DSLR Speed Challenge #314: SERENITY

DSLR Speed Challenge #314: Serenity

After all the travelling, shopping and hustle & bustle of the holidays, I enjoy a little serenity. I am open to interpretation, as long as the overall image exudes serenity. Good luck to everyone!

Do not forget to include the photograph's name in the message subject line of your post.

This challenge begins when posted, and will end at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time Saturday, January 11, 2014. Winner of this challenge will be announced shortly thereafter.

Standard Rules apply:
Photo Submissions:

1. Camera - Any Canon DSLR Camera
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 - Please visit Image Posting Rules.
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 & lens used.* Notes -- post brief EXIF data including ISO, shutter speed and aperture used.
6. Commenting - No commenting during challenge. When the posting is closed and a winner has been declared, comments can be made in this thread.
7. Keep it clean, and both Family and Work safe.
8. Have questions, PM me.
9. Have FUN!

One challenge every week, on the following schedule:

* New Topic - After winner is declared.
* Posting Starts - Right after topic is announced.
* Posting Ends - Saturday, January 11, 2014, 10:00pm (22:00) US-Eastern time .
* Winner from this competition decides the theme of the next one (and judges it for a winner) after this competition is closed.

Wally and Willie

Canon 7D
135mm f2L @ f2
1/100sec
ISO 3200

It's MY box

Canon 450D/XSi
Tamron 17-50 2.8
ISO 400
28 mm
1/60
f4.5

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

Dawn at Fort Monroe

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/tltichy/8060556​614/

Islands

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …onvoaklander/11​332923875/

Newborn Slumber

5DIII
24-70mm lens at 55mm
f/7.1
1/124
ISO 2000

In the moment...

Vancouver Eveing

Canon 7D
EF24-105 f/4L USM
24mm
1/125s
f/8
ISO 100

8 seconds
100 iso
f11
19mm
5D III & 17-40 F4L

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/98939366@N02/9​338587461/

Disneyworld Morning

Disneyworld Morning
F/4
1/160s
Powershot G10

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/atp/3769683987/

zen of dog

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …liffecolorado/8​470577381/

Pangong Tso Lake

550D
18-55mm @ 18mm
f/11
1/400
ISO 100

You have not made it easy for me this week. There are some wonderful captures here and all of them were very soothing.

Wally and Willie and It's MY Box capture the cats' personalities very well.

In the moment... managed to capture a magical silence as if time stood still. The backlighting is perfect and the clarity of the wings is almost surreal. Kevan did a great job with this one.

Pontoon, Dawn at Fort Monroe and Cold Morning in La Jolla are outstanding images with very soothing colors, wonderful flow quality and excellent composition. I can easily imagine myself at any of these spots.

The bold colors in Islands offer great contrast to the silhouettes of the trees in the foreground, the islands at the center of the frame and the shadows of the mountains in the distance. Don had a great vision when he composed this shot.

I expected to see a number of landscapes with a topic like serenity, but Maureen outdid herself with Newborn Slumber. The serenity captured in this photo can only truly be appreciated by someone who has either photographed newborns or has had one of their own. There are few moments of serenity with kids and this captures one of those moments beautifully.

Vancouver Evening captures the beauty of the sun's rays as they shoot through the clouds. The subtle lens flare adds to the effect and I imagine myself on a lawn chair with my wife and daughter by my side as we watch the sun disappear behind the clouds. Beautiful exposure.

Disney World Morning hits close to home because we are going there in two weeks. We love Disney and have been there often. I hope to find this as serene in two weeks as it is in this photo (although not likely).

Zen of Dog brought a smile to my face. It's as if the dog is looking into the snow waiting for his owner to come home from a long day of hunting, trapping or logging.

I would love to go to Pangong Tso Lake. 'Nuff said. What a beautiful place. The colors are perfect and the water looks very inviting.

Dunes Near Yuma is a lovely landscape. The smooth lines, cool colors and clear skies really make the image pop. The way the light dances off the sand and creates the harsh shadows really emphasizes the depth of the landscape and the natural beauty of the sand dunes.

Once again, thank you all for the wonderful photos!

...and the winner is....Newborn Slumber by Maureen Souza.

First runner up is Kevan's In the moment...

Honorable mentions to Engineersix for Pontoon, Scatterbrained for Dawn at Fort Monroe and Frank H for Cold Morning in La Jolla.

Thank you to everyone and I look forward to seeing the next challenge from Maureen.