Summer 2012 Competition

[Gruditch]

Summer 2012 Competition

To enter the competition, please post a single image taken in 2012 between 1st June and 31st August (1 post per member) as follows:

- Click on the "Gallery" link and then open the "Summer 2012" album
- Click the "NEWIMAGE" button
- Follow the instructions to upload a single image

To view the entries:

- Click on the "Gallery" link and then open the "Summer 2012" album

You'll be able to edit or delete your entry until 5th September. To do this:

- Select the "Moderate" link at the bottom of the image details
- Take the appropriate action

You will be unable to rate or comment on the image until the competition has been judged. Comments and constructive critique are very welcome thereafter.

Look forward to seeing the entries roll in , good luck !

Regards Gruditch

[Pete Eeles]

Album link is: gallery/album.php?album_id=2159

Cheers,

- Pete

[NickB]

I note I can see the names of those entering the Summer Comp........

[Gruditch]

Both of them when will it stop raining.

Regards Gruditch

[NickB]

...just keep dodging the rain-drops, Gary....
The best thing to do is to go out anyway, in the hope you will see something if the sun shines again...
(You know me,the interminable optimist.....)

[Pete Eeles]

Just a reminder that you have until 5th September to enter

Cheers,

- Pete

[Susie]

You also have to have an image you think is worth putting in

[John W]

I have a favourite image, and then another image which is likely to be judged better because it has a cleaner background etc - which do I enter? Does anyone else have that problem?

Cheers
John W

[Pete Eeles]

I suspect most people do John - especially when you can't enter more than one photo (in these "interim" competitions; the annual comp. will be announced later).

And the judges have the same problem, to be frank. We try and look at an image from "all angles" - technical, artistic, unusual etc. etc. As an analogy, how do you compare Rembrandt with Mozart when one is a painter and the other a composer? Anyway - we do look at all factors and try and come up with an overall "score" that reflects all of these different dimensions.

Your favourite image is clearly a favourite for good reason - and so long as that reason is obvious to the judges (i.e. it's not a shot that reminds you of something else!), then I'd suggest you go with that.

Cheers,

- Pete

[JohnR]

How is "single image" defined? Is it one .jpg or one butterfly?

[Pete Eeles]

How is "single image" defined? Is it one .jpg or one butterfly?

It's one JPEG (photo).

Cheers,

- Pete

[Paul Wetton]

Are we meant to be able to see the peoples names cos it does allow us to note that someone has entered 2 photos.

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Paul - yes, we know folks can see who's entered what - but since the judges get to see that anyway (which some disagree with) there didn't seem to be a need to anonymise this.

Multiple entries will be resolved before the voting commences.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Paul Wetton]

Hi Pete

No problem and thanks for clearing that up.

I'll look forward to some more entries.

All the best.

[Pete Eeles]

Thanks to Gary and Lisa for helping with the voting again, and congrats to the winners and everyone who entered. Again, we've provided feedback on every image entered. And boy, we had a really hard time voting since there were just so many good entries - it took us longer than ever to agree on the top 5! Entries are at gallery/album.php?album_id=2159

Cheers,

- Pete

Top 5

1st - rodosranger
Superb lighting, stunning colours.

2nd - PhiliB
One of the best Gatekeeper shots any of us had seen!

3rd - Julian
Not a "sharp" shot - but bery artistic and a beautiful contrast of colours.

4th - FISHiEE
Really excellent shot and technically spot on.

5th - Bill S
Although the lighting could have been improved a tad, nice colours and sharp in the right places!

Other entries
Rather than repeat myself, there are some general "rules of thumb" which, while they can be broken (of course), are often a common cause of a less-than-ideal shot (and these are referred to below):
#1 - The subject is right in the middle of the frame; there is no "space" for the subject to "move into".
#2 - The crop around the subject is too "tight" leaving little "breathing space".
#3 - Unless some artistic effect is intended, the subject should be in focus.
#4 - Unless relevant to the shot (e.g. showing certain behaviour), the background should be uncluttered so that it doesn't detract from the overall photo (and subject).

Paul Wetton
Lovely "exotic" specimen, albeit one that has slightly worn fringes. See #1.

DeeDuBois
See #3.

RobS
Really nice shot. A little soft on the hindwing edge.

Simon69
Nice sharp shot. See #1, #4.

Wurzel
Really nice shot. The crop is a little too tight vertically in relationship with the horizontal. The critter looks a little "uncomfortable" but is hanging in there

bugmadmark
Different - which we like! The post-processed selective blur is a little too obvious.

Nikkor
Really nice. To reiterate - there were just soooo many good photos this time around!

Debbie
Nice idea. See #3, #4.

JohnW
Nice subject! See #1, #4.

The Annoying Czech
Nice! A portrait crop may have worked better. Given the angle, a lot of the subject is out of focus.

Graham Beckwith
Nice shot. A little too frame-filling - see #2.

Vickie B
Nice bahavioural shot. See #4.

millerd
Very nice - but stiff competition! Great depth of field.

Roo Perkins
Technically disqualified for submitting 3 entries to a 1 entry competition.
On the first photo (Painted Lady) - the photo seems a little dark, with a distracting white blob on the left.

JGMA
Very colourful! The whites seem a little "blown out" on forewings. But a nice picture, taken at a nice angle.

Charles Nicol
Nice subject and great colour contrast. The subject seems to be facing out of picture (rather than into the picture) so has no "space" to move into.

badgerbob
Nice shot, sharp, uncluttered background. Again, stiff competition!

IainLeach
Really really nice. Nothing to add, other than the stiff competition.

JohnR
Well ... First off, this clearly isn't one picture but two. Having said that, I think the shot(s) is incredibly sharp and certainly shows something different.

Goldie M
Nice composition (although the subject is a little too centred). The image seems to have lots of "noise" and is a little soft.

Amore
Too much image and not enough butterfly! A tighter crop would have been better. See #1.

Coxp
A nice picture (of its type). Again - stiff competition this time around!

Nigel Kiteley
Technically excellent. Other than the stiff competition not much else to add!

digipixel
Nice colours. See #1, #3.

Reverdin
Nice shot - but stiff competition! The butterfly is a little too close to the frame edge in relation to the rest of the photo.

a_j_steele
Great idea ... and different! Perhaps a little too close to the subject given that most of it is out of focus.

Dace
Nice composition but a little dark.

ANDY SEELY
Techincally good but too "straight on". See #1, #2.

johnb
Right idea! The subject seems to be "uncomfortable" due to the angle. See #2.

cobby31
Nice colours and composition. Not the best angle for the subject. See #4.

Adrian Kennerley
Very nice picture but stiff competition!

NickB
Nice photo - superb composition and nice background. Slightly dark image.

Ian Pratt
Technically good - sharp and good colours. See #4.

rikski
Nice colours. Images seems pixelated. See #1, #2.

andy brown
Nice shot and technically very good. Stiff competition though!

john starkey
Another nice shot that suffers from the stiff competition.

tomdunbar
Nice idea. The image is a little grainy (noisy).

Trev Sawyer
Really nice shot (composition and background great) and yet another that was up against stiff competition!

craigbirdphotos
Nice idea and nice colours. Too much of the wing is out of focus.

P.J.Underwood
Nice composition. The angle of the subject has resulted in the head being slightly out of focus.

bazzar
Nice colours. See #2, #4.

Rosalyn
Technically excellent and nice framing. And stiff competition!

Mick Bunby
Great idea, but over-saturated. See #2.

[andy brown]

Well done to all, another set of excellent pictures and thanks to the guys for spending the time to judge and critique

Cheers

Andy

[Charles Nicol]

Well done to all the entrants !!

Charles

[Debbie]

Well done to everybody - fabulous pictures and worthy winners. Really appreciate the feedback.

Debbie

[David M]

Yes, thanks for the feedback, Pete/Gary. Although I didn't enter your comments give me food for thought on how to improve.

By the way, I absolutely agree with the winner. The soft irridescent colours are really eye-catching.

[Trev Sawyer]

Yep, can't argue with any of the decisions or feedback there either - Some very good images. Phil's Gatekeeper really was something special.

Trev