Weekly Photography Challenge Thread (see first post rules and then the poll at top before entering)

Framed by the truck and topper. Doesn't stand a chance against that Sierras pic. My picture was taken Friday near Montezuma Slough.

 

I don't know about that, and that is what I love about this thread...

Although I have no entry this week, have had several ideas but life and the weather didn't cooperate at all so stayed the course with what I have been working on for personal growth in photography. TinyTech626 posted a pic that is hard to do with all the trees and branches, belive me that is a hard shot to do!

But running both pointers and flushers over the years understand why you train the way you do. One of the reasons I went back to retrievers. If I shoot I expect the dog to come back with a bird, period. But damn I miss the beauty of a pointy dog on a bird and the flag in the air, not going to lie about it. To someone that works all year just to take a few weeks off to hunt birds, that is a great picture. But of course I am biased

 

It was taken with a Samsung point and shoot 12 mp set to auto. Not much artistry. Here's one with my iPhone 5s........

 

It is almost tempting to say damn you Sr. Chief, go ahead and tug at my heart strings you bastage! You're not coming up behind Sadie to flush the point so I will not say that though

 

Hope this isn't too far off topic. 2 years ago I almost went back to a pointer, picked up a Lew English Setter that ran 1k yards after I let him out of the truck. Drove me nuts... Went back to a Toller because I understand them. The Admiral let me use his dogs after the ES cut himself up on barbed wire so bad I couldn't hunt him any more last year. Ike was instrumental in bringing the Weimaraner to America, as it should be for anyone that wears a star or two. And Hedi was pissed watching the younger dogs work...



But Gerdie learned from her and I benefited from her training when I was in between dogs.



We shoot a fair number of wild birds in SD. But watching the dogs work is the primary reason for going there..



Me and what is now the old man. Hate how fast the dogs age. Don't really care for how fast I age lately either LOL.

Damn now I look back at the picture that the Skipper took and the thought watch your horizon comes to mind.... The Captain is in the background.

 

Official entries:

WestCoastCole (Steven):




TinyTech626 (Liz):






ECVhotshot (Gregg):






Paleus (?):




SconnieHailer (Marc):






Spintly (Greg):





Don5352 (Don):






Good Luck everyone! It's in @Chaz 's hands now!

 

Alright, all! Good turn up this week. Let's try to keep it this way.

I'm going to offer some feedback as usual but by all means, anything I see is just one view from one dude.


@WestCoastCole The dynamic range, sharpness and richness to this photo are stunning. I wouldn't mind seeing a hair more detail in some of the shadows but overall the contrast really works well. The subject is well frames without being too obvious and I appreciate how you were mindful of your framing. That bottom board/line satisfies my ocd tendencies, but I may have tried to get a hair more of the tree on the left and also watched the horizon line sitting just on top of the subjects head. Overall amazing shot.



@TinyTech626 I like the vertical lines here with the trees and the horizontal motion you feel from the birds. I also like the color theme, how the trees and snow and fowl are all one color scheme.
My only critiques would be to be mindful of the composition. Edged of the frame, especially with trees or architecture, can be very different even if tweaked just an inch or two.


@ECVhotshot cool way to frame Whitney! Take something so big and make it look distant and small through that arch. The light definitely brings focus to it. Looks like a good focal length for the shot as well. Wider would have made Whitney too small and longer would have eaten up the foreground element. Well done.


@Paleus love this shot. Great composition overall. Where the top of the railing meets the same line of the horizon I both like it and wonder what it would look like through the viewfinder if just a bit higher. Where I see the natural framing is between the chairs and below the horizon/above the deck. If only there were a well lit sail boat there, eh? Ha great shot.


@SconnieHailer theres a familiar mug, ha. Only one to use a frame for the frame. Nice. The whole point of this thread is to have the camera on us and be in a photographic mindset so you're golden! If anything I might brighten this photo up a bit. I'm not sure why, but the red wall and accurate framing are satisfying. You help it along any in post?


@Spintly You have a really cool thing going with this combination of organic and man made. I like the framing of the rigid geometry of the structure along with the trees all creeping into the frame. Way to see something abstract in something simple. While the framing flows well it does lack a central subject or focal point somewhat but I do like the subtle (power?) lines on the right balancing out the bridge. Cool shot.


@Don5352 Nice shot! What particularly stands out to me is that you used the inverse of what most people do. Instead of framing the edge with something solid and seeing through the center like a window, you've framed up the scene within your bed with the sky! And then the inner scene further by the topper and bed. I particularly like the dynamic lighting. The bright light in the dog and birds bring focus while the dark shadows in the bed make it seem much deeper and foreboding. I know hunting wise it doesn't matter, but photographically speaking I might clean up the frame, maybe close the door or move a few things to set the scene, but I know you were also pressed to capture the moment as it was. Great shot!

 

Winner this week is @WestCoastCole.

All the entries were solid and I tried to think about who was really keeping the challenge in mind all week and trying to challenge themselves to grow. Overall the final image here has the strongest framing for me without being too obviously naturally framed. It's organic and flows naturally. Framing should bring focus to the subject itself and this was well done!

 

Congrats @WestCoastCole

Yea Chaz I cropped it in to help the framed look. Looking at it today on a different computer I agree it could be brighter. Thanks for the feedback!

for this week

 

Now, what's the new challenge so I can get in on it!?

 

Thanks for the feedback, Buzz. You're right, it was a target of opportunity. I wasn't thinking about the Challenge, at all. I wish the truck front doors were closed, it definitely would have made it better. Didn't have my DSLR, only the point and shoot.

Nice shot, WestCoastCole.

 

Congrats Steven!

I'm waiting on your new challenge by PM.

@WestCoastCole

 

This mean you're going to participate this week?

 

I'm going to attempt to! I think this is the third time I've posted that I'm interested, then I forget... Haha

Really want to get back into more photography, and this is probably the best way to get myself to learn and get tips from you guys on what I could do better.

 

I'll try to remember to throw you a reminder somewhere in the week to help you out. lol

 

Haha thanks

 

Hey, the gear doesn't matter at all. Your photo was my runner up simply because I liked the lighting and depth. It's the little things that take a photo over the edge from decent to great. No one needs to know what it was shot on ha.

 

Thanks for the feedback! I have to agree on the horizon line, noticed it after it was to late to go back and get another photo of women sitting on the bench. Have sent a new challenge and this one should be good!

 

New Challenge: Time. Whether stopping time or slowing it down. Wanna see some fast paced action stopped or some long exposures!

One entry per customer and due this Sunday at the stroke of midnight of your local time. Photo must be shot from this moment on.

Go!