Here are some more images in black and white, inspired by last month's photography contest.


Egret in Flight



Low Flying Egret



Gull



Behunin Cabin



Old Arena



Griffith Park Observatory



Griffith Park Observatory



Old Corral



West Mitten



West and East Mitten



Skull Rock



Before The Fall



Filosena Ranch



John Ford's Point



Camel Butte



San Jose

I can't decide, so I'm doing a better poll. Thanks for your help.

Grumpy

Here are a couple of ideas for the next photo contest. I'm open to other suggestions as well. Please vote in the poll and let me know what you think. Your comments are also welcome.

1) "I pulled over for this!" Entries can be anything at all. The only requirement would be that you would have to be driving, (or riding), and seen something so outstanding that you felt compelled to pull over and grab a quick shot. Obviously, we would be working on the honor system here, but most of the pics would probably be vacation photos. They could also include urban shots and cityscapes as well. The title of the entry would be the road or highway you were on when you took the picture.

2) "Shot on film!" Again, the subject could be anything at all, but the original would have to have been shot on film. This would mean you would have to either scan an old image or go out and shoot something new with a film camera. If you don't have a scanner, or don't live near a Kinko's, Walgreens, or any of the other places that scan, I'm sure one of the other DU members would be glad to help you out. I would be happy to scan any images that you mail me, or perhaps you have a family member or friend that could help you out.

Thank you all for your support in the last photo contest. I’d like to post a few thoughts about my winning picture, “Moon and Bridge.”

I love this photo for three reasons. First, it’s a simple composition, with only three elements, the moon, the bridge, and the sky. There is nothing else to confuse the viewer. Second, it contains an optical illusion. The cables on the bridge appear to run normally along the sides of the bridge, and then they appear to crisscross in front of the tower, and then they seem to go back to where they belong. Third, of course, is the precise timing that it took to get the moon positioned perfectly behind the tower.

No one would blame you if you thought this was a photo composite of two separate images. After all, what are the chances of catching the moon at that exact position? Well, as it turns out, there are several apps for a cell phone or computer that makes photos like this possible. Some of them are Photo Pills, Photographers Ephemeris, or in this case, Planit! and Planit! Pro. You can enter a location, date and time into these programs and they will tell you exactly where and when the sun and moon are going to be. Some of these programs are very simple to use, and others have a bit of a learning curve, but they all work great.

In this case, I found myself on a hilltop in San Pedro, overlooking L.A. Harbor, with about thirty other photographers who keep in touch on Instagram. I’m sure that there are probably similar groups in most cities around the country. There are probably photography clubs that do the same thing in your area as well. I was able to get there about thirty minutes before the alignment took place, which gave me enough time to frame a good composition and do some test exposures. Thanks to Planit Pro! We all knew the exact moment that the moon would cross behind the bridge.

I’ve posted a few other photos in the last year featuring lunar and solar alignments. They’re some of my favorite shots. Let me know if you’d like more information about these apps.

Here is the link to the winners thread in General Discussion

https://democraticunderground.com/100216605976

***APRIL PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS***

(Well, this is a little awkward).

The winners of the April photo contest, “Beauty in black and white, anything and everything black and white,” are as follows :

First Place, with “Moon and Bridge,” a shot of the moon rising behind L.A.’s Vincent Thomas Bridge, is ME!!!!



Second Place, with “Touched by Gods,” an amazing shot of a beautiful shoreline and an angry sky, is LakeArenal.



Third Place, with “Big Meadow and the Sawtooth Ridge,” a stunning shot of horses set against a breathtaking mountain range, is Tom Kitten.



Host’s Choice is “Romance of a Rose” by Legger. I chose this photo for two reasons. First, I love the selective focus at the center of the rose, which softens as your eye moves outward. Second, Legger and I have been happily married for thirty seven years, and I intend to keep it that way.





I had a terrific time running the contest for the first time, and I sincerely thank you all for your participation.

Here is the link to the finals for the April photo contest, "Beauty in black and white, anything and everything in black and white." The topic was chosen by last month's winner George McGovern.

https://democraticunderground.com/100216597950

Here are the ten photos that made the finals for the April photo contest. Please vote for the image you think best fits the theme “Beauty in black and white, anything and everything in black and white.” The theme was chosen by last month’s winner, George McGovern.

This poll will run for 72 hours, and then I will announce the winner and runner ups.

Please leave comments as we do love to hear what you think.

Enjoy!

Big Meadow and the Sawtooth Ridge



Angel, watch over me



A black and white era of sacked ruins



Moon and Bridge



Dogwood



Gone to Seed



Zen Reflections



Touched by Gods



Romance of a Rose



Mormon Row

Hi folks,

There is a tie for the tenth position in finals for the April Photography. I am running a quick, 24 hour runoff poll in General Discussion to determine that position. Please follow this link to that thread in GD and help us fill that last spot.

Thanks,

Grumpy Old Guy

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216594362

Hi folks,

The finals for the April photography contest are almost ready to post. The first nine spots are filled and ready to go. However, we have a tie for the tenth position. Please take a moment to choose between these two entries. The winner will get the tenth spot in the finals. I’ll run this post for twenty four hours, and then post the finals as soon as we have a decision.

Thanks for your help!

Grumpy Old Guy

UPDATE: ZEN REFLECTIONS HAS WON THIS RUNOFF, AND WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF FINALISTS FOR THE APRIL CONTEST.


Zen Reflections




Lil’ Tadpole