Voting: November Photo Project - Gray

[morea]

Here are the entries for the November photo project - the theme was "gray". Thanks to all who participated... these are some great shots.

It's definitely going to be a tough choice this month, follks! Voting will run for one week.

Entry #1
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7507/greystatueen7.jpg


Entry #2
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/otisjr/odds%20and%20ends/armadillo600wide.jpg


Entry #3
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b277/otisjr/odds%20and%20ends/oldbarnba1600wide.jpg


Entry #4
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/RedKittieKat/GDF/gray.jpg

[morea]

Entry #5
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9735/beachvj6.jpg

Entry #6
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j44/SOLOGraphic/GDF%20Stuff/GreyContest.jpg

Entry #7
http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/5966/alaskauc0.jpg

Entry #8
http://members.porchlight.ca/broacher/gbeach_may06.jpg

[morea]

Entry #9
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6904/wilderstowerck1.png

Entry #10
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/1903/img0019pz0.png

Entry #11
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j139/jackimalyn/fireescapecopy.jpg

[mac.FINN]

Wow, it was a tough choice this month. I've got to start getting in on these... I always forget.

Great pics everyone.

[Satchel]

Awww... I forgot too! :(

Nice pictures everyone, mac's right, tough choice!

[Red Kittie Kat]

Such great shots by everyone ..... you know it's tough when you are compelled not to vote for yourself ;)

[morea]

lol Kittie!

I have my choice tentatively narrowed down to 2 entries.
No, 3.
No, 2.

Argh! It is definitely a tough call.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

Yup!

Great shots everyone. Love black and white photography.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

I'm a little surprised by the lean in votes.

Just a question; what do you base your selection or choice to "vote for" on?

[morea]

personally, I vote for the photo that I think has the best composition (cropping, balance, interesting lines, detail, etc.) as well as appealing color (even in black and white photos), textures, contrast, and the feeling the photo evokes.

[mac.FINN]

I voted for the picture I would most likely hang.

I'd just like to say that #5, as good as it is, IMO would be so much better if you cropped off the lower third of the photo.

[daSnarf]

Great stuff indeed =)

Seeing as how Im in the running for last place (*chuckles*) any words of advice on improvements on my shot?

[Exodus]

Don't ask me. 0 votes as of right now. I didn't even vote for me. I think I should have used by second photo as the entry. :(

[morea]

lol, I've been doing these puppies every month since we started and I have yet to win one. I can't tell you how many times I had no votes. Thank goodness there are no cash prizes or I'd be disappointed. ;)

[Satchel]

Well for this one, even though the B&W were good, I didn't vote for them because I felt it too easy to get "gray" out of black and white...

I thought all the entries were great, but you have to have a winner.

[Jackimalyn]

if i voted for myself id be much closer to winnin this badboy!

I like the redish color in the bottom of #5... I think it would lose something if you cropped it (besides 1/3 of the picture...)

[Exodus]

I voted for yours ^^

Edit: I had a hard time choosing between yours or Broacher's.

[artistsdad]

Number 8 just has a "gray" feeling to it. Only thing that would make it "grayer" would be to have Alcatraz there in the distance. Since, based on location, that would take an *extremely* long telephoto lense, it stands just great as it is.

[mac.FINN]

I like the redish color in the bottom of #5... I think it would lose something if you cropped it (besides 1/3 of the picture...)

I know 1/3 is drastic, but it makes for a very dramatic panoramic. I just think it's much more dramatic and deep without the ground, makes you feel like you're out at sea in a storm. Much more daunting than standing on shore.

Forgive me Mo for tampering with your shot. ;)

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7161/mobeachwi8.jpg

[Jackimalyn]

thanks exodus :)

Mac- it becomes a totally different picture (which i think is what you were going for...) but I prefer the uncropped... I really like the subtle color in the sand and the reflection of the sky on the shore. Either way great pic mo!

[Broacher]

To me, it's really tough that we have colour and bw mixed together here. I guess one of the real challenges of BW photography is to get what Morea has alluded to: 'color'. In true greys, that has to be a psychic colour association, very subject dependent. High contrast black and white shots have to take it one step further and minimize tone, highlighting pattern, shape, texture instead.

Then I think of the assigned theme: grey. It's only a word, not a design parameter. A full colour shot of say, a homeless person eating in a brightly lit MacDonald's-- that would be taking the theme to an editorial level. I admit I'm a little disappointed that nobody took the assignment too far in the editorial direction. There's also 'mood', expression. Colour contrast? A single grey element in an array? (say a greyed out light bulb in a marquee panel)

I don't know how many of you have ever played judge in an art or design contest, but another thing that I've become aware of over the years of doing these kind of things is just how important the presentation structure is. It's very difficult when the photos are stacked so close like this to not have adjacent entries 'colouring' each other. The sequence of presentation also has a real effect.

But, that's one of the differences between commercial and the fine arts. Most of the time, we don't know who the neighbours to our ad designs will be. You hope for the best, and design for the worst.

Good luck all!

[daSnarf]

very well said Broacher =)

[rainbow2bryte]

ick.
that was kinda tough....

I like a bunch of them, but if it REALLY comes down to it, which one's are good and which ones are WOW!

after being to a photog. workshop w/ some big wigs teaching/ critiquing i look at everything much more critically now.

I like #3 because i think it's different. i haven't really seen that shot a bunch of times more or less. OR maybe i'm just partial to farmland....

ps. i didn't vote for 3 though

[Jackimalyn]

man! this has been a real horserace!

[morea]

definitely. These just get better and better!

What do you guys want to take pix of for the December contest? I need to get that started. There are a bunch of ideas on the "brainstorming" thread, and I'd love some feedback on what you guys would like to shoot.

[Red Kittie Kat]

I would say christmas would be obvious... but not everyone celebrates it ... I would say snow but not everyone has it .... so I'm not sure :D



I know, I know I'm a big help :D

[morea]

<-- doesn't celebrate it, but doesn't have a problem sitting one out.

[Red Kittie Kat]

Maybe just something representive of December for ones neck of the woods?

[urstwile]

What about Solstice?

[morea]

December 22 = International Orgasm Day.

(I don't want to see pictures, thank you anyway!) :D

[Red Kittie Kat]

Emmm ... errr... uhhh.... I don't want to see those either





in open forum... just send them to my pm box

[morea]

hey, what did that small print say? I'm nearsighted, gall durn it! :p

[Red Kittie Kat]

:D hehe

What small print :p

[urstwile]

If you were nearsighted you would have seen it, Mo. :D

Okay, scratch Solstice. Darn I wish I had a camera. What about local fauna?

[morea]

I am nearsighted! And also practically legally blind without my scratched up glasses.

(Maybe it's the scratches that are the problem... hmm....)

[Red Kittie Kat]

lmao Mo .. that could be the trouble ;)

[urstwile]

Nearsighted is when things far away are hard to read. Things close up=no problem. I'm nearsighted, so that's why I know. :)

[budafist]

How about something that is familiar to you and makes you laugh?

[rickself]

How about something that is familiar to you and makes you laugh?Ya! "Spouses and Significant Others" photo contest!
(not to be combined with post #30 above, please!!)

[Drazan]

Actually in this case, it is truely hard to vote for just one photo.

Don't think not getting any votes means that your photo is bad or needs any improvement. There's not enough people on here voting to get a plethora of votes on everyone. The results are really a matter of personal taste as to what turns a person to vote. If you feel that there is room to improve - pop a critique thread in the regular photography forum.

I wish I would have posted, I've a few excellent grey matter shots. :) But alas a emergency server move made all free time go away and then some.

Looking forward to the next challenge!

[morea]

congratulations Broacher!

[Red Kittie Kat]

Congratulations Mr. B http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/RedKittieKat/smilies/1053598736.gif http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/RedKittieKat/smilies/1053598736.gif

[Broacher]

Thanks Kittie. I'd never have guessed, waking up this morn, that this would be a two banana day. Make that, a two BLUE banana day.

Man, I need some sleep.

And to inspire the rest of you, words of wisdom from one of my heroes:

"I'm sure millions of viewers out there are just wondering what it's like to wear the tights of justice. Well, it's tingly and it's uncomfortable, but it gets the job done and, oh, the job of it."

[morea]

The Tick!!! :D

[Broacher]

Spooon! [to Morea]

Hey Catwoman, I'm feeling like my banana is blue in that you haven't won one of these yet. And me a rookie! (I'm thinking of retiring from competition while I'm on top.)

Maybe the next theme could be 'catnip'?

"Eating kittens is just plain... plain wrong! And no-one should do it, ever!"

[morea]

with catnip, you don't care whether you win or lose... any yet, my time may come!

'You don't fight destiny, no sir... and you don't eat crackers in the bed of your future!'
;)

[Red Kittie Kat]

"Eating kittens is just plain... plain wrong! And no-one should do it, ever!"


I'd argue that point, but I will get in trouble either way :D


.... I'm glad you like the blue banana :D

[morea]

I don't know how many of you have ever played judge in an art or design contest, but another thing that I've become aware of over the years of doing these kind of things is just how important the presentation structure is. It's very difficult when the photos are stacked so close like this to not have adjacent entries 'colouring' each other. The sequence of presentation also has a real effect.

I'd be interested in discussing a better way of doing this. I can throw in several hard returns between images to give each a bit more breathing room.

As for sequence, the way I have been doing this is to list the entries in the order they were received.

If anybody has any suggestions to improve this, I'd be happy to hear them.

[morea]

no takers?

I'll add more space between entries next time. Other suggestions are welcome.

[Broacher]

I'd go for anonymous image posting, if it wasn't a big hassle to set up. We can't help but bring baggage to the judging process when we know the creators. It should be at least a 'blind' test in this respect.

Again, if it was easy to automatically do this, what I'd like to see is the order randomly shuffled each time someone views the 'list'. That would be a lot harder! Or even if you shuffled in a ring?

[morea]

all entries could be PM'd to me as links, and I could post them. I don't vote when I enter a photo anyway.

I don't know of any way we could rearrange the order, because we're sort of limited to a thread.