P-O-T.N speed challenge comp # 24 ~ Winners

[marie]

Hi all

I am very sorry for being late with the results
a few minutes after I got in from the city, relations arrived
(with three children in tow)


just to say I loved all of the shots very much

thank you to everyone

the photographs are here in this url
also are to be seen below and beside each entry
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=86614 (http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=86614)


sincere congratulations
to the overall winner >>>>

~ Rpolitsr

Following the Shadow

http://www.geocities.com/r_polit/varios/onthenet/IMG_3823_b.jpg




I love the capture
love the shadow
the clown may seem inappropriate there but he adds to the sensitivity of seeing the blind man touching and tapping gently with the stick making his way across the road and dressed so beautifully
maybe in looking deeply at it something strikes the very heart of us as photographers.
how the pleasure and happiness of being able to shoot a picture with our precious eyesight is highlighted
as we can do none of these things (computer photography etc etc ) without the gift of sight
it's a wonderful meaningful capture
I liked it very much


the second 'winner' >>>>

In Japan


Goin' to Town


http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20376&stc=1



Just wonderful . I love it
the expression on the bike rider's face.
he really looks so nice.
love the shadows underneath as he slips the bike quietly onto the footpath (? I think it's a footpath)
the blue tram in the background looks great and those beautiful mountains in the distance
all together they make a really nice picture

the third 'winner' >>>


Txfirebug


Bicycle Crossing


http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20298&stc=1


Terrific to catch a moment like it
makes me wonder , had you already got the camera out and taking shots?
had you seen the biker coming from the left and waited for just the right moment ?

love the cars all around showing a busy scene while the lazy hazy rider seems to be peddling slowly across the road in front of all while the lights are red
love those lights in it also




the other entries are listed in order as they came in




# 1
Monkey Wrench
A Slower Pace

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/tatton/aslowerpace.jpg


I love the shot
especially the bl/wh
suits it perfectly
their hats and overall appearance fit perfectly in a bygone age
somehow it reminds me of an old romantic movie , Brief Encounter (1945)

the dark shadows in the shot and the mysterious feel if watching the passengers from behind bring sinister questions to minds (if we want)
yet it could be a normal bus journey, passengers just waiting to get to their journey's end.
the picture beings lots of thoughts into play


# 2
K.C Jewel
Ensenada

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19802&stc=1



this shot is particulary interesting showing the two policemen riding one behind the other.
maybe for their own protection.
I love the unusual motorbikes they are riding on with those heavy wheels.
the casually dressed window shoppers give the shot an air of everyday life at a slow pace ,
yet the cruising police tell another tale.
?

# 3

Abat

St. James Station



http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=19817&stc=1

the blurred shadowy figure, dressed for whatever the weather happens to throw at him, makes this another mysterious and interesting picture
the passageway opening on the left, it's brightness coming through, makes us wonder is there a street. or another lot of steps , or another train somewhere, around that corner, waiting for him so as to continue on his journey
the stop sign at the bottom of the steps is unusual. does it mean 'no entry' that those steps are only for people coming one direction, alighting from the train, an exit onto the street on their final leg of the journey ?
I like the shot very much

# 4
Mega Trixal
Disappointment


http://www.pbase.com/image/46505282.jpg



this is a lovely shot of a youngster, showing best what youngsters get up to,
getting dirty and getting into trouble. we don't know exactly what caused all that mess and what he may have behind his back
to me he looks not so much disappointed as sad and guilty
and worried.
very nice shot



# 5

Raw

Woman in the Rain

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20170&stc=1




I love this shot . I happen to love the rain pouring down like it
again the gloomy look gives an air of mystery and terrific atmosphere
the dark shiny pavement , rain thumping down on it
the lady walking fast , maybe rushing to collect her children from the school close by as there is a sign across the road which seems to indicate that children will be crossing
the bright umbrella makes the picture complete
I like it a lot



# 6

Digidog

Fast Food

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20242&stc=1



terrific.... showing the steaming dripping spilling all over and down the edge of the big clam (?) pot
the kid couldn't wait to taste that lot in his hands
the busy atmosphere of so many around, it all gives a great feeling of life in the local fast food lane
very good catch



# 7

Jlm

Copenhague



http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20246&stc=1



talk about catching your eye http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif
beautiful eye contact between the lovely girl on the bench and the person walking by.
as far as I can see he is eyeing her up also
they look good
really nice pavement and buildings in the background
love the shot


# 8
Belga
Dakar Market


http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20252&stc=1


Beautiful colours in the shot and gracious people dressed beautifully.
the fruit looks great
you seem to have taken the shot from a height
the people appear smaller then they should be
it may have been better if you had moved slightly to the right and got more light into the wooden container to enable us to see what is being sold in there.
by moving around a little the whole scene would have looked better.
I like the shot very much otherwise
the beautiful golden colours and timeless feel to it





# 9
Boutty
'another 50c sir'





http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20286&stc=1


really nice
I love the blurry movement of the bag and the hand holding out the change
the concentration on the boy's face makes the shot also
the colours and range of goods displayed look excellent




#10

Dchemist
Morning News


http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20292&stc=1



really delightful shot
I love the expression on the man's face and the beautiful girl moving on after purchasing her morning newspaper
it's just a shame that the picture is slightly slanted and leaning towards the left. and the girl's etc lower half cut off
but I do know it's hard to get everything right in an instant like it
as we only have the one chance with moving people
it's a really nice capture



# 11

third winner
Txfirebug



# 12
Jon1996

Teaching the Value of Work




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/jon1996/thevalueofwork.jpg

gorgeous what the shot shows and your title
love the serious concentration on their faces
I wonder who picked which .... the broom or the brush ?
maybe it could be cropped a little on top
the colours are perfect with the brushes and I love the sweeping movement together

#13

Rpolitsr

winner ...... first


# 14

Scottwills
Fuel Economic Convertible

http://www.scottwills.co.uk/temp/_scottwills_co_uk_canon.jpg


what a beautiful shot
I love the movement all around as though a hurricane was raging and the horse and lovely rider look so good . they even look very calm there in the midst of it all http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif
I love the bl/wh effect here

#15
second winner
In Japan

# 16

Teekay

Strung out in Seattle




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


I love how the the puppeteer seems as though reaching for his gun but is actually pulling the strings of the Elvis puppet
who seems a little depressed
he is not impressed with the man's actions ( at pulling the strings) at all !
:lol:
love the shot .
it's terrific



#17
Zero

Faceless Homeless

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=20457&stc=1



the picture shows a hard fact of life
and brings up a lot of thinking

it's always sad to see so many like this in cities, especially late at night or very early in the morning . the rest of the day they are moved on
some may bring it on themselves by their own (past) behaviour in many and various ways . maybe became difficult or impossible to live with. . who knows each and every story behind a scene like it ?
change of attitudes and life styles may bring about a better quality of life for all concerned
those left at home ( maybe worried) and those who are out on the streets.

thank you all again for the terrific interesting shots

congratulations to the winners and to each and everyone of you

~ on to you Rpolitsr http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif ~

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[abat]

Thanks Marie very much for setting such an interesting challenge and giving such detailed feedback. It's not the easiest thing to take a candid shot of a complete stranger and I'm really pleased to see so many of us give it a go. The standard of entries was once again very high and Marie has chosen well with the winners - congratultions rpolitser, In Japan and Tx Firebug - these were great photos.

A few tips from my extensive (maybe a month) experience taking candids:
. set the auto-assist beam to "off" so people don't know you're focussing.
. use a lensmate or Canon adapter with a UV filter if you can. Not for any technical reason but to hide the fact the camera is on and zooming.
. If you use high ISO, use a noise removal program (or shoot RAW and use Rawshooter). You can also reduce colour noise by selectively de-saturating the hue channels in photoshop. A bit of gaussian blur also smooths the noise out a bit.
. don't worry too much about framing the shot - you can always crop later.

Now what does Rpolister have in store?

[Boutty]

Congratultions to winners rpolitser, In Japan and Tx Firebug - well captured photos. And thank you Mary heaps for picking such a great topic and detailed comments. I really enjoyed go out there taking street candid shots and will try more of these shots from now on!

Thanks abat for the candid shot tips!!! A couple more I would like to add:
- While having the swivel LCD screen half way fold out, you can point the camera lens to 90 degree to your right and compose and take your photo.
- Don't forget the timer function. I took my shot for this contest using this function while having the camers hang on my neck and crop the shot later!

Happy candiding all.;)

[rpolitsr]

Please be aware that English is not my first language. I will do my best to write something that makes any sense.

I am very proud of the prize. It is a great honor to receive it next to some photos that I judged better than mine.

Thank you marie for the preference, congratulations to in Japan and txfirebug.

Thanks to all the participants, your great pictures make the prize even more valuable.

I participated in NightShots and Animals with file photos. After that, I decided to test myself and take the photos for the next challenge after the announcement of the topic.

On Wednesday 20 I went to downtown and shot more than 400 photos.

There were a lot of interesting subjects everywhere, but I realized that it is difficult to think fast enough to get an interesting picture of them.



A blind person always calls the attention. First I saw his white hair, the gray suit and the aluminum cane that made me think in black and white. Soon I saw his own shadow in the floor and decided to wait until he crosses the street over the gray pavement. I thought to have just his face and his hands in color in front of the darker background. Everything was ready for the gray picture when the bright colored clown appeared. It seemed to me that a clown without a party was nonsense, but then I realized that he was just walking to his job. I included him in the photo the best way I could...

[rpolitsr]

Thank you again marie. Thank you, abat and Boutty.

The hard part of winning arrived. I am now working on the new topic. It will be post Tuesday by midnight GMT.

[marie]

A blind person always calls the attention. First I saw his white hair, the gray suit and the aluminum cane that made me think in black and white. Soon I saw his own shadow in the floor and decided to wait until he crosses the street over the gray pavement. I thought to have just his face and his hands in color in front of the darker background. Everything was ready for the gray picture when the bright colored clown appeared.

It seemed to me that a clown without a party was nonsense, but then I realized that he was just walking to his job. I included him in the photo the best way I could...


you say it all very very well
thank you
and for the lovely picture

[Maureen Souza]

marie: your descriptions of these photographs really adds to their character. I think you ought to be a writer as well as a photographer :):):)

Congrats to rpolister and all of the others......isn't photography a lovely hobby?

[Zero]

Good judgement! And I think you really made an effort to comment on everyone's photos, which displays the care you took to make your decision. Nicely done!

Congrats to the winners! There were some really lovely shots.
The tips are great! I actually would never have thought about say, using the timer function, Boutty. Nor turning off the auto-assist beam! (mwhahaa.. now I can take photos of my cat without him noticing... i usually use it to get his attention).

One of my favorites was "Disappointment".
And.... Scottwills... how did you ever do that? it looks so 3-dimensional! Great stuff.

I have to say some of the shots made me smile, which is always good. My own choice of photo was a bit less to do with request for photos that, which have "an 'alive' feeling in the shots" and more with what "future generations will [love to] see how lives took shape in this day and age, right now".

[digidog]

Well done everyone! Some great shots in that round.

[txfirebug]

Congrats to the winners, nice photos everyone. To answer your questions Marie, for every challenge I go out looking for a picture that fits the theme, and yes, my camera is always in my hands at the ready. I saw the biker leave the curb on my left and hung out the window waiting for him to cross.

This has been another interesting challenge, I am looking forward to the next.

[abat]

Nor turning off the auto-assist beam! (mwhahaa.. now I can take photos of my cat without him noticing...

I felt a bit embarrassed when I realised this lit up when focussing. I thought I was being very discrete until then ... :o

[Boutty]

I actually would never have thought about say, using the timer function, Boutty.


It's hard to stay 'still' with the camera hanging on the neck to use the timer! I practice holding my breath every morning... :p

[RAW]

Great challenge, great tips from the participants and perfect judging...you did it again Marie...you made my life a litle more interesting than it was, actualy that happened since the day I became a member in this forum or maybe since the day I bought my G6...;) .



Congrats to the winners and happy living to all of you...cheers.



Regards,
Artan

[monkey_wrench]

Congratulations to all the winners and thankyou to Marie for doing a splendid job on judging this weeks contest

see you lot next round!!!

[marie]

marie: your descriptions of these photographs really adds to their character. I think you ought to be a writer as well as a photographer http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gifhttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

Congrats to rpolister and all of the others......isn't photography a lovely hobby?



yes, absolutely wonderful
thanks very much Maureen and to all of you a big thank you, it was my pleasure

[in Japan]

I know this is a bit late, but I just wanted to thank Marie for your kind words and choosing such an interesting topic. I had always wanted to take street candid photos but had mixed feelings about it. Then when I took my camera out on the town, I wasn't sure of the best way to go about it. I couldn't help but ask myself how obvious I should be that I'm taking pictures of people. I knew I wasn't doing anything inappropriate but I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea or get angry with me. I know several members have mentioned some great ways to help be less obvious when taking candids, but I was just wondering how discrete other people are or aren't when taking these kinds of photos? Your thoughts...

[rpolitsr]

After posting the speed challenge #25 I revisited this thread to read all the comments and the other posts without thinking in the new topic.

I must agree with many of you, it was a very interesting challenge, and, as Maureen wrote, marie's descriptions of the photographs really adds to their character.

I shot more than 400 pictures, a lot of them in continuous shooting, (it was the first time I used it seriously) but I found that the best pictures I got were single shots briefly following the subject after half pressing the shutter.

I read interesting tips. The Pro1 has no visible auto focus assist beam, but I used MUTE ON to stop all the beeping and the shutter curtain sound.

I was not discrete at all in most of my shots, but Quito is a city with a lot of tourists shooting pictures everywhere, and that really helps.

Thanks to all.

[marie]

Congrats to the winners, nice photos everyone. To answer your questions Marie, for every challenge I go out looking for a picture that fits the theme, and yes, my camera is always in my hands at the ready. I saw the biker leave the curb on my left and hung out the window waiting for him to cross.
This has been another interesting challenge, I am looking forward to the next.

:cool:
many thanks txfirebug
I loved the shot
very good and spontaneous and showing the rider so relaxed in many ways in such a busy (halted for a moment :lol: ) atmosphere

seems I like bike shots but it really had nothing to do with the bikes themselves
:)

[marie]

I know this is a bit late, but I just wanted to thank Marie for your kind words and choosing such an interesting topic. I had always wanted to take street candid photos but had mixed feelings about it. Then when I took my camera out on the town, I wasn't sure of the best way to go about it. I couldn't help but ask myself how obvious I should be that I'm taking pictures of people. I knew I wasn't doing anything inappropriate but I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea or get angry with me. I know several members have mentioned some great ways to help be less obvious when taking candids, but I was just wondering how discrete other people are or aren't when taking these kinds of photos? Your thoughts...

Thanks In Japan
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

as regards candids

I never stand and wait or think about it too much. if it happens it happens
I am always just going or coming back from somewhere .
I see someone who looks great (whatever) coming towards me or across the street
I quickly jump into a shop entrance or as close to a store window as I can get and prepare the shot (v.fast)
the person has gone by so quickly they had not got time to notice me at all
that's what happens a lot of the time
and I go on about my business
sometimes I end up taking shots of the lovely models in the windows
those I was pressed against http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif
they look terrific too
especially when dressed nicely

what I liked about your shot was the quietness feeling.
the peace.
the man's face.
I liked him and the bike and the tram
and the background
that just about covers it (again)
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

it must have been very early in the morning, before a lot of traffic and before people arrived rushing to work etc ?
I feel there usually are many more bikes on that road

[marie]

My own choice of photo was a bit less to do with request for photos that, which have "an 'alive' feeling in the shots" and more with what "future generations will [love to] see how lives took shape in this day and age, right now".



I understand what you say, thanks Zero
I saw the strong arm on that man and wondered if it was just that he lay(or fell) down after a night out
and he really was not homeless or faceless

but it's very hard to know

he just did not give me the impression of the usual faceless and homeless person whom I often talk to when visiting London

I think we will always have these people , just like that in your picture, in every generation for a long time to come
thanks again