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Blustery Winter
3rd PlaceBlustery Winter
giantmike


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Deep in the Heart of December (Expert Editing)
Camera: Canon EOS-50D
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Location: Paoli, WI
Date: Dec 23, 2012
Aperture: 3.2
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/1250 - 1/640
Galleries: Nature, High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Date Uploaded: Dec 23, 2012

 Got up one morning earlier than normal (actually, my son got me up) and headed out before the sun rose. As I was driving, the sun began to peak above the horizon and I was in an area that had many rivers, bridges, fields, and just general beauty. Add on the layer of major snow we got a few days earlier and you have a recipe for what I see as the definition of the heart of December.

Only thing I worry about this challenge is that it's expert editing. I think I would have a good chance to score well in an advanced editing challenge, but I think the expert tag on this is going to hurt me significantly.


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Wow, as you can see above, I really really cannot believe this ribboned. Especially when I thought it was only my third best photo of the morning. It was hard to pick one to use, but I used the technique of asking my wife and dad to look at them, and I watched their reactions. This made the choice......more difficult!

Eventually, the ducks won me over. They must be tough sons of guns to sit in 32F water and act like it's nothing. How their little webbed feet don't become popsicles is amazing.

This is a two image HDR (the three image didn't look natural), combined in Nik HDR Efex Pro, and with VERY little tweaking (slight saturation changes and chromatic aberration). If I would have done this from one image, it would actually have met the Basic editing ruleset.


Thank you all for your very kind votes, but especially your very kind comments!


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Oh, look. The participant voting average was more that the non-participant. Neat!

Statistics
Place: 3 out of 35
Avg (all users): 6.8828
Avg (commenters): 8.2857
Avg (participants): 6.9583
Avg (non-participants): 6.8654
Views since voting: 3089
Views during voting: 298
Votes: 128
Comments: 38
Favorites: 1 (view)

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AuthorThread
 01/07/2013 05:01:34 PM
Gorgeous shot - very pleasing to look at. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/07/2013 02:50:44 PM
This is such a beautiful picture, it captures the reason why I love winter perfectly. :)
And those ducks! awesome.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/07/2013 01:57:51 PM
Congtratulations ... what a stunning, stunning image.
I absolutely adore the colors.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/07/2013 10:45:17 AM
Wow, that´s a chilly one.Beautiful icy colours.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/07/2013 12:56:03 AM
fabulous lavender, admirable restraint.. congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/06/2013 07:15:00 PM
Superb. Kudos on the minimal editing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/06/2013 12:43:34 PM
Just getting back to my congratulations on this challenge, Mike. This was definitely one of my top picks - it's stunning and definitely heart of December. Early usually pays - too bad I can't convince myself of that at 5 am. Congratulations on the ribbon.
eta I just looked back at my scores and see that this stood alone as my #2 choice : and I only had one #1 pick

Message edited by author 2013-01-06 12:49:15.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/06/2013 03:46:56 AM
Getting up earlier than normal was definitely worth it. A breathtaking landscape. Congrats on the ribbon! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/05/2013 08:43:34 PM
Ha...very nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/05/2013 12:20:00 PM
Congratulations!!! This was a 10 for me. You captured and evoked a peaceful feeling in the beautiful landscape with perfection.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 11:58:00 PM
Such a beautiful, tranquil setting - great capture. I love that you did this with minimal editing! Congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 08:47:11 PM
i like the overall image, some of it i love some not so much, but very lovely, im thinking it placed higher than i would have expected as well, so im not quite sure why, so congrats on the placing.. :O)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 02:29:21 PM
lovely - just as I remembered and felt it - the dawn, the pond, the ducks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 11:52:42 AM
Congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 08:46:26 AM
Congrats on the ribbon! Well deserved for such beauty.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 08:17:55 AM
Grats on the ribbon, Mike! See, you don't need to do Expert editing to do well in an Expert challenge. Very well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 07:44:07 AM
Lovely light, lovely scene! Congrats on the well deserved ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 06:35:01 AM
well done, congrats on the ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 06:19:01 AM
Great details and warmth, Mike. You were wrong about the ribbon, great shots win no matter what the rule set is!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 03:29:07 AM
Congratulations Mike on your ribbon, I really loved your entry and am happy to see it finish well. The pastel colors along with the subtle mist work fantastically well, I can feel winter just by looking at it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 03:11:15 AM
Originally posted by tanguera:
Congrats, Mike. Proof to everyone that expert challenge entiries don't require tons of tricks to do well.


I agree with Tanguera! Congrats for your ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 12:51:20 AM
Congrats, Mike. Proof to everyone that expert challenge entiries don't require tons of tricks to do well.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 12:48:05 AM
Worried about expert rules, huh? ;) Congrats on a beautiful image well deserving of a ribbon :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/04/2013 12:14:13 AM
Just stunning Mike, you PP this just perfectly, the reflections the look of the icy water the tones, like a painting well done on a deserved ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/03/2013 11:59:04 PM
This is gorgeous. I hope it gets you a ribbon. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/03/2013 09:34:22 PM
So gorgeous, love the reflections, one of my faves in this challenge, really love this, bump to a 10. All the best!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/03/2013 11:31:11 AM
Nice light touch with the color, interesting details here and there, but overall not much WOW factor. A good snapshot quality image. I might have played with the highlight/shadow controls a little or maybe a little more saturation would have helped.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/03/2013 12:13:57 AM
Lovely scene
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/02/2013 09:44:59 PM
Cold morning or evening in the dead of winter. Beautiful image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/01/2013 04:38:18 PM
Nice colors and reflections
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/01/2013 01:18:20 PM
Beautiful. I love the wintery colors and tones. The reflection is awesome. How in the world are those ducks in that water? Going to get hot chocolate now...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/01/2013 01:14:53 PM
Lovely and serene. Beautiful work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/31/2012 01:36:49 PM
this is a rare and truly beautiful shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/30/2012 12:52:44 AM
Very nice! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/29/2012 10:12:32 AM
Wonderful light - the birds in the water look COLD!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2012 08:52:01 PM
Picturesque and perfectly December!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2012 10:51:06 AM
Peacefull winter.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 12/28/2012 12:02:49 AM
Lovely tones
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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