Photography Contest FINALS Please vote!

[GOPFighter]

The theme for this month's contest is FLOWERS.

The following 10 images made it to the FINALS!

Feel free to comment on the reasons for your choices. Complements are always appreciated!

The full set of 30 images can be seen at the links in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x4982
If you haven't seen them all, you might want to take a look at the whole set.

The contest will end at 8 pm ET Monday.


1. White




2. TIE DIE




3. Fairview Day-Lily




4. Yellow Flower in the desert




5. It's the Thought That Counts




6. Nightfall




7. June Bride




8. First Lupen




9. The official flower of libruls everywhere




10. Bee in Flight

[ghostsofgiants]

1. I like nightfall

The colour, lighting and depth of field are all really cool.

[madeline_con]

2. bleeding hearts...

is so funny...

even though the passion flower in tie die rox, and the "...thought that counts.." tugged at my more macabre side.

[Tsiyu]

3. Kick

Tough choice, an' i ain't sayin' who i voted for!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

4. How can you vote for just one?

They are ALL fabulous!

Would that our Presidential elections offered choices this good.

[GOPFighter]

5. Kick

:kick:

[necso]

6. The competitions seem

to be getting tighter, so having a set of explicit criteria was necessary in order for me to make picks.

Based on strictly "technical" criteria (like focus, composition, framing), "Fairview Day-Lily" would be my pick.

But adding (and weighting more heavily) "non-technical" criteria (like concept and what the photo has to "say" for itself), "Yellow Flower in the desert" wins. So I voted for it.

(It is good to see the missing photo added here.)

[superconnected]

7. seem to be missing a rose here.

.

[roguevalley]

8. very lovely all. like one because its to clean and neat if you know

what I mean. The flower in the desert could be a metaphor for divorce.
Lovely as ever.

[necso]

10. I had to think a moment before

I realized what you saw in the photo: One, alone, (beauty) in (sudden) desolation. That image works well, but to really blast it out, a background of wider desolation might have been nice.

Myself, I was thinking more along the lines of the hardiness, exuberance and boldness of life (like beautiful weed-flowers growing in the cracks of city sidewalks) and of that special time in the desert after the rains have fallen, but while the plants still hold some memory of the rain's moisture -- and of nature's push to bring forth new life while the moment endures. (Here, one big flower is "rushed" out -- but just how big will those other flowers (buds) grow, etc).

It's a photo with "depth" of "voice".

[halobeam]

9. I voted for number 1, White.

white on white, crystal transparency, and clean lines. Not an easy achievement. Love the wrap of the glass and the consistency of the leaf wrapping around it. Very, very nice.

[watercolors]

17. White has my vote also

Looking at it as an artist, white on white compelling. Shape of vase and tulip, repeat of design. Softness of tulip and starkness of cyrstal and all wrapped up in graceful green leaves. I would like permission to paint it in watercolors.
All of the phoyography was excellant, my second choice is June bride, I love white flowers!

[Blue Gardener]

11. Yellow flower in the desert

But I love them all.

[Pool Hall Ace]

12. Wow, these are all terrific.

I ended up voting for "tie die." It's the one that kept drawing me back the most.

I do hope that the person in "It's the thought that counts" actually died and wasn't just buried for falling asleep. :)

[katinmn]

23. Tie dye here, too

"White" is so elegant. It would be interesting to know how these shots were obtained.

[Bluebear]

13. I love them all, but #1 White is exquisite.

Thank you for the beauty, photographers!

[GOPFighter]

14. A Sunday lunch kick

*

[LeftyDarthBrodie]

15. Yellow Flower in the Desert

This photograph really jumped out at me although they are all nice. I could've gone with the "thought that counts" but thats more of a dark mood photo.

Congrats to all the finalists!

[NV Whino]

16. Kick!

Tough choice.

[watercolors]

18. If you enjoy flower photograpy

I would recomend SEARCHINGS Secret Landscapes of Floweres, there are two volumes I & II, BY BARBARA BORDNICK. It is most unusual and breathtaking in its photographs. Pricey, but maybe library might have copies to view. Great work by all in this contest.

[Bozita]

19. That bee looks more like a wasp

Terrific photos. Thanks.

[Blue_In_AK]

20. Kick...

[intheflow]

21. Recommended for Greatest Page.

Even if my entry didn't make the final cut! :silly:


Great work, Everyone! They really are all winners!
:applause: :toast: :applause: :toast: :applause: :toast:

[Blue_In_AK]

22. And I don't know why, ITF...

I loved your photo.

[intheflow]

45. Thanks, BlueInAK.

I, of course, voted for yours. I told you it would make the Top 3!

Congrats! :toast:

[Justpat]

24. Tie Die is spectacular

but they are all stunning.

[dxstone]

25. Exactly what Old Broad says!

EVERY image is INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!
I can't even vote; I just can't decide!
What incredible talent on these boards!
KUDOS TO ALL!
:applause:
d

[CelticWinter]

26. They are all just beautiful

I chose the tie die the colors were amazing :)

[Elidor]

27. A tough choice, as always

But June Bride is luscious.

[IndyOp]

28. These are all beautiful - I just wish I had had more than 1 vote!

[Blue_In_AK]

29. Back to the top.... n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

30. Every one of them is exquisite!

[Catchawave]

31. Beautiful photos for a beautiful subject....

...congratulations all ! Wish I could vote for all 10!

[Catchawave]

33. *kick*

[Catbird]

32. Lupens

I have a fondness for wildflowers in their natural habitat, where you usually can't pose and light them just the way you would like. And this one is very well done.

Maybe there should be multiple categories: composition, wildflowers, garden flowers, color, emotional impact, etc. I'm sure an artist could come up with a better list.

More categories, more votes, more winners. All of these pictures are great.

[usedtobesick]

34. bleeding hearts

but all so beautiful. Kick

[ConsAreLiars]

35. Kick (n/t)

[Blue_In_AK]

36. Kick again for the night owls...

[Ms. Toad]

37. kick. n/t

[Catchawave]

38. kick n/t

[GOPFighter]

39. Kick

Shooting for 200 votes by 8 pm!

[Blue_In_AK]

40. Kick...

[GOPFighter]

41. Kickity Kick

[Bullwinkle925]

42. JEEZ!!! I wanted to vote for all of them - they are so beautiful.

But I had to go with First Lupen - it symbolizes 'hope springs eternal' to me.
There ought to be something to be done with these pictures - note cards, calendars?? to be sold and money raised for the Democratic Party?

[tonekat]

43. thank you to all entrants

I found all of the photos inspiring, makes me want to take another class in photography.

[GOPFighter]

44. Contest Closed

At 8:00 PM ET, the vote totals were:

1. White 18
2. TIE DIE 25
3. Fairview Day-Lily 16
4. Yellow Flower of the Desert 46
5. It's the Thought that Counts 18
6. Nightfall 9
7. June Bride 9
8. First Lupen 10
9. The official flower of liberuls everywhere 26
10. Bee in Flight 14

Congratulations to Algomas for the winning entry:
Yellow Flower of the Desert!