Hmmm, still can't decide which one gets my vote. Suprised the contest is such a walk away so far.

 

Try insane amount of practice! Recently went through my computer to dump excess pictures, so many whole sessions of lame sunrise/sunsets were deleted.

Taking sunset pictures ain't so easy is it?

Thanks for the votes folks! Sure helps to make deadline.

 

This is my favorite... But I feel asleep and didnt see this months contest.. I hate when I do that!!! Ill just have to vote for one of the lesser ones JK folks... great shots

 

^ Wow, I thought I was seeing double.

These are 2 other I thought about entering. The thin red line on the bonnet is the "sunset". It was 26 degrees at the time so I didn't shoot off too many

 

Thanks speednut... great info and will be reading more on it

 

Man, 3 may have been real cool without the flash. Hmmmm.

#6 and #7 look beautiful!! DANG I wish I had time to take photos. Maybe next month. I gotta try out the digi rebel!!

 

Is this the most one-sided photo contest ever?

 

No.. Absolutely not...

 

Nope, just the way Kurt likes it.
Like I said, it's tough to compete with a AZ sunset and someone certainly has had lots of practice.

 

It's not? I guess that one I forgot to enter (azminiman ain't the only one) a few months ago doesn't count.

I don't want to be accused of administering torture, so can we close this poll now?

BTW: what is next month's theme? May I suggest SUNRISE?:impatient

 

I apologize ahead of time for being such a party pooper here but as much as I love image #6... doesn't it break (or come very close to breaking) contest rule "6. Photoshop may be used for photo adjustments, but each submission must retain an appearance that it was captured on camera."?

I'm all for using Photoshop to get the most out of shots, or edit them beyond the normal adjustments to make them look unreal, but it seems that some (if not many) people don't understand that image number #6 is not quite a normal shot, that there was more involved... if DRI or HDR was "applied" it should be very clearly stated... unless I missed the pre-announcement or the rules were changed?

(am I the only one slightly concerned about this?)

 

No... now I am.

Considering how subjective following the theme rule is, and the fact that no prize is at stake, I think this issue is moot. It could have been brought up just last month when the selective color technique was discussed, but it wasn't.

Perhaps the Administrators can evaluate and elaborate on the limits of PhotoChomping. As far as I'm concerned, it's not like I cut a killer sunset sky and pasted it behind my car, that would break the image from the camera rule.

 

correct... but selective color is more easily identified and recognized by "average joe" while DRI and HDR are not. Image #6 could not have been shot in the standard "one exposure" unless strobes were used (and they were not)...

not questioning the end result but I think it perhaps warrants additional discussion (different thread perhaps)... I know it's difficult where to draw the line...

it's all good

 

I'll let dave know. He's a bit occupied with a new toy right now but I'll try to tear him away from his RC car building/painting/tweaking and get him to chime in on this matter.

 

That photo made it to the NAM calendar..

Umm.. no.

Here's something for you to think about while the poll is still going on...
The theme I have in mind has something to do with my favorite "holiday" that's coming up next month.

And no, Valentine's day is NOT a holiday..

 

Yes, but I have a solution. See below...
Well it was brought up and discussed and handled over a year and a half ago when selective color was used. There's been quite a few great images that haven't gotten my votes because they were what I felt was over processed or not fitting of the topic itself. Thats where the power lies with the NAM public, yes unfortunately that means many of the photos that wouldn't have gotten my vote have ended up winning anyways, through some gimmic or being head and shoulders above the rest.

I know the level of work that goes into the processes involved and think Kurt earned every vote he receives, but I still can't vote for it because when I look at it I do think it is too over processed. I used a similar but different technique but went to great efforts to avoid going to far with the HDR processing. Personally I'd really enjoy seeing it say, no words sky is the limit and let the talent of some people here really shine, and make those who's skills can win it with merely a resize all that much more talented.

Between the high volume and resulting controversy I have thus far refrained from doing a full critique of all the images, however I may need to do that just so I can decide which to vote for

 

Shall we assume that the theme next month will be "Mini Models"?
We need photos of your new toy Dave!

In the past Dave B. has clarified the rule as no CGI rendering or Worth1000 type of photos (visit them if you want to see really crazy photoshop work). FWIW, Kurt's photo could have been done entirely on film with graduated ND filters and some burning/dodging in the wet darkroom. It doesn't look any less realistic than the photos you see in Outdoor Photographer magazine. Nothing on Kurt's photo was colorized and the hue/sat sliders were never touched. Curve adjustment layers was all that was used beyond layer masks.

Also as another point of view, I know my entry required more photoshop work than Kurt's did and I know MotorOn had to do similar post work too. Yet my photo is ranked near the bottom of the vote results. Lot's of photochomping doesn't equal good results in the polls. Tsukiji is much more of an expert with photoshop, produces great photos, but he rarely wins these days and don't even get me started on Juan the master and teacher. Yet I've seen great entries that are photographed with a simple point and shoot with whatever give-away post processing software that came with the camera and win with ease because they took a great photo. I guess what I'm saying is you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. The cream will always rise to the top no matter the tools used to extract it.

 

President's Day???

 

Or we'll be digging holes for MINI ground Pugs

I mentioned Pugs, can I get "Saturation" for the topic?

 

That was dave's first guess.. umm no.



You're somewhat close actually..

Hmm.. that could be a good topic. I'm just worried about the possibility of excluding those that may not be at the same skill level as most of the regular contributors on here.

 

6 might be a little over cooked, but it's nowhere near any sort of rule violation.

Great sunset/OK composition/heavy handed processing

IMHO: Only dogs must truly appreciate HDR/DRI, as it's not pleasing to normal human vision.

 

Shadows? Spring?
Topics like Contrast and Black and White seem to actually draw many more entries than we've seen in recent months But that makes poll creation that much harder. Now I could see where an HDR topic would be discouraging to many, but anyone with a camera can go looking for highly colorful situations (and Kurt can keep at his sunsets).

 

Thanks, I didn't know.

 

Agreed.

The rule was only ever intended to head off having images that don't have the appearance of being a photo (as speednut already chimed in on). It was not meant to be a strict "is it mechanically/chemically possible" to have created this image on a film camera. I personally don't have any problem with HDR. It still has its roots in multiple exposure. Also, FWIW some digital cameras will now allow you to take multiple exposures and then combine them "in camera" to extend the dynamic range. For those that are inclined (I'm not) more power to you.

We take quite a bit of latitude with this contest as it. It is meant to get people out and taking photos (something I should do myself). The contest is also meant to be fun. We try to have topics that encourage both.

As for having more technical topics. I'm open to just about anything, but if it seems like it may be a more difficult topic, I'd like to wait until the summer when more people can get out to shoot.

 

all points are well taken and I agree that there's normally no issue with using Photoshop, even somewhat extensively, I just want to make sure that people know that what they are voting for is sometimes NOT (very close to) the actual photo that was taken. When someone states "cool shot" they should know it's actually "nice shot and awesome photoshop work"...

anyway, to all the entries, I never seem to be in tune with the contest but hope that one day I can fix that and send in one of mine