The Accident
by Oz

Comment:
Very dramatic.

Long Neck
by sfalice

Comment:
Cool angle. Would not have realized that you took this with a fisheye lens, since you have done a good job of controlling a lot of the distortion. The peakaboo of the bridge adds a lot.

It's All In The Eyes
by IAmEliKatz

Comment:
Man, does he look pissed! Great work to get the eyes so sharply in focus with the shallow DOF.

Melancholy Baby
by Neil

Comment:
This feels like an old, hand-colored image. Especially with the hat, it gives it a very 1930s feel.

Sundown
by Jacko3d

Comment:
Cool clouds - somewhat ominous feel to this, despite the color.

Morning swim
by Abra

Comment:
Really well done. I like how the texture of the birds feathers harmonizes with the dappled surface of the water.

"MPOWR" - PAW 2012 - Week 08
by shutterpuppy

Comment:

Originally posted by tjbel05: Love the textures in this. Do you know what the letters stand for?

Not a clue. :)

"Patched" - PAW 2012 - Week 09
by shutterpuppy

Comment:

Originally posted by tjbel05: Nothing like some aged wood for a good subject matter. Is that bright spot in the middle your flash?

A tried and true subject matter. No flash - I sometimes get this vignetting with the Land 250 when I am very close to a subject like with this shot.

"Bundle of Sticks" - PAW 2012 - Week 07
by shutterpuppy

Comment:

Originally posted by Diamonds: I'm feeling a little dense this morning, as I'm not getting the message here, sorry. Can you explain more please? I'm looking around for a point of interest but there isn't one, so it must be some interesting thoughts behind the image, thanks, Michele

Okay, the most accurate and least pretentious answer is that I was in a weird mood when I came up with the name. Sometimes weird is good, other times its just weird. Many of the other abstracts I have taken for this side challenge I was drawn to because of some accidental resemblance to actual artist work, but this one I just like the loose, but chaotic, order of the pattern of the subject - which literally was a pile of sticks.

The more pretentious answer is that the "Social Contract" title was a oblique (as well as highly obscure and ultimately unsuccessful) play on the "pile"/"bundle" of sticks idea. I send a PM mea culpa to pamb as well as follows:

Originally posted by pretentious poseur: I was being a little (probably deliberately perversely) esoteric with the title. It was a (highly pretentious) nod to the philosopher John Locke, who is widely considered one of the key inspirations for the United States Constitution. One analogy that he uses was comparison of property rights to a "bundle of sticks." The image is part of a pile of tree branches (aka "sticks"). Locke's idea is sort of an idealized view of personal rights and the interactions of humans in society. My pile of sticks is messy with only a rough organization - more like real life, one might argue. I'm usually not that esoteric with my titles. And as a wise person once said, "If you have to explain the joke, it just ain't funny."

Week 7: Winter Calm, Pleasant Bay, Chatham
by Bear_Music

Comment:
I am really in love with your darker LB shots.This is such an elegant and haunting composiition.