People Group A Group B Creative Group A Group B Open Group A Group B Prints Black and white prints Group A Group B Gallery is available Entries due: Oct 4 05:00pm Judging: Oct 11 04:00pm Showing: Oct 13 06:30pm This competition has been judged and shown at the meeting. You can see the results in the gallery below Henry B - Open Maker: Joni Welda -- 41 points 1st PlaceJudge's comments: Great angled pose; good bokeh; amazing colors; sharp; nice lightingMaker's comments: Wind and Water A - Open Maker: Wanda Finn -- 39 points 1st PlaceJudge's comments: Great sky; image says "power"; cropping a bit off the bottom to increase the perception of powerMaker's comments: Who's Stronger! B - Open Maker: Danette Jessie -- 39 points 2nd PlaceJudge's comments: Perfectly balanced; great stop action-- tail movement and dirt flying; excellent moment to captureMaker's comments: Crisis Within A - Creative Maker: Debbie -- 38 points 1st PlaceJudge's comments: Very dramatic; there is a story here; shape of the opening in the background is same as subject; interesting uniformity of colorMaker's comments: Sunflowers A - Open Maker: John Zoerb -- 37 points 2nd PlaceJudge's comments: Old and new; great detail in the background; sharp from front to backMaker's comments: Milkyway over the farm A - Open Maker: Cyndy Thorn -- 37 points 3rd PlaceJudge's comments: Very nice image; interesting foreground; stars are points; could straighten the horizonMaker's comments: f5.6iso 6400exposure 32.0 secondsfocal length 15mm Covered Bridge A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Kristi Olson -- 36 points 1st PlaceJudge's comments: Good composition with off-center vanishing point; sharp from to back; nothing in background distracts; good tonal rangeMaker's comments: Comet Neowise A - Open Maker: Austin Miller -- 36 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Lovely colors; comet is balanced by the tree; nice reflection; simple but beautifulMaker's comments: Twist of Nature A - Open Maker: Brian Narveson -- 35 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Well-balanced composition; could be a calendar picture; great detail in the treee; good depth of fieldMaker's comments: This image was shot in the Colorado National Monument in Sept 2020. It was shot with my Canon 7D Mark II set in Av mode at f/14, ISO 800, which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/640 sec. Because the scene was so bright I chose to shoot a 5 shot sequence for HDR. The shots were -2/-1/0/+1/+2 f/stops. HDR processing was done in Lightroom Classic, with additional editing also done in Lightroom. Lens was an 18-135 mm Canon nano-USM zoom set to 18 mm. Mr. Gavin Michael A - People Maker: Debbie -- 35 points 1st PlaceJudge's comments: Great angle and overall composition; like the background and bold colors stand out against it; subject is sharp; comfortable and natural expressionMaker's comments: Stained Glass Bloodroot B - Creative Maker: Judith Bautch -- 35 points AcceptanceJudge's comments: White flower just pops; perfect composition; very unusual effect; striking imageMaker's comments: Lake of the Clouds A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Austin Miller -- 35 points 2nd PlaceJudge's comments: Beautiful composition; great to include foreground; lovely sky; weeds balance the rocks; shadows of the clouds create nice separationMaker's comments: Spirograph A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Kristi Olson -- 35 points 3rd PlaceJudge's comments: Nice square format; clever use of black and white; draws the eye in; design has a 3-D effect; nice balance; critically sharpMaker's comments: Monarch A - Open Maker: Al Sheldon -- 35 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Nice angle and composition; beautiful background; simple and subject is sharpMaker's comments: Fall River B - Open Maker: Paula Clements -- 35 points 3rd PlaceJudge's comments: Pleasant scene; nice framing; pretty reflection; good lighting with no harsh shadows; nice lead inMaker's comments: Delivering Eggs A - Open Maker: Shirley Gates -- 34 points Voted Acc.Judge's comments: Awesome movement of the horse; tells a story; well-placed in the frame because there is room to move; nice, pleasing colorsMaker's comments: Posterized Pup A - Creative Maker: Wanda Finn -- 34 points 2nd PlaceJudge's comments: Cute subject; sharp where it needs to be; good placement of the pupMaker's comments: The Cowboy A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Shirley Gates -- 34 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Nice tilt to the head; good crop; sharp where if needs to beMaker's comments: Discussing 2020 Politics A - Open Maker: Sonja Haske -- 34 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Sharp; very humorous; great moment; whites are on the edge of being too brightMaker's comments: Ashcroft-Colorado Ghost Town A - Open Maker: Brian Narveson -- 33 points Judge's comments: Small cabins lead to the larger one; vibrant color; sharpMaker's comments: This image was shot in Ashcroft, Colorado an old mining ghost town near Aspen in Sept 2020. It was very bright so I decided to shoot a 5 shot HDR sequence. The base settings in Av mode were f/13, ISO-800 which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/800th sec. I bracketed the shot as -4/3/-2/3/0/+1/3/+4/3 f/stops. The camera figured out the shutter speeds needed for the bracketing. Camera my Canon 7D Mark II with a Canon 18-135 nano-USM zoom set to 18 mm. HDR was processed in Lightroom Classic, as was any additional editing. Civil War Reenactor A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Brandon Wanke -- 33 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Like the expression; very sharp; good diffuse backgroundMaker's comments: Trip to the shore B - People Maker: Dave Halverson -- 33 points 1st PlaceJudge's comments: Interesting pose; beautiful separation; natural smile; yellow works with color in the lichen; nice skin tonesMaker's comments: Springtime B - People Maker: Karen Fischer -- 33 points 2nd PlaceJudge's comments: Nice facial expression--looks very natural, especially with the turn of the foot; perfect lighting all around, also inder the hat; suggest cropping on the right to eliminate the horizontal boardsMaker's comments: Young Cowboy A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Doyle Gates -- 33 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Very nice angle; background fits the theme of the portrait; cute facial expression; lots of space to look; foreground weeds appear to merge with the shirt in some areasMaker's comments: Milkweed B - Open Maker: Joni Welda -- 33 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Nicely balanced; no distractions; fades equally at the edges; whites are well-handledMaker's comments: Polarized Forks A - Creative Maker: Kristi Olson -- 33 points 3rd PlaceJudge's comments: Great to see a creative image done without the use of software; nicely angled; good arrangementMaker's comments: Masked Bandits B - Open Maker: Karen Fischer -- 32 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Great eye to catch these two; primary subject is very sharp; leaves make a great frameMaker's comments: Myah B - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Paula Clements -- 32 points AcceptanceJudge's comments: Very sharp; the nose pops; nice angle and technique; could clone out sidewalk line; perhaps more light in the eyes; discussion about seeing more of the earsMaker's comments: Sweet Treat A - Open Maker: Brandon Wanke -- 32 points Judge's comments: Fantastic coloration of the butterfly; slight angle is very nice; good catchMaker's comments: Little Girl A - People Maker: Eileen Roesler -- 32 points 2nd PlaceJudge's comments: Cute expression; colors go well together; skin color is good; background a little brightMaker's comments: Sitting Pretty B - People Maker: Danette Jessie -- 32 points 3rd PlaceJudge's comments: Nice colors; the red chair sets off the subject; no distractions; like that lower legs gradually darken; good skin toneMaker's comments: Canoe at Sunset #2 A - Open Maker: John Zoerb -- 32 points Judge's comments: Nice silhouette; detail in the shadows; beautiful skyMaker's comments: Fur Trader A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Doyle Gates -- 32 points Judge's comments: Very expressive face; no distractions; sharp where it needs to beMaker's comments: Moody B - Open Maker: Kathy Landsinger -- 32 points Judge's comments: The slope rises to the large clump of trees; beautiful cloudsMaker's comments: Pretty in Purple A - Creative Maker: Phyllis Feiock -- 32 points Judge's comments: Flowers pop nicely; might suggest cropping to eliminate some of the brighter leaves in the backgroundMaker's comments: Hummingbird B - Open Maker: Gary Olds -- 32 points Judge's comments: Good use of space; bird is not sharp; there is red fringing along neck and bellyMaker's comments: Do robots dream? B - Creative Maker: Kathy Landsinger -- 31 points AcceptanceJudge's comments: Great detail in the sunflower; the swirl effect is dreamy, almost metallic; the upper third does not seem to fit/blend with the bottom third being so much darkerMaker's comments: The Confederate A - People Maker: Brandon Wanke -- 31 points 3rd PlaceJudge's comments: Faded appearance of the photo fits the time period; looks like it is from a different era; like the intense eyes; item in the hands looks a little modern in comparisonMaker's comments: Pink B - Creative Maker: Donnalee Hoelzen -- 31 points AcceptanceJudge's comments: Very appealing shades of pink; good depth; could show more of the background or clone clone/paint it out completely; might have scored higher in OpenMaker's comments: Foggy morning A - Open Maker: Mike Hanson -- 31 points Judge's comments: Moody image; works well in back and white; fog adds to the image and may serve to eliminate distractions; could crop a little grass off the bottomMaker's comments: Chubby Cheeks A - Open Maker: Mike Hanson -- 31 points Judge's comments: Humorous impact; even the carved animal above is smiling; upper left corner is not distracting; could crop a little on the right and the bottomMaker's comments: Sun Flower A - Creative Maker: Jerry Weigel -- 31 points Judge's comments: Nice composition; lots of detail; simple backgroundMaker's comments: The stone bridge B - Open Maker: Donnalee Hoelzen -- 30 points Judge's comments: Nice scene; good lighting/time of day; like the action in the water on lower leftMaker's comments: Re-enactment at Castillo de San Marcos A - People Maker: Sonja Haske -- 30 points Judge's comments: Interesting that the smoke obscures other soldiers; garment makes the subject pop; good background; there are no distractionsMaker's comments: Cranberries Afloat A - Open Maker: Doyle Gates -- 30 points Judge's comments: Tells a story; very sharp; could crop on the left to take valve out of center; clone out berries in top rightMaker's comments: Black River Falls A - Open Maker: Shirley Gates -- 30 points Judge's comments: Nice composition and slow shutter speed effect on the water; pipe on the right is distracting; could crop just past the crotch of the tree and clone out the rest of the pipeMaker's comments: Black River Blue Heron A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Jerry Weigel -- 30 points Voted Acc.Judge's comments: Very sharp; great detail; good stop action of wind in the feathers; good composition--well-placedMaker's comments: Minnesota Morning B - Open Maker: Dave Halverson -- 30 points Judge's comments: Very peaceful; sharp from to back; horizon well-placed; sky is refelcted in the waterMaker's comments: Four Wheels A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: John Zoerb -- 30 points Judge's comments: Very sharp; interesting find; good tonal rangeMaker's comments: Old Pinecone A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Eileen Roesler -- 30 points Judge's comments: Nice angle and good bokeh; lighter tones are just a little hot in some spots; could consider flipping image horizontally so the branch leads in from left to rightMaker's comments: One Busy Bee A - Open Maker: Phyllis Feiock -- 30 points Judge's comments: Vibrant color; could crop any variety of ways to focus more on the beeMaker's comments: Whimsies' Place B - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Paula Clements -- 29 points Judge's comments: Very nice elements and composition; quaint; sharp; printed signs in an image can draw the eye; discussion about bar that looks like it is across the doorMaker's comments: The Birches B - Creative Maker: Paula Clements -- 29 points Judge's comments: Beautiful shot of birches; lovely fall color in the background; difficult for judges to see the creative effectMaker's comments: My Wife Made Me Do It B - People Maker: Kristen Koshalek -- 29 points Hon. MentionJudge's comments: Pretty, muted bakcground; subject well-separated; good cropMaker's comments: Take My Picture! A - Open Maker: Al Sheldon -- 29 points Judge's comments: Great, sharp picture; tells a story; lighting is a little harsh; more space around the subject might add to the storyMaker's comments: Amish Horses A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: John Zoerb -- 29 points Judge's comments: Beautiful use of black and white; nice atmospheric effect; all the horses are active and well-placed in the imageMaker's comments: Puffball Mushroom A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Eileen Roesler -- 29 points Judge's comments: Clever idea; nice separation; left side background has better blur than the rightMaker's comments: Dark Stream A - Open Maker: Austin Miller -- 28 points Judge's comments: Camera height increases interest; vignette draws eye to the stream; like the s-curve; a little color in the water would be niceMaker's comments: Bursting seeds A - Open Maker: Eileen Roesler -- 28 points Judge's comments: The wispy seeds are appealing; not enough depth of field for needed sharpness; whites are a little hot in placesMaker's comments: Milkweed A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Brandon Wanke -- 28 points Judge's comments: Nice, angled composition; looks like the wind is blowing; sharp; perhaps a little more bokehMaker's comments: Kinstone A - Open Maker: Kristi Olson -- 28 points Judge's comments: Nice patterns; very pleasant colors; posts frame the building in the background; very sharpMaker's comments: Social Distancing A - Creative Maker: Doyle Gates -- 27 points Judge's comments: Chair pops from the image; strong point of interestMaker's comments: Structured Chaos A - Prints Black and white printsMaker: Austin Miller -- 27 points Judge's comments: Very sharp; good tonal range; very busyMaker's comments: Gridiron Warrior B - People Maker: Gary Olds -- 27 points Judge's comments: Dramatic picture; very serious facial expressionMaker's comments: Walking On Water B - People Maker: Nancy Olds -- 26 points Judge's comments: Image tells story; great facial expression; good stop action; could be a little sharperMaker's comments: