September Photo Contest WINNERS!!!

[Cassandra]

The envelope please...

1st Place
The Way Home by Richard D


2nd Place
Full Moon and a Wayward Balloon by Blue_In_AK


3rd Place
Yesterday's Tomorrow (Space Needle, 1962) by regnaD kciN


4th - Morning Glory by ElsewheresDaughter
5th - Tie Ruby Throated Hummingbird looking up by Maestro
Scraping By by JeffR
6th - Smile for the Camera by Mrs. Venation
7th - Tie Mirror Ball of Curiosity by Tindalos
Does it look like rain? by Mira
8th - Into the Fog by mzpip

HOST'S CHOICE
Mirror Ball of Curiosity

for making me think.

At the Fair by tekisui

for making me dizzy.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird looking up

for getting such a difficult shot.

Heaven's Vault by CaliforniaPeggy

for bringing us such a beautiful space.

Congratulations to all who participated. We wouldn't have a contest without you.

Richard D, next month, it's all yours!

[Mira]

1. Congratulations to you, Cassandra, for competently running a stellar contest.

Congratulations to the top winners, to the finalists, and the special mentions. There were beautiful photographs in competition, and the subject matter made for varied interpretations. This was lots of fun, and very exciting.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Cassandra!

Oh, thank you! I did not expect this special mention!

This was a challenging contest indeed...many great pictures!

I look forward to next month and its challenges...

:pals:

[Celebration]

3. Great contest!!

I love the winners, the choices, and just about every photo in the finals. This was a really good theme.

[Tindalos]

4. Congratulations Richard D

and to the other photographers.

Thank you Cassandra for running a great contest and also for the special mention. I wasn't expecting that. Thanks.


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[Cassandra]

5. It's always good...

to be inspired to look at things in a new way.

[JeffR]

6. Congrats to the winners!

This was a great theme that drew a bunch of really top-notch entries.

Excellent contest!

[Robb]

7. Congrats winners!

:toast: to some excellent work. :)

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Thank you very much.

I just got lucky, unlike RichardD, who obviously has "skillz." :)

[Mira]

9. Luck, dear Blue, had very little to do with it.

The crop of your shot, withe the balloon and the moon in line with that little ball of leaves on the bottom right forming a perfect diagonal, made it for me.
I love your picture.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Thank you, Mira.

I really do appreciate it. :)

[Richard D]

10. I voted for yours!

Really a beautiful shot.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. Thank you, Richard, and now the question that must be asked...

The light on your shot was PHENOMENAL. Did you use layering, HDR or was the light up there really that fantastic? Whatever the basis for that stunning color, I am in awe. :)

[Richard D]

14. It was nearly that amazing . . .

. . . and I used a very low intensity HDR to get all of it in exposure. I increased the saturation a bit to get the depth of color and used some judicious sharpening to bring out the details.

[Blue_In_AK]

15. It truly was a stunning shot.

I think I'm going to have to learn this HDR thing because used judiciously, as you did, it looks fantastic.

[Richard D]

18. I really like it.

Here's one I pushed a bit more. It can get pretty surreal.

[Blue_In_AK]

19. That's really trippy.

I like it. :thumbsup:

[Richard D]

20. I can't imagine what you could do with this . . .

. . . given the amazing range of light and subject material you get in Alaska.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. I know.

I'm thinking about those sunsets up in Nome last March. They were pretty supernatural to begin with. :)

I don't know much about this program. Is there a free version to try somewhere? Is it complicated?

[Richard D]

23. I use photomatrix pro

Excellent program. You need a good computer though. I have a very fast one and sometimes it takes several minutes just to process one picture. They do have a free trial version but it watermarks the pictures with their logo. Great way to start and see if you like it.

[Mira]

16. You are forgetting to tell us

how long it took to so judiciously space the rocks in the path.....

(I love your picture very much, it is sublime)

[Richard D]

17. That was the amazing part

The rocks were already there! just behind me the owner of the land had made adobe bricks which were in the road drying. The rocks were to keep people from driving on the road and to point to the detour through a field. Getting the sun to be just on the rocks and not on the road took a bit of both waiting and dumb luck. I actually found it a bit challenging to take pictures in this area because my jaw was hanging so low that it got in the way of the camera. Really one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

[Celebration]

25. Oh, darn

And here I thought it was like Sedona where people place rocks everywhere because of spiritual reasons. You certainly shattered my illusion!

:rofl:

Great, GREAT picture, despite the backstory.

[Cassandra]

13. So did I...

although I got to the end of my mentions and later realized I forgot to say that. The color is just exquisite and the subject made me smile.

[hippywife]

22. Congratulations to all the winners!

Incredible shots all! Richard and Blue, yours were definitely my favorites and choosing between them were impossible!!

Another great contest, as usual. The talent here is wonderful! :hi:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

24. A BIG and well deserved KUDOS to all the winners!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Maestro]

26. Thank you Cassandra

and for the nice comment. Congrats to Richard D for a beautiful picture...Wow!

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. Whew !!!!! I know that was a tough voting process.

Thank you to all who shared pics that made me smile. I really liked all the entries.