February 2008 Competition - Voting Here

[Zone]

A particularly tricky (for me at least) theme for the second one of the year so well done all those who managed to get in an entry

Anyway onto the voting

Thumbnail page is HERE to quickly check you haven't missed any entries.

As always a huge thankyou to our sponsors for the prizes on offer HERE

The closing date for votes will be shown at the top of the poll and don't forget that all votes are public so no voting for yourself

Also if you have entered a picture then you are expected to vote else all votes accrued by you will be disallowed

[T0MAT01]

I've voted for Ksten. I like the thinking behind the shot and it's very well implemented.

[LFC_SL]

Ditto and it appeals to the inner child in me looking up high at the stars

On another note, this month's theme explains all the "merging exposures" threads

[GaryK26]

Macker gets my vote....Normally when it comes to comp time I favour the less PP'ed images, but this one is both a very good idea and great execution.

MrChris is worthy of a mention, but didn't quite do it for me. Not sure what the missing something was - maybe either the watch or the lady needed to be a little sharper.

Ksten's image is another example of great execution and great idea.

I like the bold colours in Sabretooth's entry - yet another good idea.

Well done to all who entered

[Liquid101]

Allymac for me. Nice execution, nice choice of location - just a great, straightforward shot.

I think this is still a photography competition, so i've gone for the best quality single photograph, which fits the theme.

For me, heavily manipulated images aren't in the spirit of the competition - using 171 exposures to get a single image, or having text as a major part of the concept just isn't photography any more.

There - i've said it.

Thats said, it's perhaps a littrle ironic that Ally's first entry was a compilation of many huindreds of photographs - oh well.

[GaryK26]

I agree mostly with Liquids thoughts on the extensive PP'ing on some entries (despite the fact that my vote was for an image that was achieved through PP and text).

Is it worthwhile having a poll on whether the guidelines / rules of the comp should be made clearer in terms of what can be entered? (Maybe we should have a poll to see if we should have a poll ).

Given a good idea, time, effort and experience with PS, some amazing images can be achieved. But is this an image comp or a photo comp?

Personally I'd like to see a zero-PP rule (including not being allowed to fine tune curves, etc). Get the comp back to basics (if there is such a thing in this digital world) - concentrate on thought, composition, execution, etc. Let's have a comp that showcases our photography skills (or lack of them) instead of how good we are with PhotoShop.

Now, where did I put that Scott Kelby book?

[Pic Flicks]

ksten for me, i think its very well thought out, well edited and i really like the angle! good job

[Liquid101]

Originally Posted by GaryK26

Personally I'd like to see a zero-PP rule (including not being allowed to fine tune curves, etc). Get the comp back to basics (if there is such a thing in this digital world) - concentrate on thought, composition, execution, etc. Let's have a comp that showcases our photography skills (or lack of them) instead of how good we are with PhotoShop.

I agree - even if it was just for one month, it would be nice to enter just a RAW file. Not sure how it could be administered though - they'd be to big to be posted directly and it wouldn't be fair to expect poor old Zone to check 60 RAW files against the posted version.

Any ideas?

[rizingstar]

Originally Posted by Liquid101

Any ideas?

Yes, split the competition thread into two, but with the same theme, one for PP and the other for RAW or normal.

I've said this before when I've entered mine, just some of us aint got the better equipment

:edit: Vote goes to electrolyte, love it!

[allymac123]

Originally Posted by Liquid101

I agree - even if it was just for one month, it would be nice to enter just a RAW file. Not sure how it could be administered though - they'd be to big to be posted directly and it wouldn't be fair to expect poor old Zone to check 60 RAW files against the posted version.

Any ideas?

I'd say that you post the jpg (shoot RAW + Jpg) and also put a link to your RAW file hosted on mediafire. Then the public (us) can check the RAW file should we desire.

Obviously if you can't/wont/don't shoot RAW then we will be able to tell if it's been through any software as the exif will show!!!

I'm still not sure if its intirely fair as I myself can't justify the cost of a decent set of Grad filters because its usually pretty easy to recreate them on the computer. So people who did have the money for grads would be at an advantage. Although I suppose the same is true with all hardware (camera included).

[electrolyte]

Mr Chris for me. I thought it said "time and motion" to me more than the others. Ksten's probably the most impressive photo but it just says "motion" to me so couldn't get my vote.

[electrolyte]

Not sure I agree about having a RAW only competition - this is supposed to be a photography competition where we enter photographs. Would be a bit like having an old fashioned film competition and only entering negatives. The dark (and light) room is just as much part of photography.

The rules of the competition are left open and it is up to the voters to decide.

[Liquid101]

Originally Posted by electrolyte

Would be a bit like having an old fashioned film competition and only entering negatives.

There used to be competitions that only allowed transparencies - They were limited to what you could do 'in camera'

I don't think that it should be like like this every month - just one perhaps. I enjoy the processing aspect as much as the next person, but it would be an interesting cheallenge to get the perfect shot at the capture stage.

This way for an entry to stand out it would have to be a good mix of idea and photographic technique.

[richard plumb]

billmag for me. I really like the red, and the darkened trail left by the watch face as it swings. The 2nd curtain flash making the watch nice and crisp at the end rounds it off nicely.


Very close with Allymac though. Lovely shot - car lights are done a lot so it takes something special to make them stand out, which I think you've done.

[richard plumb]

in response to liquid, I'll confuse things further :D

I agree about heavy PP - adding items, creating motion that isn't there by use of separate, discrete exposures etc.

But something like the star trail which is simply using multiple exposures to better capture on digital what could have been captured on analogue film is fine by me. Its still effectively a big long exposure - start......end - just broken down. No rejigging of the scene moving things around etc.