rejects from contest

[superconnected]

Hi guys, I figure why not start yet another flower thread.

Remember the last contest where we posted our rejects. Here is my runner up reject for this contest. It's because it's blurry.

Sunshine

[Blue_In_AK]

1. I didn't have any serious rejects this time...

I was satisfied with the bleeding hearts as soon as I took the shot, so I didn't try to do anything better. Lazy? Maybe. I just liked the way the four flowers seemed to be marching along the stem -- except for the one that turned and looked me straight in the eye. Plus I was pleased with the lighting.

[intheflow]

11. No need to go further.

It's a fabulous photo! I also have a bleeding hearts photo I took many years ago when I was just starting photography. It was always my favorite bleedign heart photo--until I saw yours. With the title you've given your photo, too, I'll be surprised if it doesn't placein the top three. (But then, you never can tell with these crazy DUers!)

[Blue_In_AK]

13. Thanks, ITF, but there sure are some fine photos this time...

I think it's going to be a very close competition.

[F.Gordon]

15. I agree, very tough contest

I'll be happy if I get my customary 6 votes. :P

I've just enjoyed going on all my Flower Safaris. It's been fun. I hope the Theme is aged objects next month. Know some kewl places I want to go. There are still some standing Ghost Towns in Colorado (that even ROBB probably doesn't know). I was kicked off two properties during my Flower Safaris.... so I'll probably end up in jail during my Aged Objects Expeditions.

[Blue_In_AK]

17. I've got an "aged object" in mind, too...

A cabin down by Girdwood that began sinking as a result of the 1964 earthquake and is now about 3/4 underground. I like that they never demolished it but left it there as a reminder of the power of nature.

ed. ... Colorado's great for aged objects. I used to like hanging around in the graveyard at Cripple Creek when I was a young teenager before we moved to Texas. I understand that area has gotten to be much more of a tourist trap than it was back in 1961. Nothing stays the same, I guess, but it's kind of a shame.

[F.Gordon]

19. Mt. Pisgah

http://www.cripple-creek.co.us/cemetery.htm

I have some photographs I took of that Cemetery on my fried computer. Still trying to get the hard drive off it.... will post them when I do. There is one section that is full of baby graves; each surrounded by ornate iron fences. They all died around the same time. Cripple Creek hasn't gotten too bad. The big gambling corporations are putting their money in Black Hawk and Central City.

Did you ever see the Hotel up the mountain from Victor? The mining company eventually put a fence around it but I have pix of that too (on my fried computer). :(

[Blue_In_AK]

21. I remember the baby graves especially...

There was just something so sad about all the little graves side by side, and so many children dying in the same families within a few days of each other. I wondered what had happened -- a cholera epidemic or some other disease? It was just very eerie to me and even more haunting than cemeteries usually are. I would love to see your photos ... I'm sure it would bring back memories. I remember that hotel also.

FWIW, my family lived in Colorado Springs from 1955 to 1961 and then a year in Woodland Park where I went the first half of my sophomore year of high school. We camped quite a bit, so I was pretty familiar with those hills. My folks had bought a motel there outside Woodland Park on 12 acres backing up to the national forest, where they were planning to retire -- until my dad got an offer to go work for NASA on the Apollo project in Houston, and so we had to leave that paradise. I think that's the closest my mom and dad ever came to divorcing -- and I wasn't too happy about it either. Imagine moving from the mountains of Colorado to Pasadena, Texas ... talk about culture shock!!

[F.Gordon]

22. They are unforgettable...... very haunting

The internet constantly amazes me. That two people, a million miles apart, have seen these very unique haunting images and were touched by them in the same way. I recall... that it was a disease of some sort that took all those babies. I'm going for attempt #4 on my hard drive recovery but if that doesn't work we have some road trips planned for this summer and I'll get some new snapshots of Mt. Pisgah. For you... and I think the group might enjoy them. It's unlike any cemetery I've ever seen.

It would be massive culture shock to move from the peace and solitude of Woodland Park (as it was then) .... to Texas. Isn't that where you met HullBoss?? If so... then I guess everything has a purpose. Have no desire to visit Texas but I understand that Austin is a nice blue area.

Our family moved from Iowa to California... then back to Iowa during my yute. Less culture shock... and more like culture deprivation. Brief exposure to the wonders of Southern California.... then back to the isolated rural life in Iowa. :(

[Blue_In_AK]

26. Yes, if it hadn't been for the move to Texas,

there would have been no HullBoss for me, so you are absolutely correct. That's the one thing I've figured out over all these years of trials and tribulations -- that everything happens for a reason. It keeps me optimistic in the darkest times.

I really look forward to seeing the pictures of Cripple Creek. It will be a blast from the past, for sure. I understand the Woodland Park area has grown quite a bit since the early 60s, but my brother who was back there a couple of years ago, said our motel (The Wishing Well) is still there. I sure did love that place. I used to get up early in the morning and hike to the top of the hill behind our house, and the northern slope of Pike's Peak was like RIGHT THERE where it seemed like you could almost touch it. Looking to the left down through the pass you could see the plains stretching out to infinity, it seemed. I'd love to be up there taking pictures now, although I suspect the air isn't as clear as it used to be. :) I really loved Colorado.

[F.Gordon]

29. The air is still VERY clear up there

The way the jet stream moves... pollution from the front range does not go back into the mountains. There is... I think it's called: a thermal inversion (or sumtin') that sits over the denver metro area and keeps the pollution (for the most part) over the denver area. The pollution actually creates some incredible sunsets this time of year. Not sure that is a great trade off... can't breath but have fantastic sunsets. :crazy: I missed an incredible one last night.... was going to rush home and grab my camera but it would have been too late. I'll try to get a couple this summer and post them.

[smurfygirl]

2. I was going to use the bridesmaids bouquets

but decided to use mine. I actually took these pictures so I could have my flowers preserved and put them back together like they were...But, apparantly a florists hand is like a paint brush. I could never recreate it.

[intheflow]

9. I used to do some wedding photography.

Saw some wicked ugly bouquets. And it was often hard to get a good shot of even the nice bouquets because the arrangements didn't always quite translate from 3 dimensional beauty into flat photo. Your entry in lovely; definitely the right choice of the two photos, imo.

[intheflow]

3. Here's what I initially entered before changing my mind.

That's right, I first I posted the iris, then the cosmos, then the current photo I have up. If I hadn't run out of time, I probably would have changed it again to



I'm happy enough with my entry. Still... a very hard choice!

[F.Gordon]

4. I still haven't decided what to enter

But if I think about it anymore my brain will explode. :crazy:

Looks like you had a very tough choice to make. All very good. Can't believe you changed it that many times. Too funny.

BTW: Ms F loooved your entry. I showed her last night. Living with this mellow ;) country hick all these years has transformed the once fire-breathing hell hound NYC girl into a layed back lady.

[ralps]

5. Here are the 3 photos I didn't enter

Alliums

Amsonia- Blue Star

Orchids


:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[intheflow]

7. What's that blue flower?

Very funky--I like that photo a lot! :hi:

[ralps]

20. The name of it is above the photo, Thanks intheflow

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[Blue_In_AK]

6. All beautiful

There are so many talented photographers here. :toast:

[F.Gordon]

8. Two I plan on putting in the Gallery 'Exhibiton'

Pink. Lots of Pink.



And this one which my best buddy, a former professional photographer, liked. It was at the bottom of my favorite list but I blushed when I read his reply on it....
:blush:

"My unabashed favorite. The scene in the garden behind the potted beauty evokes warm memories of gardens long ago when life was simpler."

Two Worlds

[intheflow]

10. I'd name that second one

"Gardener's Delight." It certainly looks like a fun place to play gardener. But not today. It's just too dang hot in Denver today to do anything but surf DU in my air conditioned apartment!

[F.Gordon]

12. Yes.... but it's a "Dry" heat

:crazy:

And Edit: I like "Gardeners Delight". I'll change the name.
Thanks.
:hi:

[regnaD kciN]

14. Here's my runner-up...

I was actually thinking of using it as my entry, but, by the time I signed on to enter, several people had already posted photos of fuschias and/or what I refer to as "pink dangly flowers," so I decided to go with the day-lily instead.

As some of you know, I put up a web photo album of many of my flower photos. I recently updated it here, so I guess those would be all my rejects, along with my actual selection.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. I love fuchsias...

They're extremely popular up here in hanging baskets. People pay a lot of money to have their baskets overwintered in the nurseries so they're in their full glory the next summer.

[Mr. McD]

16. Here are a few of mine

[superconnected]

23. great pictures

that last white one really gets me. Is it a water lilly?

[Mr. McD]

25. It's a yellow water lily.

[F.Gordon]

24. Someone else with a tough decision to make

:thumbsup:

This is one contest where I wish everyone could have submitted 2 or 3 entries. There are sooooooo many excellent photographs that won't be seen in the contest.

[Blue_In_AK]

27. Agreed - they are all phenomenal.

Two thumbs up to everybody!

[regnaD kciN]

28. That's something I've been saying for a while...

The problem with single-photo contests is that a lot of it comes down to the luck of picking one particular image that just happens to resonate with whoever happened to be on the Lounge at the time of the balloting.

Although this would be a bandwidth nightmare, I think the proper way to do a contest on a given theme would be to have entrants submit a series of between three and five photos on that theme. That would help eliminate the "luck of reading the collective Lounge mind" factor, and cause overall skill and imagination to win out.

Of course, I'd also like to see some way of running all-at-once polls, instead of the two-round system, which essentally makes the "luck of the draw" in which photos you get paired up against a key factor on whether or not you make it to the final round.

[F.Gordon]

30. Good point

But since I've already used my allowed number of "suggestions" in this group.....
:silly:

We could have a runoff type thing here that would come up with the 30 for the contest in the lounge, or we could come up with the final 10 here.

Damn... I did another of those "suggestion" things.
:spank:

Both myself and ET Awful presented some solutions to the multiple thread thing, but it didn't go over very well. Wasn't well received by the group.

[intheflow]

31. You don't know how I've struggled

to get a lily photo like yours! I've nearly fallen in public ponds and hiked to remote areas. Never been able to come close to that shot. Truly beautiful!

[Webster Green]

32. Here's a couple of runner-ups...

[Blue_In_AK]

33. Ah, the spider web again...

I loved that picture.

[Webster Green]

35. Alas, the web is now gone.....

We had out of town guests coming, and cleaned the place up real good.

[Blue_In_AK]

36. Alas, I had to clean mine up, too. :-) n/t

[alfredo]

34. Not really a reject, I took the picture a day or two after I

submitted.

[superconnected]

37. the red one - alright how'd you do it?

[alfredo]

38. First, I shot in the RAW mode. I really think that had a lot to

do with the dramatic effect. I just fiddled with the levels, then unsharp mask after I cropped and resized.

the light that early evening was terrific. I saw several $4 grand Cannon digitals there. I had the only compact Cannon there.

BTW it was taken with a Canon S50 5mp compact digital.