demondata - great crop and exposure choices. has a clean look that I like and appreciate the way you handled the foreground wave and highlights there.
Tas - I don't always like these types of worn print effects but your rendition I truly do like. You done it very well and effectively. I could pick this picture right up off my hippy coffee table.
JHfwp - I really like the look here. By not trying to bring it all the way up it has a kind of peaceful relaxed vibe to it thanks to the darker tones, and like the way you controlled the highlights. I first viewed this on my office monitor and it looked much different than here at home. Much nicer on my IPS monitor. I think a bit of a crop and/or leveling would have improved it imo...
Rimfiredude - both versions are creative and well done. It's difficult to pick between the two. At first I thought the old yellow version, but then as my eyes adjusted to the intensity of the HDR version, it caught up. Overall though I think the bw version is my pick of the two and a top contender.
Glenn5995 - a tighter crop which was genius. very clean result given the lift and detail, and really like the highlights/sun.
D1N0 - Dig the square crop and effective bw that has some drama to it. interestingly (to me) I first saw your version on my work monitor at the office where the highlights in the water were looking 'crunchy' so a bit distracting but here at home on my bigger nicer IPS monitor it's not a problem...
astonm - glad you could visit and appreciate how much you managed to pull out of the darkness and bunch to the right of the histogram with your version.
kevingun - overall nice colorful result. well done with the masking as noted, but something went down on the central vessel though and it looks to have caught fire... maybe that was the intention?
wildman - another impressively colorful version that attracted extra wildlife
I have to admit I am a bit sad that Godzilla seems to be hibernating, but I'm sure that Newport Beach appreciates this.
You all did very well imo, so thanks for taking the time and energy, and now the envelope please...
Runner ups: demondata and Rimfiredude
The coveted 2nd place: Glenn5995
First Place:
Tas!