Some visitors to this blog may recall that one of my favourite websites has become "Geograph" which receives and hosts thousands of "amateur" photographs which together make a pictorial jigsaw of Great Britain and Ireland. From time to time, I have added photos of my own, blissfully unaware that the moderators of this site have devised a sort of competition to find the "Geograph" picture of the year.
Every seven days a "Geograph of the week" is selected and I can hereby humbly and exclusively announce that one of my pictures was picked as the winner for Week 7, 2010. Whoa! Yabbadabbadoo! This was from 7,626 submissions! In making his selection, the judge said - "Wicken Fen is a favourite place of mine and this picture captures it superbly. Often it is the smallest detail that lifts a shot out of the ordinary and it is the reflections of the wind pump's sails in the lode that sold this one to me. The crisp composition is excellent." Here's the picture:-
I took it in mid-February when Shirley and I visited Ely and its surrounding fens. Frankly, I think I have taken better photographs in my time but I suppose it is well-composed and I remember shifting my feet ever so slightly to make sure I got that reflection in. My prize is an all-expenses paid holiday in a five star hotel in Bermuda. Only kidding! The winner simply gets to pick the "best" picture the following week and here's the one I picked by a Scottish gentleman (Jock). He called it "Beach at Lochbuie" which is on the Isle of Mull in Bonnie Scotland:-
Autographed copies of "Wind pump at Wicken Fen" can be purchased for only £42.50 from Yorkshire Pudding Enterprises Ltd.. Remember to add £11.99 for postage and packing and allow three years for delivery.
Congratulations! As soon as I can arrange a mortgage for the cost of the book and postage, I will order my copy forthwith. ;)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, indeed! If I were a photographer, I might be the teensiest, weensiest bit jealous. But since I'm not a photographer, my congratulations are real!
ReplyDeleteOh most revered and worthy sir, I am no longer fit to shine the lens cap of such an eminent craftsman. I have had cause on several occasions to think to myself that your full focus,flashing habits and knowledge of exposure were wonders to behold and my heartiest congratulations go to you on this long overdue accolade for your efforts. The old box Brownie beckons me as I endeavour to emulate such a great and talented master.
ReplyDeleteSeriously,
bah, heck lad, tha's done reet well. Ah's reet proud o' thee. Tha's taken thesen a reet bobby dazzler there and ah 'ope t' clogs'll be sparkin' ont cobbles toneet for all thees done. x
Ah, that's great news YP! And the image is certainly worth the status. I'll have to have a look at your other ones.
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence we are both winners this week, although mine was not due to any of my bountiful talents. Just a draw.
JENNY Book? You must be kidding! The fee is for a limited signed print of the wind pump photo. Just to help out I will waive postage and packing just for you.
ReplyDeleteRHYMES WITH FELLAS Thank you for your unbiased congratulations. I accept them so how about my offer? It's a bargain my friend.
ELIZABETH I understand the first paragraph of your comment and can appreciate your unbridled adulation but the last paragraph seems to be in some kind of ancient Norse language which, as I am now a multi-talented prize-winning photographer, I will endeavour to translate when my diary allows.
What rtfgvb751 said - always assuming I translated it correctly to read 'Bloody brilliant young man!'
ReplyDeletertfgvb751 - Thanks for your feedback. I will keep your points in mind but I disagree with your lewd remarks about women bloggers. To me they are equals. However, what you said about Mr Brague in Georgia is absolutely spot on!
ReplyDeleteKATHERINE Didn't Hot Chocolate sing - "Everyone's a winner baby"? Except rtfgvb751!!!
JJ - rtfgvb751 did say that but I hate to tell you what the numbskull had to say about you young lady! Don't tell Reidski!
I must be getting a bit dotty in my, er, dotage, so please refresh my memory, as I am not able to dredge up any recollection whatsoever of what you are talking about. What offer? What bargain?
ReplyDeleteYou ain't pullin' me leg, are you, Guv'ner?
Perhaps it is just too early in the day and it will all become clear later.
RHYMES At the bottom of the post you had a golden opportunity to buy a signed copy of the wind pump picture - that was the offer. Just take the pills and return to your rocking chair till Mrs Brague tells you it's time for your supper.
ReplyDeleteI liked the pump I seriously thought it a windmill...how silly of me. It is a nice composition, the water line taking the eye to exactly where your focus was.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of the fens, I much prefer Yorkshire and Derbyshire, also the lovely South Downs.
The Scottish picture was so much like many, many I have taken in Scotland. What was it that particularly attracted you to it?
Congratulations on being selected; your picture of the Fens really is an interesting one.
ZACL - Thanks for dropping by and commenting positively on my winning picture. What did I like about "Beach at Lochbuie"? Lots of things. The balance of the composition. The subtlety of the colouring, the definition of the shadows around the rocks, the mood of tranquillity and simply because in a geographical site it actually does describe the geography of Lochbuie. It is a simple and unpretentious photograph. You should visit Geograph yourself and maybe post a few pictures of your own.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion. I'm a pleasure outing photographer, no real expertise. I enjoy some of the scenes or aspects of them that I see.
ReplyDeleteThere are many Scottish water lines like the one you were attracted to, in very many places. I was very recently in Sutherland and the pic could have been a feature of a number of places I ambled about in.
What did the pictograms say, or am I supposed to guess? :)
Congratulations,YP!Good photographers seem to be able to 'see' things we lesser mortals miss!
ReplyDeleteLINDA - Thanks for visiting this blog. Wanna be my photo-groupie?
ReplyDeleteZACL - I can be a bit thick. Not sure what you meant by the "pictograms".
I was referring to the interesting other language comment that could be Chinese or similar. It's a bit like those good luck tee shirts, only more of it. :)
ReplyDeleteZACL - In one's "Comments" box one sometimes receives what I might refer to as marketing crap from self-seeking morons who have found blanket ways of invading Blogger with their screwy sales pitches. I am sure that that is what the toerag rtfgvb751 was all about.
ReplyDeleteAh... not a friend of yours then. It's lovely looking script to the eye that doesn't see much of it.
ReplyDeleteI have been troubled by spam and crap recently, to the point where I instituted the 'scripts' for posting comments. It's pity, I much prefer open posting.