December's Photo Contest "Autumn" is over. Thank You ALL for voting!!
YOU made this a fun and exciting event as we explored
the beauty and many facets of the season.
It was a close-run race.
First place finisher ~
Grumpy Old Guy “Autumn in Joshua Tree"
Grumpy Old Guy said of his image —
“I shot this just before sunset in the Cholla Cactus Garden at Joshua Tree National Park, which is about three hours from home. I loved how the light was filtering through the pine needles. I used an ultra wide lens to show how expansive the garden was while also being able to show some of the plants closeup. Cholla is known as "The Jumping Cactus" because the needles detach with just the slightest pressure, attacking" anything they come in contact with. Clumps of needles that are lying on the ground will fly through the air if you walk too close to them. They can penetrate footwear, are very painful, and difficult to
extract. The photographer who I was shooting with got nailed through her running shoes. She was limping for a week afterwards.”
Second place finisher ~ Mira “Splendor around my Kayak”
Mira’s entry came from “A kayak I stopped for and bought
when I saw it sitting in front of a pawn shop at the side of
the road in Lexington, NC. I kept it on the back of my truck
so I could escape to Salem Lake in Winston-Salem on beautiful days when I could spare the time. I timed it so that from my house I could be in the water twenty minutes after deciding to sneak away.”
Third place finisher ~ mhntnbb “October Garden”
mnhtnbb's photograph was taken in “Culross, Scotland, designated a Royal Burgh by James Ⅵ in 1588. (The village is known to fans of the Outlander TV show as Cranesmuir, near Castle Leoch.) The striking contrast of still brilliant summer pink and white flowers against the tree losing its golden autumn leaves drew my attention. The shot was intentionally framed with the background of green trees and border of ancient wall and house of stone. The photo is intended to represent the cyclical nature of the seasons through the ages.”
Please note the absence of the word “winner” above. That’s because we consider everyone who submitted a work of their own to be a Winner in this contest. We are grateful for your art and the willingness to share your images with us. Great Job Everyone!
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And so thankful we have these contests, and such talented photographers to share their talents with us. 
Thanks for posting your pictures. They were all beautiful. 
Thanks for running a great contest! I know it's a lot of work. My wife and I really enjoyed how you included comments from the three finalists about their photos. I think I might start doing that as well when I run my contests.
Thanks also to all those folks here on DU who support our monthly photo contests. It's great fun and a chance to briefly forget the issues of our day.
I suspected this one was going to be a nail-biter from the start. Congrats to all who entered and especially to Mira and MnhtnBB.
I love these stories and photos! Congratulations to all of you! 📷
