I AM
by RianBotes

Comment:
All said already. Congrats on the great finish. There is more to the mountains than the landscape photography and you captured the local spirit well. That is good - beautiful!

Solstice Omen
by Alex_Petrini

Comment:
Superb shot and amazing score. Well done Alex. You certainly are on a roll lately, must have been all the birthday wishes recently! Keep it up

The Rock Pond
by Ammie

Comment:
Well done Amanda! Nice to get a ribbon as a holiday present

My corner of freedom
by Alex_Petrini

Comment:
Lovely Alex. Has that care free feel to it even with the model wearing a jacket... maybe more so because of the jacket.
Well done on a great finish!

H2O Hydrogen 63% Oxygen 25.5%
by HarveyG

Comment:
Very natural body of water Harvey but I'm sure you were expecting it to get hammered. Brave man LOL

Balance
by RianBotes

Comment:
Nice Rian well done. A 6th place and now a 5th place. Your mojo is working.
I might have tried to clone out those distant power lines on the right but it didn't really detract from the image so not a big point.
Congrats again on a Top 5

Autumn Berries
by MaryO

Comment:
Nice finish Mary. Congrats!

Money's Too Tight To Mention
by HarveyG

Comment:
Well done on beating me by 1 place Harvey - you have made me even more wound up now!!!
Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Sunset Strike
by HarveyG

Comment:
Not bad Harvey as a first try. Yes standing on one of the highest points around with a big thunder storm passing by is a thing to experience but not always standing next to a camera on a tripod making that metal contact point even higher... :-)
If you think that was bad - try being in the middle of a storm passing over the Drakensberg on the escarpment... lightning isn't your only worry then but being blown off the edge!

I'm sure Rian gave you some technical tips but I'm surprised to see ISO of 400. I would have gone ISO 100 and achieved a shutter duration 4 times longer than your 2 seconds = 8 seconds making it easier to capture more strikes.
You mention shake etc - perhaps your tripod couldn't handle the 8 second exposure in those winds? Did you try weighing it down with a heavy bag / rocks?
Timer or remote shutter release also helps.

Don't give up - try again but keep safe!

Sting Of The Midnight Snack
by RianBotes

Comment:
Eina! What did you have to pay him?
I suggested this set up to my TPL team mates but no one did it. Strange how another South African did it though...