[DanLoc78]

The more I look at my own entry, and the more I look at everyone else's, I realize mine doesn't really fit the theme very well. I have a very difficult time defocusing the camera intentionally, and I think it takes a special eye to be able to do it effectively. And I have to say, everyone did an outstanding job with this task, it was not an easy one.

As I said I have a hard time defocusing on purpose, so I went with a different sort of out of focus. While I do like the image, I just missed the mark completely by trying to think outside the box. If mine were included in the competition, I think it would have been classified as an 'also ran' when compared to the rest.

Joe started us off with the first judge-able entry. While it is very abstract (for me) I think that's ok for this challenge. As you said, if you're going for blurry...sometimes the more blurred the image, the more pleasing to the eye. In this case at least, I can see how that would be true.

Along came John with this bowling capture. Great mood set up by the black and white conversion and the grain. I also like that it's very blurry but not to the point of being abstract here. I think this image is better for knowing what you're looking at. The pose by your wife gives this image a very artistic finish.

wllm...very simple, very clean, very colorful. the smoothness of the bokeh gives this a very painted look. As far as blurry photos go, this one is very pleasing to view.

slinco (steve)...the first of several that look like album covers to me. This one reminds me of Pink Floyd. I love the angles, and that you've split the frame. The photo also has a very soft blur which I think works nicely here.

Tamia...i think i've seen a similar shot of this waterfall in the past in focus. Seems to be an area you are fond of, and I like your out of focus version a lot as well. I particularly like that you can make out the splashing of the water, and the bokeh highlights are just spectacular here.

Tom...get the glare of the cars in the parking lot you did! Very attractive bokeh highlights, I almost wish you had 'focused' in more on the cars, because all the different circles of different opacity, very nice to look at....it's almost the main portion of the image that becomes the distraction.

casil403...another album cover, by Pink Floyd again. Your photo has a very sci-fi look to it, almost like UFOs in the sky or different planets coming into view. Personally, I love it and I think you've chosen the perfect background for your water droplets.

corey...love the leading lines of the lights, the repetition in the archways, and a strong black and white conversion! The subjects in the center of the frame are keeping me guessing as to what exactly they are (my guess is your wife and child).

Iris...if you hadn't mentioned it in the photograph's title, I probably still would have said this image almost looks like it had been painted on canvas. the composition, the colors, the impressionist style of it.

Rense...i hope when you do get around to doing that "something completely different" thing...you share it with us! As for your entry, I think it suits the theme very well indeed. I really like the contrast of colors, and along with your composition you've turned what could have been an ordinary shot of the flower into one worthy of a frame.

janvan...very difficult to type this but i think there might be too much in focus here. I think a completely unfocused image, with that light spilling onto the background, would have worked out very well indeed.

oula...you did well, especially for not having much time! i like the composition and the placement of the figure on the right. also very nice bokeh highlights strewn about the image as well. nice job including some interest at the top of the frame and the dynamic angle of the bridge with respect to the camera.

Tsuki...nice soft portrait of the cat. i like the simple color scheme of the shot very much, even if i am colorblind i can tell it works quite well. would maybe have liked a little bit more brightness, but nicely done!

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for...the winners. There were so many wonderful photos, i had a very hard time choosing.

Honorable Mention:

Ceericks (Corey)


3rd Place: Casil403


2nd Place: Jheu02 (John)


1st Place: Iris!!


Congratulations Iris! You have the honor to judge the next theme.

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Last edited by DanLoc78; 09-07-2010 at 06:25 AM.

[Rense]

Great job Dan! Thank you! Iris, congrats with the winning of this round! And John and Lisa also with their second and third place! I liked this weeks entries very much, thank you all for participating!!

Dan: right click the photos in the entries, copy their locations between the img-tags, and there they are! If you want me to do it, please tell me!

[jheu02]

Thanks for the nod for 2nd. After seeing the competition that came after me I really was starting to have some doubts as to how well mine worked. Methinks that these projects are really sharpening (or unsharpening in this case ) our minds as the quality of entries just seems to be climbing with each week that passes. Loved seeing these entries, gave me a whole new way of looking at things to shoot.

[wllm]

Congrats to Iris, John and Lisa.
Dan thanks for judging, your explanation is very extensive.
Rense thanks for picking this subject, I enjoyed this project very much, it learned me to look at things in another perspective, and it's not always as easy as it seems.

[Tamia]

Congratulations to Iris, John and Lisa, and to Corey for runner up. A great job of judging, Dan, and thanks for taking time to comment on everyone's entries -- not an easy job. I agree with Wllm, Rense, this was an inspired subject and made for a fun and challenging challenge.

[DanLoc78]

Great job Dan! Thank you! Iris, congrats with the winning of this round! And John and Lisa also with their second and third place! I liked this weeks entries very much, thank you all for participating!!

Dan: right click the photos in the entries, copy their locations between the img-tags, and there they are! If you want me to do it, please tell me!

Thanks, I'll try this now.

Edit: Thank you Rense! Pictures are now included.

[casil403]

Thanks Dan for judging and congrats Iris John and Corey. Iris, that image reminds me of a painting...nice.
Funny thing about the shot I submitted it was originally a "toss away" of a fountain I was trying for the Single in September series, hence the water on the lens. The rest of the shot sucked but the drops intrigued me.

[DanLoc78]

Thanks Dan for judging and congrats Iris John and Corey. Iris, that image reminds me of a painting...nice.
Funny thing about the shot I submitted it was originally a "toss away" of a fountain I was trying for the Single in September series, hence the water on the lens. The rest of the shot sucked but the drops intrigued me.

If I ever create a musical album, please allow me to use it as my cover art?!

[casil403]

If I ever create a musical album, please allow me to use it as my cover art?!

Lol sure....

[Rense]

Rense...i hope when you do get around to doing that "something completely different" thing...you share it with us!

Not to draw the attention away from the great entries here of couse: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/113615-landscape-somethi...ml#post1169825

[Rense]

If I ever create a musical album, please allow me to use it as my cover art?!

What is the chance? What instrument do you play?

[slinco]

Thanks Dan, and congrats to everyone. It was a really fun challenge, and I'm planning on continuing my exploration of it.

[DanLoc78]

What is the chance? What instrument do you play?

Considering I'm 31, have a day job, and if I had the choice at a second job it would be photography...the chances are low!

I play piano and am starting to learn the bass. Eventually i hope to become one of those guys in the park that plays 5 instruments at once. (not really)

[Iris]

Dan, I love the way you always give comments on every picture!
Thanks for that first place I didn't expected that, because I thought John would win this week (great photo!). Also congrats to Lisa.

This week was not so easy for me. I could not think of a subject.
But I was outside making pictures for a bramble project I do with Rense (see Rense's blog) and suddenly I realised this would be a nice picture!

[jmschrei]

Congratulations to Iris, John, Lisa and Corey. It was a fun technique that I hope to spend more time working with.

-Joe