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February 2010 Photo Competition


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I'm judging this time, so please get your photos posted on this thread before 1st March.

 

A reminder of the rules (the latest version from the previous thread);

 

1) The only hard and fast rule is that the photo must be cache related and to do with a specific cache, caching series or caching trip. There should be a hyperlink(s) to the cache(s) in the post. The cache(s) must be from the UK or Ireland.

2) Two photos per cacher per month.

3) A new thread is started each month, with the OP stating these rules.

4) The winner each month is decided by the winner from the previous month - the new winner starting the thread for the subsequent month. They may set a theme if they wish.

5) Photos should be recent if possible. (No debates as to what recent means! This rule is flexible.)

6) The competition runs from the 1st of the month, until a date specified in the OP by the previous months winner. This should give sufficient time for the winner (or other person if necessary) to start the new thread.

As this is "just for fun", I'm not going to be strict about rule 5, although rule 1 will have to be adhered to. However, if there are several good photos to choose between, I might be tempted to pick one that was actually taken in February 2010 and even more tempted if it's associated with your own caching log! And is the photo is REALLY old, it might only get an award for Historical Interest.

 

Obviously, this is going to be highly subjective, so don't get disheartened if you thought your photo was better than the eventual winner. Keep on trying. :D

 

If you haven't already uploaded a photo, a good tip might be to upload to one of your log entries (it can just be "post a note"). Then, display the photo and copy the URL to provide a link to the post. If it's not actually relevant to the cache you've used, delete the note and the photo - the URL will still work.

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I'll kick this off...

 

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From a DNF at GC13YC3 - Take a moment... by Rambling Meanderers (now archived) last year.

 

Another oldie (but a goodie, I hope) was this shot, taken in Shetland shortly after leaving a cache in the middle of the so-called night...

 

236d68a4-dc54-4b12-8e11-a57b9a8907c1.jpg

 

From this log for GC1KTK5 - Lunna by Corronach. If they're too old to qualify, I hope people enjoy them anyway.

Edited by Simply Paul
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Oh I was all excited reading this post, thinking about taking part and the half dodgy photo I took the other day on my camera phone while caching, but having seen Simply Pauls efforts, I'd be laughed off the forums!! :) Great shots Paul.

Don't be shy - enter anyway. All efforts are welcome. I might see some merit in your photo even if you think it's "dodgy"!

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I'm not entering cos I'm not a camera lover, I just point and shoot with my mobile, but I thought I'd share my favourite picture from this month's caching trips - it's Pinga from Pinga and Roo. On the way to the cache she was telling me how she thought there'd be paper clips in the cache, and when we got there, we just couldn't believe it.....

 

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HOW she knew, we'll never know, but she's a gorgeous three year old that belongs to my caching pals Skippy and Pingu.

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We've just got back from a couple of days up in Keswick - best time of year as there's fewer tourists! :rolleyes:

 

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From Friar's Crag, so near GC211KG, Memorial Plaque - Rawnsley

 

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On our second day,we had a lovely low-level walk from hawse end and back along Cat bells terrace. This photo is from very close to GCMPQD, Four Oaks.

 

Picking just two from the pictures we took was really difficult. I've gone for one that's real cliche photo and another that's a little different.

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Near Kingscote Walk No. 2 GC1XWBH - A snowy day!

 

A tip I got recently with snowy photos was to set the camera's white balance to Daylight and, if you can, up the exposure by about half a stop. Most digitals will give you at least the white balance control. And then you can use your favourite tool (Photoshop, Picasa etc) to change the white & black levels. That way the snow tends to have less of a blue cast. ;) Mind you, yours doesn't have that much of a blue cast. <_<

 

I'm passing it on because it might help other people get even better pictures.

 

So far, the Blorenges is the most original and HazelS is the cutest! :)

IrishWaves waterfall is stunning!

 

I love the opportunity Digital gives for experimenting.

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Near Kingscote Walk No. 2 GC1XWBH - A snowy day!

 

A tip I got recently with snowy photos was to set the camera's white balance to Daylight and, if you can, up the exposure by about half a stop. Most digitals will give you at least the white balance control. And then you can use your favourite tool (Photoshop, Picasa etc) to change the white & black levels. That way the snow tends to have less of a blue cast. ;) Mind you, yours doesn't have that much of a blue cast. <_<

 

I'm passing it on because it might help other people get even better pictures.

 

 

For that picture I just had my camera on the "Automatic", point and shoot setting, however it does have a manual setting for changing settings like that, and it even has a snow setting, which I am sure other cameras do.

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So here is my 1st attempt. This was taken the other day whilst I was walking to check on my Calendar Series GC22C7M. I have a bog standard camera so couldnt tell you what settings its used ha ha, apart from the on/off button.

 

 

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My 2nd photo

 

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This was taken again checking on the Hockliffe series ealier in Feb. B)

Edited by hothayley2000
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The competition for February is now closed.

As there are so many excellent entries, I'll have to give myself a bit more time to mull them over. I'll announce the winner this evening.

 

Cripes you keep us hanging on. It is a tough call but then so was January.

 

Just as long as he doesn't play that really irritating trick they do on all the TV quiz shows and competitions by posting "And the winner is..."

 

... and then nothing more for 3 hours :anibad:

 

MrsB :laughing:

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I've tried to comment on each post, as they were all worthy of careful consideration.

  • Simply Paul (1): Lunna: A striking and surreal image of what appears to be a hut floating in a lake. The bright red and the reflections give it a magical quality.
  • Markandlynn: East Lothian Bonus Cache: A great sunset, with the feel of a typically unsettled British summer
  • ivanidea: Place Fell: almost an Alpine view, with great light
  • Desert Warrior: loved the way the shadows magnify the gravestones. A difficult shot to get right - even the flag can be seen to be fluttering!
  • Goldpot: another good night shot - the photo almost takes you there with the dim figures in the foreground
  • Madproforg: a bit dreamlike, strange but effective
  • Irishwaves: a fascinating shot, makes you want to go and have a look for yourself. Boldly uses the tricky "straight into the sun" technique and pulls it off
  • krazy-cache-hunter: great colours (matches your eyes!)
  • keehotee (1): amazing reprocessing turns the photo into a real work of art
  • MrsB: the bright pink is so effective against the grey, and the cherub appears to be admiring the flower - great!
  • HazelS: a brilliant caching photo, with a neat story behind it.
  • Guanajuato: a nice selection. I liked the lichen-covered tree trunk, and Skiddaw looking very mountainous
  • Haggis Hunter: superb shots, particularly the second taken at swan's head level (wasn't it a bit risky getting so close to them? They can break your arm, you know...)
  • keehotee (2): amazing light, great composition (and it looks so clean and cold)
  • karrimore: lovely artwork; getting the colour in the reflection as well is a nice touch...
  • Mini-geek: sums up the British countryside this winter
  • boabness: what an amazing structure! Obviously a great day, and the striations in the ice are interesting
  • Nick & Ali: looks like the Arctic! I don't think it's the Thames as we know it...
  • hothayley2000: great work; if that's from a "bog-standard" camera you've done well.
  • Simply Paul (2): the night shots are just sci-fi! Very effective!

So on to the winner.

 

I really liked the SP Lunna "shed on a lake", but perhaps it's a little old considering how many good photos were entered. The Irishwaves waterfall has to be in the shortlist: love the way the water droplets catch the sun. MrsB's cherub makes you smile, and very appropriate. The Pinga shot is a great caching photo (I remember when she was just a twinkle in Skippy's eye!). Keehotee's cold Dartmoor scene is very appealing.

 

So many to choose from, and I'm sure if I judged it tomorrow I'd go for a different one.

 

But I'm fascinated by Simply Paul's "Gherkin" photo;

26ef9408-e7e2-4f2b-8fe8-356661b99cb1.jpg

 

A beautifully lit scene, but the striking thing about it is how it could be just a nice view of an old church and a damp street, except for the ginormous UFO that seems to have crash landed just behind! Although the perspective makes the buildings all lean drunkenly, and there seems to be a bit of unidentifiable foreground, it gets my vote this month - well done!

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A beautifully lit scene, but the striking thing about it is how it could be just a nice view of an old church and a damp street, except for the ginormous UFO that seems to have crash landed just behind! Although the perspective makes the buildings all lean drunkenly, and there seems to be a bit of unidentifiable foreground, it gets my vote this month - well done!
Well thank you very much- an unexpected win given the amazing photographs mine was competing against! I agree, my shot has a sci-fi quality, especially with the eerie green light on the church. To get everything in shot I had to use a very wide angle view, which gives the off-kilter lean to everything, and also captured the top of the bit of street furniture I was using as a tripod, in the absence of a real one. Anyway, I'm very flattered you liked it and I'll start the March thread up... A big thank you to everyone else who posted to this one; I really enjoyed looking at your pictures. :anibad:
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[*]Haggis Hunter: superb shots, particularly the second taken at swan's head level (wasn't it a bit risky getting so close to them? They can break your arm, you know...)

I'm generally quite at ease amongst animals, even angry dogs. All I done was walked very slowly in amongst them and let them come to me. There was no zoom lense or anything like that, they really were that close to me. As you can see with their wings folded away they were quite comfortable with my presence. Now if I got that close to the swans at my work, they would have been in full wing spread and hissing like mad at me, unless I had bread of course. :laughing:

 

As for them breaking your arm, I believe that to be a myth. As you may know, birds bones are hollow to give them a lighter frame for flight. I like to believe that my bones would take a harder blow than theirs. That's not to say that they couldn't hurt you if they attacked. :)

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