POTN Powershot Speed Challenge #74 - For the Birds

[Edd S]

Challenge #74 - For the Birds


Let's keep it with the critter theme for this short challenge week. Let's see some interesting photos of our fine-feathered friends. Detail and composition will weigh heavy in judging.

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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, 11 June 2007

Photo Submissions

1. Camera -- Any Canon Powershot Series Camera (SD, A-series, S1/2/3, & S-series only...No Pro 1's!!!)

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 800 pixels on the longest side and no more than 200K in size with NO BORDERS. Here is some help for resizing your photos in Photoshop - http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...9&postcount=26 (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=663519&postcount=26)

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. Notes -- Name and camera you used and any other information pertaining to the photo...location, photo tips, brief EXIF data ect.

7. Commenting -- No commenting during challenge. When the posting is closed, comments can be made in this thread.Time

One challenge every week, on the following schedule:

New Topic ... After winner is declared.
Posting Starts ... Right after topic is announced.
Posting Stops ... Monday noon GMT
Winners Announcement ... As soon as possible after the contest has been closed.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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[drocpsu]

"Peacock"
Camera: Canon S3 IS
Aperture: f/3.5
Exposure: 1/125 sec
Focal Length: 51.8mm
WB: Auto
PP: Slight sharpening
Location: Bronx Zoo in New York

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1049/534540776_28d47dbf6a_o.jpg

[Jeece]

"Balanced sleep"

http://www.jeece.net/photo/IMG_3645-6x8.jpg

Taken at the zoo last summer.
Canon Powershot S2 IS
F4
1/125s
ISO 50
72mm

Sorry for my lack of participation those last few challenges, we've been pretty busy lately me and my fiancée... Our engagement party to organize and attend, plus we bought our first house - some home improvement to do before we move in by the end of the month. :D

[abYss]

A710 IS: Manual, Tv : 1/30 sec, Av : F/4.8, Flash : None
Taken two weeks ago at Taiping Zoo (the oldest zoo in my country) :D


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d79/abyss_004/POTN/bird015.jpg

[madmmac]

Time to Eat:

Camera: Canon S2 IS
Aperture: f/3.5
Exposure: 1/800 sec...
Camera on Manual
WB: Auto
Location: Backyard

[dexdex]

Geneva, lake.
April 22nd 2007
Digital IXUS 40
f=17.4mm
F/4.9
1/400s

[BBoi]

Title: Jackie
ƒ4.0
ISO100
1/20 sec
Focus: Manual
Metering CWA
Flash: No
FL: 14.93
WB: Manual

http://i10.tinypic.com/6bdynhc.jpg

[Chantelle]

Taken at raptor ridge in the drakensberg.

Canon S3IS
Program Setting
No Flash
Image Editing: Slight Sharpening

179655

[gravy graffix]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/xb8slim/IMG_1950_filtered.jpg

Make = Canon
Model = Canon PowerShot S3 IS
Orientation = top/left
X Resolution = 180
Y Resolution = 180
Resolution Unit = inch
Date Time = 2007-04-07 10:14:41
YCbCr Positioning = centered
Exif IFD Pointer = Offset: 196

[Camera]
Exposure Time = 1/800"
F Number = F3.5
Exif Version = Version 2.2
Date Time Original = 2007-04-07 10:14:41
Date Time Digitized = 2007-04-07 10:14:41
Components Configuration = YCbcr
Compressed Bits Per Pixel = 5
Shutter Speed Value = 9.66 TV
Aperture Value = 3.63 AV
Exposure Bias Value = ±0EV
Max Aperture Value = F3.51
Metering Mode = Pattern
Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length = 72mm

[teekay]

A95

http://community.netidea.com/teekay/temp/BaldEagle.jpg

[spur]

S3, f/4.5, 1/160

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j116/spur_5918/POTN/IMG_1800B.jpg

[nwyman]

taken at Epcot Center in Orlando, last Thursday - Moorhen and chick
S2 IS
Manual mode
Ap 3.5
1/200 shutter speed

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1195/539714795_ff8ab3500b_o.jpg

[stanley_pope]

S3
Shutter speed = 1/1000
Apature = F4
ISO -100
Focal Length = 72mm

Stan

[cmos_censor]

A Phoebe with a wasp in her mouth. She's just about to feed her 4 chattering children.

S3-IS

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/6140/phoebewasp1bs3.jpg

[Edd S]

The challenge is now closed.

Results later today.

[Edd S]

O.K., here are the results:

1st - nywman - "Mother and Child" - Great photo. Something didn't seem quite right about it focus-wise, but sometimes the subject and composition overrides everything else, and it did in this case. Great photo because it tells a great story. By the way, that is one ugly chick (only one a mother could love, I guess).

2nd - madmmac - "Time to Eat" - Another not the best quality-wise, but so what - it's a picture of a hummingbird in motion. Again, I like the composition and story it projects.

3rd - abYss - "In the Woods" - Good picture - nice colors and framing. The whites on the bird are a little blown out inplaces, but again, so what. I like the feeling I got when I first saw the picure. It was of me sneaking up on theis scene and getting the shot.

honorable mention - drocpsu - "Peacock" - Good detail.

honorable mention - chantelle - "Cape Vulture" - Really good picture. A little too shadowy/dark for me, though.

Commments on the other submitted photos.

- Jeece - "Balanced Sleep" - A really great photo. Good PP as well. My only gripe was the flamingo in the background was distracting.

- dexdex - I really liked this one, but it had no title. Good colors and composition. It would have made honorable mention with a title.

- BBoi - "Jackie" - I liked the contrast in the pictyure. Good job. The pixel requirement was not met, however. By the way, it looks like to me that Jackie needs to go on a diet!

- gravy graffix - "Mud Duck" - Good clarity. I like the detail on the feathers. May it was cropped/zoomed in a little to tight for my taste.

- teekay - "Young Bald Eagle on a Jetty" - Good picture. The bird seemed a little dark to me.

- spur - "Old Blue Eyes" - Have I seen this picture before? Anyway, a good picture. Just didn't jump at me for some reason.

- stanley_pope - "Redpoll" - Did you intend the picture to be so grainy. Some pictures look good that way - this one didn't (to me anyway). Cute bird.

- cmos_sensor - Really nice picture. Great background blur. Would have been a top three if it had a title.

Remember these are simply my opinions. Great job by all - thanks for making my job so difficult!

[Jeece]

W00T! Another challenge closed. I thought this one would gather more entries, because of the topic... But we had good ones at least. :D Congrats to all participants!

My overall favorites are abYss, cmos_sensor and madmmac. Some other had good quality, but I felt something was lacking or vice-versa.


- Jeece - "Balanced Sleep" - A really great photo. Good PP as well. My only gripe was the flamingo in the background was distracting.

Thanks! That photo dates back to last summer at the zoo. At first I wanted a full color photo with the green grass, but as you said, the flamingo in the back was very distracting... I didn't have time to clone it out, so I tried a less time-consuming method to at least attenuate it into the background, hence the selective color result. Should have added some blur too. :D I wanted to participate since it has been a while, but not to win yet. Too busy! :lol:

[Chantelle]

Thanks for the honourable mention, Edd S. I Agree, the image did have quite a bit of a shadow, but nevertheless, I felt that the vulture deserved to have a picture posted, it had such an amazing caracter.;)

To everyone else, great photos.

Looking forward to the next challenge!

[nwyman]

:lol: oh my! Thank you for liking my photo - I know what you mean about the focus issue. Maybe due to presence of granddaughter at my elbow while I was trying to line up the shot?:lol:

They are remarkably unattractive babies, aren't they?

[cmos_censor]

- cmos_sensor - Really nice picture. Great background blur. Would have been a top three if it had a title.

Ugh. Good to know...

[nwyman]

Hate to be stupider than usual (and that's difficult), but....
How do I go about hosting the next challenge? I can't figure out how to copy the rules and such into a post.

[stanley_pope]

Congratulations to the winners, and a good job to you Edd for hosting at short notice.

Stan

[madmmac]

It was all Karma...had the camera 2 days...it was my second (2) post on this forum, it was the #2 shot of the little hummer that I posted and received 2nd place.

Thanks for the all the kind words.

I really would have liked to have been able to use a faster shutter speed to freeze up the wings, but the lack of existing light prevented it. I think if I could have gotten to 1/1000 it would have been much crisper.

My personal fav was the vulture. I liked the contrast between the light and shadows, gave it a bit of omnious feeling.

Thanks again, madmmac

[BBoi]

Just out of curiosity, none of the shots i'm getting from the A640 is upto the quality of some of the submitted shots - are people using the raw hack by any chance ? and is this having a bearing on the judging ?

Excellent compo by the way.. and yes, my bird is fat, but he's well looked after ;) Congrats to all for excellent submissions.

[Chantelle]

Thanks madmmac, I Appreciate the compliment.

Congrats on getting second place, especially considering that you've only had your camera for two days.

Congtrats to the first and third place winners aswell. Great photos.:)

[Cindi]

Hate to be stupider than usual (and that's difficult), but....
How do I go about hosting the next challenge? I can't figure out how to copy the rules and such into a post.

Go to the beginning and highlight the rules by putting your cursor in the beginning, then holding down your left button on your mouse, then scroll your mouse over the rules. Now set your cursor above the highlighted text, then do a right click with your mouse and choose copy. Now open up a new thread and again do a right click and then choose paste. Go back and change the appropriate items like date and such. If that doesn't help then I can do it for you, you'll just need to tell me what you want the topic to be. I hope I haven't confused you even more or left something out.

[PeacePlanet]

Excellent shots people !!!

[abYss]

whooa... thanks for the 3rd place vote. Great shots every one :-)

[Jon]

Hate to be stupider than usual (and that's difficult), but....
How do I go about hosting the next challenge? I can't figure out how to copy the rules and such into a post.Quote the opening post here, copy it, then start a new thread and paste it into that (deleting the quote tags). Edit as desired.

[Micky Daeus]

Great work all around. Sad to have missed out on the challenge. Very good for inspiration though.