Fortnightly competition 90 : Simplicity

There are all sorts of sayings about keeping things simple, simple is best etc.
This theme can be interpreted in any way you like, so have fun !

All entries to be taken between now and 10.00 GMT Wed 18th April with Pentax or Samsung equivalents. Please supply EXIF data for your image.

Correction - this should have read :

All entries to be taken between now and 18.00 GMT Wed 11th April with Pentax or Samsung equivalents. Please supply EXIF data for your image.

Apologies for the senior moment

Simply a Peris
which is coming into flower in my back yard

[IMG]http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g370/jimbo_609/IMGP8556copy.jpg[/IMG]

ExposureTime - 1/320 seconds
FNumber - 6.30
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 200
DateTimeOriginal - 2012:04:01 12:41:20
DateTimeDigitized - 2012:04:01 12:41:20
ShutterSpeedValue - 1/320 seconds
ApertureValue - F 6.30
ExposureBiasValue - 0.00
MeteringMode - Center weighted average

White on Black




Taken March 31st
1/400 seconds
F 3.5
ISO 200
K-r
DFA 100mm macro

The simplicity of Nature in Spring................



[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/7048427355_1291a8f0a9_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

IMGP7917 by Tozza27, on Flickr[/img]



A carpet of Forget-Me-Not in the garden lit by early April sunshine.
Pentax *istD hand held with a Super Takumar 1.4 50mm at f:8 for 1/350th sec and spot metered.ISO 200.

A simple Dandelion




Taken March 31st
1/125 seconds
F 22
ISO 200
K-r
Pentax 100mm 3.5 + extension tubes, onboard flash and pringles diffuser.

Please close the gate

[IMG]http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff444/Frogherder/IMGP0756.jpg[/IMG]

Take 3rd April 2012
K5 + 18-55 Kit lens
Focal length 55mm
1/100sec @ f/16
ISO400
Pattern Metering
Aperture Priority

A local field gate which is held closed with a loop of rope. How simple do you need to be?

Bernard

Tulip




Taken 11 April 2012 @ 12:25
Pentax K-5 with Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4
1/50 sec @ f8
ISO: 200
Aperture priority
Multi-segment metering

A tulip especially selected and photographed today for this competition.

John

18:00 GMT is 19:00 BST for UK readers who, like me, have difficulty with these things.

G

I have to say I'm not entirely comfortable with judging this, but I promised Sally, so here goes. Please just bear in mind that my photographic skills are still in the early stages so much of what I say will be subjective, rather than based on any technical experience.

Sandinista - Pieris

Nice colours and great use of light. Sharp focus and I like the way it mirrors the bud behind. Perhaps a little too much going on for my personal taste for a competition entitled 'Simplicity'.

darkskies - White on Black

I really like this one. Very effective in black and white and interprets the competition theme beautifully. Great lighting and bokeh. Love the way the focus moves from sharp to soft. The sort of shot I'd like to aspire to.

TOZZA27

Another effectively simple shot which interprets the theme well. Nice colours, sharp focus and good bokeh. If I was being super-critical I'd have preferred just the one spray of flowers for this particular theme with just the leaves in the background.

Charlotte - Dandelion

A typically excellent macro shot from Charlotte and I love the small bug emerging from the dandelion head. Well lit and nicely in focus. Just a bit much going on and overwhelmingly colourful for this specific theme, perhaps.

Frogherder - Gate

Definitely simple and fits the theme well. It was a good attempt at a different interpretation and well shot, but I don't find the subject particularly interesting, if I'm honest. To my mind it needs a splash of colour or some detail in it to make it stand out.

JAK - Tulip

A lovely shot with great detail, colour and sharp focus. The plain background isolates the main subject perfectly. This interprets the theme very well and is a shot to be proud of.

I think this was quite a difficult theme to approach with any originality. I expected a series of flower shots and wasn't disappointed. I had already taken my entry when Sally asked me to take over and it was an orchid spray against a black background, so no variety there either! I suspect the difficulty in interpretation led to the lack of entries which was a shame.

Anyway.....please take the comments and judging in the spirit they were intended

1st - darkskies
2nd - JAK
3rd - TOZZA27

Well done Chris on taking on the unenviable task of judging, great job done.

Well done Darkskies, I had you pegged as the winner, I really like this image.

Congrats to Jak and Tozza for the places, well done all.

Great job Chris,

Congratulations DS, I had you down as the winner as well.

Well done to Jak and Tozza, I especially liked the forget me nots one of my favourite flowers.

Thanks you very much, milamber (Chris?), for the judging and the 1st place. I really did fancy this subject as it was something I was trying to get to grips with. Converting to b&w made a fairly ordinary shot much better, and so I'm very pleased with Sally for inspiring me to try this.

Well done to Jak and Tozza for their places.

It's a pity there weren't more entries as this was a great exercise.

Now I've got to think of a new comp topic!

Well, well done to darkskies - it was a great original interpretation.

Also thanks to milamber for taking over the role of judging and being deprived of entering his own orchid shot. I don't think I would have found judging this easy at all, all the shots looked to be worthy entries and a shame there weren't more of them. At least I haven't got the task
of doing the next one and conjuring up a theme

Cheers for the 2nd

John

Well done all and thanks to milamber for your efforts, much appreciated.

, so have you got something against green?


Only kidding. Thank you for the critique

regards
Bernard