# January 2011 Photo Challenge Discussion Thread



## Culhwch

This is the discussion thread for the January photo challenge, which I have just posted here: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/530004-january-2011-photo-challenge-read-first-post.html


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## sloweye

Nice theme cul, will have to take my time in this on 
Should be fun.


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## Mouse

I hope sepia counts as monocrome. I'm not sure my camera has black and white. (It must do, I suppose! I'll have to find it.)


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## sloweye

Mine has, oddly no sepia though


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## Talysia

A lovely theme, Cul, and I'll be making the effort to enter this time.

A great first photo from Mouse, too!


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## Erin99

Congrats, Cul! I voted for you, too! A well deserved win. 

What a fabulous theme. I've posted an old pic of mine, but I shall have to see if I can go out and take a new one... since I haven't taken new photos in months.

Nice pic, Mouse - reminds me of holidays as a kid.


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## sloweye

Ok, i've put my first one in. Its and old one, i'm 99.999% sure i've not posted it here before. i've checked my attachment history and its nowhere i can see.
If by chance i have i'm happy for it to be removed and i'll take a couple of new ones.


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## sloweye

Sorry, Question for those in the know...

The little box beside the thraed, when you put the mouse over it tells you how many posts you have in said thread. But is there a way you can view 'just' your posts? 
it would save so much time when trying to remember if you have posted and older photo in a massive thread like 'Photo of the day'.

Just a thought.


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## Mouse

Talysia said:


> A great first photo from Mouse, too!



Ta!



Leisha said:


> Nice pic, Mouse - reminds me of holidays as a kid.



Ta! I like yours too. Wish I'd thought to put a border on mine!



sloweye said:


> Sorry, Question for those in the know...
> 
> The little box beside the thraed, when you put the mouse over it tells you how many posts you have in said thread. But is there a way you can view 'just' your posts?
> it would save so much time when trying to remember if you have posted and older photo in a massive thread like 'Photo of the day'.
> 
> Just a thought.



Try this maybe: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/search.php?searchid=1490985


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## sloweye

Mouse said:


> Try this maybe: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/search.php?searchid=1490985



Thanks squeek, but Whats this? 

All i get is a box with...

vBulletin Message - Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.


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## Mouse

Weird, works for me! It's all posts made by you. You should be able to see it from your user CP.


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## Culhwch

sloweye said:


> Sorry, Question for those in the know...
> 
> The little box beside the thraed, when you put the mouse over it tells you how many posts you have in said thread. But is there a way you can view 'just' your posts?
> it would save so much time when trying to remember if you have posted and older photo in a massive thread like 'Photo of the day'.
> 
> Just a thought.



If you click on the post total for the thread, to the right of the most recent poster box, it will bring up a new window with a breakdown of all posters. I believe if you click on your total, it will display only your posts in that thread.


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## sloweye

Cheers Cul, thats handy as i sometimes have old shots i could use but am unsure if i posted it here before. The one i've put in for this month should be ok, the only extra one like it i've posted was of a painting i did of the photo that looks very diferant. (and the pic of the painting was a bad one anywho  )


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## HoopyFrood

I spy Lyme Regis! I have a few photos like that myself. In fact, I think I might have some monochrome ones myself...

And finally Cul's picked monochrome as a theme! I'll end up picking orange next...(if I ever get around to entering this darned things again...)


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## Mouse

Entered a Lyme Regis photo a couple of months ago for the Seasonal photo too.


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## HoopyFrood

Lyme Regis is lovely, although a bit of a mission from here. On the death bus. Uggghh... Went fossil hunting a few times, though. And the first time my camera got an outing was around there. Took a _stupid_ amount of photos. 

If I haven't added Lyme Regis as a contestant, I've _definitely_ posted three thousand (or thereabouts) photos of it in Photos of the Day.


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## Mouse

It's a very photogenic place! I take photos every time I go there. And I go there about once a week.


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## sloweye

HoopyFrood said:


> ..(if I ever get around to entering this darned things again...)



*finds a stick to poke Hoopy with*

Come on you! get that camera out


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## sloweye

I think i may have to use another older photo as my poor Fuji is having a break down. It won't focus, every photo i took today looks like it was shot while driving over cobble stones


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## TheDustyZebra

Perhaps you could take a picture while driving over cobblestones and see if it balances out?

I could almost do that here -- the ice and snowpack on the highway feels like cobblestones now. Wish it would get above freezing one of these days so it could melt off!


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## sloweye

Haha, could work but the only cobbled street here is blocked off to cars... wheres the justice


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## mosaix

CyBeR - I just love those spiders. I get hundreds in my garden with great fat bodies and their colour is ideal for a monochrome theme.

How come you didn't enter last month?


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## sloweye

Nice pics Mosaix, love the definition on the wing

Cool spider CyBeR.

And Hoopy's back in the game, it's like the happy snappers gang is reforming


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## Culhwch

Good to see the increased participation this month! And some great entries so far -it's going to be a tough month to chose a winner.


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## sloweye

Indeed, i'm loving Talysias' sweets... but then i do love a sugar rush 

Liking mouses second shot too.


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## philoSCIFI

Love the spider in its web. I've tried to take some spider pictures and never seem to get the settings right.


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## CyBeR

mosaix said:


> CyBeR - I just love those spiders. I get hundreds in my garden with great fat bodies and their colour is ideal for a monochrome theme.
> 
> How come you didn't enter last month?



Was a bit out of it in December. A lot of work piling up for school, a lot of nonsense to sift through in life...usual end of year stuff. I'm not even reading as much as I'd want right now. 

My girlfriend hates spiders. She wouldn't even want to touch the camera after I took that picture at my grandparents' place. There's always this spider web with the big Cross back on it in the garden. Been meaning to photograph it for years now.


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## HoopyFrood

Talking of spiders, we had one in the front garden of our last house called Lord Spider II (the First lived in a hole under the door bell). I found him munching on a wasp once and took some photos...I'll have to try and find him, he was a beast...

EDIT: OK, found him >>> Lord Spider II


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## Mouse

Remind me never to click links leading to spiders again. Brr!


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## sloweye

HoopyFrood said:


> Talking of spiders, we had one in the front garden of our last house called Lord Spider II (the First lived in a hole under the door bell). I found him munching on a wasp once and took some photos...I'll have to try and find him, he was a beast...
> 
> EDIT: OK, found him >>> Lord Spider II



I seem to remember him  (or her)

Love that second shot CyBeR.

I got my DSLR today, let the good time roll... or click as the case maybe


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## TheDustyZebra

I seem to be having technical difficulties in getting anything posted lately! I took what I think may have been some cool pictures on my cell phone the other day, and now I can't get the stupid thing to email them to me. It appears that the files are too big -- I'm not sure how they came to be bigger than any other picture taken on my phone, which I have sent to myself in the past. And the particular circumstances that led to those pictures will likely not repeat before the deadline. I hope I can come up with something else!


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## sloweye

Is it by any chance a blackberry?
Just they use them from photographing the dogs for our website and they have been having problems too.
( i know we are on differant shores and all but hey, just a thought)


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## sloweye

Loveing Alchemist's first shot


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## alchemist

Thanks, sloweye. Just wondering, how old is that cross of yours?


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## sloweye

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It's from the church where Dante Gabriel Rossetti is buried, we went to see the grave and the place was really pretty so i went back to the car to grab the camera.

This is the place. KENT RESOURCES: All Saints Church, Birchington-on-Sea , Kent, England
[/FONT]


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## alchemist

Beautiful church. And, er, uplifting biography (not).


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## TheDustyZebra

sloweye said:


> Is it by any chance a blackberry?
> Just they use them from photographing the dogs for our website and they have been having problems too.
> ( i know we are on differant shores and all but hey, just a thought)



Oh, no, just a plain ordinary flip-phone. It just bugs me because I've sent pictures before with no problem, and suddenly I can't! But we're in an area that is being forced to switch from Alltel to AT&T and will have new phones in a couple of weeks anyway, so maybe the new ones will send pictures.

I did get a second chance this morning at the same conditions, so I'll have to upload those pictures and see how they came out (from my camera this time).


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## TheEndIsNigh

OK, forgive a newbie, but I thought, the more the merrier.

Be gentle


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## sloweye

Someones a new boy and its not me for a change 

Nice pics TEiN, i did't know they had trees in manchester. are they made of concrete?


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## HoopyFrood

Gentle? Hah! You've stepped into the darkest corner of the Chrons, muahahahahaha-*cough* *cough*

The more the merrier!


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## TheEndIsNigh

OK, it's a fair cop. the "Merrier" aspect was a little out of character.


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## sloweye

You can be merry TEiN, we won't tell... Honest.


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## mosaix

Welcome to the photo challenge, TEIN.


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## sloweye

looks like i'll need to pull something special for my second shot, there are some damn fine photos there.


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## Culhwch

I know, that's what I was thinking! Thought I better get something in before it was too late, and everyone had picked their winner...


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## sloweye

I'll need another month just to pick


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## Teresa Edgerton

I'm not in the habit of commenting in these threads (although I've been voting for several months) because I know nothing about the technical side of photography (I think you press a little button and the camera clicks), but the photos this month are absolutely breathtaking.  I am in awe.

Fabulous theme, Cul.


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## sloweye

Ok, my second is up. it was a tough choice, but after uploading it to facebook it got the most 'likes' from my friends so there it is. *breaths a sigh of relife* Done, no changing my mind now


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## Talysia

Wow - there really are some absolutely beautiful shots this month.  It's going to be really difficult to choose.


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## TheEndIsNigh

Just to keep the discussion going.

There's a wonderful Japanese/Chinese porcelain feel to Hoopy's entry.

So far it's top of my list.


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## Mouse

Love Leisha's owl!! How'd you get that shot?


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## Talysia

I was wondering about Leisha's owl, too - it's lovely!  I'm fascinated by our feathered friends, but my camera isn't quick enough to take many pictures of them.

Right now, it's going to be difficult for me to pick a winner this month.  All of the pictures are brilliant, and there may be some last minute entries, too.  My shortlist, just as in the writing contest, isn't exactly short at the moment...


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## TheDustyZebra

That owl is fantastic!


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## Culhwch

A reminder that there is less than twenty-four hours now to get last-minute entries in. I'll be closing the thread and posting the poll at midnight GMT tonight, the 27th of January.

And I should possibly take my own advice...


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## Culhwch

The poll is now online!

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/foru...-challenge-read-first-post-2.html#post1464852


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## J Riff

The Hoopster's tree edges out Mosaix's crow. )


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## TheEndIsNigh

Yes, Hoopy held on to the top position for me too.


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## Talysia

Another excellent month, and picking a winner was as difficult as I thought it would be.  I think just about all of the pics this month made my shortlist.  I was able to narrow it down to six, and even then there's very little separating them.  In no particular order:

Mosaix's Crow
TEIN's first misty shot
Sloweye's stone cross
Hoopy's tree
Leisha's Owl
Alchemist's water shot

My vote goes to Leisha, for her lovely owl photo, but it was a really close run thing between Hoopy and Mosaix.  Well done everyone - good contest!


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## mosaix

Taking both shots into account, CyBeR gets my vote.


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## StormFeather

Finally got hubby to sit down with me and give his opinion, and we both agreed!  Although I like pretty much all of them, and would happily hang prints of them on my walls, one stood out.

Cyber gets our vote this month - the shot of the spider is brilliant!

A special mention to Leisha and Mosaix for the owl and raven (or crow, can't recall how to tell the difference), and Sloweye for the fire.


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## alchemist

Joint effort here too, where we agreed on two of my top three, which were...
Leisha's cottage
sloweye's cross
philoSCIFI's gate

And the vote went to...
philoSCIFI. There were many mean and moody shots, but this one did the most for me. It's got Sherlock Holmes written all over it.




mosaix said:


> Taking both shots into account, CyBeR gets my vote.


 
Just wondering...

What do people vote on? The best single photo? The best pair? Or does the second photo act as a tie-breaker if you can't make your mind up?


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## Mouse

I go by both pictures usually.

Voted for Leisha, but Cul was a close second. Love flowers.


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## sloweye

My vote has gone to Mosaix for the Gear wheels shot, with alchemists' rocks and sky as a very close second. I just like the rawness of the shots, so little editing used.

I pick the one photo i like most, then in a tie-break i judge on the peoples over all ability.

Thanks for the mentions guys


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## mosaix

alchemist said:


> Just wondering...
> 
> What do people vote on? The best single photo? The best pair? Or does the second photo act as a tie-breaker if you can't make your mind up?



I wondered the same the first month I entered. Basically, I was told, it's up to you and I suppose that makes sense.

For me, the Challenge is for two photo's and that's how I try to judge it. So a single photo has to be exceptional to be out in front. 

Some great entries this month, everyone.

PS Thanks for the vote, Sloweye - that's an engine out of the SS Great Britain.


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## sloweye

> PS Thanks for the vote, Sloweye - that's an engine out of the SS Great Britain.



It was earned.
And that makes the shot all the cooler


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## TheDustyZebra

I had to go with Leisha's owl.

So many gorgeous pictures -- I loved Mosaix's gears, and Hoopy's tree, and Talysia's pictures both looked like they ought to be jigsaw puzzles.


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## Erin99

Wow, thanks for the votes and mentions! The owl shot a couple of you asked about was taken at a zoo. The owl was behind chicken wire, but I got a few perfect shots of him because somehow I have a weird type of owl charm that makes all types of owls watch me when I walk past. 

Which is perfect for photos. 

Anyway, as for my vote, I managed to whittle it down to two - after much deliberating: Hoopy's tree and Taly's canal. Taly's shot is awesome because I know how hard it is to take that type of shot without blowing the highlights/clouds while still capturing the beautiful scene. Hoopy's shot is very artistic - I love what she's done with it, and the angle she used in the photo.

And my winner is....

Well, Hoopy was one vote away from my score; now she's not.


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## Talysia

Thanks for the lovely comments, TDZ and Leisha.  They've made my afternoon.


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## Culhwch

This month's was too hard to pick! In the end Hoopy just shaded Leish for my vote, with BookStop's Eiffel Tower and Talysia's lollies snapping at their heels.


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## sloweye

just looked at the poll for the first time since i cast my vote and i've picked one up somewhere along the line, so thanks to whoever that was. was pleased to be getting mentions but a vote? thats the cherry on the cake


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## J Riff

Wow, two votes, I'm well pleased... can't say_ chuffed_ here in North America but hey... FWIW, that gas station was really scary, 50 miles from anywhere and it was pure black and grey like it looks there, with cold wind blowing through it. I stood around outside a while, and saw a mountain lion standing up on a cliff across the highway.


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## TheDustyZebra

J Riff said:


> Wow, two votes, I'm well pleased... can't say_ chuffed_ here in North America but hey... FWIW, that gas station was really scary, 50 miles from anywhere and it was pure black and grey like it looks there, with cold wind blowing through it. I stood around outside a while, and saw a mountain lion standing up on a cliff across the highway.



Now if you can come up with a song to go with it, there's a story for February!


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## Culhwch

I'm a little late with this announcement, but congrats to Hoopy! Looking forward to your theme for February!


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## Talysia

Congratulations, Hoopy!  Looking forward to seeing February's theme.


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## mosaix

Well done, Hoopy - well deserved. February beckons...


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## HoopyFrood

Oh, wow. Er...thanks, all! Thanks to everyone who voted for me. I feel a bit naff, haven't just randomly posted one photo now and then in the last few months. I should use this as a kick in the backside to get back into it. 

So yeah...theme. Gimme a while, I'll be on it....

Thanks!


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## sloweye

Well done Hoopy.


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