Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Callalily

(14,885 posts)
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 07:47 AM Jul 2020

July Photo Contest Comments Thread-Comments Only Please

July Photo Contest Comments Thread-Comments Only

July Photo Contest is now open. Please post comments in this thread only. Also, you are welcome to add explanatory text regarding your photo submission here, i.e; how you composed, edited or techniques used to take your photo. Or add to your title, but be brief.

The submission thread can be found here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/103677132

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
July Photo Contest Comments Thread-Comments Only Please (Original Post) Callalily Jul 2020 OP
I'm in! Soph0571 Jul 2020 #1
Yeah! Callalily Jul 2020 #2
An IR Kinda Day ... what I did MichaelSoE Jul 2020 #3
Lovely n/t urbanhermit Jul 2020 #8
I'm in with a still life I made from shells collected on the beach mnhtnbb Jul 2020 #4
My technique for photographing the orchids is very simple Callalily Jul 2020 #5
Believe it or Not HAB911 Jul 2020 #6
There's something vaguely Jurassic Park about that picture . . . flamin lib Jul 2020 #21
you know, I had the same sort of feeling when I took it HAB911 Jul 2020 #23
Okay, so now you have to find some tiny little hands on short arms flamin lib Jul 2020 #24
tiny little t-rex hands............. HAB911 Jul 2020 #26
I'm in! CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2020 #7
Great job on your photo Peggy! Callalily Jul 2020 #11
Thank you so much, my dear Callalily! CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2020 #12
I really like how you shot portrait. MichaelSoE Jul 2020 #16
Thank you! CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2020 #18
I'm in urbanhermit Jul 2020 #9
Thanks for the link MichaelSoE Jul 2020 #14
Excuse me, I have to put on another pair of socks 'cause flamin lib Jul 2020 #10
I am quite sure, my dear flamin lib, that your photo will be amazing! CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2020 #13
I don't get to enter this one 'cause I picked the theme and frankly, flamin lib Jul 2020 #15
Ah, that's right. I forgot that little wrinkle. CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2020 #17
You chose a great theme Soph0571 Jul 2020 #19
I'll fix mine later a la izquierda Jul 2020 #20
No worries! It's a lovely photo. CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2020 #22
Thank you! a la izquierda Jul 2020 #25
About my Smilodon submission csziggy Jul 2020 #27
I'm in with #2! HAB911 Jul 2020 #28
In with a second a la izquierda Jul 2020 #29
In with a second mnhtnbb Jul 2020 #30
In again urbanhermit Jul 2020 #31
Just a few notes regarding my 'Telescopic Moonrise' entry Talitha Jul 2020 #32
there were still 27 submissions so I posted a second photo mike_c Jul 2020 #33
Thank you! Callalily Jul 2020 #34
My goodness there are some awesome photos in this month's contest! mike_c Jul 2020 #35

MichaelSoE

(1,576 posts)
3. An IR Kinda Day ... what I did
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 08:26 AM
Jul 2020

First off, I looked outside and saw that it was "an infrared kind of day." So I grabbed my old Olympus 510 which I had converted to IR.

Next, I went out, set my white balance and started walking. I live in what I think of as a minimum security prison, a gated community in SW Florida. The compound has many bridges spanning the canals that finger out from the main lakes.

Shooting here and there, I noticed the line curving along the shrubbery. Took a shot.

Then I utilized the old rule of "Look in the viewfinder. Realize your subject then see if there is anything in the frame that you do not want appearing."

Re-positioned, changed the focal length and because I can get a histogram, adjusted the exposure.

Not done yet.

Into the digital darkroom, opened the raw file and did some contrast tweaking on the "negative"

On to the print. Fine tuned the contrast, did some dodging and burning and finally gave it a selenium toning.

I stopped there but later as I typed this I went into photoshop and applied a technique I used in the darkroom. A diffusion filter basically softens light areas, giving that soft glow. I would insert a filter in the enlarger, softening and diffusing the shadow areas on the print.

This is what it looks like.

mnhtnbb

(31,319 posts)
4. I'm in with a still life I made from shells collected on the beach
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 08:33 AM
Jul 2020

a few years ago. Set the whole thing up--sand and shells--in the shade on the deck of the house where I was staying. Took about 40 shots with different arrangements of the shells and from different angles to highlight textures and shapes. Not much post processing other than cropping. It was a pleasant way to spend some time.

Callalily

(14,885 posts)
5. My technique for photographing the orchids is very simple
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 08:53 AM
Jul 2020

Placed orchids on black granite tile, taped black construction paper to the wall for backdrop. Then shot the photo!

HAB911

(8,811 posts)
6. Believe it or Not
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 11:42 AM
Jul 2020

The date was Thanksgiving Day, 2016 and my wife yells at me, "There's something big in the back yard!" I thought, "how big could it be?" grabbed my camera and was I ever surprised.

As for the mask, my wife took a photo of me in my stylish anti-viral mask and I cut it out in Photoshop and use it for all types of funny photos. Layer, transform, warp allows custom fitting to any face or angle!

HAB911

(8,811 posts)
23. you know, I had the same sort of feeling when I took it
Fri Jul 17, 2020, 02:43 PM
Jul 2020

he came up a drainage area on the back of my property from the lake and seemed as though he was looking for an exit to the larger world. unfortunately everyone here has fences so it was a dead end. he watched me stalking him, didn't freak out, just calmly retraced his path back to the lake. I sure would have freaked out had he come after me! 20 years ago turkeys were a daily sight, not so much now with urbanization.

I had another similar encounter once. I was standing at the backdoor to my garage and heard the loudest crashing against my gate, obviously something very large, waited and heard it again. It was so intense I was almost afraid to peek around the corner to see what it was, but mustered up the courage and looked. It was a turtle more than a foot across acting as a battering ram against the gate! I opened it and let him go about his business, hope he remembers me!

flamin lib

(14,559 posts)
24. Okay, so now you have to find some tiny little hands on short arms
Fri Jul 17, 2020, 05:07 PM
Jul 2020

and graft them onto the turkey and then a jeep with little people in it and then . . .

Careful, down that road lay madness . . .

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
7. I'm in!
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 11:49 AM
Jul 2020

Composing a photo is not easy for me. I'm used to finding beauty in the world that I did not create, so this was a challenge.

I wanted to photograph my camera strap, since this was something I actually made. It took some doing to figure out just how to compose this photo.

But the more I looked at this photo, the better I liked it, so here it is!

I used my iPhone 11 to take the picture.

Callalily

(14,885 posts)
11. Great job on your photo Peggy!
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 02:47 PM
Jul 2020

Very nice composition. Isn't it nice to get out of ones comfort zone.

And...I really like your camera strap!

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
12. Thank you so much, my dear Callalily!
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:02 PM
Jul 2020

I really appreciate your kind remarks, esp. in light of what I said about the composition!

I love my camera strap too........even though it's a bit scratchy. I comfort myself with the thought that it would be difficult for anyone to try to cut it off me or steal it in some other way. That was partly why I used the materials I did.

MichaelSoE

(1,576 posts)
16. I really like how you shot portrait.
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:26 PM
Jul 2020

My inclination would have been landscape. Your shot is perfect. Love the back lighting.

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
18. Thank you!
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:31 PM
Jul 2020

The way I shoot a photo is mostly instinctive. The portrait mode seemed better to me on an emotional level.

I appreciate your supportive comments a lot!

MichaelSoE

(1,576 posts)
14. Thanks for the link
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:21 PM
Jul 2020

I was trying some light painting for this contest but was failing majorly. The article had some great tips.

flamin lib

(14,559 posts)
10. Excuse me, I have to put on another pair of socks 'cause
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 02:25 PM
Jul 2020

the entries so far have knocked mine off.

Got a feeling I might be changing socks again . . . and again.

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
13. I am quite sure, my dear flamin lib, that your photo will be amazing!
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:06 PM
Jul 2020

They always are.

So hang on to your socks!

flamin lib

(14,559 posts)
15. I don't get to enter this one 'cause I picked the theme and frankly,
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:23 PM
Jul 2020

that's okay with me!

But the idea isn't to 'win' because with what I see so far there ain't no way anybody's gonna 'lose'. Particularly the ones who view and vote on the entrants. I don't envy them . . .

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
17. Ah, that's right. I forgot that little wrinkle.
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 03:29 PM
Jul 2020

If you've ever read the comments in the voting threads, many voters express their frustration at how beautiful the entries are and how difficult it is to decide!

Soph0571

(9,685 posts)
19. You chose a great theme
Wed Jul 15, 2020, 05:10 PM
Jul 2020

Just a shame you cannot enter - cause the way you are producing images at the moment all our socks would have been knocked off!!!

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
27. About my Smilodon submission
Sat Jul 18, 2020, 10:58 PM
Jul 2020

It is a needlepoint adaptation from the 2016 National Fossil Day poster (https://www.nps.gov/articles/fossils-of-the-2016-national-fossil-day-artwork.htm). I used silk, cotton, and wool/silk blend fibers and a lot of different stitches to create the needlework. I do have permission from the National Park Service to adapt their poster for my piece.

This was stitched as a gift to my sister, fossil hunter who had a smilodon species named for her! She also likes elephants so I stitched the mammoth from the 2012 National Fossil Day poster (https://www.nps.gov/articles/fossils-of-the-2012-national-fossil-day-artwork.htm):



On the original poster, the mammoth was in front of a sky with northern lights, but since I wanted the mammoth and smilodon to be a paired set, I changed the sky to match. The smilodon poster had a long-horned bison and a condor in the background, but I simplified it by removing them.

I like the cat better!

HAB911

(8,811 posts)
28. I'm in with #2!
Sun Jul 19, 2020, 02:45 PM
Jul 2020

For the Holiday Inn photo, my girlfriend drove and I held the shutter open while passing. What appears to be 'steps or bumps' in the lights were made by the highway which is concrete with rather large seams, so the effect while driving is, bump, bump, bump, bump. The very strong white lights lower left and streaming along the bottom from left to right are automobile headlights sitting in the entrance.

Holiday Inn is one of several I played with, something I do until I tire of the exercise. Here is another, taken from a boat of the Clearwater Fl Hilton, 1976 Kodachrome, baby.


mnhtnbb

(31,319 posts)
30. In with a second
Sun Jul 19, 2020, 07:27 PM
Jul 2020

also at the beach, sunset. Just played with color enhancement post processing to up the Impressionist effect and enhance the reflection of the cloud color in the water.

urbanhermit

(744 posts)
31. In again
Mon Jul 20, 2020, 01:59 PM
Jul 2020

We were driving on some back roads and stumbled upon this shot up, abandoned car. There's post processing done to make it look like a vintage postcard. Not sure how vintage the photo looks but that was the intention.

Talitha

(6,479 posts)
32. Just a few notes regarding my 'Telescopic Moonrise' entry
Mon Jul 20, 2020, 04:27 PM
Jul 2020

I planned on putting the original photo in this thread but can't find it.

There were several power lines cutting through the sky above the Moon, and I needed to clone them out to make the image look better. If the original photo ever turns up, I'll post a side-by-side comparison in the forum.

BTW, the roundness of the image wasn't done through post-processing. It's just the way things look through the 90mm telescope. Makes kind of a nice frame, though.

mike_c

(36,214 posts)
33. there were still 27 submissions so I posted a second photo
Tue Jul 21, 2020, 03:29 PM
Jul 2020

I hope the invitation was still open. If not, feel free to delete the second one or ask me to delete if that's better.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Photography»July Photo Contest Commen...