*** Vote on the Final Round of the DU Photo Contest ***

[RagingInMiami]

Here are the ten photos that made it to the final round. These are photos that were taken by the DUers who participate in the DU Photography Group. I did not take any of these photos, I'm just hosting the contest.

The polls will remain open until Monday at 5 p.m. eastern time.

For those of you unaware that we have a photo group -- and they always come forward after every contest -- the link is right here.

EDIT: And the theme of the contest is "reflections." Please recommend this thread for the greatest page to give those DUers who never make it into the lounge a chance to vote.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=280



Pt. Woronzof Sunset



Tea and Tiffany



Bird Bath



Under Twin Suns



Seeing Myself in my Father



World War II Memorial


Walking on Water



Self-Portrait



River



Matrix Dissolves

[bigwillq]

1. What great pics!

Great job and good luck to all!:bounce:

[Serial Mom]

2. OMG - I loved them ALL

voted for Seeing Myself in My Father - personally, that is one I would like to have with me and a photo of my dad or mom!

But they ALL were spectacular!

[RagingInMiami]

3. And please recommend for the greatest page

To give the DUers who never make it into the lounge a chance to vote.

[Serial Mom]

4. done

Thanks for pics ... makes the day a little brighter!

[Blue_In_AK]

5. I just put in the fifth vote for Greatest, Raging...

Thanks for hanging in with this through hurricanes, power outs and all.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. K&R because every one of the graphics are fantastic.

[dalaigh lllama]

7. Fantastic images

I voted for "Seeing Myself in My Father" -- such a creative idea IMO, but I also wanted to vote for the "Birdbath" photo. I imagine the photographer sitting with eye to camera for hours at the window waiting for the perfect juxtaposition of birds...
And they are ALL stunning.

[bvar22]

8. Special thanks

to RagingInMiami for hosting this month, and dealing with the unforseen problems.

For those who don't know, the FIRST PRIZE for winning the Photo Contest is the honor of hosting the next contest!

Thanks.

Bob
St Paul

[blue neen]

9. All of these pictures are fantastic, absolute works of art.

Congratulations to all of the artists.

[Melissa G]

10. Spectacular! Thanks Ragin! I loved all of them but River spoke to my soul

Can we get copies? PM me with info...Hey Ragin' post a linkie to your first place pic for those of us who missed it!

[intheflow]

16. Here's Raging's winning photograph from the July contest:

It's actually just a link to Raging's winning photo: http://photogroup.smugmug.com/gallery/701355/1/30569975/Large

You can't bring up the image properties to copy it's location and thus try to steal the image. But the Photo Group has its own website, so you can see many photos from past contests, plus photo group internal challenges and some of the photographers' personal portfolios.

Check it out: http://photogroup.smugmug.com/

[Melissa G]

29. Thanks in the flow! Lovely Photo Ragin! n/t

[chknltl]

11. A n observation about Seeing Myself in My Father

At first I thought the wings were on the strap of the daughter, then I thought the wings were on the father, then I noticed this: Those wings belong to both! Go look for yourself.... That right there elevates this photo into one of the all time best I have ever seen!

[RagingInMiami]

12. It's a very good photo

I think this is the best overall batch of photos we've had since starting the contsts last December.

[chknltl]

13. Agreed, these are all great pics

...I have been an advanced enthusiast myself, I documented the local music scene here in the Seattle/Tacoma area for over a decade. I love photography and I love great photos. The previously mentioned "wings" felt especially poignant as though the father had pinned the wings on the daughter. To me photos that can elicit such powerful feelings like this are rare and special. My compliments to the photographer.

[gristy]

14. How can I choose???

I can't, I just can't. They are all so wonderful.

on edit: well, I chose birdbath, though I must admit I was a little hesitant before I went to vote and I saw how well it was doing. Why did I like that one so much? I mean, shoot, it's just two dumb birds getting a drink in someone's back yard. But I like it a great deal.

[obxhead]

15. That was tough

it was a tough pick between Pt. Woronzof Sunset & Under Twin Suns.

[Robeson]

17. That's a Sophie's Choice. It's a shame anyone would have to lose...

...that contest...:-(

[sazemisery]

18. Great pics, hard choice, recommended EOM

[MADem]

19. All winners, every one nt

[flvegan]

20. DU has some VERY talented photographers!

I honestly can't choose just one.

Magnificent. Every one of them.

[RagingInMiami]

21. Sunday midday kick

[intheflow]

23. Sunday mid afternoon kick.

OK, it's really early afternoon here, but it's mid afternoon in your time zone, Raging. :)

Did you post a thread in GD inviting them to take a break from the cares of the world & get some aesthetics in their lives?

[RagingInMiami]

24. I didn't post anything in GD, but it's been on the Greatest Page

So I'm sure they've been on it.

[Bozita]

22. superb, simply superb

thanks

[ignatius 2]

25. All were very nice, but I tend to like people pictures and

seeing myself in my father was super. I have an old black and white of my dad in uniform from WWII and he was so darned handsome just like that dad so maybe I am a bit biased.

BTW,dad will never talk WWII, only one time said that he had to do things to stay alive that he never thought he would ever have to do. He is a good democrat and thinks King George is the worst president in his 78 years and he absolutely hated Nixon.

[bvar22]

26. A kick for posterity!

:kick:

[redacted]

27. Have a fair amt of experience professionally evaluating photos/art.

They are all very nice -- it is hard to rate b/c they all say something very different.

A photographers should be proud (esp if amateurs).

[intheflow]

28. This is an amateur contest.

As far as I know, none of the finalists are professional photographers, although some may have done photography work in the past. But my feeling is that the kind of photos that make up these photo contests are not the same kind of photos as what people did for a living. For example, there's a big difference between wedding photography and nature photography; someone who might make a living as a wedding photographer might completely suck at nature shots.

The group is pretty much people who like to play with cameras and/or want to hone/challenge their skills.

[intheflow]

30. Sleepy Bedtime Kick

[kliljedahl]

31. Kick for great pics

[Stockholm]

32. Very difficult!

Great job all of you.

[intheflow]

33. Monday morning kick.

Vote now before RagingInMiami shuts it down.

[Immad2]

34. another kick

[RagingInMiami]

35. Kick

[RagingInMiami]

36. Three-and-a-half hours left

Until polls close

[underpants]

39. Very nice work all

I voted for Bird Bath

[bvar22]

37. *

:kick:

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

great work--all great. w/ a slight nod to "seeing myself"

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

38. great work--all great. w/ a slight nod to "seeing myself"

[bertha katzenengel]

40. fabulous! i take it the instructions/rules for entering are posted in the

photography group? will have to check that out.

:bounce:

[RagingInMiami]

42. We have contests every month

It's very informal. Every month, we decide on a theme, give everybody a few weeks to go out and take photos and then set a date where everyone submits their entries.

This is actually the August photo contest, but because of Katrina, which first tore through Miami and left me without power for five days, unable to post or host the contest, and then because of the high volume of traffic on DU after Katrina hit New Orleans, disabling the polls, we are running it in the middle of September.

So I guess this is the offical August/September photo contest.

[MissHoneychurch]

41. kick

[RagingInMiami]

43. Polls are closed

[Midlodemocrat]

44. Locking.

The contest is over. Thanks to everyone who took those gorgeous pictures.