Thanks everyone for the entries. I think we got a nice range of photos that represent different "angles" on this challenge.

aaacb - Thanks for being the first entry and kicking us off. I really like the moodiness of your photo which is due to your choice of black and white, extreme contrast and lots of lines. Your photo leaves a lot of questions and I am curious about the story behind the scene. I wonder why that chair is discarded and why it is left unusable on the corner. Great job keeping my interest.

Vaskebjorn - I first saw your photo on my phone and had trouble finding the discarded object with that “rock” front and center. Then I realized it was a boot that had clearly spend a long time sitting there accumulating mud and plants. This photo really gets me thinking and I like the muted colors, tension of the waterfall, and angles. I expect that the boot gets a lot of attention and hope it stays in place for many years longer.

SpecialK - BOOM - such bright colors - this photo really wakes me up. Also a great story about how a pink shoe got lost and placed on a pink painted stump. I wonder if this is created art or just a happy coincidence.

jacamar - Great “lost” object that has definitely been sitting there for a very long time. I expect the construction workers are not brave enough to remove it so it will stay forever. The colors of the roof, sides and rust perfectly balance with the color of the rocks and dirt. Very intriguing capture.

stevejo - So much metal waiting to get converted to another form - whether via rust or smelting. There is a lot to look at in this photo and the crushed truck at the center makes me a bit sad to see such a cool vehicle meet its fate.

jchorst - Another great story. Such high heels and the shoes seem to be in good shape. I imagine a woman being slowed down in those heels and kicking them off to go barefoot. Very moody as well with the dark shadows contrasting the white shoes. Good choice to leave a lot of mystery in the shadows just as there is mystery in what happened here.

ramseybuckeye - I really want to know what happens when someone opens the door to add more trash. Does everything tumble out OR is it all just balanced inside OR is there another means for entry. Nice lines in the fence, and the boxiness of the booths, and the windows. Good color and I am glad there is a red coke can drawing my attention to the center. A bit sad that this happened. Good interesting shot.

zubzubadoodle - Great job with the reflections and the framing that leaves the guitar in the bottom 1/3 of the photo. There is a lot of turmoil in that water and this is one of the saddest photos to me since a guitar can be so valuable and will not do very well in the water. My imagination runs wild trying to figure out how someone lost this instrument - was it during a camping trip or in a flood or just a discarded object that someone no longer wanted. We won’t ever know (probably) so lots to think about here.

turbo_bird - Another discarded old truck which must have been a great looking one when it was new. I really like the way in which you included so much of the trees to provide a solid context for this photo - especially since you were using a 105mm - which means you really had to step back to frame this one so well. I expect the original is more vibrant (we seem to lose a lot when we post here) and like the greens vs. the reds.

smf - I find this one really amusing - I laughed out loud and tried to match the lost gloves with each other. Can’t those two pinks go together??? Clearly a place where a lot of objects are lost and hopefully found!


I think that moodiness is the theme here for me. There is so much discard in our society whether intentional or not. Most of these photos convey a bit of sadness and stories. Interesting that 3 of the photos are footwear which I find a little less disconcerting since we often leave our shoes and boots behind. Thanks for all of the entries.

And the winner is zubzubadoodle with his lost guitar. I like the framing and choice of B&W. While a lot of the items are understandably lost, this one has the most mystery for me and is sad and beautiful at the same time.

[zubzubadoodle]

Thanks Jonathan. All the pictures were good, so I think that you had a difficult choice.
Next challenge thread is up.

[jchorst]

Congrats zubzubadoodle, really a lot of mystery here. And thanks to jcsnyc for a highly interesting challenge which produced some fine pictures.