Help me pick my Summer Contest entry...

[regnaD kciN]

Since I'll be helping out in the running of the contest, I'm going to let the group pick my entry for me. Unlike in normal "pick my entry" polls, I will not be free to disregard the results of this poll, but will enter the winner, no matter whether I come to believe it's the strongest image or not. Have at it! (Comments, as usual, are welcome.)


Summer Morning on Rainier




Defying the Waves




Beach Rider

[Mira]

1. They are all gorgeous and I voted :)

[Elfin Yeti]

2. I can see your dilemma!

I like Ranier the best because it required more of you as a photographer. The colors, depth, and lines spoke most highly of your artistry than the others. They all took my breath away! Wonderful job!

[hippywife]

3. We're not much help at all, are we?

:rofl:

[regnaD kciN]

4. Generally speaking, I've found...

...that, when all the entries in a poll get around the same number of votes, with none really standing out and others falling back, it means that none of the choices really connects with people; that it's kind of a collective "meh."

Nonetheless, I think I'll keep the poll up until just before entries close on the contest, and see what happens.

[Celebration]

5. I assure you that this is not it!

My dilemma was that, though the first one I love the MOST, it just doesn't really remind me of summer. But it's a fantastic photo. I voted for number two because not only is it a wonderful photo, but there is someone in a bathing suit. It's really hard to turn down the great horse pic, though, because everyone loves animal pictures. So, I think everyone loves your photos, but they are evaluating them with different criteria in mind.

[regnaD kciN]

6. I wasn't trying to fish for complements...

It really is a phenomenon I've seen when I've put up such polls before -- when one photo wins out over all the others by a clear margin (even if it's not the one I like best, and would never have dreamed of entering in the first place), it generally does very well in the ensuing contest. If there's no clear standout, the eventual "winner" (even if I think it's a really good image) does poorly.

It's not a matter of quality -- it's having the particular image "resonate" with the public that does the voting. I learned this early on...several photos that I thought were among the best I had ever taken, or likely would ever take, proved to leave everyone else cold. It's just more evidence that the photographer isn't always the best person to judge his or her own work.

[Mira]

9. As I tentatively try to pre-judge how others will see a photo I am rarely correct

in predicting winners. I am continually surprised and think it is fascinating how the front runners have a common emotional component that comes through. In my winning photo in May it was possibly a subliminal face that was formed by the objects on the building, the barrels the eyes, the wood the mouth, along with the strong colors. My brother commented on it immediately.
As I make decisions about what to enter I at this point simply put in what makes me happy, and let the chips fall. Though I had others with (maybe) better potential, I was so delighted when I downloaded the one I entered and discovered the hiding grasshopper I had to feature him for my own sake.

I chose your middle picture, RegnaD, because to me it has everything emotionally, colors that speak to me and wonderful lines and divisions of space.
The little red human is the perfect bonus.

I like the horse picture, but to me it lacks that perfect balance, and on an emotional level for reasons I could never explain because it is emotional, I liked your other picture of the mountain much better. Though I see the perfection of the lines Elfin Yeti speaks of, I cannot connect well with this photograph.

Participating had become an enriching part of my life, and I am really happy I get to do it.

edit:another typo

[regnaD kciN]

7. YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO DRIVE ME NUTS, AREN'T YOU???

:rofl:

Virtually every time I check, there's a three-way tie...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. OK, I broke the three-way tie!

They're all beautiful, but I love love love Mt. Rainier the best! It's stunning!

You're welcome! ;)

[regnaD kciN]

10. ...which is now back to a two-way tie...

:shrug:

[alfredo]

11. The only reason I didn't vote for the third image was that I couldn't

say for sure it was summer.

Confused yet?

[alfredo]

12. Do a gut check on each one. Decide on the one that does that something

for you. Pick the one you like, the one that feels right to you.

The first and third are excellent, but the simple composition of three really does it for me, but it isn't about me, it's about the one that does it for you.