* * * * Comment thread - June contest - Geology * * * *

[Blue_In_AK]

This is the thread to comment on the entries to the "Geology" contest found here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=280

Limit your comments to the photographs. Please do not comment on photographers, guess the photographers, etc.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. The photographer of entry number 2

submitted this comment:

"These rocks are actually this color. Nothing has been altered."

[Mira]

2. Looked like slippery perfect moss to me. Ask me about how I know it's slippery.

Beautiful as well.
I look forward to more.

edited to change moss to algae. The monstrous heat is getting to me...

[handmade34]

3. I bet I know how you know!

algae, yes, ... http://botany.si.edu/projects/algae/introduction.htm ...

"Algae are photosynthetic organisms that occur in most habitats, ranging from marine and freshwater to desert sands and from hot boiling springs to snow and ice. They vary from small, single-celled forms to complex multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps of the eastern Pacific that grow to more than 60 meters in length and form dense marine forests."

As for moss... my study on "moss on rocks"

[intheflow]

14. I love those suction cuppy plants!

Very funky, alien-looking growths. :thumbsup: Where was that photo taken on the Eastern Pacific, exactly?

[handmade34]

18. yah

I wish I had more time to get better shots of the growth on my rock and wish that I had my macro... they are very funky. No, these were taken in my backyard in Northern Vermont!! I am headed back tomorrow and might try to get a better photo.

These remind me of Horton hears a Who... another world alltogether

[Blue_In_AK]

21. We see those suction cups up here, too.

The lichens go nuts toward the end of summer. Mushrooms, too.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I've only got 10 entries here.

More, please. :)

[Ptah]

5. Where do you explain how to submit a photograph?

[Saphire]

6. It's explained in the submission thread.

[Blue_In_AK]

7. What you need to do

is send your photo to me via PM. I will then copy your photo to my PhotoBucket account and then post it here. We're doing blind entries so people don't know who took what photograph.

[Alameda]

8. # 1, 2 & 17 don't display on my monitor

[Blue_In_AK]

13. When I initially posted 1 and 2,

it was pointed out to me that the photographer was identified in the "properties," so I withdrew and renamed them. The initial submission of #17 was undersized, so the photographer sent me a bigger file and I reposted it.

[Alameda]

9. # 1, 2 & 17 don't display on my monitor

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. They were withdrawn, and reposted.

If you look at post #3, you'll see it now contains the pictures from #1 and #2.

And #17 was also reposted.

:hi:

[handmade34]

11. Love the pictures!

I'm finding that I am not so curious about who took the photographs as to where they are taken... I love all the 'rock'



Stalactite and stalagmite in Colorado

[Solly Mack]

12. I'm enjoying the entries very much.

Great job! Blue!

[intheflow]

15. This blind entry thing is so disarming.

As I scroll down the entries, I look to see who shot what gorgeous photo and it's like, "Holy shit! That BlueInAK shoots the most amazing photos!" :rofl:

[Mira]

16. This VERY VERY thing happens to me for split seconds, too. And I laugh.

Last time I tried to guess the photographers, this time, not so much.
I find myself stymied in two ways: One, I can't do a "help me chose my entry" thing. And for this very contest it has been especially hard to do it on my own. I had to just chose my own favorite on an emotional level, having been there for all of them on all levels :)

Also I find I can't post rejects, because they may be clues to my real entry. Not that it matters that much, of course. This blind entry thing has its pluses, but also has drawbacks in the excitement a contest creates among ourselves.

[intheflow]

17. I have a guess

who a couple of the photographers are simply because I've been to (and shot at!) two of the locations and I know who live up that way, but it's not like none of us ever travel so who really knows? :) It's really interesting to see the variety of geology being shot!

[handmade34]

19. I love the variety

:) and I also thought about locations (I am so curious). As for me, since I move around the United States every three weeks, I can't be pinned down :rofl:

[Blue_In_AK]

20. Case in point ...

I took my winning shot in Costa Rica. I wonder how many people knew that was my photo?

[postatomic]

22. If I made be so bold

Like anything has stopped me in the past. :P

Thought I had the 'winner' picked out but since I last looked I now have a new fave. Me picking the 'winner' means it will probably not even be in the top 10. So, I'll keep quiet. Don't want to curse any photos.

[intheflow]

23. I'm the same way about predicting winners.

Likewise, what I consider my most brilliant photos always dive but my so-so contest photos usually do pretty well. There is no accounting for GD's tastes!

[Blue_In_AK]

24. That is absolutely the truth.

[Mira]

25. This feels like we do not appreciate the folks in GD. I wonder

why that bothers me, but it does. They do enjoy our photos, like our contests and they are our larger audience.

Imagine a contest between the photographers only. In the absolutely blind way just like we are doing this time.
Only members of the photo forum who have posted photos and have posted an entry in the contest on hand could vote.

Indeed they will be folks whose tastes we can better account for, but I betcha new reasons for discomfort would emerge.

Plus we would lose quite a bit:

Our discussions of trips, or posting of trip photos would be curtailed as well as many things a bit personal.
We could not again have a thread asking for help with an entry.
We would need to be ever vigilant to not give anything away that would lead to authorship of a photograph; spontaneity would be lost.
We would have to guard against our work being unique lest it is recognized.

Some of this may already be in play with the new blind entry method.
Time will tell, and we can have a discussion to evaluate it, or just leave the decision up to the host/hostess.

Maybe, all things considered, it's just fine as it is, and we have a fun thing going that is not broken at all.

[postatomic]

26. I don't

General Discussion is like a Justin Bieber twitter on crystal meth. It's like listening to John Cage 'music' completely toasted after drinking a 12 pack of Bud Light. General Discussion makes the MIT "study" seem laid back.

[intheflow]

34. I don't have to imagine a contest just in the Photo Group

because I was here when the contests started and the first few were just among ourselves. We started posting in GD to both break the tension there and to recruit new members to the group. It's not that I don't appreciate GDers - hell, I am a GDer! It's more that the vat majority of GDers don't have a background in art/photography appreciation. So while we may appreciate a photo for its composition and technical finesse, they often vote based on other criteria - maybe emotional response, or that they like subject even if the photo is blurry. (For example.)

[Blue_In_AK]

35. What intheflow said.

[alfredo]

27. I love that movie, "Sita Sings The Blues."

[intheflow]

37. It is quite brilliant.

[alfredo]

28. Re: The Dakota Hogback. Is the hogback at Red Rocks

also part of the same ridge?

[Mira]

29. As a side effect of the blind submissions, questions cannot

be asked
I almost asked one too... that's how I know.
I think the field of entries is spectacular. Very intimidating if I had one in there. Maybe I do, and maybe I don't.

:rofl:

[alfredo]

30. Oh boo. I guess I will have to google it.

[Blue_In_AK]

32. People can ask all they want when the contest is over.

I, of course, happen to know the answers to some of the questions which is why it's good to be host. :)

[postatomic]

31. I believe the Dakota is south of Red Rocks

Dakota is waaay to green. Very little green near Red Rocks. Guessing it is down by the place where they build weapons of mass destruction.

Red Rocks area has some amazing geology. I hope that someday there is a geology theme. That would be the place to go. Until then I'll keep looking for a 'Weiner' photo.

[alfredo]

33. I used to use the roads at red rocks for hill climbing and descending

I would pass by The hogback on each lap. That road was steep enough to make me hurt on the way up, and scare me on the way down. I loved it. I thought the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was north of Denver.

[postatomic]

36. Lockheed Martin

Is tucked away in the foothills. You may remember that Michael Moore visited there in Bowling for Columbine. Or was it Fahrenheit 911? Anyway, I know he went there to shoot some footage. The Arsenal is a wildlife refuge now; and yes, it is north of Denver. I've never actually stood where the Dakota hogback photo was taken - I just recognize the terrain. I could be completely wrong. Hopefully the two of us will have our answers after the voting is over.

[alfredo]

39. It is lovely country, but I soon missed the embrace of the eastern hardwood forests.

[Sheepshank]

38. Good Lord, stuck at Zion's National Park

Freaking geology everywhere and no way to upload a pic for this contest. OTOH submissions to date are amazing!!!

Good job all...gonna be a nail biter for sure!

[alfredo]

40. Life isn't fair. ;)

[bluedigger]

41. That's horrible!

Wait. What? "Stuck at Zion's National Park"?

Okay. I'll trade places.:hi:

[postatomic]

42. Quick! Get me an Airline ticket

I can be at the airport in 30 minutes. Oh, and I'll need an off-road vehicle. Nothing fancy. A Jeep Cherokee with AC, a GPS, and MP3 player will do. I can rough it.

There is still time to get a photo entered.

[Blue_In_AK]

43. Sheepshank, if you can get me a shot

within the next 24 hours, I'll keep this open for you. Just for you. Everybody else had their chance.

[Sheepshank]

46. what a sweet lovely offer

I'll have to see. I'm using dd's mini lap top...not even sure I have anything that will connect my camera to this little unit. I will try. Thanks, that was very sweet of you.

[Mz Pip]

44. That sucks.

NOT!!! I've never been there so I would be happy to change places with you.

Just another windy, chilly, foggy evening in the sF Bay area. Brrrrr.

[Mira]

45. OHHHH NOOOOOO. and what a magnanimous offer you got from the hostess.

I was fortunate about 5 years ago and got to go to North Rim, then Bryce, then Zion.
I had a little over a week for all of it.

Now you know the dilemmas I had in posting an entry, so much geology in my files, so few entries to chose.

Zion, the sheer entrance of the road passing through the tunnels of rock with windows cut out is a place to die for.
Yet, I found it too huge to photograph in a way that pleased me.
Just too effin' huge.
It was beyond my capabilities to show off. I would be at the bottom of that aforementioned HUGE over and over and could not get it on my screen to present properly.

I will be so hoping you can submit one.
I will be so imagining you there.
I'm excited for you.

I saw wonderful gazelles there. Have photos I jumped out of the car to take, annoying the driver. But they are not very good.
This pulled my string of memories. Sorry if by chance I went overboard.

[Blue_In_AK]

47. Submissions are now closed. n/t

[MissHoneychurch]

48. WOW

What a great assembly of pictures!!!!! This will be another tough contest!!!!!!!!!!

[Gamey]

49. Great photos! One of my favorite subjects

Darn, would have loved to participate. New job still preventing time here. I used to work at home.

Wife gifted me a new camera, Nikon D3100. Not sure if it will make my photography any better but I guess it can't hurt?

Took these with my old camera on an UNM Continuing Ed field trip about 3 weeks ago. Probably the first time I have done something like that since the kids were born over 11 years ago.

Anyway, it is the El Malpais National Monument and area outside Grants, New Mexico.

Looking west and slightly north across the El Malpais lava flow towards Grants and part of Zuni Mountains. The haze is from the Wallow fire, Arizona's largest in history and still burning.


Some unusual bowl formations in the Dakota sandstone.


One of several arches in the area, about 1.5 mile hike.


Up on top of the arch. There are several arches in the area, some tiny, some large such as La Ventana, the only one which can be driven to.


Contrasts.

[Blue_In_AK]

50. You would have had some good entries there. :)