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Comment by davidtrout posted on Icicles in Durham today at 06/01/2010 - 22:21
[IMG]http://i799.photobucket.com/albums/yy273/Davidtrout2/Icicles-025.jpg[/IMG]
I went shooting more icicles on my conservatory roof today (Wednesday) and here's one of them. K10+A series 50mm 1.7 manual focus lens.
David
I went shooting more icicles on my conservatory roof today (Wednesday) and here's one of them. K10+A series 50mm 1.7 manual focus lens.
David
Comment by davidtrout posted on Icicles in Durham today at 06/01/2010 - 19:45
Fortnightly Competitions – Weather
This is a superb entry, thank you all for entering. The judging has proved difficult with so many fine images and not a weak one in the whole entry. The easy way to do it would have to make three equal firsts and award everyone else highly commended, but that would be a cop out. In the end I went for the pictures that I thought told the weather story most clearly and had great pictorial value. Even after this editing process it was difficult to separate the top few so for the final choice I went for what my gut instinct told me to pick. Remember this is only my opinion – I don’t believe there is ever a best picture in a competition. I’m glad to see some brand new members with fine pictures in here, and not all the entries were about winter.
Lennardinio: Misty Day at Pennington Flash.
The light and mistiness of this photo are outstanding and you were well advised to enter it in this competition. I like the subdued colours and the fence leading down to the water in a classic compositional style. I also enjoy the way the water gently bleeds into the mist so you can’t see the horizon.
Hefty: Rain, rain and more rain.
The raindrops on the window certainly tell us about the wet weather. They are beautifully sharp and well defined against the OOF background. I do feel however that the foreground clutter of Christmas cards is a bit distracting. I could live without the nice flowers. I’m sure you included them on purpose to provide a seasonal feeling but the message would have been just as strong and the image more forcefully put without them.
Richard Day: Sun and black wintry clouds over Slimbridge
The colours here are autumnal rather than winter but the clouds tell the story; weather is on its way or has just passed over. My eye tends to wander around the scene looking for a strong focal point but while there is a lot of interesting detail to consider no single element stands out as the main anchor of the picture. It’s a pity all those figures are walking through the scene. I believe just one figure would have worked better than a small crowd.
i-berg Bush sunset
Now for a huge contrast, from European winter to Australian summer, high 30s, wow that’s just too hot for my taste. There are some lovely colours in this picture but I’m not convinced it visually describes the weather conditions. It’s just a bit too placid to depict dramatic weather.
Bramela
This is a beautiful tranquil scene with moody light that does suggest to me humidity and heat with the threat of heavy rain not far away. Pictorially is a lovely shot and the position of the swans completes a very restful and satisfying image.
Hyram Clear skies by night
This is a great picture of the moon with lovely crisp detail to delight sky observers. But does it suggest weather conditions? It no doubt relies on perfect atmospheric conditions to get such a technically accomplished shot as this of the moon but it doesn’t quite sum up the weather down here on Earth.
Judith Ann Sundog Weather
Sundogs again, we’ve been learning about these from you JudithAnn. This is another fascinating shot of the phenomena and boy, does it say cold weather. If we didn’t know better we might think the strange lights are down to lens flare but they are really extraordinary lights in the sky. It’s a great capture and one to explore at length.
Pentaxophile Frosty New Year’s Day
There is lovely detail in this shot with the light frost well recorded. I like the use of the grasses to form a striking foreground feature. The depth of field is excellent with the background trees also perfectly sharp. I didn’t know there was a River Blyth in Worcestershire as well as in Northumberland.
Father Ted Foggy Day
The joy of this picture lies in its simplicity; the simplicity of composition and the simplicity of the colour palette. The blue and black go so well together and the stark branches of the tree clearly outlined against the sky are just wonderful. The little sparkles of light in the branches could be due to over sharpening or they could by frost or ice. Whatever, it all works for me.
Aiki First day of the year
This is a quality photo that sums up the coldness of a Northern winter. The tree lined lane, with the overhanging branches forming an arch, makes a perfect frame for the people walking. The clarity of the shot is a tribute to the fine lighting you encountered and your own skill with the camera. There is lovely detail throughout this picture.
Galoot Rain, Snow and Sleet
The best bit of this photo is that heavy bank of clouds over the distant horizon, it looks like mountains. However I’m not so keen on the foreground which is rather undistinguished and the burned out sun doesn’t help despite scattering some interesting streaks of light down on the scene. But although the sun is there and there is some blue sky the picture certainly meets the requirement of the competition – it says ‘weather’ to me.
DAE070 A Winter’s Walk
You tried to upload this into the fortnightly competition but nothing has come out at my end. However I’ve looked at the link to The Gallery and its there. Because you are a new member and you’ve listed the EXIF details I’ll treat this charming photo as a genuine entry in the fortnightly competition. It’s very well done and the light is just perfect. The colour and composition are spot on with one minor reservation. That is I think the woman and two children are very close to the bottom of the frame and a little more space under their feet would have looked better. Like many other photos in this competition it has fine quality and makes my job as a judge very difficult.
Matwhittington New Year’s Day in Dorset
While most of Northern Europe suffers from the winter some pockets of the UK have had decent spells of weather. Dorset seems to be one of them as this could be a summer’s day. It’s an interesting composition with the end of the pier holding in the extreme right of the frame while in the far distance there’s a lighthouse. The restful scene, blue sky and thin high level clouds don’t really tell me much about the weather though.
Womble A snowy day in New York
This does say weather and I love the imaginative way you’ve used the snow on the wrought ironwork to tell the story. There are some great repeating shapes and first class use of an out of focus figure to add interest. I’m in two minds about that OOF light – one minute I think it adds warmth to the scene then next I think it’s intrusive.
Prieni Some Clouds
This is very clever use of the reflected glass to depict the clouds in this abstract picture. The colour is very attractive and the windows of the tower block form a graphic canvas for the image. I find the way the square windows have given shape and form to the clouds fascinating – like giant pixels. The picture could also have stood well in the last weekly competition for cubes, squares and oblongs. The clouds are telling the story of the weather.
GlynM Surrey Heathland Hoar frost
The hoar frost has turned this scene into a winter wonderland. The eye sweeps round the image to seek fresh delights Thank goodness the sun came out to add further magic to the scene. I just love the distant groups of trees and shrubs veiled in white frost. But I find the foreground with the huge clump of trees a little heavy for what is otherwise a delicate picture.
Lilly Blue Moon Over Jaipur
The colour and composition of this picture are superb. The delicate hues are a delight to the eye and that window set in the otherwise blank wall bottom left just adds to the balance of the scene. The light of the full moon is controlled very well and balances the top half of the picture perfectly. It’s all very atmospheric but I’m not sure it says enough about the weather conditions.
BelindaB Swim Fast, Keep Warm
The light on this lovely shot is superb and the image quality is beyond criticism. I love the detail in the water and placing of the ducks – the classic three in number – seems to have been precisely choreographed. The weather conditions are summed up perfectly by the light mist lying above the water surface at the top of the frame. It’s a pity that heavy branch cuts the picture in two.
Dr Mhuni Early morning clouds building up over Sigiriya
It looks like you captured the scene just in time Andrew while the light still had that magic touch. I like your use of the wide angle lens to include a very strong and pictorial foreground with that beautiful light and in the sky. The cloud formations and the overall use of colour are a delight and the whole picture exudes top quality. Its yet another entry that has been a delight for me to view.
thoughton Downtime
Interesting that you leave the deck chairs out all year Tim but I’m glad you did for the sake of this photo. The picture has a very high shiver factor. The snow on the chairs looks nice and crisp and even, as the Christmas carol might have put it, and is well taken although the light source seems a bit harsh.
RichardC Snow and ice on my street
The lighting in this picture isn’t ideal either, the street lights giving the scene a yellow/sepia cast. The brick wall is a bit too dominant for my liking but you have captured the scene to portray the depth of snow very well. I like the star burst on the street lamp. Overall it gives the impression of the cold and I’m glad I’m indoors looking at this one and many of the other pictures in this set.
MikeW
The master of close detail has come up with another picture in his own style. Who else would have used clothes pegs to depict the weather? This is very imaginative work. The shape of the snow on both the sharp peg and it’s out of focus neighbour look like abstract bird sculptures. The macro lens has rendered all the right bits beautifully sharp.
Draken. Winter and thick ice in Sweden.
The strength of this picture lies in it’s minimalism. The white out is used to isolate the important elements to tell the story. The fisherman, his bag and stool and the ice drill set against the snow and ice make a very dramatic picture. I like this a lot. The trail through the snow to the fishing hole adds to the quality of the shot.
Oppenheimer45 Snowy Line
This is a dread view familiar to thousands of commuters. The bleak station, the train lines vanishing into the white distance and the forlorn figure on the platform. And all the time new snowflakes are drifting down. It can’t get much worse can it? It’s another superb picture that tells the story superbly well.
Rob. Goose Rocks Beach, Maine, USA.
This looks really cold. But the woman is having fun on the beach and Rob’s reference to the singing butler from the famous painting adds real humour to the situation that would otherwise be grim. The water looks cold, the fogginess of the scene and the distant snow covered buildings complete the story.
OK, now for the hard bit: the results. I really have struggled to separate the top few placings, it was so close.
1 Aiki
2 Draken
3= Dr Mhuni and Father Ted.
Highly commended: JudithAnn
Commended: Oppenheimer45, Womble, Lennardinio.
This is a superb entry, thank you all for entering. The judging has proved difficult with so many fine images and not a weak one in the whole entry. The easy way to do it would have to make three equal firsts and award everyone else highly commended, but that would be a cop out. In the end I went for the pictures that I thought told the weather story most clearly and had great pictorial value. Even after this editing process it was difficult to separate the top few so for the final choice I went for what my gut instinct told me to pick. Remember this is only my opinion – I don’t believe there is ever a best picture in a competition. I’m glad to see some brand new members with fine pictures in here, and not all the entries were about winter.
Lennardinio: Misty Day at Pennington Flash.
The light and mistiness of this photo are outstanding and you were well advised to enter it in this competition. I like the subdued colours and the fence leading down to the water in a classic compositional style. I also enjoy the way the water gently bleeds into the mist so you can’t see the horizon.
Hefty: Rain, rain and more rain.
The raindrops on the window certainly tell us about the wet weather. They are beautifully sharp and well defined against the OOF background. I do feel however that the foreground clutter of Christmas cards is a bit distracting. I could live without the nice flowers. I’m sure you included them on purpose to provide a seasonal feeling but the message would have been just as strong and the image more forcefully put without them.
Richard Day: Sun and black wintry clouds over Slimbridge
The colours here are autumnal rather than winter but the clouds tell the story; weather is on its way or has just passed over. My eye tends to wander around the scene looking for a strong focal point but while there is a lot of interesting detail to consider no single element stands out as the main anchor of the picture. It’s a pity all those figures are walking through the scene. I believe just one figure would have worked better than a small crowd.
i-berg Bush sunset
Now for a huge contrast, from European winter to Australian summer, high 30s, wow that’s just too hot for my taste. There are some lovely colours in this picture but I’m not convinced it visually describes the weather conditions. It’s just a bit too placid to depict dramatic weather.
Bramela
This is a beautiful tranquil scene with moody light that does suggest to me humidity and heat with the threat of heavy rain not far away. Pictorially is a lovely shot and the position of the swans completes a very restful and satisfying image.
Hyram Clear skies by night
This is a great picture of the moon with lovely crisp detail to delight sky observers. But does it suggest weather conditions? It no doubt relies on perfect atmospheric conditions to get such a technically accomplished shot as this of the moon but it doesn’t quite sum up the weather down here on Earth.
Judith Ann Sundog Weather
Sundogs again, we’ve been learning about these from you JudithAnn. This is another fascinating shot of the phenomena and boy, does it say cold weather. If we didn’t know better we might think the strange lights are down to lens flare but they are really extraordinary lights in the sky. It’s a great capture and one to explore at length.
Pentaxophile Frosty New Year’s Day
There is lovely detail in this shot with the light frost well recorded. I like the use of the grasses to form a striking foreground feature. The depth of field is excellent with the background trees also perfectly sharp. I didn’t know there was a River Blyth in Worcestershire as well as in Northumberland.
Father Ted Foggy Day
The joy of this picture lies in its simplicity; the simplicity of composition and the simplicity of the colour palette. The blue and black go so well together and the stark branches of the tree clearly outlined against the sky are just wonderful. The little sparkles of light in the branches could be due to over sharpening or they could by frost or ice. Whatever, it all works for me.
Aiki First day of the year
This is a quality photo that sums up the coldness of a Northern winter. The tree lined lane, with the overhanging branches forming an arch, makes a perfect frame for the people walking. The clarity of the shot is a tribute to the fine lighting you encountered and your own skill with the camera. There is lovely detail throughout this picture.
Galoot Rain, Snow and Sleet
The best bit of this photo is that heavy bank of clouds over the distant horizon, it looks like mountains. However I’m not so keen on the foreground which is rather undistinguished and the burned out sun doesn’t help despite scattering some interesting streaks of light down on the scene. But although the sun is there and there is some blue sky the picture certainly meets the requirement of the competition – it says ‘weather’ to me.
DAE070 A Winter’s Walk
You tried to upload this into the fortnightly competition but nothing has come out at my end. However I’ve looked at the link to The Gallery and its there. Because you are a new member and you’ve listed the EXIF details I’ll treat this charming photo as a genuine entry in the fortnightly competition. It’s very well done and the light is just perfect. The colour and composition are spot on with one minor reservation. That is I think the woman and two children are very close to the bottom of the frame and a little more space under their feet would have looked better. Like many other photos in this competition it has fine quality and makes my job as a judge very difficult.
Matwhittington New Year’s Day in Dorset
While most of Northern Europe suffers from the winter some pockets of the UK have had decent spells of weather. Dorset seems to be one of them as this could be a summer’s day. It’s an interesting composition with the end of the pier holding in the extreme right of the frame while in the far distance there’s a lighthouse. The restful scene, blue sky and thin high level clouds don’t really tell me much about the weather though.
Womble A snowy day in New York
This does say weather and I love the imaginative way you’ve used the snow on the wrought ironwork to tell the story. There are some great repeating shapes and first class use of an out of focus figure to add interest. I’m in two minds about that OOF light – one minute I think it adds warmth to the scene then next I think it’s intrusive.
Prieni Some Clouds
This is very clever use of the reflected glass to depict the clouds in this abstract picture. The colour is very attractive and the windows of the tower block form a graphic canvas for the image. I find the way the square windows have given shape and form to the clouds fascinating – like giant pixels. The picture could also have stood well in the last weekly competition for cubes, squares and oblongs. The clouds are telling the story of the weather.
GlynM Surrey Heathland Hoar frost
The hoar frost has turned this scene into a winter wonderland. The eye sweeps round the image to seek fresh delights Thank goodness the sun came out to add further magic to the scene. I just love the distant groups of trees and shrubs veiled in white frost. But I find the foreground with the huge clump of trees a little heavy for what is otherwise a delicate picture.
Lilly Blue Moon Over Jaipur
The colour and composition of this picture are superb. The delicate hues are a delight to the eye and that window set in the otherwise blank wall bottom left just adds to the balance of the scene. The light of the full moon is controlled very well and balances the top half of the picture perfectly. It’s all very atmospheric but I’m not sure it says enough about the weather conditions.
BelindaB Swim Fast, Keep Warm
The light on this lovely shot is superb and the image quality is beyond criticism. I love the detail in the water and placing of the ducks – the classic three in number – seems to have been precisely choreographed. The weather conditions are summed up perfectly by the light mist lying above the water surface at the top of the frame. It’s a pity that heavy branch cuts the picture in two.
Dr Mhuni Early morning clouds building up over Sigiriya
It looks like you captured the scene just in time Andrew while the light still had that magic touch. I like your use of the wide angle lens to include a very strong and pictorial foreground with that beautiful light and in the sky. The cloud formations and the overall use of colour are a delight and the whole picture exudes top quality. Its yet another entry that has been a delight for me to view.
thoughton Downtime
Interesting that you leave the deck chairs out all year Tim but I’m glad you did for the sake of this photo. The picture has a very high shiver factor. The snow on the chairs looks nice and crisp and even, as the Christmas carol might have put it, and is well taken although the light source seems a bit harsh.
RichardC Snow and ice on my street
The lighting in this picture isn’t ideal either, the street lights giving the scene a yellow/sepia cast. The brick wall is a bit too dominant for my liking but you have captured the scene to portray the depth of snow very well. I like the star burst on the street lamp. Overall it gives the impression of the cold and I’m glad I’m indoors looking at this one and many of the other pictures in this set.
MikeW
The master of close detail has come up with another picture in his own style. Who else would have used clothes pegs to depict the weather? This is very imaginative work. The shape of the snow on both the sharp peg and it’s out of focus neighbour look like abstract bird sculptures. The macro lens has rendered all the right bits beautifully sharp.
Draken. Winter and thick ice in Sweden.
The strength of this picture lies in it’s minimalism. The white out is used to isolate the important elements to tell the story. The fisherman, his bag and stool and the ice drill set against the snow and ice make a very dramatic picture. I like this a lot. The trail through the snow to the fishing hole adds to the quality of the shot.
Oppenheimer45 Snowy Line
This is a dread view familiar to thousands of commuters. The bleak station, the train lines vanishing into the white distance and the forlorn figure on the platform. And all the time new snowflakes are drifting down. It can’t get much worse can it? It’s another superb picture that tells the story superbly well.
Rob. Goose Rocks Beach, Maine, USA.
This looks really cold. But the woman is having fun on the beach and Rob’s reference to the singing butler from the famous painting adds real humour to the situation that would otherwise be grim. The water looks cold, the fogginess of the scene and the distant snow covered buildings complete the story.
OK, now for the hard bit: the results. I really have struggled to separate the top few placings, it was so close.
1 Aiki
2 Draken
3= Dr Mhuni and Father Ted.
Highly commended: JudithAnn
Commended: Oppenheimer45, Womble, Lennardinio.
Comment by davidtrout posted on Fortnightly competition No. 32 Your Weather at 06/01/2010 - 18:45
You're right Mike, I do have my work cut out. Three late entries have come in while I was having my tea. Apart from these the comments are all prepared, now I've just got to go through the new entries, make a final decision and then you'll see the results. I need a short while longer.
David.
David.
Comment by davidtrout posted on Fortnightly Competition # 32 - Discussion at 06/01/2010 - 18:14
organicimagery wrote:
Snowing in cardiff, But very light now, I have been out in it for the last 30 minutes(about inch deep) getting some images, and I fell over, landed on a curb and part of the road, Smashed my head in to the floor, bust my knee up and elbow so not good, However I must state, THE CAMERA IS FINE, it kinda landed on my ribcage. Phew
Thanks heavens your camera's ok Carl. Hope you don't feel too sore yourself now.Snowing in cardiff, But very light now, I have been out in it for the last 30 minutes(about inch deep) getting some images, and I fell over, landed on a curb and part of the road, Smashed my head in to the floor, bust my knee up and elbow so not good, However I must state, THE CAMERA IS FINE, it kinda landed on my ribcage. Phew
david
PS We've had thick snow and sub zero temperatures throughout the North East for days now. Last night there was some thunder and lightning over Durham.
Comment by davidtrout posted on weather in your local area tonight. at 06/01/2010 - 07:52
Alan, that's an absolute cracker. I love the colour and the crystal sharp detail. The little water drops are a bonus. Somehow though I don't think I would risk having this with fried bacon.
david
david
Comment by davidtrout posted on Funghi at 05/01/2010 - 10:07
No.1 for me too, I love the abstract shapes set against the blue sky, this picture is the best balanced of the set. No. 3 would have won my 'balance' vote if the W shape had been centrally placed.
david
david
Comment by davidtrout posted on Waddesdon Manor - Abstracts at 05/01/2010 - 10:02
Wonderful shapes and colour Kris, an absolute cracker of an impressionist picture.
Comment by davidtrout posted on Another Hilton Head sunset at 05/01/2010 - 09:58
Thanks for all your comments. The blue in No. 3 is less pronounced because of the angle at which I took the picture, I was looking more towards the sun so the intensity of the blue decreased. The blue in the other pictures, other than Aiki's modification, was natural with no extra saturation added.
I took these pictures on a K10 fitted with a manual focus Pentax A series 50mm 1.7 lens from the days when I had MX and ME super film cameras.
I took these pictures on a K10 fitted with a manual focus Pentax A series 50mm 1.7 lens from the days when I had MX and ME super film cameras.
Comment by davidtrout posted on Icicles in Durham today at 05/01/2010 - 09:53
You got me there Aiki. Now I'm feeling blue.
david
david
Comment by davidtrout posted on Icicles in Durham today at 04/01/2010 - 18:57
That middle icicle is amazing, looks like it's hanging on by a thread. Impressive shot
Feel free to join the thread Andrew, its one of a few winter related threads that are running currently. You can play around with photos of icicles and get some interesting abstract shapes.
david