OK this was going to be a tough one to judge right from the outset.
I want to say that there wasn’t one bad or even average shot presented. They were all excellent exhibits of your work. It really shows how many great shooters we have here and the fine work everyone is capable of.
Honestly everyone won in one way or another and I really chose more on an emotional connection to the image vs some picky technical reason of one shot over another. So take the comments below with the underlying knowledge that I loved each shot.
These are just a few ramblings of what I saw in each. I’m not finding faults, just a few observations.
reeftool: I liked this and without reading the dialogue ( I don’t with any of them, till after having a look at the shot) It confused me as I didn’t realize it was a reflection at first. A very sharp reflection at that. Only comment is it lacks a bit of contrast possibly or a touch overexposed.
Stratman: You know I loved this image. Beautiful location and it just makes you calm to look at it. I don’t know if it would have even been possible to shoot it with a different light, say earlier in the day so the water surface wasn’t so much brighter than the surroundings.
weatherwise2: only issue might be the composition. The rock wall cuts through the center and the left wall is cut off in the reflection. So maybe a touch wider might have been nice and make the bottom part fill more of the frame (moving the wall up).
axl: I really can’t suggest anything to make this better. Well done.
Rense: It’s an interesting shot. I like abstracts and usually buy paintings that are abstract. They make you think IMO. My only comments are the bright thing in the lower left is a bit distracting and this was either a high ISO shot or cropped a bit to much. Just a bit noisy in a few of the darker regions.
sheela: I would have liked this a bit more close up. With the crack as more prominent. The right side doesn’t add much to the image I think.
Nesster: I’m of 2 minds with this. The skater and car anchors the shot in many ways. Puts it in context. Looking at it that way. There’s nothing I would change. Second look might suggest turning the camera a bit to eliminate them and only show the puddle might have been better. The cracked pavement at your feet provides the context.
K McCall: This is one tough exposure. I wish the bottom could stay the same and the top not be so bright. This might have been a perfect use of a ND grad to save some of the highlighted areas. Other than that I would change any of it.
Bramela: Beautiful light and capture of the action. I like the beach as an anchor. Only thing I might suggest is the horizon line cuts the shot in 2. The water is far more interesting than the sky and I would have had less in the image.
DanLoc78: I would suggest the same as the comments above. The horizon is a bit too central. We don’t have to always follow the rule of thirds to a mathematical measurement. But most of the time keeping the horizon out of the very center can help an image. This is a wonderful scene and possibly the central subject is more the lighthouse vs water.
mingdie: I can’t think of anything I would change.
Mark Morb: Very nice but 'me and my horizons' again. Less sky might have been more interesting.
atupdate: Nothing wrong with the shot. If I were near there, I’d go back in the fall when the leaves are turning and get there early in the morning.
Arjay Bee: Only though is the “story” in this shot is the patterns of sun reflections on the water. The little ‘star bursts’ made me spend a little time looking. Make that more prominent, the sky is somewhat featureless and less would make the shot more interesting.
Bactman: Not much to suggest that could make it better. Other than it is showing more about the effects of water vs water itself.
daacon: Dave, it’s a beautiful scene and my only real comments are the waterfall is more or less right in the vertical middle of the frame and somehow lacks impact that way. I don’t know the shooting angle limits and it might have been hard to frame it any other way so take that with a grain of salt.
xs400: Frank not much I could really suggest with this one. Great vista with intense colour.
RoxnDox: A classic ice image. The reds and browns really jump out. Might have been cool if the berry was the only thing in focus (different angle and DOF) but that’s minor.
Leaf Fan: Can’t really add much to this image. The colour seems a tad muted and might help a bit if the land was brightened a touch against that sky.
J.Scott: An intense shot. You made me happy enough with the horizon. It would have been nice to have the entire sailboat reflection on the sand if that were possible (very minor nit-pic). It’s main theme isn’t so much water as the sunset colour and the boats.
woof: I have nothing to suggest. Incredible sky.
zenimagery: nice macro. Maybe a touch dark but nice.
tpeace: a very minor comment. When it comes to a symmetrical shot, I look for as close to perfect balance as could normally be achieved. The left and right sides have different space from the last water jet to the frame edge. A slight crop and it’s perfect.
MRRiley: What can I say Mike. I’ve nothing to add to an excellent shot and exposure.
jct us101: A very nice sailing shot, good angle and I like the B&W. Like a couple of others, it’s more about the boat than the water IMO.
dcmsox2004: I like the frozen water that looks almost like crystals. I’m just not sure what I’m looking at. Something dropped in water?
AdrianM: As a fan of abstracts, this works for me. Not much to add.
Class A: Incredible vista and colours. Not much I would do any differently.
Light_Horseman: Beautiful simplicity and an apt title. I just wish the shutter speed was higher. She looks a bit soft.
KungPOW: What could I possibly say but excellent.
jmc7104: Cool and fun. Certainly well spotted. Me being picky about (like horizons) the vertical line going straight thru the middle.
Eaglerapids: Nicely spotted and well shot. You can’t control everything but it lacks a central item to draw you in.
mtroute: Impressive. You nailed a tough shot to focus. I wouldn’t have known it was night time. Love the mist on the lake and the soft warmth of the image. You need to clean your sensor.
dadipentak: Dave, A bit ‘busy’ for me. It’s symmetrical but lacks something to lock your eyes on.
NaClH2O: You just posted this to make things even tougher
Nothing more I could suggest with an excellent shot.
So the honourable mentions (see my notes above) in no particular order. All excellent images as well. Any one of these would be in that calendar for sure:
J.Scott: mtroute, jmc7104, xs400, RoxnDox, woof, Stratman, weatherwise2, axl, atupdate
The Winners: As I said earlier it really was impossible to say one shot was better than any of the others, so I judge more on an emotional impact. The entire lot was probably the best group of shots I’ve ever seen in a weekly challenge.
Third place: I can’t pick one of these as better than the others. So 3rd is a tie between them. All incredible shots and worthy of a large print on any wall. Excellent work to each of you.
tpeace:
MRRiley
Class A
NaClH2O
and honoured to share it with the creators of the other third place images. 
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