Fortnightly Challenge 12th August to midnight 26th August - Rock
 

Fortnightly Challenge 12th August to midnight 26th August - Rock

Was wanting to stick with the recent themes but earth sounds a bit tricky so have gone for "Rock" instead

Fortnightly Challenge is open to all members of WPF. The challenge will be run on (GMT) time.

Post your photo in this thread any time from 12th August to midnight 26th August.

Then a 3 day poll will be placed in this thread for voting on the photo you like best in this challenge.

Please give your photo a title.

The winner picks a challenge for the following fortnight and starts a new thread... in case of a draw the majority of members are happy with the 1st entry to start up the new challenge, which saves us having to do another vote.

1. One photo per member
2. To be taken during period stated above
3. The photo must include exif data with date and time
4. Post your entry as one attachment directly in this thread
5. No discussion of entries in the thread
6. Do not post any entries in the gallery until after the voting has finished

To create a poll :
* go to top of thread and in Thread Tools press 'Add a poll to this thread'.
[note: only the starter of this thread can see this option.]
* In the update options box change the number 2 to how many have entered.
* In each box put the title of the entered photos.
* In close poll, put 3 days.
* Submit new poll.

Morning sun
 

Up and out early for the sunrise.:)

Well -
 

It Rocks---------------------------------------

Scotch on the Rocks
 

Make mine a large one :)

I missed the deadline, took the photo in time but didn't post it in time. darn it!!!!

Well postcard ain't closed it yet. Publish and be damned I say!!!

Agree with Peter. Enter it.

16 Carat Rock With Added Sparkle

Done - thanks guys. Bit of a minimalist entry this time.

Its such a shame that entry numbers are so low on here. I have a suggestion that might help pull in some interest but Im new here, don't want to rock any boats or come across as a bit mouthy.

The whole point of these forums for me, is to learn, show off your new skills, your talent, your work...But also find out what other people thinks of your work, in a nice, helpful way of course. This helps you learn and improve in the future. The comps give you a theme and a chance to express yourself.

For me, if I was to receive feedback (critique) it would be helpful for the future. How about introducing critique where we comment about the image above and below our entry? If you are first, your up would be the last entry and if you are last, your down would be the 1st entry. Make sense?

Please be honest, if you think my idea is pants, just say but who doesn't want to know what people thinks about their entry?

Rock feature
 

Can the spirit extend to another late comer? Likewise, the picture is taken in the timescale but I'm at 6's and 7's as usual.

Hope it was ok to make a suggestion.

Im ok with it....polls not up yet.

Sorry for the delay but the poll is now up so please vote for your favourite.

(Good job I was late as it allowed for the extra entries).

Interesting idea, & it potentially give two views on ones work. I'd be quite happy to receive and offer critique as Digi has suggested. Receiving feedback, made in the right spirit, is obviously helpful... & having to offer feedback makes one think about why an image does or maybe does not work.

Whether other people feel the same way I don't know? Would the idea of receiving critique put people off from entering? Do people feel qualified to offer critique on other people work? Would the thought of having to provide critique put people off from entering? Is it worth a try?

What does anyone else think?

I think it just gives a little more purpose to the weekend comp, a learning curve as well as fun. Even though there may be people who don't think they know enough 'techy stuff' to leave critique, its surprising what you can say, even if you think an angle, or a colour or a style works or is to your taste.

Maybe critique is the wrong word comment could be better. Think you would need to have a comments welcome/not welcome option or it could put some off entering.
The idea of critique the next photo excludes people who did not enter. It would need to be made plane anyone may critique.
Another thought which could go together or not with Digi's idea is to say why you voted for the photo you voted for. I am happy to try Digi's idea.
What interests me is why so few enter. I enter a Flickr site competition and camera club comps but still enjoy the WPF comp. Wonder if there is any way to find out why people don't enter?

I like that idea too, however, inviting none entrants to comment might be a friutless task. I have only entered one photo on this site in the critique thread and got 1 reply. Was a waste of time to be fair, only one comment.At least if the entrants have the chance to comment, at least you are getting some feedback. If the entrants and non entrants get the chance to comment, all the better but im not expecting many non entrants to comment.

Exciting run up to the end of voting!

A three way tie... So over to you Arthur for the next challenge.

Apologies for all for setting it and then not entering, school holidays meant I lost track of time!

Good One Arthur! And Good Luck with the next challenge.:)

A while since we've had a three way tie - well dome to Arthur for getting in first.

There's a bit of a story behind my shot. I've challenged myself this year to enter every fortnightly challenge but I was away at a friend's over the bank holiday weekend and realised that this challenge was due to close on Monday. There I was with no camera or equipment of any sort but I was desperate to keep my personal challenge on track.

So I borrowed her compact, a Panasonic DMC TZ8, rigged up a backdrop with a clothes airer & a black scarf, used another black scarf & the glass top off a coffee table to stand the bottle & glasses on, controlled the ambient light as much as possible by drawing all the curtains. Lighting was from an led head torch & a desk lamp with a snoot made from a pizza box. As an aperture of f5.6 gave an shutter speed of 2.5 secs, a chair with a blob of blutac on top became a tripod. Fortunately I had my laptop, but apart from cloning out a couple of unwanted reflections & tweaking the black levels the shot is basically straight out of the camera.

Who needs £'000 of gear ;)

If we're going with Digi's idea of commenting on one up/one down I'd be commenting on Peter's & Digi's images. I'm assuming Digi's ok with it as you suggested it - what about you Peter?

I'm happy for both of you to comment on my image.

I think this works better than commenting on the one you voted for because in that scenario, somebody with no votes gets no feedback & therefore doesn't learn

Im happy for feedback, but please don't tell me its not a real diamond...don't I know it lol

My ups/downs is Gidders and graham. Gidders you said it was ok to comment so comments below but will await to see if Graham is happy for my comments to be given

Gidders - this is my kind of shot. I like still life shots on a shiny black reflective surface. Nice and sharp, with a great reflection, the kinda thing you see as an add in a glossy man mag.

Thanks Postcard. Well done all, don't remember a 3 way tie ever happening before.
Will have a think for a new subject.

I'm always happy to receive comment and constructive criticism so fire away Clive. (Think I know what you're gonna say:)). I very much liked your well balanced composition Arthur and thought you did a great job of capturing realistic colour. Clive, lacking a studio and kit, my shots are often cobbled together in similar manner to yours. You got a truly excellent result - got my vote- and that encourages me to continue the pursuit of excellence. Thanks.

Peter... I thought you chose a perfect shutter speed together with good panning technique gives a great sense of movement. I also like the placement of the bike in the frame giving plenty of space to move into. I do find the bright green leaves behind the riders head & the bright area to the front a distraction (the pedestrians are unfortunate). If it had been my image I would have done a bit of burning in & added some vignette to focus the attention on the bike - rough edit attached.

Digi... loved the simplicity of the image with the focus on the 'rock'. For me there is a bit too much dead space so I would have cropped it down, & I would have flipped the image so the tweezers lead the eye in from the left - rough edit attached

As always Guys, JMHO

Peter. The panning works well and also the composition with the bike having room to move into. The subject stands out well from the background.

Graham. Like the rocks and the reflection. The path on the left takes my eye into the image but then it stops at the windows. More detail in the sky would be nice. Over all a good effort of not an easy subject.
Could be wrong but I would try getting lower and or just the rocks and reflection.

Glad some of you are taking up my idea with the comments, very useful. May I ask Clive, are you left or right handed? Im left handed and am wondering if you are right handed, which most people are, and if that's why you preferred the flipped image? Might be worth thinking about for me, as I felt more natural with it the other way. An interesting thought.

When I think of leading lines I have chosen, I can only remember ones leading in from the right. Very strange huh? What about other left handers out there?

well done Clive, I love making do with things around the house, and this is a great example of showing us how it was done....very interesting to me, thanks.


and well done DigiDiva for getting this thread going.

Not sure how true it is but some say as in the West we read from left to right our eyes are more comfortable going that way when looking at a photo.

Interesting observation - yes I am right handed. That said, I'd always been taught that left to right lead lines were preferable because we read from left to right & lines leading to the right hand edge take the eye out of the image.

Edit: I see Arthur posted as I was typing :)

Ah so it could be because we read left to right that my flipped image sits more comfortably. Well we live and learn. See, that shows that the comments section is working already. What do any lefthanders think?

Sorry to be so slow in replying, my photography is on the back burner at the moment. It's an interesting idea from DigiDiva and I'm happy to join in.

Being the last on the list, the one down option is not on, so the one up for me is DigiDiva. I liked the simplicity of the shot but I confess I didn't vote for it. The detraction for me was the texture of both the metal and the diamond. I may be wrong, but I suspected that it had been sharpened quite heavily. A perfectly good shot though and it's good to see a little lateral thinking in the subject.

Graham

Graham, your down, if you are last, is the 1st entry, if you still want to comment.

Thanks for the comments, I did sharpen a little but the rock and the treezers were pretty scratched and old..I should have gone for newer ones!

I would have voted for yours if it had just been the rocks and the reflection. The building distracted me from that gorgeous reflection.

Really havre had a good thread here haven't we? Thanks guys.

Ok Digi, I thought I'd got off lightly, but you put me straight !!!

Arthur, I liked your shot. In fact I voted for it, largely because it really represented the topic faithfully and honestly; but if pressed I would comment firstly on the lack of a focal point, it seems a little disassembled somehow. I also have a tendency to stop down more than most, so it's a little light IMHO. Quibbling really as it's a nice shot.

Sorry Graham.....