**January 2014 Photo Contest Final Round**

[Agschmid]

January 2014 Photo Contest - Final Round

Let's have a big round of for the 10 finalists in January's photo contest. Once again, the theme this month is Sunrise or Sunset.

Now it's your very difficult task to chose the one best photo out of this very deserving group. Final voting will run for 72 hours, at which time the new champion will assume the duties of host for the following month's contest.

Please feel free to comment (and help keep this thread bumped).

Thanks!

Here are the finalists:

01. December Dusk


02. Sunset At The Marina


03. African Sunset


04. Cannon Beach


05. Morning's Long Shadows


06. Sunset On Moonstone Beach


07. Breaking Dawn Over The Blue Ridge Mountains


08. January Evening


09. The Golden Hour


10. San Francisco Bay's Ball


- (Posting on behalf of edbermac ) *Posted with Skinner's previous permission in GD.

43 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Time expired
	December Dusk
	9 (21%)
	Sunset At The Marina
	2 (5%)
	African Sunset
	2 (5%)
	Cannon Beach
	10 (23%)
	Morning's Long Shadows
	2 (5%)
	Sunset On Moonstone Beach
	2 (5%)
	Breaking Dawn Over The Blue Ridge Mountains
	8 (19%)
	January Evening
	4 (9%)
	The Golden Hour
	3 (7%)
	San Francisco Bay's Ball
	1 (2%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Agschmid]

1. Help keep this thread kicked! Thanks.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Wonderful photos!

[Agschmid]

3. All the submissions this round were great!

Hard to pick one...

[monmouth3]

4. This is so difficult. Each and every one so beautiful. n/t

[longship]

5. Difficult to pick one. R&K nt

[fredamae]

6. (sob) I want to choose

them All-What magnificent photos!
Contestants - Stop being so good To all the entries I offer you great

[edbermac]

7. K&R and thank you Agschmid!

[TBF]

8. Love the boats - but many stunning photos in this collection. K&R nt

[NV Whino]

9. Kick

[Mira]

10. kick

[Egalitarian Thug]

11. K&R. Thanks for posting. n/t

[alsame]

12. It was really, really

difficult to pick just one!

You entrants are just too good, it's becoming impossible for me to vote in these contests every month.

Fantastic work, everyone

[mnhtnbb]

13. Gorgeous shots from all!

[Demo_Chris]

14. rec

[one_voice]

15. They're all gorgeous. n/t

[flying rabbit]

16. This was the hardest one yet.

Much photographic goodness.

[CrispyQ]

17. Sensational!

~kick!

[oldandhappy]

18. Magnificent.

I had to look thru about four times!! Thank you to all of you.

[Solly Mack]

19. K&R

[japple]

20. Beautiful all. Voted & kicked.

[distantearlywarning]

21. All of these are superb!

I had great difficulty choosing just one.

[alfredo]

22. knr

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

23. Kick!

Kick

[AlbertCat]

24. Lov-er-ly!

I wonder what the pics would be like if there was a "no sunsets or sunrises allowed" rule....

[lillypaddle]

25. Kick nt

[Laf.La.Dem.]

26. WOW - thanks

[ljm2002]

27. Kick! n/t

[brer cat]

28. It is always so hard to choose!!

K&R for a great group of photographers.

[Dalai_1]

29. Kick n/t

[ohheckyeah]

30. K&R n/t

[northoftheborder]

31. These are TOO marvelous to pick between. All of my favorites made the cut plus my next favorites!

I'll have to come back and vote after further consideration.

Those of you who are expert photographers, (all of you who post pictures most certainly are) what are some things you consider important: like composition, contrast, mood, etc...? Nearly all of them have some very excellent qualities to commend them.

[Mira]

33. For me

it's mostly the emotional "WOW" - the jaw dropping punch in the gut. The overall initial impact.
As a long time (complete amateur) photographer it is natural that the composition/mood/balance/crop all enter into it on further study, but rarely do I change my mind after that initial impact.

"I know what I like" is not outdated. I think one likes what resonates with one's life experience and what exposure one has had to the subject matter.

[northoftheborder]

35. I like your answer........

[Mira]

36. Good. Now if you haven't yet -

Vote.
You might be voting for me, if I made the finals.

[ohheckyeah]

39. Truthfully.....

I think most people, even actual art contest judges go with what they have a visceral reaction to. They know all about the technical side of photography: focus, exposure, depth of field, rule of thirds, etc. and they often still pick a photo that isn't particularly well done technically, but it speaks to them. One good example was an art contest at the college where I took photography and graphic classes. It was in October 2001. I entered a black and white photo and got second place with it. Best in show which covered every art medium was a not particularly well done color photo of a flag over a door. Why? September 11, 2001. It won against some amazing paintings, drawings, mixed media, and other color photos.

Another contest I was in I took best of show with a photo that I liked but I definitely didn't think it was best in show. I took first place in black and white with a photo that I personally thought was better than the one that took best in show. A photo I took that I absolutely loved did the worst of my entrees with an honorable mention. It was meaningful to me, but not to other people.

The point is, people like what they like. They don't necessarily care if it is technically perfect or imperfect - it's just what they like. Look at the photos in the finals here.....5 out of 10 are of a water scene. People like the beach and water, it appeals to them on an emotional and visual level. They are very well done as well, but I think it still boils down to emotions.

[mnhtnbb]

40. Boils down to emotions is right. Absolutely right.

You point out that half of them are water scenes. I'll point out that
only two of them actually have the sun visible in them; 8/10 of the finalists
are all about colors and shadows resulting from the sunrise or sunset.

[Curmudgeoness]

32. I am so sorry that I couldn't vote for more than one.

I had four that I couldn't decide between. Eeny meeny miney moe.

[ohheckyeah]

34. K&R n/t

[Agschmid]

37. Midnight kick!

[hrmjustin]

38. K&R!

[a kennedy]

41. Yikes, this was on it's way to the 2nd page.

Sunset On Moonstone Beach, is the winner for me. Such a different setting....., but all are winners.

[Mira]

42. Kick

[Little Star]

43. k&r

[Liberal_Dog]

45. K & R

[Solly Mack]

46. kick

[Mira]

47. Kick

[ohheckyeah]

48. Kick n/t

[Agschmid]

49. Thank you for over 200 votes so far, we want to get to 300 help make it happen!

[alfredo]

50. kick

[Mira]

51. We have a real race - a good fight going on. Please Vote!

[Agschmid]

52. Yes the leaders are 1 vote apart! Very close race to the finish line here!

[Pretzel_Warrior]

53. Yay Cannon Beach! We stayed right on the beach last year

And walked to the wonderful tide pools by haystack rock. It was a fight in the 60's led by Governor Tom McCall against a Cannon Beach hotel owner that led to 100% of Oregon's beaches being publicly accessible.

[mnhtnbb]

54. Kick for the tied race!

[Mira]

55. Every vote counts - Kick

[hermetic]

56. Still time to vote

...

[mnhtnbb]

57. Kick!

[Rowdyboy]

58. Tie for first place between two fabulous entries. Both are winners.....

[Agschmid]

59. Still a tie! Who can break this dead heat?!?

Or maybe someone could catch up! Help us out by making sure you vote!

[ohheckyeah]

60. Kick n/t

[Mira]

61. Kick

[Agschmid]

62. Canon beach is back in the lead!

[Mira]

63. I was nervous about a possible tie for first place

If that happens, who would run the next contest? Internet arm wrestling?
On the other hand, it would bring up some other wonderful photograph from fourth to be in third. It is all so much fun!

[Agschmid]

64. Four hours left!

[mnhtnbb]

65. Two hours left!

[edbermac]

66. 10 more minutes!!!!!