DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries

 
You are viewing 1st place.
2nd
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
Mild Winter
1st PlaceMild Winter
shamer


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Free Study 2012-02 (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Pentax K7
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM for Pentax
Location: Just outside of Munising, MI
Date: Feb 15, 2012
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 4-25
Galleries: Water, High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Date Uploaded: Feb 16, 2012

 Lake Superior shoreline.


---------------

Wow! What an incredible surprise - I was guessing by the great entries in this challenge that even my 7+ score wouldn't get me in the top 10, but as I casually floated by the site this morning to check the results I was stunned to see that I received not only a ribbon, but my first blue one :) Thank you so much!

Here's the skinny:

3 captures for HDR with a focal length of 10mm and a 9 stop ND filter attached for exposure times of 4, 10 & 25 seconds.

Camera was actually slung upside from a Manfrotto tripod, stuck into an opening in the ice and live view used for framing. Here's the set-up pic I took on my phone:



Post processing was HDR processing first to combine the images, then various adjustment layers to make each color area really pop (curves, selective color, dodge/burn layer for trouble areas & to bring out cloud detail, and possibly a little sharpening layer, too, IIRC). May have straightened the horizon with a bit of rotation then resized for submission.

If I had known I was going to submit AND that I'd actually win (ha ha!) I would have spent more time cleaning this image up, there are so many areas that bother me....

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 296
Avg (all users): 7.1788
Avg (commenters): 8.7647
Avg (participants): 7.1182
Avg (non-participants): 7.3415
Views since voting: 5161
Views during voting: 337
Votes: 151
Comments: 50
Favorites: 16 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 03/14/2012 07:21:20 AM
Gorgeous! I applaud you!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/10/2012 08:02:45 PM
Congrats on the blue....love the setup shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/10/2012 01:40:47 PM
Had to re-check if I had your entries in your profile sorted by date :). What a comeback! Gorgeous image, I love it - must look even richer in a large format. Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:32:25 PM
Nice, Congrats
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 04:41:48 PM
One of my favorite shots from the bunch! Congrats on the ribbon. Very well deserved. And after seeing the set up... OH MY! I would have been too scared to put my camera in such a position! lol
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 02:29:47 PM
congrats on your first Blue, and in a Free Study, no less! Beautiful shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 01:00:31 PM
My first gut instinct said this was probably near pictured rocks. It looks just like one of the many little inlets along the shoreline. If you ever head back up there and wouldn't mind some company, I'd love to meet up and visit some hidden spots - as you seem to know where the picturesque areas are. Besides, motorcycle season is just about here and I wanted to do a photo tour in the UP this spring. :-) Oh, and of course, congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 11:19:40 AM
Wow!This is an amazing image!The 8 second exposure makes the water so soft, and the contrast against the razor sharpness of the ice, is just fantastic. Makes me want to go take pictures.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 11:19:05 AM
Fantastic.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 11:18:47 AM
Haven't seen you here in a while. Welcome back! Who would have thought of MI having a mild winter? Gorgeous capture. Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 11:13:39 AM
Absolutely stunning image. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 09:50:37 AM
WTG!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 09:49:24 AM
Really amazing. WOW Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 09:01:02 AM
a viking Space Odyssey.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:59:18 AM
Beautiful shot, congratulations on the blue! It looks like a scene from a pixar movie!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:36:57 AM
ha! Not surprised by this stunner at all Shawn =) Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:24:04 AM
Beauty, congrats on the ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:23:35 AM
I still see trouble but it is an amazing shot. Wow! Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:21:55 AM
Congrats on your first Blue, and in a Free Study yet! This was one of my top picks for the month. Nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 08:11:52 AM
Congrats! Well done and beautiful image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 05:32:41 AM
Congratulations,a superb winner.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 05:20:42 AM
a fantastic image. congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 02:55:43 AM
Yes, this definitely has the look of a winner. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 02:34:06 AM
Congratz on the Blue. As I said in my comment during voting....very beautiful and it reminds me of those "YES" album covers of the 70's by artist Roger Dean.
google search: yes album cover

//www.rogerdean.com/

Message edited by langdon - long.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 01:50:31 AM
Not a surprise win, glorious.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 01:43:23 AM
congrats.. thanks for sharing the view.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 01:40:45 AM
A W E S O M E FROM SHEZ
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 01:05:05 AM
Its rare indeed that my top scored image is also the top scoring image in the challenge as a whole. I am glad that this time that is the case, because this image is marvelous and deserves it. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 01:03:12 AM
Congratulations! Fantastic image - looks like the location for a tale of fantasy.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 12:04:57 AM
Incredible depth. Well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2012 12:03:01 AM
Fabulous image, wd on a pinnacle result.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
03/07/2012 03:52:11 PM
Surreal
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2012 02:47:32 PM
I love the colors in this unusual (to me) winter seascape and the clarity is excellent. The composition which I initially found too divided in half has grown on me. One of my top scorers.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2012 01:40:09 AM
Fantastic! The formation on the right looks like a man's profile, with frozen drippy nose. It's hard to imagine such a scene being being a depiction of mildness, but I suppose everything is relative.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2012 02:17:22 PM
amazing effect
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2012 01:48:59 AM
Simply amazing colors. Crisp and sharp. Fantastic photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/05/2012 02:06:36 PM
Wow! What cool coloring going on here.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/05/2012 12:08:49 PM
very cool!! 10 and a fav! :-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2012 10:53:46 PM
It is amazing...a great shot that deserve ribbon 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2012 10:23:37 AM
What a superb shot,I just love it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2012 04:18:40 AM
Superb work !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2012 02:24:37 PM
Wow. Amazing. Beautiful. Stunning. Need I go on?
I absolutely LOVE this shot. I would love to have it hanging in my house... I would love to be able to shoot it. The colors are wonderful, the detail is magnificent. It's a brilliant shot! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2012 01:47:07 PM
Wonderful colors the frozen ice gives great effect nice and sharpness good depth of field lovely processing ..Well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 04:41:23 PM
the colors in this shot are amazing! great job
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 12:45:44 PM
they don't look too happy:(
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 09:55:24 AM
That's an interesting perspective. I like the colours.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 08:17:02 AM
So soft and mystic. ;)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 07:14:41 AM
Very beautiful. Somehow reminds me of the old YES album covers from the 70's. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 12:32:39 AM
How bizarre and wonderful. A fusion between tropical paradise and frozen wasteland...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2012 12:17:02 AM
Pretty sure this is the winner, even though I haven't seen all the photos yet, it just has the look!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/23/2024 03:43:10 AM EDT.