I hope that the first !

I am in the third (unhappiest) group myself: the one who has no pic to post

I think there would have been flood if the theme was in the weekly comp. Because, then old pics could have been used as well. Everybody has got the favourites of their own.

Just be patient, Martin. Sure there will be more pics....
but I guess no flood.

It is not so simple !
An exact theme makes it simpler Then you concentrate. It is like a school.
If you are a proff, then you can allow yourself "simple task" of finding good sites without guidlines. You do it anyway anytime
So your theme tends to select out people, who can see and think createvly without the guiding help (theme) plus olso those, who are not much critical about themselves.

who knows, maybe I am wrong ?

Too wide theme may not work ...
It doesnt work on me for example.
Too many choices. And I do not want name any of my pics - BEST. Especially if it is not.

For example "doors", "abstract" and "italy" made the brains work restlessly - I couldnt be in peace. For example "cruel cats" was my best DOOR I could make this moment. But it was defenetly not my best photo.

If the theme is too wide, thoughts have no place to hold. There is almost no aim.

Sorry to say it.

My best photo this far is a sparrow

not a good photo, although a strangely acting sparrow .....

But some days are left And I am sure not everybody is thinking and feeling the same way. Maybe just cant make the choice between several good ones
Good luck !

like the 2 better as well.

Oh, I envy you....there in UK.....

Its still snow here. Only the first snowdrops here in the warmer corners.

Ok
original = the file that you have got in your camera

Thanks, Prieni for giving a start.

RR has shown some example of sharpening as well.... I was looking 10x
After that I cant take anything as a pure gold any more
(it doesnt matter, did I like it or not)

Also some bird/plane photos have been..

Thats it, what I feel sad about!!!!
I see that NOBODY seem to post original photos !
And I am much more beginner in processing than in taking pics.

I believe that the contest will not survive for too long time. For a while maybe....
Maybe it could be one themes in forum: processing. As the one where you post your photos for CC. There you cuold post a photo that needs some work, and when some people find it promising, then they show what might be done with it.
I wouldnt expect "art" processing from that (at least not now). I want to see how the photos are made better. I want to "educate my eye" - as some time ago I didnt even suspect, that processing is used SO much.
I didnt !

I had the good feeling with Zenit - once upon a time. Much more time as well

I wonder if people would be interested in a competition of pic-processing ?
One posts a pic and others try to make sth of it.
It could be a way to learn a lot.
???

Is it too wierd thought?

to save spoilt pictures, to make "art" from sm pic, to make collages - yes to all that !
Excellent. And I try to do that.

(I use gimp btw.
Maybe it is not so comfy, but it works...
True, I feel not ready for raw yet)

But I have the feeling, that there is no pic at all, that can be left as it was born.
That's what makes me feel somewhat sad.
I miss the feeling of having done everything right - so that I need not to do any repairing work.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.

Actually I would like to see more pics compared to the original. Just to understand, what is going on. I look at the posted pics and try to guess how did it look like originally.....

Prieni,
is it Riga? Your phone photo.