Racing my shadow
by mikeee

Comment:

Originally posted by tome: Well done! Is this on a runway? Great action, congrats on the ribbon!

Hi Tome

Yes, I was lucky enough to get the use of a section of airfield for a couple of hours. When I arrived I immediately got a puncture so I had to walk half a mile home to change wheels as I'd removed my spare tube when I packed all my camera gear. I then took about 150 shots in various positions using a 18" long boom attached to the seat post and my 10-22mm lens at 10mm. When I got home I was quite disappointed with almost all of them and I didn't have a shot good enough to submit, so I went back to take some more. The trouble was that, even on a flat surface, there was enough 'wobble' in the boom to produce unwanted blur and soften the sharpness of the bike, but I narrowed down what set up looked best and I preferred the landscape format as it provided space for the bike to ride into.

On the second batch I took another 150+ images, trying to get the sun in the right position and taking enough that I'd eventually get one I was really happy with. I think that as a keen cyclist I had an exact image in my head and I wasn't getting it, but when I got home and had a look at the second batch there were 2 or 3 that were contenders.

I was lucky being able to get use of the airfield and with the position of the sun, and the fct that the sun came out at all.

Thanks for all the comments. I don't think I will top this score.

The Portal
by Cuttooth

Comment:
Nobody could remember when the portal had arrived. Some of the old timers seemed to remember a time when there was a clear horizon, but now everybody was used to its dominance of the skyline and had ceased to even notice it anymore. Until now. The gentle, almost inperceivable, hum had grown over a period of weeks until crowds had started to gather, and then the glow. Orange, into yellow, green and finally blue. Bright neon blue like St Elmo's fire reaching up to the clouds, through the clouds and beyond. Nobody knew it yet, but it was down this energy that 'they' would come. Tomorrow, they would come.

drill
by mikeee

Comment:

Originally posted by tanguera: How did you get such clarity?????

Canon EF 24-105 L F4 USM IS

Fierce
by JulietNN

Comment:
The Queen of Darkness, Doris, materialised in the hinterworld to address her minions.

"Fellow Evil," she bellowed, "in these dark and disfunctional times there are opportunities to spread our malice and hate, to turn man against man, country against country. We must grasp the opportunity to overthrow the established structures and fulfill our destiny. The first 2 phases of hate have reaped rewards, phase 3 will see us elevated to power. First we must.......oh, hang on. I think I've left the iron on. Back in a minute..."

When Doris got home she thought she'd check her emails and then got sucked into surfing the internet and forgot about her address to the hinterworld. Phase 3 was put on hold.

Clean
by DistantColours

Comment:
The recycled water filter line took used water from the sump on level 7 and removed large objects before they reached the recycling pump. Without the filter, the pump would seize, and the precious water could not reach the recycling assembly. Without clean water they would die before they reached Mars or the re-supply vessel they could intercept in an emergency. The only other pump, on level 3, failed 2 weeks ago, and the level 7 pump was beginning to make suspicious noises.

It was Dave's job to change the recycling pump filters, but he'd never known where they were or how to change them. He'd slept through that part of the brief.

Dishpan Jewels
by mefnj

Comment:
When he finished the washing-up, Dave would stare achingly at the bubbles in the sink, remembering his happier days. The reflections reminded him of bright days at sea with his ship breaking through the waves leaving a trail behind it. Occasionally he'd see the reflection of his wife and remember how she'd taken him away from the sea and away from his freedom. Just another 4 hours until he filled the bowl again and made another set of bubble memories.

Broken
by BusterVoodoo

Comment:
It was inevitable really. She was a high flying lawyer with great teeth and a good future, he was a down-town mechanic, a 'back-street guy' if you like. She'd never had a back-street guy, and her Mother never told her why, but he was gonna try. And he did. And they were happy for several months until she realised they had nothing in common. He didn't even know what a lawyer was.

Lots of emotion here

Marlene Patiently Waits
by insteps

Comment:
Harry spent his days looking for his birth certificate. He'd definately put it in a book for 'safe keeping', but the book disappeared and his chance of citizenship along with it. He had found a photo of Obama in a compromising clinch with a woman, and he kept this in his bag for future blackmailing opportunities, but he really needed his birth certificate.

Nice pic

"B" is for "Bunny"
by Lydia

Comment:
"Mum, you need to listen to me. Either use more or less aperture. My bunny ears are either too in-focus or too out-of-focus. Maybe focus on my eyes rather than my nose. Mum, are you listening??"

Despite being a pro photographer for 8 years nobody ever listened to Rex's suggestions, but he was such a cutey.

A very engaging and humourous shot.

Brickwork Bokeh
by MAK

Comment:
"But I told you it was my Mother's birthday next weekend. It's the same day every year, remember?"

Dave could feel his 'weekend with the boys' slipping away with every exasperated breath from her beautiful mouth. As time went on he questioned why he stayed with her and her endless demands for attention and commitment. Maybe it was her huge trust fund.


Very atmospheric shot, full of emotion.