# Your HELP required: which to send in for a competition?



## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

Yesterday we had a nice little hail storm and after that the sun came out. 
Our quinche tree was glistening with droplets and I could not restrain myself.

Now I would like to enter ONE into a photo competition but since there are so many similar ones, I am not sure which is best. Can you help?

1.






2.





3.





4.





Now there are these, which are different, would you post one of these to the competition and if so, which one?

5.




f11 at 1/1600 ISO 1600 (+ NeatImage)

6.




f29 at 1/400 ISO 1600 (+ NeatImage)

These are definitely not going into the competition, I have already decided on that:

7.





8.




...but I still found the rainbow colours in the blurred drop in the background interesting ... but this being a reversed lens macro, DOF is razor thin and I could only get the droplet in focus, but not the leaf sticking towards me and I don't like that fact well enough.

So... which one out of 1 - 4 should it be - or none of those but one out of 5 + 6?


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## Mohain (Mar 21, 2007)

I would have said no. 1 or no. 8 but seeing as you have decided that no. 8 is definiatly not going in then I'd choose no.1!

BTW, why not no.8? What is the comp theme?


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

"In the countryside" ... very wide theme. Others have already posted sunsets, fields, wood themes, things like that. 
These were actually NOT taken far out in the country, only just in our garden, but given that we live in the country and given the fact that no one can tell where this tree is, I felt it would make a change to send in one of these glittering droplets after a heavy shower.

You really think the last has potential?
I felt it was rather weak, given the minute DOF I get by using the lens reversed ... despite this being the lens put to 55mm which gives me the least magnification. But any bigger magnification (lens set to 35 or 24mm) always meant I hit the drops with the lens and that was the end of that drop... plus my lens wasn't too happy...


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

i voted for 5 ... the branch is better in 6, but otherwise 5 is so much better in terms of the background, and the reflection...

with 1,2,3, and 4 the bokeh is too hectic and uneven for me.


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

oh, i'd maybe try a 2:1 landscape crop on 5 ...


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

So you don't like all the glistening of the farther-away droplets on all the other branches to form the background for those in focus?

And yes, a question about a possible crop for 5 or 6 would have followed soon, since those two are not cropped at all, this is their original compo and size... You like the coloured starburst of 5 then, Alex, and the very evenly green background (with is our moss-lawn ... more moss than grass, I'm afraid)?


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## Mohain (Mar 21, 2007)

The reason I like no. 8 is because it's an original take on a subject seen many times. The other reason I like no. 1 over 5 is that it looks in context. No. 5 could have been done in a studio and I agree with with your comment "glistening of the farther-away droplets on all the other branches to form the background for those in focus".


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

The reason why I am not considering 8 is because they will be shown as tiny pictures on the website of that newspaper only ... ok, the "jury" (some people of the paper) will see my to-be-e-mailed-to-them version (which will be larger than what will be shown), but I doubt many will even RECOGNISE this without any lengthy explanations. That is why I thought maybe not 8...!?!?!


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## drgibson (Mar 21, 2007)

I agree with Alex on this one.


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

I am not saying that no.1 is bad ... just i personally like 5 more 

although 1 maybe has more "countryside" feeling to it.

5 is simple, that makes it beautiful.


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

I have meanwhile made the crop and find that 5 now looks better.
Why do only you and Mohain talk with me about these photos?
Are they only good on a very low (bad) level?


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## Tangerini (Mar 21, 2007)

I'm obviously the odd one out... I voted for #4, though for me it was very close with #5.  Personally I liked the fourth out of the first similar photos since my eyes were very clearly drawn to the droplet in vocus and like #5 it has a simpistic feel to it.
I don't think you'd go wrong with submitting any of the photos in this series, the color and detail of each are superb.


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## PNA (Mar 21, 2007)

#5 or #6....I like the background in #6.

I also appreciate the rainbow srounding the bud in #8, maybe a little cropping would help.

Good Luck!

Paul


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## terri (Mar 21, 2007)

Corinna - I happen to like #7! :blushing: Which you have already decided is NOT a contender....but I really love to see reflections in natural-looking droplets like this, and I like the deliberate center placement, and the fact that it is a large enough droplet to show us the tree and blue sky. 

But this probably doesn't help you to narrow your choices from the ones you prefer. So a second choice would be #1.


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

LaFoto said:


> I have meanwhile made the crop and find that 5 now looks better.
> Why do only you and Mohain talk with me about these photos?
> Are they only good on a very low (bad) level?


 
if they were on a very low level, more people would have talked in this thread, saying so or giving hints how to improve 

I guess, people are 

a) lazy
b) don't see a reason to post much if others have already said what they think
c) US-posting time has not really started yet ... and most Europeans just come home from work .. so it is only Mohain and me who are evil enough to post while at work


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

Alex_B said:


> .. so it is only Mohain and me who are evil enough to post while at work


 

Ah! :idea:

*That* explains it    !!! 

Thanks others for saying what you like and why you like it and how you'd like it even better. A crop on 8 you say, Paul... let me think about that.

Though Photo 8 is still too abstract for that contest!
I have long refrained from taking part in it at all. 
It is very ... hm ... you know: the subject usually matters. Not so much the photo. If it is a cute looking animal, you know who the winner is... - yes, that sort of contest.

For those who are interested and would like to read a little German, look here and then click on 


> März */ 24 Bilder* zum Thema: Feld und Flur


.

Hey, that quote became a working link! So you could click on that one directly, maybe ... even ... wow!

And Terri, for you I will post that droplet which "stars" in 5 and 6 (literally ) without the sun burst, but with a very clear reflection of our garden ... plus a turn-around crop version so you can see our garden, heehee. (New thread).


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## hamburger (Mar 21, 2007)

Was muss man denn tun, um da mit-"voten" zu dürfen? Bei mir steht: You may not vote in this poll...

Sorry folks, German comes mor natural to me when I converse with LaFoto. Nothing offensive there at all, just conceiling my ignorance!


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

hamburger said:


> Was muss man denn tun, um da mit-"voten" zu dürfen? Bei mir steht: You may not vote in this poll...
> 
> Sorry folks, German comes mor natural to me when I converse with LaFoto. Nothing offensive there at all, just conceiling my ignorance!



i had that some months ago ... that is just a fault in the communication between the forum and you browser ... you should be able to vote.

try clearing your browsers cache and log in again


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

Du darfst nicht mitmachen bei meiner Umfrage???
You may NOT vote???

Cache ausleeren, neu versuchen! 

I'm interested in finding out which one YOU'd enter in the contest?
And should I go back to entering photos at all, is the still unanswered question, anyway!!!!


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

LaFoto said:


> I'm interested in finding out which one YOU'd enter in the contest?
> And should I go back to entering photos at all, is the still unanswered question, anyway!!!!



Hm, you want to know which one i submitted there?


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

Eh?
You submitted a photo to that contest, too!??
Where's my chance to win then???


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## Alex_B (Mar 21, 2007)

i guess many people might have done it after you posted the link 

but i didn't


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## digital flower (Mar 21, 2007)

Tough choice between #5 and 6 for me. I voted #6 because I like the branch better. I would probably run the Healing Brush over the green part of the bud and either clone out or burn the couple of small white spots on the branch.

Good luck.


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## LaFoto (Mar 21, 2007)

I have heard people talk about the "healing brush" so often and simply can't seem to find that in my ancient PS 6.0-version. What is it supposed to look like, and under which other tool might it hide?
And the branch was wet, as was everything, so the little white dots are light reflections, too... :scratch: ... take them away all the same???


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## chris82 (Mar 21, 2007)

I think no 4 should be your choice.As most photographers would try to avoid lens flares and halo effects I think in this case it makes the shot pop.It looks very creative.


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## digital flower (Mar 21, 2007)

The Healing Brush came out in Ver. 7 :er: 
Healing Brush

I would certainly take the spots at the very edge out. They are distracting. The other ones could stay.


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## LaFoto (Mar 22, 2007)

More like this, Chris? Did I get those spots that are distracting you?







And it seems like most votes go in favour of the one twig only and the very smooth green background ... and here I thought most would say Photo 1  That is still my personal favourite with regards to the given theme, since it COULD have been taken somewhere in the country, no one can tell it was taken only two steps outside our own backdoor .

Oh dear: I still detect more dirt spots in this picture :shock: aaargh!
At this tiny aperture of f29 they - of course - all show CLEARLY ... I do need to get this camera CLEANED!!!!!!


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## digital flower (Mar 22, 2007)

Corinna,

I think that looks better. Nice work :thumbup:


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## paranoidandroid13 (Mar 22, 2007)

I would submit number 6.  I think the background gives it a more "outdoorsy" feel and adds much to the photo.  I really liked them all, but number 6 is my favorite.  Good Luck!


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## neogfx (Mar 22, 2007)

No. 6 for sure. I like the focus of there being only one branch and droplet, my eyes get dragged all over the place with the multiple droplets in the first 4. And 6 over 5 because I think the mottled bg gives it a more natural feel, as if there is stuff there, other trees and the such. 5 just seems a little too sterile, like somebidy else said, it almost looks like you created it in a studio.


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## LaFoto (Mar 23, 2007)

OK, seems like most votes go out for either 5 or 6, and of the two I tend more towards 6 myself, too.

Myself, I also quite like 1, though.
I like the bokeh of the many droplets that were on the quinch tree as well as the bushes in the background ... with the plenty of starbursts, but you all say: just the one twig. 

Decisions, decisions :scratch: :mrgreen: ...


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## LaFoto (Mar 23, 2007)

Oh, one further "by-the-way": I cropped #8 a little and worked on it with USM, do you like it better now? (I still feel it is too abstract for this kind of contest, though):


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## digital flower (Mar 23, 2007)

I don't feel enough of the last photo is in focus. The rainbow ring is beautiful but you have lost the starburst and reflection in the drop. In regards to photo competitions you never know what is going to garner attention or be the right one. It is a difficult decision for me and often times my personal favorite is not the one other people like the most. There was a photo show that I was trying to get into for years around here. It is pretty exclusive and each year I would drop off 2 flower pictures and never got in. Last year I was again putting my entry together when a good friend told me I should enter my train station picture. I decided what the heck and entered it. It was accepted, but didn't win but that was enough for me. I would have never entered it on my own.


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## RMThompson (Mar 23, 2007)

I can't believe #5 is winning. I don't like the uniform background, for me it's #1 or #6.

Wow after looking at the "Final" version of #6 I totally say 6... because of the explosive light!


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## Tantalus (Mar 23, 2007)

6 for me, that's because I cant vote for 8.


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## GrfxGuru (Mar 23, 2007)

I voted for #6, like the star effect on the droplet and the DOP aiding the composition.


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## astrodav68 (Mar 23, 2007)

GrfxGuru said:


> I voted for #6, like the star effect on the droplet and the DOP aiding the composition.


 
+1

I think it's the better shot of the series


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## ravikiran (Mar 23, 2007)

Hai Corinna,
Sorry, I somehow missed this thread last night and the before last.

My vote goes to #6 rather than #5 because the well focused twig with white spots and the not so smooth background is providing the life to the photo rather than being a distraction.

I do even admire your #1-6. You put a lot of effort.

Ravi.


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## ravikiran (Mar 23, 2007)

Sorry I forgot to post "All the Best".


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## Rathbone (Mar 23, 2007)

I like that you share my interest in water droplets! 

I LIKE #7 the best, sure there are some more dynamic ones but I like #7 because it is more natural without looking like a sunburst was added.

All you need is love. Love is all you really need,

OK I admit it, I've had a few beers.


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## oldnavy170 (Mar 23, 2007)

Tangerini said:


> I'm obviously the odd one out... I voted for #4, though for me it was very close with #5. Personally I liked the fourth out of the first similar photos since my eyes were very clearly drawn to the droplet in vocus and like #5 it has a simpistic feel to it.
> I don't think you'd go wrong with submitting any of the photos in this series, the color and detail of each are superb.


 

Not too odd I guess because thats how I voted too!


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## tpe (Mar 24, 2007)

4 or 5 with a bit of a crop, very nice btw.

tim


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## SleepingWolf (Mar 24, 2007)

my vote would go for number 2


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## LaFoto (Apr 5, 2007)

Well, I thought I'd come back and say *thank you* to all of you once again for your help as to which photo to send to the competition of our local paper.

Actually, everybody may enter 4 photos per month and assignment, and so I sent in Photo 1 (with a teensy-weensy bit of a different crop than is shown here) and Photo 6, plus two other photos, one of which is Photo_2_in_this_thread and one is a different (i.e. vertically framed) version of this_sunset. 

It is the photo of the bee that won the contest in the end 

Well, let me quote myself on how the jury judges the submissions to this Photo Contest



			
				LaFoto said:
			
		

> I have long refrained from taking part in it at all.
> It is very ... hm ... you know: the subject usually matters. Not so much the photo. If it is a cute looking animal, you know who the winner is... - yes, that sort of contest.


 
Knowing the jury well enough, I might have known it would be the bee ... :roll: 
But there is a very nice photo of a kingfisher out in that contest, too, so I feel that one had an equal chance. And others were not all bad, either. But ... they decided it should be my bee (the only one out of two I have so far seen this spring...).


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## Tangerini (Apr 5, 2007)

Well congratulations!  Even if it isn't the one you would have chosen out of the four you submitted it is still a lovely shot, and obviously in the judges taste.


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