Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

Please email your entry for the Monthly Photo Competition to here: [email protected]

Please do not post in this thread until the photographs have been displayed, then the chat can begin.

For fairness, submitted entries will not be displayed until after the closing date.

All entries need to be submitted by Midnight on Monday 28th February and will be displayed here shortly after.

The Monthly Photo Competition is open to NI-Wild Members only.  Please remember to include your NI WIld Username when submitting your entry.


Lenny, we will text you the topic for March so that you don't miss out while your on Kili.  Don't want to pick it now because the winner from the previous month enjoys that privilage.

The Deadline for Entries has been extended to Midnight tonight (1st March) for those who forgot to submit their entry on time  ::)

Photographers names will be withheld until judging has finished.

Entry 1
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/i6oUf.jpg)

Entry 2
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/BxQMq.jpg)

Entry 3
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/UvzDg.jpg)

Entry 4
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/BvMuT.jpg)

Entry 5
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/axNS1.jpg)

Entry 6
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/Rincr.jpg)

Entry 7
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/5SN8j.jpg)

Entry 8
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/sk4Kl.jpg)

Entry 9
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/i7mSU.jpg)

Entry 10
(https://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/imgur/bALgU.jpg)

Rescaled the photos for people with retarded browsers like mine...


Entry 1
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rkXOx4YI/AAAAAAAAESI/P8Ej6RNh5b0/s640/i6oUf.jpg)

Entry 2
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rhTCUjiI/AAAAAAAAER8/zAXQx8jfNtE/s640/BxQMq.jpg)

Entry 3
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rnMS0U-I/AAAAAAAAESQ/fCn-ZDcyFJ8/s640/UvzDg.jpg)

Entry 4
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rjTgRFqI/AAAAAAAAESE/MiY2DmWApS4/s640/BvMuT.jpg)

Entry 5
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rhJL2WiI/AAAAAAAAER4/pA_C7lxRI5A/s640/axNS1.jpg)

Entry 6
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rmYzslcI/AAAAAAAAESM/C3paHrBySR8/s640/Rincr.jpg)

Entry 7
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rPPAmxaI/AAAAAAAAER0/tlSC6CGRoIQ/s640/5SN8j.jpg)

Entry 8
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rnZahMUI/AAAAAAAAESU/dLrKz3Thjko/s640/sk4Kl.jpg)

Entry 9
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rjNLa_eI/AAAAAAAAESA/0SH32oU31tU/s640/i7mSU.jpg)

There are some pretty awesome pics there chaps, well done.

Yeah, good stuff!

I do have some feedback on most of them - should I post it here /wait until voting is over?

I say critique away - the hive mind rules and all that!

Quote from: twentyclicks on March 03, 2011, 11:00:04 AM
Yeah, good stuff!

I do have some feedback on most of them - should I post it here /wait until voting is over?

Quote from: twentyclicks on March 03, 2011, 11:00:04 AM
Yeah, good stuff!

I do have some feedback on most of them - should I post it here /wait until voting is over?

Mr Clicks... No need to wait until the judging is over.  I'm sure we'd all love to hear your feedback.  That's what this competition is all about.  Very few of us on here claim to be professional photographers and the only way we are going to get better is to hear where we are going wrong, or where we are going right, I suppose  ;)

I know I'm looking forward to your input.

They're all very good i changed my mind 3 times before voting.

1. Nice colours, stillness. Very symmetrical, but in a weird way: the left is a bit 'droopy'. I may have swung the camera to the right, there appear to be things of interest there.

2. Great composition and interesting. A little bit of fill-flash (or slow sync) may have been nice to add a tiny bit of detail to the paddler, although what you have is better than a full flash effect.

3. Lively and fun. A little fill-flash on the face may have helped as this the area of attention. Framing is hard, I like it; but a little off the left, or even chop the whole left half may also work.

4. Nice exposure balance between sky and water and a straight horizon. May have dropped a little to give those interesting rock/ripples more prominence in the water half. Also try bracketing the exposure, a little under-exposure may bring out the colours more depending on your camera (my D300 liked -0.7, and the Ricoh is often set to -1.3! but I have a thing for dark photos).

5. Good experimentation and interesting elements. Saying that, I would snip the left just until the light is cropped, snip the bottom until the purple is away, then crop the right so the moon is in the middle. At that the moon is still very close to the top edge. Perhaps step back and tilt the camera up next time? Keep playing with the light effects, but they need more prominence - looks like leaked light here (maybe it was unintentional).

6. Somewhat spooky. I would cut the top 25-30% off the photo and have some wellie boots walking into the submerged path (in an ideal world where such props are available)

7. Lovely textures but the horizon isn't straight. I'd crop the top off the sky or point the camera down/or up more next time.

8. I have no idea what it is, but interesting and great composition.

9. Nice action. Cut 20% off the right for composition. Get a bigger zoom - couldn't do a lot more with the camera to hand I imagine other than seal it up and wade in!

10. Nice composition. Just needs Indiana Jones in a liferaft holding on to his hat  ;D


Jeez, how judgemental does that make me feel... I know that's not all possible. Top take-away points:

• Horizon should be straight
• Add interest if possible
• Choose the focus, even if there's other things of merit
• The brighter it is, the more you should consider flash to fill in detail in harsh shadows.

Generally, cool variety. Looking forward to next month already.

Ha ha! mine was taken with a £30 Argus Bean camera, so for twentyclicks to say anything positive about the photo when comparing it to some of the masterpieces here must have been a struggle!

if i'd voted for myself i'd be in the lead now  >:(  ;D

Quote from: LandyLiam on March 04, 2011, 06:53:52 PM
if i'd voted for myself i'd be in the lead now  >:(  ;D

Ditto... I was trying to be all sportsman like... Never again lol  ;)

well hopefully we've voted for each other  ;D

is the winner going to be picked professionally or is it based on the above votes?
(in which case i'll be off to sign the family up to the forum  ;)  )

Bump.

Get voting everyone!

3 way tie  :o

i'm dead chuffed that at least 1 person thinks mine is the best  ;D

We definately were not expecting a 3 Way tie.  Definately thought mine would be an outright winner lol.  ::)

We'll give it to midnight tomorrow night (9th March) and then close down the voting.  If it's still a tie we will get an independent adjudicator to pick the winner.

That was a hard choice, there are some fantastic photos there there are four that are in my mind exceptional. I found it really difficult to choose between them!

Ooh the excitement.. It's so close!!

Yeah...!!

I'm not last anymore...

 15 minutes to go... with a 3 way tie for second place..

Voting has now closed with number 4 as the winner. Congrats number 4!!

well done no.4

mine was no.5 Moonlit water (its the bridge in the middle of Newcastle)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rhJL2WiI/AAAAAAAAER4/pA_C7lxRI5A/s640/axNS1.jpg)

Quote5. Good experimentation and interesting elements. Saying that, I would snip the left just until the light is cropped, snip the bottom until the purple is away, then crop the right so the moon is in the middle. At that the moon is still very close to the top edge. Perhaps step back and tilt the camera up next time? Keep playing with the light effects, but they need more prominence - looks like leaked light here (maybe it was unintentional).

thanks for the feedback Craig, i took about 10 pics of that scene and probably had one just like you recommended but i went with my heart on it and chose the one with everything in, maybe less is more  ;D. The light on the left is st johns point lighthouse, i was hoping it would have given more of a circular beam, maybe i needed a longer exposure but limited to 60 secs on my camera. I couldn't have stepped back any further as I would have been on the road and a car might have hit me and that would have really messed up the long exposure  :D

does my picture show ok on other people computers? it looks ok to me on my home pc but at work it comes out a LOT darker (you can't even see the river), i did adjust the monitor brightness and contrast to no avail.


p.s. i voted for No.6. Stones in water, very haunting  :o

This was mine.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rjNLa_eI/AAAAAAAAESA/0SH32oU31tU/s640/i7mSU.jpg)

Well I'm glad I spent an hour on the beach at White Rocks photographing the surfers. I only got one vote and it was my own  ::)
Next month it will be landscapes all the way !!  ;D

Mine was Milo (the dog)... Taken Xmas day on Murlough Beach...

QuoteTaken Xmas day o

disqualified  ::)  i think it has to be taken during the competition month  ;D

Entry 4 was mine:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_rOe5y66d0Ls/TW0rjTgRFqI/AAAAAAAAESE/MiY2DmWApS4/s640/BvMuT.jpg)

It was taken from a carpark just outside Greyabbey, Co Down and the island on the horizon is Chapel Island (http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2009/09/chapel-island-greyabbey.html).

Sorry about the quality of the link but it's all I can find on the net.  The collection of islands here look like they have excellent potential for an overnight bivvy and has now been added to my list of things to do this year.

Thanks to everybody that voted for my entry... I have a nice warm glow about me today  :)

I voted for Shoreline... I really liked that shot.  Hope this isn't like Big Brother and I get punished for discussing nominations  :D

Quote from: LandyLiam on March 10, 2011, 11:38:36 AM

QuoteTaken Xmas day o

disqualified  ::)  i think it has to be taken during the competition month  ;D

Ooh Err...

Good job I didn't win then... ;o)

Well done Dowser, and thanks for the vote. I am well chuffed that I came joint second with reflections and stones in the water. Looking forward to next month's theme.

We operate a don't ask don't tell policy around here :D

Quote from: LandyLiam on March 10, 2011, 11:38:36 AM

QuoteTaken Xmas day o

disqualified  ::)  i think it has to be taken during the competition month  ;D

Here's a full list of competitors:

1. Reflection on Water - Bmcqueen
2. Canoeing - Drybag
3. Dog - Drongo
4. Shore Sunset - Dowser
5. Moonlit Water - Landyliam
6. Stones in Water - Scribble
7. Shoreline - Shamara
8. River - WhoRya
9. Surfer - Redleader
10. Raging River - Alanrsv

Well done everybody... Some great stuff this month!

The topic for March will be posted before close of business today so don't be leaving the house without your camera  :)

Congrats Dowser, and well done to everyone who entered.  Some really good photos this month!  Unfortunately I, errr, missed the deadline on this one :D

p.s. i voted for No.6. Stones in water, very haunting  :o
[/quote]

Just as well I voted for yours then  ;D I'm back up in Donegal next week so I might do what Craig suggested and stick a pair of wellies in it and retake

Quote from: LandyLiam on March 10, 2011, 11:38:36 AM

QuoteTaken Xmas day o

disqualified  ::)  i think it has to be taken during the competition month  ;D

Looks like im disqualified too !  My photo of the Raging River was taken in july when i was working in Uganda, The location is Bujagali Falls on the River Nile a few miles after it leaves Lake Victoria. The reason i have shown it is this area of the falls are to be flooded in a few years time as a new Dam is being built to provide Hydro Electric Power to the area.
My vote went to photo No 4

Well I took a walk round a bog with the kids and took the camera that day.  I must say it is hard to find anything interesting to photograph in a bog, well I haven't a clue what the metal thing is but at least it put something else in the picture.

I have to admit I haven't the faintest idea about how to take a good picture, but sures it's all a bit of fun.  Thanks for the vote, but please don't admit if you did it by accident whoever you are  :)

Quote from: whoRya on March 10, 2011, 10:11:52 PM
Well I took a walk round a bog with the kids and took the camera that day.  I must say it is hard to find anything interesting to photograph in a bog, well I haven't a clue what the metal thing is but at least it put something else in the picture.

I have to admit I haven't the faintest idea about how to take a good picture, but sures it's all a bit of fun.  Thanks for the vote, but please don't admit if you did it by accident whoever you are  :)

That was me. Exposure and composition were spot on, and I found the subject different and interesting... adding that up, it edged out the others for me (good as they were in many ways).

Well done everyone - now only 3 weeks to find some landmarks. Let the games commence!