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BottomBracket
18th of October 2005 (Tue), 07:21
POTN G-Series Speed Challenge #37 - HATS WINNERS

Thank you particpants! This is a lean crop of entries, but it by no means makes the task of picking the top three any easier, much less the best photo. If I could name more than three best photos, I would, but I am constrained by the rules. Anyway, here are the entries and my comments on them, which are, rightly or wrongly, just that: my comments. Here we go, in no particular order.

Txfirbeug "Halloween Decoration - ah, a timely subject matter, being this close to Halloween. What exactly is that skull for? I see a hole in his mouth, is it a sharpener of some sort? It is interesting to say the least. My eyes though are drawn more to the skull than the hat, and dispersed by the busy background.

Abat "Scooter" - I love the largely neutral colors punctuated by the yellow jacket. Great composition, but the photo doesn't really say 'hat' to me. I am quite liberal with the subject matter though (from the start Isaid to myself I would include all types of headgear, within reason) but I would have liked the picture to be more focussed on the theme.

Bryan Bedell "Hatlighthatlighthatlight" - I really like this photo, and it is one of my favorites. I like the interplay of colors,the composition and the kid is extremely photogenic. I even like the circumstances of the shoot, I'm an outdoorsperson. Is that a Petzl Tikka? Petzl makes great headlamps.

rpolitsr "On Duty" - An excellent capture. I wonder what they were talking about or looking at. I like the way the subjects pop out a bit with the slight difference in DOF. What branch of the armed forces are they?

marie "light headed in the crowd" - No doubt, this is a picture about a hat. The eye is drawn to it immediately, and the woman's face is anonymous enough to evoke curiousity on our part. Is she tipsy? Is she reminiscing, or perhaps swaying, with eyes closed, to a melancholic tune? Or is she simply suffering from the heat, her head inadequately shielded from the sun? Perhaps Marie can enlighten us. A great capture.

KCJewel "YoYo Hat" - A most interesting hat! It alone begs a multitude of photographic possibilities. At first I thought the yoyos were pins of some sort, but looking closely (after reading the title) they are indeed yoyos. What a crazy concept. Is she a connosieur perhaps of these fine toys, which originally were used as a weapon by a SouthEast Asian tribe? I'd like to see a more closeup photo of this.

In Japan "Jizo Bodhisattva - Reading the title, I am reminded of the Steely Dan song. Which is a good thing. Looking at the picture, I am impressed by the composition and color. I see the elements of Yin and Yang at work here: the cold, dull and smooth texture of andesite structures clad in warm, colorful, rough textured clothing seem to balance each other out. Great composition, somewhat following the rule of thirds. Touching story too.

Boutty "Desperate To Impress - Another hat picture, there is no doubt what the subject matter is. I love the use of colors, it seems that everything save ofr the hat was desaturated. But I know this a straight shot, colorwise. Nice graduated neutral background makes the hat stand out. I love the overall lighting effect - frontal on board flash would have rendered this shot washed out. You can tell I'm not a big fan of flash, not the onboard one anyway. Great shot.

Cyclone "The Birthday Hat" - Festive colors, and I like the anonymity of the child; it looks as if he were busy with a toy or present. The hat is crazy enough to draw attention even with the distractions. The clutter however is part pf the atmosphere of the celebration. A favorite of mine! Great story too.

Partridge9 "American Hat" - One of the more unusual shots here! I love the way the curves of the hat mimic the curvature of the canopy's hem. One may notice the way the upper diagonal stripes balances the lowere diagonals. Even the colors balance each other - however I would prefer the red thing at the left to be cloned out. Excellent capture.

WINNERS Now for the hard part!

Third Place Boutty, For Spring Racing. I love the composition and the colors. What's with hats and racing by the way?
http://piofort.zoto.com/img/original/e5e868c011022ec412bcbdc0afadc516-.jpg

Second Place Cyclone, The Party Hat. I dig the crazy hat. Love the colors, composition (adherence to rule of thirds) and the kid's body language.
http://piofort.zoto.com/img/original/0878a6847a895128425c499f5f7af494-.jpg

First Place In Japan, Jizo Bodhisattva. This pic pulled everything together for me. Composition, color, subject matter. It seems in equilibrium in so many ways. I know I picked In Japan before, and I thought a bit about that, but in the end I decided to award first place to the pic that I am most impressed.
http://piofort.zoto.com/img/original/e9f334eeb14485fe9806d7fdfb5dbe8a-.jpg

Thanks all! My hats off to everyone - I must say that there were several others that could have made it to the top three. The quality of photos are getting better each week, it's getting harder to judge, but it's definitely worth it. Keep on shooting, folks. In Japan, it's up to you now.


POTN G-Series Speed Challenge #37 - HATS

Challenge #37 is HATS

Here is a pretty specific subject, hats! Post a picture where a hat or hats are the main feature - when one looks at it, it should say hat. Red hats, green hats, wet hats, zebra striped hats, green hats with ham, etc.

What am I looking for in your pic? It must have a hat or hats as main subject as you would interpret it. The usual parameters apply, composition, color, etc. I'd like you to be creative with your shot, give us something unusual, interesting, thought provoking. It would be great if one can discern a story from the photo's elements....


To submit, click "Post Reply" and put your Photo Name in the Subject Line. Don't forget your Camera Model.

Post until Monday noon GMT, Oct. 24, 2005.

Host: BottomBracket
_____________________________________________

Please consider turning on Private Messaging in your profile.
This will allow the host to contact you about winning or ineligible photos. You turn this feature on by clicking "User CP, Edit Options, Enable Private Messaging" (about a third of the way down the page). Thank you.
_____________________________________________

Photo Submissions

1. Camera -- photos must be taken with a Canon G-Series Camera (G1,G2,G3,G5,G6) or Pro 1.

2. Time -- any on-topic photo taken at any time is eligible, although photos that have won other competitions should NOT be entered.

3. Size -- photo must be EXACTLY 640 pixels on the longest side, with NO BORDERS. Odd-sized photos ineligible.

4. Post-Processing -- do whatever you like and the host will decide if it works.

5. Posting --

ONE PHOTO per photographer in each challenge.
Photo Name in the message subject line.
Camera model.
6. Photographer's Notes -- Name and camera are are you need, but you're welcome to add a story, location, photo tips, brief EXIF data.

7. No Commenting by others -- When the posting is closed, comments can be made in this thread.

Time
One challenge every week, on the following schedule:
New Topic ... As soon as possible after winning.
Posting Starts ... Right after topic is announced.
Posting Stops ... Monday noon GMT
Winners Announcement ... Tuesday noon GMT.Hosting

1. The Challenge Host is the winner of the last challenge.
2. Choose a topic and list any special rules -- but DO NOT POST a photo. 3. Post the topic in a thread with this title: “POTN G-Series Speed Challenge #XX -- [TOPIC]”
4. At the end of competition, choose a Winner and two Runners-up and explain why the photos were selected. Comments on other photos are nice but not required.
5. Post these in a thread titled “POTN G-Series Speed Challenge #XX -- [TOPIC] -- Winners.”
6. Winner starts with Rule #1 above.
7. If the winner can't be contacted and doesn't respond by Wednesday noon GMT, the second-place winner will host the challenge.

Time

One challenge every week, on the following schedule:
New Topic ... Tuesday by midnight GMT.
Posting Starts ... Right after topic is announced.
Posting Stops ... Monday Noon GMT
Winner Announcement ... Monday by midnight GMT. Past winners:

#036 - Black and White - BottomBracket, MegaTrixel, Partridge9
#035 - Accidents - mp2k-net, Patridge9, KCJewel
#034 - Get Closer! - es839145, mp2k-net, Bryan Bedell
#033 - Typography - Zero, mp2k-net, BottomBracket
#032 - Point/Counterpoint - Bryan Bedell, BottomBracket, InJapan
#031 - Hobby - MegaTrixel, Zero, abat
#030 - History - Boutty, abat, teekay
#029 - Toys - In Japan, HungryWriter, Don Ellis
#028 - Taken Within 50cm of the Ground - BottomBracket, Marie, Megatrixel
#027 - Self Portrait - abat, rpolitsr, HungryWriter
#026 - Personal Treasures – Boutty, in Japan, HungryWriter
#025 - Wheels – Zero, Boutty, Teekay
#024 - Street Candids - rpolitsr, in Japan, txfirebug
#023 - Religion - marie, in japan , megatrixel
#022 - Animals - monkey_wrench, jesshen, fooboy
#021 - Night Shots - bang, KingSize, abat
#020 - Food - sara, abat, gewb
#019 - Shoes – Boutty, partridge9, morrisman
#018 - Blowing in the Wind - In Japan, Txfirebug, Gewb
#017 - Rain - marie, Boutty, Tonyq
#016 - Reflections - abat, Boutty, IainB
#015 - Spheres - digidog, (2) Boutty, (2) Thefly, (2) Bottombracket, (3) marie, (3) gkunning
#014 - Trees - partridge9, cyclone, Boutty
#013 - Body Language - digidog, Dchemist, Bottom Bracket
#012 - Light & Dark - IainB, cyclone, (3) teekay, (3) bottombracket
#011 - Transportation - 4nr, digidog, IainB
#010 - Making Music - Bottom Bracket, gkuenning, (3)Alexandre Gabriel, (3)pushtoexit
#009 - Hands - IainB, txfirebug, Dbump
#008 - Stop Action - Partridge9, Marie, Bottom Bracket,Thefly
#007 - Red - Pushtoexit, Marie, IainB, Megatrixel
#006 - Pencil - theFly, am_pitbull_terrier, bottombracket
#005 - An Egg - Don Ellis, Megatrixel/Samerj, Rich Lawrence
#004 - Old People - teekay, raj, thefly
#003 - Passage of Time - Booyah, Don Ellis, Rich Lawrence
#002 - Joy - TeeKay, Rich Lawrence, Pradeep1
#001 - Speed - BottomBracket, SmartImport, Rich Lawrence
__________________

KC Jewel
18th of October 2005 (Tue), 21:21
G6

rpolitsr
21st of October 2005 (Fri), 16:22
On Duty

Powershot Pro1 Shooting Mode: Shutter Speed Priority AE ( Tv ) 1/160 sec. f 3.5, ISO 50

http://sites.google.com/site/rpolitsr/rpolitsr/varios/onthenet/ondutyA3942.jpg

marie
21st of October 2005 (Fri), 19:54
1/400
f/4
pro 1
'at the races'





http://www.pbase.com/image/51072809/original.jpg

abat
22nd of October 2005 (Sat), 03:01
G5, ISO100, f5.6, 1/500

txfirebug
22nd of October 2005 (Sat), 08:37
Taken at a friends house.

G3
F 2/0
1/20th second
7.22mm
ISO 50
no flash

Boutty
22nd of October 2005 (Sat), 09:16
@shop window 'for spring racing'

g6, 'P' mode, 1/20, f2.8, ISO 50, FL 25.1mm

partridge9
22nd of October 2005 (Sat), 13:48
G3

cyclone
22nd of October 2005 (Sat), 21:43
G2
f4.0, 1/80

The wearing of this hat during your birthday is a family tradition (....well, since my wife found it in a bargain store a couple of years ago anyway :) ).

Bryan Bedell
23rd of October 2005 (Sun), 20:36
Sometimes my daughter just goes into a loop with a word or two. This photo is from when we were camping a couple weeks ago, and she was just walking around saying "hat light hat light hat light hat light" for a good half-hour (that's a headband-flashlight around her neck).

http://2strokebuzz.com/potn/hathathat.jpg

G6xxxed!

in Japan
24th of October 2005 (Mon), 07:46
Taken at Mitaki Temple north of Hiroshima City. This temple has several springs running through it and harbored many victims of the atomic bomb who were seeking fresh, clean water. This temple is now home to thousands of unidentified bodies of men, women, and children who died from the bomb. The photo is of a Jizo Bodhisattva - commonly know as the guardian of unborn, miscarried, aborted, and stillborn babies.

BottomBracket
24th of October 2005 (Mon), 08:50
Time to turn in your hats! Or rather, the time for turning them in has passed. The challenge is now over. Results to follow in a few hours.

BottomBracket
24th of October 2005 (Mon), 23:28
Winners announced! Please scroll to the top.

Boutty
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 00:41
Thanks BottomBracket for inviting us to tell a story through our 'hat' photos. Thanks also for the recognition of 3rd place. :p Congrats to 1st & 2nd place getters - in Japan & Cyclone - nice shots & what a story each one has. in Japan's story has most effects on me being brought up in a similar culture. I would love to see the story behind other contesters as well please if you could?

BottomBracket: "What's with hats & racing by the way?" - I am not very good at explaining thing, but here's the link to my story...

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Melbourne+Cup&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=Melbourne%20Cup

And yes, it's an official holiday (next Tuesday) for EVERYONE in the state of Victoria.:D

rpolitsr
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 01:43
Congratulations, in Japan, Cyclone and Boutty.

Well done, BottomBracket. Not too much to add after your comments.

I like the texture created by the shadow of the hat in the head in Boutty’s picture. Wonderful shot.

I was torn between two of my pictures , the Hats On Duty (http://sites.google.com/site/rpolitsr/rpolitsr/varios/onthenet/ondutyA3942.jpg), actually posted for the contest and This one, still unnamed (http://sites.google.com/site/rpolitsr/rpolitsr/varios/onthenet/tressombrerosA3836.jpg).

I like the hats in front of the overexposed wall, and the heads in the shadow, the posted picture was just a random choice.

What branch of the armed forces are they?
The uniform is that of the National Police. As they are very young and wear no weapons, I may guess they still attend to the Police School.

I wonder what they were talking about or looking at.
They were buying sun glasses as you can see in this less cropped image (http://sites.google.com/site/rpolitsr/rpolitsr/varios/onthenet/ondutywide3942.jpg) :)

I like the way the subjects pop out a bit with the slight difference in DOF.
This time the DOF was natural :). I used a very small amount of post processing (just levels and cropping, because resize is mandatory and sharpening is always necessary after resizing).

As BottomBracket, I would like to read abut the hats and races (horse races?) from marie and Boutty. The picture My Fair Lady and those hats in Ascot are my single reference to hats and races.

Thanks to all who posted. I always enjoy the Speed Challenges, and this one was not the exception.

Thank you Boutty, I will read in detail your link about fashion and races.

marie
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 06:34
Congratulations to the winners

# 1 In Japan

# 2 Cyclone

# 3 Boutty

I loved all the shots very much
they are delightful

many thanks too to BottomBracket for the tough job of having to decide



re your question BottomBracket

your guess is as good as mine as to what the lady was feeling and thinking

saying the girl was in a crowd (and at the races) I thought may help thoughts as to her appearance
it was a very, very hot day
most of the ladies were wearing very high heels
she may have been very uncomfortable with that very big crowd pushing all around (they were) and for so many hours
also maybe the hat was difficult to keep on if a breeze came by
or , she just may have had a partner she was not happy with that day

whatever,
she looked a million
as all the men and women did that day



:confused:
the story is just 'the races'

I cycled up to the race course (Derby day) and went in during the meeting (on a Sunday) and took many many shots
everyone looked wonderful in the sunshine and were dressed beautifully

in the photographs I was taking I was trying to show people and what they were wearing , dresses , or hats, as it was difficult all over to squeeze into such a large crowd with a camera , and get good angles at the same time and show them at their best

I was very pleased I had cycled there after all as I had really felt more like relaxing at home in that gorgeous sunshine , which we don't always get a lot of
the people were wonderful to me, those who knew I was taking shots of them, every single one of them

in Japan
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 08:45
Wow! Thanks BottomBracket for choosing my photo and congrats to Boutty and Cyclone for their top three finish. In fact, great photos all around. Good job everyone!! I'd have to agree with BB that the quality of photos has gotten better. And I feel that I've improved as a direct result of this forum. BottomBracket, I know I speak for many when I say that I really appreciate you taking the time to comment on each photo. Though it's not required, it's really interesting and insightful to read about another person's take on a picture.

Rpolitsr, thanks for sharing the story behind your photo. I laughed out loud when I discovered that they were buying sunglasses. Nice cropping job!

Bryan Bedell, I always enjoy your wonderful shots of your daughter. Simply adorable.

By the way BB, I think the number at the top of the page is wrong (not that big of a deal but could confuse some).

I'll be posting the next challenge soon...

txfirebug
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 10:01
Congrats to the winners. I always enjoy seeing the various entries.

Bryan Bedell
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 10:20
Bryan Bedell, I always enjoy your wonderful shots of your daughter. Simply adorable

Heh, I always think "Geez, i can't post her AGAIN" but she's in 95% of my pictures.The other 5% are of scooters, so i was going to post a helmet photo, but abat beat me to it.

Great shots everyone. Good picks, Bottombracket! funny that Marie's and Boutty's photos were so similar. Tough call, Boutty's was technically better but I might have given Marie an edge for getting such a nice candid shot. : )

Looking forward to the next one. Make it "cute toddler photos" I have a few of those.


Bryan

cyclone
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 12:18
Congrats to In Japan and Boutty, who were both in my top three as well! There is something to be said about hitting the second place sweet spot, where recognition is given, but the tough job of coming up with an interesting topic and making tough judging is not conferred.;)

I would love to see the story behind other contesters as well please if you could?
I think the birthday picture pretty much tells the story - a small boy (with hat!) finding a small corner after the birthday party destruction to quietly look at one of his new gifts. I admit to two small post process adjustments. I darkened (burned, in proper photo lingo :) ) the chairs in the background to de-emphasize them, and also increased the saturation using the so-called Velvia action with the channel mixer.

Thanks BB for judging another week of this contest!

abat
25th of October 2005 (Tue), 15:56
Great challenge Bottombracket and great shots everyone, especially In Japan, cyclone and Boutty. I too was taken by the textures on Boutty's shot and I really loved the character of In Japan's. Bryan, your daughter is so cute. And rpolitser, I thought they were discussing tactics, not buying sunglasses. The owners of the more interesting hats I found on my walk failed to oblige me with suitable candid "poses" so the scooter was a last (albiet colourful) resort - sorry Bryan. Say, did anyone else notice how many baseball caps are out there? Oh and I think the look on Marie's subject might have something to do with champagne.

BottomBracket
28th of October 2005 (Fri), 11:00
Thanks, everyone, for participating, viewing, and giving comments. It is really difficult to pick the top three, especially when there are a lot that deserve to be in there. I toyed with the idea of giving an honorable mention to give the deserving photos credit. Oh well, maybe next time if given a chance. Thanks for sharing again the circumstances of the pic, for me that's more important than winning because it helps us all grow as photographers.

Till the next one :)