5 of the best - A showcase

[Ordo]

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[mtngal]

Choosing just 5 turned out to be just as hard as I had expected. Choosing the first three was easy, but deciding on the last two is much harder. I didn't want them all the same (I could easily post 5 very good pictures of Antelope Canyon, but that's not the point of this thread at all). I hate making decisions at the best of time - the last one was almost a coin toss.

Antelope Canyon:



Lily planted in front of a parking structure:



Raindrops on a spiderweb:



Those were the three I knew from the beginning I would post.

The last two were difficult - there's any number I could easily choose. Do I pick one of my favorites taken in Yellowstone, one that's almost exactly like one that's been photographed and published over and over? Answer - no, choose something else.

Sedona at Sunset:



I've gone back and forth with this last choice. I was going to post one of my architecture pictures (I have several good ones), but each time I put one into this thread, I decided a different one was better. I finally decided to give up and not choose any of them. That left me to choose one of my other landscape pictures - and I've gone back and forth with a bunch of them.

In the end, I decided to post one that isn't exactly a classic, perfect picture (it has some significant faults). However, it's one of the best I've taken that truly captures the feeling of a place, it puts you right where I was standing, lets you feel what I was feeling. Only difference is that you don't have to dry your monitor, like I had to dry my camera and lens. Besides, it brought a smile to my face when I saw it and I like a little humor in my pictures.



Tomorrow I'll probably think my last choice was crazy, and how could I have chosen it. But it's after my bedtime, I really need to quit dithering about it and just hit submit. So these are my choices tonight.

[Hawgwild]

Wow! And you were hesitant about doing this! All these are spectacular, and I like the last, it's different...

[penolta]

I'd prefer all birds and bugs, but I chose for variety with these.

(IMO pictures look better on a dark background - if you are new since the change of Forum software and are using the newer default light theme, try choosing the original "dark theme" from the box at the bottom left of this page, and see how you like it - it is an instantaneous change and doesn't require reloading. I find the light background is particularly glary on a newer iMac screen, even at minimum brightness, and detracts measurably from the photos).


1. Early pressed glass cup plate (from my wife's collection)



2. Yellow rose



3. Here come da grub (Downy woodpecker and chick)



4. Here's looking at you (Giant Swallowtail, backlighted)



5. Where there's smoke (California burning)

[Dwayne Oakes]

Thanks for taking a look !

Take care,
Dwayne Oakes

[pboerger]

In the spirit of the thread, I tried to pick as diverse as possible. All are obvious except the two trucks. That's a sculpture from the Burning Man festival. There are some fine photographers here.

[mtngal]

This thread is turning out to be such great fun! Penolta - I love your woodpecker, it's my favorite, but the one of the brush fire smoke is very striking. Pboerger - think I recognize those jellyfish, one of the pictures I considered was of them (assuming they are the ones from the Monterey Aquarium).

Dwayne - I always love your pictures but I sure can't figure out how to get that effect. Yours look so beautiful while mine always just look soft, not dreamy like yours do.

One of the things that's impressive about this thread is the variety of talents portrayed here.

[penolta]

Originally Posted by mtngal

One of the things that's impressive about this thread is the variety of talents portrayed here.

Harriet, I think your Antelope Canyon HDR photos are among the very best to have been posted in the forums I have visited. This thread gives us, as intended, a look at some of those we haven't seen. More than the variety of talents, is the variety of subjects. It took me 5 hours to locate and pick out 20 photos and then select among those - I have got to get better organized, but I am now ready for the next three threads (if there are any)! I have more good photos of birds and bugs than anything else, but being forced to select only one from any one type of subject assures that each photo posted here is one of a kind!

[Mark1616]

Originally Posted by penolta

Harriet, I think your Antelope Canyon HDR photos are among the very best to have been posted in the forums I have visited. This thread gives us, as intended, a look at some of those we haven't seen. More than the variety of talents, is the variety of subjects. It took me 5 hours to locate and pick out 20 photos and then select among those - I have got to get better organized, but I am now ready for the next three threads (if there are any)! I have more good photos of birds and bugs than anything else, but being forced to select only one from any one type of subject assures that each photo posted here is one of a kind!

I agree, one of my favorite photos of the past year.

Penolta, I'm glad you are enjoying this thread..... occasionally my brain comes up with something good, and yes planning to go for round 2 when we have some more participants. At least you know what you are posting, I will start from scratch again.

[simple]

ok im no expert but like to join the fun .

a robin gathering.... the reason i like this so much i was just walking in the woods and there he was , i just caught it in the corner of my eye he gave me time to get my camera out and take two shots then disapeared



blackpool beach..... my mother lives there i took this for her.



my son one of many photos



martial eagle ....



finally royston church just loved how the sky came out and the three crows



i dont know if these are my best but i do like them