No Words (or OMG!)
by zymara

Comment:
For the user who commented "hope this is legit", lol, I do have other shots from the breach sequence:

2 frames later: https://www.flickr.com/photos/111615580@N03/34751884153/in/album-72157670778449955/

And the splash: https://www.flickr.com/photos/111615580@N03/35174169930/in/album-72157670778449955/

Catching whale breaches is a huge challenge, and I've been whale-watching for 12 years. They don't do it all that often, sometimes they only do it once, and it happens really fast. They also don't always come all the way out of the water, you're not always on the right side of them for the best lighting, the water is not always glassy smooth, the background is sometimes not good, you're in a moving boat, etc. etc. My point is that I can't believe this photo (and experience) happened. :^)

Jump for Joy
by zymara

Comment:
Thanks for all the lovely comments and my first blue! Can't believe I've been here since the very first challenge, finally got a blue ribbon, yay!

This photo was taken in the Salish Sea, the waters between Washington state and British Columbia. This is a humpback whale calf affectionately known as "Poptart". His mother, known as BCX0324 "Big Mama", has been coming here for over a decade, bringing along several calves over the years who are also often seen in the area as they continue returning as adults.

smIMG_6008ps1200
by zymara

Comment:
Submitted right at the cutoff time, didn't have time to enter a good title, whoops!

Eventide
by Photologist

Comment:
Congrats, Les!! Didn't realize this was you at first with the name change, but thought it looked like your style. Way to go!!! :^)

My neighborhood, my land
by zane1

Comment:
I don't usually care for B&W, but it works really well here and the composition is good.

Mountain landscape
by Anabelle

Comment:
Nice shot, could use a little more contrast to make it pop.

Postcard from Seattle
by zymara

Comment:

Originally posted by PhilipDyer: Still interested in knowing where you were when you took this shot. I visited Seattle recently and was trying to find a good place to shoot the skyline and this is clearly an excellent location.

It was taken from Kerry Park on Queen Ann Hill (W. Highland Dr.). This was my first time visiting this spot, and I now understand why it is probably the most photographed viewpoint of Seattle. My photo only shows a small piece of this phenomenal view - I highly recommend visiting this location!

Message edited by author 2007-04-18 02:04:21.

Postcard from Seattle
by zymara

Comment:
I realize some folks knocked this down due to lack of originality. However, considering that I've only had a D-SLR camera for 2 months, I am THRILLED at being able to get this kind of shot. If people think it looks just like the pro shots, then I'm not complaining. This is just the beginning of my learning adventure. :^)

Thanks for all the great comments and scores.

Message edited by author 2007-04-18 00:30:38.

Getting Old is a HOOT
by JPR

Comment:
Beautiful image, congrats!!

A vacation trip to a back-to-nature destination
by zymara

Comment:
Holy Moly! I love this photo but I was only hoping for a Top 10, didn't expect it to place this high. This is my first D-SLR and I've only had it a month and a half!
Thanks for the ribbon and the comments! And thanks for the fun topic, Langdon!