>> vote for challenge 24 winner <<

[Andy]

please choose the winner for challenge 24, landscapes. the finalists were chosen by andy, gubbs, and thomas. interestingly, we matched up 3/3 on seven entries.



ginger, eventide
http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-L.jpg

dkapp, pumpkin patch
http://dkapp.smugmug.com/photos/10307860-L.jpg

rocketman, cranescape
http://roadrunes.com/images2/c-24/crane-scape.jpg

ian408, dryscape
http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/9982988-L.jpg

miketaylor01, early morning haze
http://miketaylor01.smugmug.com/photos/10174694-L.jpg

ben:::d, lofty streetscape
http://bendelaney.smugmug.com/photos/10507600-L.jpg

judyfuess - sunrise @ summerland beach
http://judyfuess.smugmug.com/photos/10588296-M.jpg

digismile, on frozen pond
http://digismile.smugmug.com/photos/10439590-L.jpg

pathfinder, early morning at lincoln trail state park
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/10522922-L.jpg

spockling, cowtown
http://members.shaw.ca/betlin/Contests/IMG_1219-1-2.jpg

[tmlphoto]

I am posting some of my comments on the Challenge 24 finalists. I am certainly no expert, but hopefully some of the comments may be helpful or interesting to others.

ginger, eventide
http://gingersnap.smugmug.com/photos/10274971-M.jpg
Ginger, This is a very nice, serene scene with great lighting. Nice exposure and composition. Nice use of foreground interest.

dkapp, pumpkin patch
http://dkapp.smugmug.com/photos/10307860-M.jpg
Dave, I had some comments posted earlier, but I must of erased them by accident. Here goes again. Wonderful dramatic sky with a composition that adds to the drama of the shot as well. Great foreground, mid, and distant interests. A winning shot. Congrats!


rocketman, cranescape
http://roadrunes.com/images2/c-24/crane-scape.jpg
Rocketman, wonderful colors and lighting really sets a mood for this shot. Nice use of the cranes to add interest to the sky.

ian408, dryscape
http://ian408.smugmug.com/photos/9982988-M.jpg
Ian, I really like this one. I liked the dramatic sky and the contrast between the sky and land. I think the symmetrical composition works with this shot. I like the way the dirt road draws my eye into the shot. Great work.

miketaylor01, early morning haze
http://miketaylor01.smugmug.com/photos/10174694-M.jpg
Mike, Again an entry that gives a real mood with dramatic lighting. The panarama really works here. The tones are great. Nice work.


ben:::d, lofty streetscape
http://bendelaney.smugmug.com/photos/10507600-M.jpg
Ben, This shot really grabs me visually. The composition really works and the ultra wide angle really adds to the shot. Love the motion blur as well. A unique "landscape".

judyfuess - sunrise @ summerland beach
http://judyfuess.smugmug.com/photos/10588296-M.jpg
Judy, Another great entry that uses light to create a mood. Nice use of curves along the left side of the shot. I wonder if a touch more detail in the shadows might improve the shot? Nice work.


digismile, on frozen pond
http://digismile.smugmug.com/photos/10439590-M.jpg
Great saturated colors. Nice use of "framing" with the tree in the foreground, but I wonder if a slightly lower perspective would add even more to the shot? Nice work.

pathfinder, early morning at lincoln trail state park
http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/10522922-M.jpg
Path, you certainly captured dramatic light. The colors and birds are also very interesting. I think the shot needed to be either wider or zoomed in more to maximize the dramatic effect. Nice work.


spockling, cowtown
http://members.shaw.ca/betlin/Contests/IMG_1219-1-2.jpg
Spockling, nice use of foregroud and background interest. I wish the closest cow was a little more dominant in the foreground, but I don't think I would have crossed the fence to try it :D .

[spockling]

Thomas, Thanks for your comments and time:D

[Ben:::D]

Thomas, thanks for the input. I appreciate the feedback!

:D

[gubbs]

We thought we'd split the comments between us this week so here's mine, My aplogies if we've missed any: -

Aereo nut Natures reflection
Interesting but confusing, excellent reflections and lighting but it didn’t grab me as photograph

Lynnma Gentle New England
Lovely colours, It’s a shame the bottom of the gate is cut off. I felt it needed more to be a finalist with the stiff competition this week.

1clickaway Snow fall road
Excellent fall colours and I like the way lead away by the road, but I think it dominates the frame too much! Maybe some walkers or a car would have helped.

AussieKAte Lonely tree
I came back to this one a couple of times. A really good idea but I felt it’s a little too dark and the colours need to be more vibrant to make this simple composition work. I thought also that it may work better with a cloudless strong blue sky.

Iambad Three Birds
Glad you managed sort your entry out in the end. I think you need to be closer in to make this shot work, I know this tough if you haven’t got the lenses. Good idea though! Welcome to the challenges,

Vermenton Rainbow Falls
A beautiful scene, but for a landscape shot I thought it should have been shot wider, I thought the trees at the top should have a little more space. It also looks a bit soft, did you use a tripod? I Look forward to seeing your next entry.

Eric & Susan Pudding Creek
Fantastic reflections and a very interesting bridge, but again I think the shot needs to be shot wider to make it work. I’d also be very interested to see some shots from other angles. Oh, and welcome to Dgrin!!

Nir Place of worship
Great composition but I’m afraid the grey sky and the subject didn’t capture my interest. Silhouetted against a sunrise/set maybe?

Cowgirl peace by the river
Very nearly on my list but edged out by other entries. Good composition with the foreground, the road leading you away, the cylclists and all the beautiful fall colours. May have been improved if you’d shot it more to the left so the cyclists weren’t so central and then possibly the bend of the river would have been included too?

Snappy San Diego jewelled city
Excellent cityscape, but I felt it looked a over processed and found that distracting. I’d be interested to see the original.

Happysnapper Haystacks
I’ve done a few of these recently too. Nice shot and again close to being on my list. Try lots of different angles and it helps a lot to have the morning/evening long shadows.

Gussie Sunrise Shasta County
A dramatic scene, awesome colours which are highlighted by the silhouetted trees. May have been improved by being shot wider, but still a beautiful shot.

Shecodes Fall Foliage
Strong composition, lovely colours, lighting and bokeh. Great work! Would love to see some more!
But! Imho not enough depth to qualify for a landscape challenge.

DJS1 fall begins
Superb view, and well captured, maybe a little soft though??

wxwax Bird
I think this needed a little more DOF for a landscape shot, but having said that I still really like this one.

Photocat Fountains Abbey
This was a tough week, another shot that nearly made it for me. Excellent composition, I thought the colours needed punching up a touch and that the trees on the border were a little too dark. Lovely shot!

Mercphoto Landscape
A pleasant scene but for me, it lacked a point of interest.

Nadi Swan Valley vineyard
Good composition on this one, but I’m not keen on the toning, I think you lose the definition of the foreground detail which helps to identify the vines and give the picture extra context and interest. What’s the colour version like??

Altpr Slice of life
Ginnete, I think you needed to get lower and wider, concentrated on the taxis, people and signage rather than the tops of the buildings

Ish Fire & ice
Cool shot, abstract stuff doesn’t often grab me but this one does, unfortunately I felt that this didn’t have enough depth to qualify as a landscape.

Thwack Urban sprawl
A well executed shot, but I think it needs a focal point to pull you in. Shame the top of the hill is chopped too.

JWear Beach to the city to the hills
Wow, what a view, I would have liked to have seen more of the beach which in turn would have shifted the skyscrapers off center. Looks a bit noisy, (is this a severe crop) which (for me) spoils it a bit but a good shot all the same.

Dugmar Logan Approach
A good capture, but it would have been so much better in good light!!!!

[snapapple]

Thank you both for your insightful comments. I appreciate the time you have put in on this. This was a difficult challenge with a lot of good entries. You did a great job. :clap :clap :clap

[ginger_55]

I second that, that thing Snappy said. I really appreciate you all taking the time to make comments.

ginger

Also, I will add that the entries, all of them and maybe mine, well, they were very good. A difficult thing to choose one of many.

I guess it is like going in a store where you can only buy one thing, and you see so much that you would like.

[Andy]

i was pleased with the entries overall - some really fine work :clap :clap

with 'scapes - the trick is to make them different from everything else out there, right? not to take away from the fine fall colors, the paths, the lovely scenics displayed in the challenge entries - including ish's fire n ice and the downward looking streetscape -

but the two that really made me go "wow" this time are

cranescape and early morning haze

:bow :bow :bow

[ginger_55]

I had some that made me go WOW, but I also, and foremost in importance in my mind, I had a couple that sat well with me...........never did a WOW on those, but I bought one. By my vote, that is all.

No, pulling my nails out one by one will not make me divulge which one. I was not a judge, smile.

I have always made a big deal about the WOW factor.......this time I didn't vote on it. Maybe I am, like many critics, becoming a bit jaded........I now accept WOW as more of another norm. It is what sits well over time that impresses me.
Makes me go "thumbs up". To someone else, the criteria is entirely different.

This whole thing, discussion, observation, it reminds me of movie critics. I so often like movies they don't. What is a cliche to them, well, I don't see that many movies.

ginger

[ginger_55]

Oh, and thanks Andy, for adding your comments on that Challenge.

ginger (insightful, smile)

[ginger_55]

I will say that I did not vote for those cows.............in fact, when I first saw it, I could not have imagined voting for those cows.

I am getting quite attached. Those cows may be, just in my mind, what I take away from this challenge.

ginger

[miketaylor01]

I appreciate you all taking the time to write these thoughs out. As someone stated earlier its nice to see what dilineates a good finalist picture and a good picture. They can be two totaly different things. Thanks for the comments though. I think you missed mine Gubbs. No worries though as you had a bunch to comment on. :D

[gubbs]

I appreciate you all taking the time to write these thoughs out. As someone stated earlier its nice to see what dilineates a good finalist picture and a good picture. They can be two totaly different things. Thanks for the comments though. I think you missed mine Gubbs. No worries though as you had a bunch to comment on. :D We split the work Mike, Thomas covered yours:D

[judyfuess]

thanks for the comments. It helps hearing what others think of your pictures!!!

[miketaylor01]

Ahhh im retarded.. I didnt look close enough at the others, jsut read through a couple specific ones and didnt notice that none were hit twice. Thanks for all the hard work by the way. You guys did a good job this challenge.:thumb

[ish]

Thanks for the comments everyone. It was a competition filled with awesome photos. The pumpkin patch was definitely a cool ass photo.

I knew my abstract shot was a longshot. In fact the past two competitions I had photos I thought were more "universally" appealing, but at the end of the day we are not here trying to earn a living with these competitions so I thought it would be more fun to share with you guys which photos I liked the best of my own, not the one's I thought would win.

;)

[ish]

Thanks for the comments everyone. It was a competition filled with awesome photos. The pumpkin patch was definitely a cool ass photo.

I knew my abstract shot was a longshot. In fact the past two competitions I had photos I thought were more "universally" appealing, but at the end of the day we are not here trying to earn a living with these competitions so I thought it would be more fun to share with you guys which photos I liked the best of my own, not the one's I thought would win.

;)
Oh, and the photo that I voted for was Dry Landscape. Something about that one that had me, maybe the clarity, the colors. It was very National Geographic to me, more like an actual film shot than digital.

WHat camera was used? ;)

[aero-nut]

Thanks for the comments. They are much appriciated.