Winners of BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

We had 35 entries for this very interesting event. It would seem that a lot of our members know what it is like to be between a rock and a hard place. Voting was heavy by the 28 confirmed guests. But this week we have clear winners.

FIRST PLACE by Deborah Binford Baker

Lonesome Pine

 

SECOND PLACE by Becky Griffin Stauffer

Erosion at Bryce Canyon

  

HONORABLE MENTION by Brian Crossland

Abandoned

BEST OF THEME
A Hard Place by Wester Potter

Deborah Binford-Baker picked the theme Between a Rock and a Hard Place and had this to say about her pick for Best of Theme:

It was a hard choice (HA HA) but my choice for best of theme is not only to do with the picture, but the photographer. I always said my sister got all the talent and with much urging from her I started to do more with my photographs now not only I'm I competing with her but my husband now as well. So my picks are a between "Three Sisters Marching Across Arches" and "Fishin' off the Rocks". This choice putting me between and rock and a hard place, I took the safe route and chose "A Hard Place."

Deborah's other two considerations are included below as runner's up for Best of Theme and for the sake of family unity and peace. We are after all heading to Moab in the spring: Three cameras in a Rubicon Jeep. Truly between a rock and a hard space. J. Binford-Bell

Fishin' Off the Rocks by J. Alan Baker

Three Sisters Marching Across Arches by J. Binford-Bell

Wheels and Things That Go Round

Congratulations to another batch of winners in our weekly contest. Once again the submissions were beautiful and interesting, making the voting very difficult. Thanks to all who participated. We, the Admins, hope you are all enjoying these contests as much as we are. Here are this week's winners:

First Place:
'Let Me Off' - David Issel

Tied Second Place:
'Dilapidated Wagon Wheel' - Eagle Finegan

'Millstone In Field' - Val Juneman

Tied Honorable Mentions:
'Big Wheels' - Deborah Binford Baker

'Windmill Near Esmond' - Donna Palmlund

Best Of Theme:
'Women On Harleys' - Wester Potter

This week's best of theme was selected by Becky Stauffer (yours truly). I didn't realize how hard it would be to make this choice. And before I explain why I chose this photo, I'd like to recognize Bob McLaughlin for the most original interpretation of the theme with his home run baseball stars--good one, Bob!

I picked Wester's photo because something about it grabbed me and made me go back again multiple times for another look. I liked that the photo itself was an artistic shot of a piece of art. I liked that the sculpture in the photo was intriguing and somewhat mysterious: Who is that woman, why is she on a Harley, and in a skirt, stopping for a smoke? I know the Harley is the topic of the sculpture, but when you look at it, you have to wonder if the woman is ornamental to the bike or the other way around. I think this photo is at first just about the wheels and then upon further examination it is about so much more.

THE CLASSICS – that old Kodak moment

This was a popular event with 50 photos entered.  It was a lot of fun not only to view the interesting old photos, but to read the stories behind each of them.  We may have to bring this extra event back again sometime in the future.  The voting gave us a tie for third place and honorable mention, and we have decided to include all of them here.

Congratulations to all our winners, and thanks to everyone for sharing your photos and memories.

FIRST PLACE: Shers Gallagher, Grapes of Gallagher Brothers

SECOND PLACE: Ron Shook, Ruth and Outlaw Frank James

TIE THIRD PLACE: Ludmila Kalmaeva, Me & Sasha

TIE THIRD PLACE: Shers Gallagher, Shers' Irish-American Mother

HONORABLE MENTION: Kip Kennedy, Feeding Chickens on the Farm

HONORABLE MENTION: Kip Kennedy, Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'

BEST OF THEME: Barbara Lake, RAF Chang Grammar School--Singapore

The administrators chose this event's Best of Theme - a special event apart from our regular contests with motif selected by administrators - as a wonderful example of that old Brownie moment.  Shers did the honors explaining our choice:

'The Classics' has been an enjoyable theme, causing many of us to dig into forgotten boxes and dust off old memories. Most enchanting is Barbara (Bee) Lake's shot, being so far away from home as we know it and posing so adorably coquettish with classmates at a Singapore grammar school. The scene brings home Jane Howard's pithy but true quote: "Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

EXTRAORDINARY / ORDINARY

This week's theme was EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY, Everyday objects with photos taken artistically, or from a "different" angle.  It was fun to see how each person interpreted the theme in the photos they submitted.

We had a three-way tie for first place in this week's voting, requiring a run-off vote. Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone for the fascinating and delightful entries.

FIRST PLACE: Deborah Binford Baker, Mystic Waters

SECOND PLACE: Brian Crossland, Monster

THIRD PLACE: Monica Griffey, Reflected Light

HONORABLE MENTION: Catherine Sweet P, Wild Flowers In Fall

BEST OF THEME: Brian Crossland, Hic!

Best of theme winner was selected by Monica Griffey. She tells us:

I want to start by saying that I am so amazed by all of your creative photos. I'm in awe of the talent that each of you holds!!

I select "Hic!". To me it is an artistic, "out of the box" photo using the every day glass to filter your photo creating a fun kaleidoscope. Very creative and exactly what was in my head.

Well done one and all!!!

Winners of Take a Closer Look

Once again there were some amazing photos posted to Picture Picks on Facebook making voting a challenge. Congratulations to our all our winners. And Good Show to everyone that participated.

 

FIRST PLACE - No Sign of Struggle by Becky Griffin Stauffer

The snow print of a raptor catching a warm meal

SECOND PLACE - Honey Bee Makes Stop by Stephen Prendergast

FIRST HONORABLE MENTION - Taken at the Botanical Gardens by Deborah Binford Baker

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION - Fine Crystal by Monica Griffey

BEST OF THEME/PHOTOGRAPHER'S CHOICE

Dog's Nose with Sand by Eagle Finegan

Deborah Binford-Baker, winner of Quirks and Oddities, picked the theme of Take a Closer Look and so picked Best of Theme. She had this to say about her choice:

We are so busy sometimes in life that we miss the amazing beauty that is there right under our noses. It was a hard pick but I like this one. Taking macro pictures or a part of something bigger makes us more observant in life, plus on a long hike makes for a lot of catching your breath shots.

The Classics - Remembering those old Kodak moments

Just for fun, the administrators of Picture Picks have decided to add another event to run concurrently with our regular contests, but this time with a twist. This is all about old photos.  Remember all those old Kodak photo opportunities? We even got dressed up in our Sunday best on those days when Dad brought out the Brownie camera! And Kodak had all these roadside pullovers too - called the 'Kodak photo opportunity'. I know that I've been placed before some grand landscapes in my time!

And I have a bunch of old family photos up in my trunk that I've been meaning to scan into my computer as digitalized images, but there never seems to be anything to push me to do it. In fact, I don't even have the new scanner installed yet, and it's been over a year! If you are in the same place, now is the time to revisit those old memories. If by chance you've lost those treasures because of flood, fire or hurricane, then Photoshop a new picture to mirror those memories.

Of course, for this event, we are waiving the rule that you have to be the photographer. And, for a little extra fun, you can submit THREE photos for this special event. However, please note the special rules for this event by visiting Picture Picks to check out this and all other posted events. THE CLASSICS, as we've chosen to call it, is running concurrently with our regular events. Of course, photos are still being posted till midnight Wednesday (-7 GMT) with voting beginning as usual on Thursday through Friday midnight for TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.

J. Binford-Bell, Administrator