DSLRUsers.com

D70 users Challenge 1: The splendor of water.

Water, as well as covering most of the planet, is essential to all life. Besides this it is a prime target for good photography. Mirror lakes, water falls, frozen drops are all examples of classic photographic subjects. So this challenge will be on the splendor of water. Photographs should prominently feature water as the main subject, but participants are free to be creative about the interpretation of the subject as well!

Photo Valid from: 7pm 20th of October
Entries must be submitted by: 7pm 31st of October
Voting starts: 9am 1st of November
Voting closed and winner announced: 9am 3rd of November

Birddog has offered a prize for this challenge, this is between the winner of the challenge and him to organise, The official prize is the choice of the next challenge (and associated Kudos)

A couple of points (not the exhaustive rule list)

*Photos must have a valid EXIF header showing at least the camera make and date taken
*The longest dimension of submitted photos will be a maximum of 1000 pixels
*Only registered users can vote
*Only registered users can submit
*The album will be publically viewable except when voting is taking place
*The ownership, copyright and responsibility of the entries belongs to the person submitting the photo
*Voting will be by giving each photo a rank of 1-5, the final score for each photo will be the average of all scores for that photo
*You can vote for your own photo

To register: PM me your username on forums.d70users.com preceded my d70 (eg: d70MHD) as well as your preferred name plus your email
you can register at any time but must be a member at d70users.com.

Submission will be at
http://potofgrass.ath.cx/gallery/challenge1
Any problems with submission or anything do not hesitate to contact me! (expect bugs... this is the first time!

Can I make one tiny suggestion....

Can we make the submitted date 7pm on the 31st of October. This gives us 2 full weekends to work on our images.

Only reason I suggest this is most of us will be working all week and it is hard to make time to actually go out and take photos (especially when you have kids) so 2 weekends would be much appreciated.

Your thoughts?

W00DY

No worries!
I was thinking that for a while anyway

The winner will be contacted by me for posting or deliver the prize.

The next challenge will have 3 prizes for three voted popular photos, and hope this will happen by early or mid December. 3 prizes (1/2/3) will be announced prior to the second challenge starts.

Hope everyone have fun and enjoy!!!!!

Your a champion Birddog...

I am looking forward to these challenges. Now to just find the time

W00DY

Hey Birddog, if you want to advertise your site (or site for your wares) on my site give me a yell... you might have noticed the banner system I have on my combined sites (news page + gallery)

I dont get many visits but it is a way of saying thanks!

Looking forward to this, well done MHD, thanks Birddog.

Water. Hmmm.

This is absolutely terrific. MHD, Birddog you guys are really to be commended for taking the time, effort and expense to make this so meaningful. I'm just a new guy on here but delighted with the opportunity to participate.

Hi MHD

Looking forward to exploring this interesting subject.

However, I have a question. You ask for EXIF data - I work on a Mac and I know that this data is with each photo I take. If it is saved as a jpeg through save for web in Photoshop CS you loose the data. I know that you can attach a metadata file which will indicate camera and time etc but it is not too good on shutter speed etc.

So how do you guys do it?

As long as the time and camera make are in the header...

I dont know how to do it on mac...

sirhc55 wrote:Hi MHD

Looking forward to exploring this interesting subject.

However, I have a question. You ask for EXIF data - I work on a Mac and I know that this data is with each photo I take. If it is saved as a jpeg through save for web in Photoshop CS you loose the data. I know that you can attach a metadata file which will indicate camera and time etc but it is not too good on shutter speed etc.

So how do you guys do it?

Do you need to "save for web"? Maybe that setting specifically removes EXIF. What about just saving as jpeg using your own sizing and compression settings?

(PS - I'm not a mac user, so only guessing)

Well all, here we go!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again MHD, Birdy & Gary for the input you have given this community.
This forum & its members would be the best I have come across on the net; by far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
& I think I can say on behalf of all the members, we will try to keep it that way for a long time to come

Cheers
Ray

Thanks MHD, great idea. I hopefully will be able to come up with one image in two weeks, I admired the "image a day for 31 days" but knew I wasn't man enough for the job.

Thanks

ps Is it one photo per member or is there a limit?

Well said Glen

I was in the same boat

Cheers
Ray

Ray,
Maybe we need a challenge "an image a day for a week - if we are up to it"

This could be a good deal mate
Worth thinking about

OOOOOOOOOOOO look!!!!!!! I've hit the 500 post mark

Some one please give me a kick in the butt to try & catch Birdy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers
Ray

Glen wrote:Thanks MHD, great idea. I hopefully will be able to come up with one image in two weeks, I admired the "image a day for 31 days" but knew I wasn't man enough for the job.

I had a crack, but fell by the wayside a week or so into proceedings. MHD's latest plan is very much to my liking, I can manage one shot in a couple of weeks

Hopefully.

Glen wrote:I admired the "image a day for 31 days" but knew I wasn't man enough for the job.

Evidently neither was I

W00DY

Hi All,
We have one week to go on the new challenge isn't it?
So how far are you going?

Birddog114 wrote:Hi All,
We have one week to go on the new challenge isn't it?
So how far are you going?

So far, I have thought about it. Progressing well. Weekend about to start, and after a beautiful sunny week, the weather over the weekend is not going to be so good. Damn.

The subject is very good with rain isn't it?
Sydney will have another few wet and wet days

Birddog114 wrote:The subject is very good with rain isn't it?
Sydney will have another few wet and wet days

Indeed Birdy, absolutely correct. However, not so much fun being out in the rain.

But, the image must be captured, and therefore, not rain nor hail nor sleet will keep us from our objective. You just want to hope you don't end up with a shot of me in the bath.

Greg B wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:The subject is very good with rain isn't it?
Sydney will have another few wet and wet days

Indeed Birdy, absolutely correct. However, not so much fun being out in the rain.

But, the image must be captured, and therefore, not rain nor hail nor sleet will keep us from our objective. You just want to hope you don't end up with a shot of me in the bath.

In the Spa or hot steam bath will look better.

Managed to snap a couple on my walk to work this morning but they are backups. None of them is a winner but maybe enough to just submit an entry.

This weekend is the test!

but I like only 2 of the 70 or so I shot..I don't think they're winning material either but I wanted to put something up there . Happy snapping fellow members


Geoff.

Just a reminder: ONly one entry allowed!!!!

(which one do you want me to delete Geoff?)

Keep on to Geoff, MHD. He has just got Cameron back and now he is trying to rort the contest

here are a couple of shots taken on the way to work where I was trying to incorporate the water theme.

Plus one taken in the botanic gardens at lunch today

these didn't make the cut as far as I was concerned to put in the challenge but I do have one from today that I might submit if I can't top it this weekend

http://andrewjones.customer.netspace.net.au/d70a/

This challenge has a very good subject:
It seems to me this subject favors to Sydney members, will have another wet wet week to shoot water.

First up... thanks to all for putting this comp together....

Don't worry about my previous question... just found the comp rules..

Cheers

Geoff: Great shot... was it handheld or on a tri/monopod? The reflection is wonderful...

Andrew: Love the pastel blue of the sky! wonderful! Would love to see a long exposure of that shot at night to get the misty milk look of the fountain water and the night lights of the tower...

Good stuff....

I've just put my entry in... this is a shot from Stradbroke Island... little bit of USM... no need to crop as that's full frame.. which is nice.. managed to get down there with my kids yesterday for a wander around... the power of the water that comes in on the cliffs there is inspiring...

Once again, thumbs up to site.....

Cheers

You're right. I think this shot would have looked fantastic at dusk with a tripod.

As it was I did it handheld so I'm a bit worried about the sharpness.

I'm still a bit shy about setting up a tripod in public!!

I think the sharpness is fine...

as for tripods in public places, i know where you are coming from...

have you tried playing with that shot and making it IR? i'd be interested in seeing how the sky and water comes out..

Thanx Zerubus - my shot was hand held and I was pretty happy with how it turned out. ..I really like your photo too, it's quite powerful and crisp! Well done

Geoff.

Geoff wrote:Thanx Zerubus - my shot was hand held and I was pretty happy with how it turned out. ..I really like your photo too, it's quite powerful and crisp! Well done

Geoff.

You should be happy with how it turned out... great shot... and even better that it was handheld...

thanks...

I'm not really sure how to do infra red. Do I need to take the pics in NEF (most of my shots in JPEG).

I guess I'll read about IR soon and give it a go. IR shots do look fantastic.

Can't wait to see everyone else's interpretation of the subject.

Well it's Tuesday... and the time is getting closer....

Post those pics...

xerubus wrote:Well it's Tuesday... and the time is getting closer....

Post those pics...

I am on a strict time schedule... I have between 4:30pm and 7:30pm on Friday evening to capture my image.

The downside of having kids is you never have any time for yourself

So expect my image over the weekend sometime.

W00DY

Woody,
Get into the bathroom or a spa, that's my ideas

We have until 7pm on Sunday, that is almost a whole further weekend to shoot!

ajo43 wrote:I'm not really sure how to do infra red. Do I need to take the pics in NEF (most of my shots in JPEG).

I guess I'll read about IR soon and give it a go. IR shots do look fantastic.

Can't wait to see everyone else's interpretation of the subject.

Jonesy

I have read this post a couple of times, and I am confused. Have you just decided to do an IR entry? It almost sounds like you think it must be IR.

Greg B wrote:We have until 7pm on Sunday, that is almost a whole further weekend to shoot!

MHD - Correct me if I am wrong....

Greg,

Make sure you have your image UPLOADED by 7pm Sunday, not just captured.

Would hate for you to miss out becouse you didn't upload the image in time.
W00DY

Wow woody... that's a short frame of time to grab a shot...

I had a lot of fun taking the kids hiking to grab my shot... don't touch that... don't do that... get away from the edge... please stop playing with the clamps on my tripod... just wait.. daddy is busy.... if you're good i'll buy you an icecream....

the things you do to get a shot...

xerubus wrote:Wow woody... that's a short frame of time to grab a shot...

I had a lot of fun taking the kids hiking to grab my shot... don't touch that... don't do that... get away from the edge... please stop playing with the clamps on my tripod... just wait.. daddy is busy.... if you're good i'll buy you an icecream....

the things you do to get a shot...

Yep I know what you mean. Especially the "if you're good i'll buy you an icecream", I use that all the time with my 2 year old.

We just have a full weekend that's all... Birddogs on Saturday and then up the coast on Sunday (Sounds like I will be near water but I won't).

Anyway, let's see what I can pull off in only 3 hours.

W00DY

W00DY wrote:
MHD - Correct me if I am wrong....

Greg,

Make sure you have your image UPLOADED by 7pm Sunday, not just captured.

Would hate for you to miss out becouse you didn't upload the image in time.
W00DY

Thanks Woody. I am onto it - already have two possibles from last weekend - leaving options open to have another go this weekend coming.

And yes, will upload well before 7pm 31/10

This contest is excellent - it really helps to have a structure/purpose, I have taken a number of photos beyond the theme as well because I was out and about with imaging in my mind.

Exactly right !

Any images uploaded after 7pm sunday will be deleted!

I will be driving back from sydney that afternoon so you will still physically be able to upload it just will not do you any good!

some time overnight I will hide the album to everyone except those people who have a username starting with d70 or D70 and are logged in and then I will turn on voting!

I'm planing to take my pic in sydney... There is a spot at my old local beach I think would work well!

Greg

I would like to try IR one day but at this stage I don't know how. So the shot that I've uploaded is the final one for me.

I thought that I had to take pictures in NEF in order to do IR and this one was just JPEG.

Looking forward to seeing everyones shots. Some nice sunny weather today to get some good beach shots for those that are taking that angle.

Cheers

MHD wrote:
I'm planing to take my pic in sydney... There is a spot at my old local beach I think would work well!

Tell me, tell me so I can steal your idea

Only Joking I have a little spot picked out which is only about .... oops almost said to much

W00DY

ajo43 wrote:Greg

I would like to try IR one day but at this stage I don't know how. So the shot that I've uploaded is the final one for me.

I thought that I had to take pictures in NEF in order to do IR and this one was just JPEG.

Looking forward to seeing everyones shots. Some nice sunny weather today to get some good beach shots for those that are taking that angle.

Cheers

No you can shoot IR in JPEG

You just need the filter... There is a fliter that goes over the CCD which dramatically reduces its sensitivity to IR (otherwise thats all you would get) so you put a filter over the lens that stops the visible... It adds about 10 stops to you lens so you have loooooong shutter times... But yes it is better to shoot NEF so you can combine the channels your self rather that fudging the WB later

Greg ....

http://www.gimpguru.org/Tutorials/SimulatedInfrared/

Tutorial on doing infrared... very easy to follow and I'm sure it would be the same procedure in photoshop ....