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This is the place to submit and vote on photos for the week of 15 August to be featured on the main site. This contest should showcase your best quality work, demonstrating at least moderate skill with a camera and a general understanding of the artistic aspects of photography. Remember, the selected photo will be displayed on our main site header for a week. Submit something that you and the members of our site will want to look at and admire for seven days! (If you have questions about whether your photo qualifies, feel free to join our chat and post the picture there for preliminary review, as well as critiques if you so desire.)

.: Voting Closes on Aug 14th at 11:59pm EDT (UTC-4) :.

Submissions may be added any day of the week until voting closes. The winning image (with the highest votes) as of the close of voting will be exhibited on the main site.

Last week's thread
Winners Hall of Fame

Submitter Rules:

  • Limit one photo per person per week.
  • Include a title for the image
  • A specific photo may be submitted at most two weeks in a row
  • A specific photo may not be submitted more than four times a year.
  • Keep all images appropriate, we want this site to be work safe.
  • Do not submit any photo if you are currently featured.
  • Images must be 375 x 210 px.
  • Do not use this forum as a means to get critiques!
  • Showcase your best works!

This contest is for the community to choose what they LIKE, with the most liked being displayed on the main site header for a week. In recent weeks, this simple submit and vote thread has become much more competitive than it really needs to be. It has also become grounds for photo critiques, which is not the intention. As such, we are adding a few additional rules when it comes to voting as well as submissions.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO DOWNVOTING

Voting Rules:

  • Up votes only!
  • Only vote up the images you like...ignore those you do not.
  • DO NOT use this forum as a place for image critique. Use chat for that (you'll get far better feedback)!
  • DO NOT vote down your competitors! UP VOTES ONLY! Don't like, don't vote.
  • DO NOT vote if an image is improperly sized...simply write a comment noting the discrepancy, and allow the submitter to correct.

General Tips:

We know the image format is an odd one, and not particularly well suited to displaying your artwork. As such, we encourage you to include a link to a larger version of your image. You may host your work on sites such as Flickr, 1x.com, 500px.com, RedBubble.com, etc. to showcase larger versions.

You should include a title, something that concisely explains the image, the emotion behind them, etc. In addition to a title, voters also generally like to see additional artist comments about the image, explanation of gear and exposure settings, etc. Feel free to describe your image in addition to a title.

(NOTE: We are strongly discouraging the use of down votes. If, for some reason, a submitter is openly violating the rules and is not open to correcting their image...for example an incorrect size or improper orientation...then moderators may choose to delete such entries. Such entries are the only entries that should be down voted, if it comes to that. Please refrain from down voting such images until the last days of the contest. If we continue to see down votes on qualifying submissions, we may institute a policy that only takes into account up votes as seen when showing total up/down votes (requires 1000 rep). If we do end up having to ignore down votes, that may result in a different winner than would normally be expected, as the winner taking into account up and down votes may not have as many votes as the winner only taking into account up votes. We would much prefer not to do this, and are hoping our community can demonstrate enough honor and dignity to follow the rules.)

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13 Answers 13

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Jolly Beach

Jolly Beach

27mm @ f/10 - Post processed with Nik Color Effex & Adobe Lightroom. Hand held in a few feet of water. Larger here.

Feel free to comment, critique, etc here or in chat :)

Original version that was noted as "tilted" here.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The horizon is slightly (say about 2px) tilted to the left I think... or its just me? :( \$\endgroup\$
    – fahad.hasan
    Aug 9, 2011 at 15:29
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    \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the comment. I checked and it looks like it is just a bit of an eye trick. I drew some horizontal lines for reference in this version - i.imgur.com/QXili.png \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 9, 2011 at 16:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ Interesting -- I saw the same thing. Is it better to have the horizon perceived level or actually level? Too subjective for a "real" question, I think. \$\endgroup\$
    – D. Lambert
    Aug 10, 2011 at 16:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DLambert Assuming the perception is consistent, then perceived I would think. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 10, 2011 at 23:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ I've been struggling with this question myself, lately. I've been going for absolute level, but it's often coming out perceptively off... which irks me. My OCD says it's technically right but looks wrong. Gah! :) \$\endgroup\$
    – jaxxon
    Aug 11, 2011 at 21:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ The applied effect makes the picture loses a bit of naturalness. The mountains are very dark, and the clouds very smothed. \$\endgroup\$
    – pacoespinoza
    Aug 12, 2011 at 16:23
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    \$\begingroup\$ @pacoespinoza - I agree! I wanted a more dreamy look, the location is pretty much out of a dream already, but I think this gave the effect to the image as well. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 12, 2011 at 17:35
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    \$\begingroup\$ If you're going for 'dreamy' on this picture, I think the effect is exactly that. And it works well, +1. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 12, 2011 at 22:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ I enlisted a bit of lens correction, and tilted 'her to the right a few px. Comparison i.stack.imgur.com/B3nkC.jpg and i.imgur.com/xA5Vb.jpg Should I replace? Vote me up a few and I will replace it. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 13, 2011 at 15:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ @dpollitt - Btw, is this processed through the 'Orton effect'- asked about in a recent question? It looks like it. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 13, 2011 at 18:17
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A perfect model

enter image description here

Larger version in Flickr

With a swam of bees flying around me and after a lot of tries and with a lot of patience I met this result, using the macro function of my Canon SX20 IS and to one centimeter of the bee model.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Nice. Do you have a larger version? \$\endgroup\$
    – Jakub Sisak GeoGraphics
    Aug 9, 2011 at 13:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yep, I have added it... \$\endgroup\$
    – pacoespinoza
    Aug 9, 2011 at 13:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ Is that a cup, bowl... ? \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 9, 2011 at 16:08
  • \$\begingroup\$ is a cistern of 200 liters of water... \$\endgroup\$
    – pacoespinoza
    Aug 9, 2011 at 16:38
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    \$\begingroup\$ +0.75 for the photo, +0.25 for coining the word 'dotation'. \$\endgroup\$
    – ElendilTheTall
    Aug 9, 2011 at 17:05
  • \$\begingroup\$ jejeje... sorry for the new word 'dotation', I don't speak english... endowment is the correct word? \$\endgroup\$
    – pacoespinoza
    Aug 9, 2011 at 17:31
  • \$\begingroup\$ "Dotation" is a real English word; it's just very obscure. OED says "The action of endowing; endowment", so I can see why you went with that next. That wouldn't be the normal choice of an native speaker, I don't think. In English, patience isn't usually considered something that we give or spend (or therefore endow) — it's something we have, or practice, or are given (by God, in the usual idiom). Probably one would normally say just "after a lot of tries and with a lot of patience", unless one was being poetic, in which case I vote for "dotation" after all. \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Aug 10, 2011 at 2:13
  • \$\begingroup\$ This totally off-topic, but now I'm curious. In English, patience is basically a property of a person — you can have a lot of it, but you don't do anything with it. It's like a layer of armor which protects you from getting bored. When you're at your limit for something, your patience "wears thin", and you might "run out of patience" or lose it altogether, getting angry. Or you might "summon some more patience" from your reserves (or, pray for more). Is it this way in Spanish, too, or is, as your sentence implies, something you can actually actively use? \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Aug 10, 2011 at 3:40
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    \$\begingroup\$ Great shot, but we have had so many bugs and or macro shots here. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 12, 2011 at 15:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ here where?, upload a good photo of another category. Personally, I'm fan of this kind of pictures. \$\endgroup\$
    – pacoespinoza
    Aug 12, 2011 at 16:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ @dpollitt: in the hall of fame there's a very different bee image three weeks ago, but that's the only other "bug" shot. I don't think there's been an overwhelming history of macro shots winning here. \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Aug 13, 2011 at 13:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mattdm - I'm a pretty new user, so I just have the past two months in my mind or so, and from the hall of fame I see a green macro water shot, bees, water drop, and colored pencils. Not saying this shot isn't awesome, but I like some of the older landscape shots! \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 13, 2011 at 15:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ @dpollitt - its been a pretty recent macro trend - I think its just been a function of the talent of the photographers that have been consistently submitting as of late. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 13, 2011 at 18:12
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Thunderstorm

enter image description here

Larger Version

Playing with flash and aperture during a mid-day thunderstorm last week.
Canon EOS 60D, Canon EF50mm f/1.4 USM, 1/160, f/1.8, ISO 400, Flash

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    \$\begingroup\$ Super cool shot! \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Aug 9, 2011 at 16:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ thank you @dpollitt.. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jakub Sisak GeoGraphics
    Aug 9, 2011 at 20:06
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    \$\begingroup\$ Oooh.. I like this one. It's fairly abstract! ;-) \$\endgroup\$
    – jaxxon
    Aug 11, 2011 at 21:38
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    \$\begingroup\$ "fairly abstract" i like that. @DiAlex suggested I turn the image upside down. Too late now but it does look better up side down. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jakub Sisak GeoGraphics
    Aug 11, 2011 at 22:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ Is it wrong that I just turned my laptop upside down to check...lol. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 13, 2011 at 18:15
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Curves

enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Very nice forms and composition! \$\endgroup\$
    – jaxxon
    Aug 11, 2011 at 21:40
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Beach Colors

photo

Taken at f/7.1 @1/800 with a Sony-H2. It was a sunny day and the contrast of the saturated blue sky with the bright sand caught my eye. Bigger size available at my flickr page.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Like the colors and composition. I'd try to make it a little bit stronger by saturating the colors. \$\endgroup\$
    – ysap
    Aug 12, 2011 at 8:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ I usually increase the saturation/vibrance but nowadays a try to be more restrained, so the photos don't look too much photoshop'ed. But your right, it's a summer photo it could use some more sat. Thx for the tip! :) \$\endgroup\$
    – dialex
    Aug 12, 2011 at 10:07
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DAMN!! Who took my flower??!!

enter image description here

Larger version HERE

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  • \$\begingroup\$ -1? Com'on that's a good picture! :D And read the rules too! \$\endgroup\$
    – fahad.hasan
    Aug 9, 2011 at 8:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ Ya, we've got a few rogue negative givers, but its been severely toned down and tends to only happen at the very start. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 9, 2011 at 14:45
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    \$\begingroup\$ I think the rules posted on the top of this thread should be scaled down a little bit. Its too long to read for most of the people I guess. But yes, I agree, recently the tendency has been toned down heavily. \$\endgroup\$
    – fahad.hasan
    Aug 9, 2011 at 15:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ The intention several weeks ago was to make it long and different enough to make people notice that there was something different enough about it to make you stop and notice the new 'rules'. We can probably scale it back a bit now. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 9, 2011 at 15:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ Can you use color to help emphasize new rules? \$\endgroup\$
    – jaxxon
    Aug 11, 2011 at 21:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Jaxxon - I don't believe you can use color in any SE posts...at least not that I'm aware of (and I've looked). I'd love for somebody to suggest/prove otherwise though. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 12, 2011 at 22:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ And I just tried an html font tag with a color attribute, it just gets ignored. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 12, 2011 at 22:47
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Summer in Rome

enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What did you "want to" show with this picture? Summer doesn't appear to be there. \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 11, 2011 at 1:37
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    \$\begingroup\$ That's (one of the) points. Summer in Rome could make think to sunny views of the Colosseo or of Saint Peter's. Instead, there is a lonely flower on an empty, dirty sidewalk (the photo was really shot during summer in rome, otherwise it would be a lie :), and in particular I was in front of the Colosseo ). The other point is trying to play with colours, geometric lines and composition. I suppose that if I have to explain, I wasn't successful :-) \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Aug 11, 2011 at 6:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ In that case I think, you have chosen a wrong title, I would have titled it Lying to be troddened. Besides, the pic is underexposed. The subject (flower) is lacking all details and doesn't appear to be of prime importance (because of its tiny size in the pic). \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 11, 2011 at 7:07
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    \$\begingroup\$ Btw, according to my eyes and histograms the pic is not so badly exposed :) I see that you don't like it, hope to do better next time ;) The title lying to be troddened is not what I wanted to convey. The flower is not awaiting for its end. It's just that summer in Rome (or in any other place) can be, as we know, hot, sunny and joyful but it can also be tiring and lonely and that flower to me simbolized this (details have disappeared due to the size, it's a real challenge for me to frame a picture which works in the banner size). \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Aug 11, 2011 at 7:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ "The title lying to be troddened is not what I wanted to convey"I know that, by suggesting that title I meant to tell you what the picture was telling me. :D \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 11, 2011 at 7:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ I really like this one. The composition is great. The lines/forms/shapes. Even the stark contrast of delicate blossom vs. hard-edge concrete. And the challenging title even adds something. +1 all the way! \$\endgroup\$
    – jaxxon
    Aug 11, 2011 at 21:48
  • \$\begingroup\$ thanks @jaxxon it's a very nice compliment and I am glad that you appreciated my search for the contrast. \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Aug 12, 2011 at 11:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Anisha: Simply posting a picture to the PotW thread is not an invitation from the photographer to post criticism. Please re-read the voting rules: "DO NOT use this forum as a place for image critique." This is not the appropriate place to be providing feedback to photographers. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jay Lance Photography
    Aug 12, 2011 at 16:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Jay I did read the rules, but didn't understand that we are simply not allowed to talk about the picture in any way. Be assured, I won't repeat this again. \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 13, 2011 at 1:40
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Owl in Patagonia

enter image description here

Took this one on the Torres Del Paine national park, Patagonia, Chile, in 2003.

The owl stood still for a few seconds, with a serious look on its face. I took two shots with my AE-1, and it flew away. As far as I know, this species is rarely seen in daytime.

Flickr

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Owl has got mixed up with the background. \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 10, 2011 at 16:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Anisha what do you mean? \$\endgroup\$
    – Adam Matan
    Aug 10, 2011 at 22:24
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    \$\begingroup\$ the owl need more space over his head maybe... some of sky... \$\endgroup\$
    – pacoespinoza
    Aug 10, 2011 at 23:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ Because of the coloured dark background, the owl is not appearing strikingly different. The background and the owl both are competing for my attention. \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 11, 2011 at 0:45
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    \$\begingroup\$ +1 - I like it enough to vote it up :) For me, I think the subject isolation is fine, but my biggest problem is that the arrow points to nothing and my eyes keep trying to follow the arrow. \$\endgroup\$
    – rfusca
    Aug 11, 2011 at 1:25
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ @Anisha: Simply posting a picture to the PotW thread is not an invitation from the photographer to post criticism. Please re-read the voting rules: "DO NOT use this forum as a place for image critique." This is not the appropriate place to be providing feedback to photographers. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jay Lance Photography
    Aug 12, 2011 at 16:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Jay I did read the rules, but didn't understand that we are simply not allowed to talk about the picture in any way. Be assured, I won't repeat this again. \$\endgroup\$
    – Aquarius_Girl
    Aug 13, 2011 at 1:39
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Jumping for Joy

enter image description here

Original posted here

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Mountain at sunrise

enter image description here

Full version

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Buy me three times

http://i.imgur.com/4fHDF.jpg

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    \$\begingroup\$ to the downvoter: please read the rules. "Up votes only" and "Don't like, don't vote". \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Aug 10, 2011 at 3:57
3
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Rain Water on Grass

enter image description here

Taken with Canon Rebel T3 and Canon 100mm Macro Lens

Relevant video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbpTRMUOGfQ

Full size image

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Water table

enter image description here

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