So this week, I would like your entries to show the human race interacting with their machines....machines can cover a multidtude of mechanical and electrical contraptions, though to make it more interesting, I'm excluding purely electronic devices such as smart phones.

Rules
1. Post ONE photo (max 1024x1024).
2. The photo must portray an interpretation of the theme.
3. Post your single picture in this thread and explain what motivated you to take the picture and/or how you feel it represents the weekly theme (especially if it's not obvious).
4. The challenge is interactive. Any response is welcome.
5. The judge will pick the WINNERS and choose one of them to be the judge for the next week.
6. This challenge runs for 7 days plus an additional day for the judge to choose the winners.
7. Any Pentax camera can be used.
8. Pictures can be from any time frame, not just within the week of the current theme.
9. In case the winner of a challenge is unable to become the judge for the next challenge, they will PM the #2 winner for that person to be the judge.

My portfolio includes a lot of machines in the form of locomotives, but I've added a few samples of other machines, I'm sure you've all got more varied examples!

[pacerr]

Adam may have a more effective means of contacting a member?

And may I propose an interim diversion while we wait?

This isn't intended as a 'challenge' or to hijack the thread; rather as an interesting exercise. In almost every 'challenge' I've had to make a choice among competing images to satisfy the "submit ONE image" rule. I'll bet most of you do too.

I would suggest that anyone interested chose any one of the recent 'challenge' topics and submit two or three of the images NOT chosen to satisfy that task and perhaps include a few words on how the decision was made. I suspect that the alternate images may be as thought provoking as the final selections. No 'winner' to be chosen.

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Last edited by pacerr; 09-22-2021 at 08:14 AM.

[CedrusMacro]

Adam may have a more effective means of contacting a member?

And may I propose an interim diversion while we wait?

This isn't intended as a 'challenge' or to hijack the thread; rather as an interesting exercise. In almost every 'challenge' I've had to make a choice among competing images to satisfy the "submit ONE image" rule. I'll bet most of you do too.

I would suggest that anyone interested chose any one of the recent 'challenge' topics and submit two or three of the images NOT chosen to satisfy that task and perhaps include a few words on how the decision was made. I suspect that the alternate images may be as thought provoking as the final selections. No 'winner' to be chosen.

Great idea pacerr, I've not had anything suitable myself to enter this week however I'd love to see what others dismissed initially.

[UncleVanya]

I might have posted this one for this contest had I remembered it:

OI000074 by -vanya_42nd-

---------- Post added 09-22-21 at 08:11 PM ----------

Or this:
P1220079_DxO by -vanya_42nd-

[turbo_bird]

The fifth one in this series is the one I kind of wanted to post as it's part of what I think is a great series of shots, but it's not quite as sharp as the one I posted, and I think that photo stands on its own better. This guy in the lane close to me got a bit out of shape on the launch, but kept the throttle open, straightened it out, and won the race. These were taken with my K10D and SMC A 70-210 f4 @ 210mm, prefocused to where I figured the bike would be when I wanted to take the picture. F9 for some depth of field, 1/500s and let the auto iso take care of the exposure













The shots above are the JPEGs straight from my K10D, back when I couldn't afford enough memory cards to shoot raw if there was going to any real volume of photos. Here's the shot I wish was a bit sharper, a bit of colour boost and cropped to 16:9 to get rid of the crowd and the stands. I just love the way it looks, 80' or so out from the start line, not quite settled on the bike, wide open throttle with the bike on the wheelie bar and his thumb on the air shifter. I know the previous shot is better focused, but this one is still my favourite of the bunch.


Kristian

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Last edited by turbo_bird; 09-22-2021 at 08:29 PM.

[pacerr]

Okay, I'll give it a shot here. When selecting an image...interpreting the task?...I don't think of 'winning a challenge', but rather of satisfying the theme, the task. Often the task is so broad as to defy a specific target -- but that may not be a bad thing as I'm often delighted by the unexpected points of view presented. I suspect the choices also reflect our own photographic interests and limits as well.

The task from #556 - Man and Machine lead me through these possibilities among others. I wanted to have a 'man' present actually using a recognizable machine (a mechanical device anyway) in, if possible, an unusual setting. Pix below text in sequence.

Hmm, does not-a-man count? Kathy would argue the point but I'll pass on that. She'd win I'm sure, but . . .

Trains? With a guy? Yeah, but I know they're going to be very well represented from the UK folks, so . . .

How about a 'pickup truck' from the 1850's? Does a mule-powered sled count? Eh, bit of a push, maybe not.

How about piloting an aircraft; certainly one of the most complex machines and totally unforgiving of misuse? Hmm, not everyone would appreciate that maze of interaction with the 'machine' -- and technically, more than one man.

Ah, here's one that's perhaps a little more familiar -- and eye candy bright yellow as well.

Nope, lets go with another bright yellow one from an even older and simpler machine era. And Steve's a master of this machine. [See original pix above]

[CedrusMacro]

These are fantastic, Turbo_bird those potentials for me have some great compositions, particularly the 4th and 5th shots, similar with yours Pacerr and that cabin shot (really nice black and white). UncleVanya, that boat and wake is a nice capture. I've been revisiting shots and looking with fresh eyes lately, finding I dismissed one against another initially (usually due to looking for critical aspects to judge it a good image) and found a different appreciation over time for other qualities.

I keep coming back to that cabin shot Pacerr, does it have a story behind it?

[noelcmn]

Adam may have a more effective means of contacting a member?

And may I propose an interim diversion while we wait?

This isn't intended as a 'challenge' or to hijack the thread; rather as an interesting exercise. In almost every 'challenge' I've had to make a choice among competing images to satisfy the "submit ONE image" rule. I'll bet most of you do too.

I would suggest that anyone interested chose any one of the recent 'challenge' topics and submit two or three of the images NOT chosen to satisfy that task and perhaps include a few words on how the decision was made. I suspect that the alternate images may be as thought provoking as the final selections. No 'winner' to be chosen.

Great idea, and i wonder if you should'nt start it as a new thread, with a link to/from the weekly challenge.

These are the alternatives that I considered for the man and machine challenge

[UncleVanya]

Great idea, and i wonder if you should'nt start it as a new thread, with a link to/from the weekly challenge.

Humm. A theme thread isn’t bad. Maybe this theme has a life outside this contest.

[pacerr]

The idea seems to be agreeable. Actually, an associated challenge task seems necessary to the purpose.

How about this fora trial period.

After each 'weekly' event is closed, anyone that wishes to do so may post an alternate image BUT with brief commentary required as to WHY it wasn't chosen.

One comes to expect the images submitted here to be interesting. I find the reasoning behind the selections to be equally intriguing.

---------- Post added 09-23-21 at 11:29 ----------

I keep coming back to that cabin shot Pacerr, does it have a story behind it?

The cockpit? The 'front office' of a WC-121J (Super Connie) on a typhoon recon weather mission somewhere between China and the P.I. in 1965. Scanned from B&W film and my first SLR.



Likely shot about sunset a few hundred feet above sea level while preparing to duck under the cloud ceiling and let the 80-120 kt tailwinds in the feeder bands boost us into the eye of the storm. There we'd climb to 10,000 ft and drop radio-sampling devices to collect data. Happened every six hours. Today? Satellites do it.

[Vaskebjorn]

This wer my alternatives.
The first one is also taken in Tunisia, but was not chosen because it has “less interaction” between man and machine, although I think I like the photo ever so slightly more.



The second one I liked most because it has humor. It did not make the cut because it only has man’s best friend instead of man himself.

[Vaskebjorn]

Any news yet?
Stephen not reacting is worrying as that is not really his MO.

[SpecialK]

I think we should move on. Perhaps @Adam can pick a winner.

[gump]

I think we should move on. Perhaps @Adam can pick a winner.

or Kerrowdown who was the runner-up in #555.

[noelcmn]

I vote Adam, and we also ask him to find out what is happening with Stephen! hope it is not serious!

[Vaskebjorn]

That is a +1 for me

I vote Adam, and we also ask him to find out what is happening with Stephen! hope it is not serious!