Prieni: Now there's an idea. I've got a small model bike I could fit in the freezer. I might come up with something else, but if that doesn't work out, can I nick your idea?

Robert.

Only joking . At the time I wrote it my time as the judge was very vivid, so I knew what you were going through when no one seemed to be entering .

Robert.

Congratulations to Martin for a lovely winning shot and to Prieni for a great subject and excellent and detailed judging - must have been harder than you thought it was going to be, and there were some inspired entries.

If anyone's interested I could do a "making of", but only if people break it to me gently when it turns out I did it the hard way.

What's next?

Robert.

Russian Doll Equality




Taken on 20.1.09 at 12:38 AM
16mm, F22, 30 sec, ISO 100
Gimped for longer than I'll own up to...

It's frustrating being the judge, isn't it? Especially when nothing seems to be happening. I know it is hard to believe now, but I would (almost) be willing to bet you'll get at least five entries in the end.

The other frustrating thing is not being able to read the comments section at this stage. However, I can report that people are saying it's an interesting subject, which hopefully again says there are entries on the way.

Of course some might argue we should try moving the photos part of the fortnightly competition out of this forum and into the competitions section of the gallery. Would anyone object?

I've got one or two ideas and will try to do something this weekend.

Robert.

I was out doing something similar last night. As you say, the moon always ends up looking so small. I also couldn't get the moon correctly exposed without everything else being really dark.

I'd temporarily (fortunately not permanently) lost my remote, so I tried out something I'd read here. I tried every button on the TV/Video/DVD remotes until I found one that fires the shutter, then just used that.

As for longer time vs shorter, it may depend on how much wind there is. On a still night you could go for a longer shutter time, but if there are clouds or trees moving that's harder.

Robert.

I agree. It's just a shame Prieni won't know that until after the competition has finished. Perhaps we should PM him to tell him? I know I got quite paranoid about all the posts in the comments section for the last fortnightly, particularly as no one was posting any entries.

Either that or we should all post here lots and lots and wait until the last moment to post our entries - get him really worried .

Robert.

Sorry for the delay - I've been having trouble with my desktop wifi connection.

Prieni: Water feature in Doramas Park, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
This is a lovely photo. I love the composition, with its combination of symmetry and lopsidedness. The colours are rich and everything appears sharp and it almost has a 3D effect.

GlynM: My home
A well captured image of a cosy house. It might be just me but I find the gate on the left rather distracting. So it was a good idea mostly well done, but let down a bit by the composition and probably by the fact that the foreground is brighter and dominates a bit too much.

Father Ted: The canal Basin at Ellesmere Port boat museum
I could nit pick a bit with this - the chimney leans a bit, the sky is rather grainy. However, I rather like it, as it has some interesting night colours including the orange glow above the city, and some great reflections in the water and ice. All that and a bit of foreground interest too.

haydnw: Blackpool pleasure beach at night
It was rather a shame this didn't quite fit the rules, as I rather liked the composition and colours, and it would have been a strong contender.

Malo1961: Kollo Holding BV
The first thing I thought of when I saw this is "company brochure". It is a very well captured with great sharpness and colours. The only thing I wonder about is whether it is too tightly cropped at the top, and maybe at the bottom too.

Galoot: M&M store New York
A bold shot of vibrant night colours, well captured and composed. It just goes to show it's not always necessary to carry round a big camera.

Daniel Bridge: Moon and Tree
A fascinating almost abstract picture. The thin cloud in front of the moon helps make the moon more dominant in the shot. Ultimately though there's not enough to hold my interest. Mind you, superimpose Santa over the moon and you've got next years Christmas card...

womble: Fountain at night, South Carolina
I have a sort of love hate relationship with this picture. It is a very striking image, but there's something a little messy about it. The foreground isn't quite in focus and the fountain seems a little artificial, but for all that I'm still drawn to it.

mikew: Droitwich Tandoori Take-Away
I like the colours and sharpness of this one, shown mainly by the bricks and the sign. However, it doesn't grab me compositionally, which is a shame.


So, now for the positions. I could have picked joint winners, but that's not very helpful for who sets the next competition, so here they are:

1. Prieni
2. Galoot
3. Father Ted

Well done to everyone who entered, you all deserve a highly commended.

Right then, what are we photographing next?

Robert.

OK, time's up. I'll post the results once I've cycled home from work, had my dinner and had time to think about it. I'd predict roughly 9:30pm - I've not been making notes as the competition went on, largely because I thought I wasn't going to have anything to judge. Thanks to everyone who finally found time to enter.

Robert.

Here you go, have a natter about it here if you like.

Robert.