming image that works very well in black and white, giving it a timeless quality. I always struggle with b & w conversions, so I am always impressed when others get it right. Not much more for me to say because I just like everything about this photograph, including the 'lightening' vignette.

Taken using an FA31 lens ?

Definitely one to keep in the family album.

GlynM – Relaxing in the Kitchen Sink Jacuzzi

I was half expecting a photograph of Hipperty relaxing in a chair with his party hat on and a glass of something in his paw, but perhaps he is away on his skiing holiday.

(For anyone not familiar with Hipperty, he lives in or more probably is in charge of the GlynM household).

Back to the actual entry, another delightful image made all the more unusual by the fact that you don't expect to find babies in the kitchen sink in 2011. A very appealing warm colour tone to the image and a fantastic expression, which seems to suggest that he is both enjoying himself and aware of having his photograph taken.

I find the yellow blob in the bottom left hand corner slightly distracting, probably because it is only partly in the photograph and I don't know what it is – a shoe or maybe a bathtime toy ?

Definitely another one to keep for the family album, although whether your grandson will be pleased when you produce this photograph in twenty year's time is debatable !

sandinista – Relaxation for some

When I first saw this entry, I thought "what has that got to do with relaxation" but as you say although it requires a lot of physical effort, it is a way of unwinding and forgetting the stresses of everyday life.

I am surprised by the ISO 1600 used in daylight, albeit fairly dull daylight but perhaps you had the camera in full auto mode ? I think that the IQ has suffered as a result. It is a good action shot but I think it would be better if there was less grass / mud behind the riders and a lot more in front, so that they appear to have space to move into.

milamber – untitled

A very good 'grab shot' of someone who has definitely decided that it is time to stop and relax !

As you took it on the move and have not carried out any post processing it seems a little churlish to nitpick. But I think it could benefit from some tweaking such as a fair amount of cropping to remove some of the distracting background clutter and tweaking of light and shadow.

Not one for the family album but very well observed and a good entry for the 'city life' album.


So now for the results :

RPLSF’s entry came in first, immediately grabbed my attention and remained my favourite to the end and therefore :-

1st Place – RPLSF – "While visions of sugar plums danced in her head"
(The Greatly Coveted) 2nd Place - GlynM – Relaxing in the Kitchen Sink Jacuzzi

I am not very keen on photographs of children but RPLSF and GlynM have clearly won me over. Nonetheless, congratulations to all who entered.

So, over to RPLSF for the next Fortnightly Competition

Congrats to RPLSF: Lovely photo.

I had uploading problems????? Too bad I waited for the last day.

Come up with a good one RPLSF.....!!!!!

Regards:
JA

Many thanks to Hyram for setting an interesting competition subject, a great set of comments and of course the judging.

Thanks also for awarding my Grandson Sam's picture the coveted 2nd place .

Congratulations to RPLSF for a lovely wining image.

Hipperty went into hiding over Christmas, and I'm not too sure where he has been, as he was in fear of getting his ears chewed. (He has seen pictures of distant cousins suffering this way with my Grandson). Our last Christmas visitors only left yesterday so he has only been around, and back in charge, from today.

Don't people still bath their babies in the Kitchen sink? I would love to say that we did it as part of the water saving requested by SE Water but actually it was just very convenient, and turned into one of the highlights of the last few evenings where the entire family gathered in our smallish kitchen to watch.

I agree about the yellow blob. I did think about cloning it out but just did not get around to it. It is a plastic duck, and is the same duck that appeared in my bath shot earlier in the year that, if I remember, brightened up an otherwise miserable day.

I look forward to the next competition and hope that we can stir up a few more entries.

Glyn

Thanks Hyram for setting the comp and offering your well judged comments on the entries. Well done RSPLF and Glyn for grabbing the top spots. I agree with you re my shot Hyram, an elementary mistake in not allowing enough space in the foreground for the subjects to move into and the camera was set on auto ISO hence 1600, but we all live and learn which is the beauty of a competition

First a late but sincere Thank you to our judge Hyram. Your thorough and informative judging is the type that keeps me comming back for more. Congrats to Glyn, whose photos I always look forward to seeing. And thank you to all who took part, I learn from each and every entry.

I look forward to the the next fortnight as a challange, and will strive to maintain the stellar judging for which this community is known