Refuge From the Storm
by US2UK

Comment:
I'm so chuffed (learning the UK lingo) to have won first place with this photo. Thank you so much for your votes and the blue ribbon!!! This was our first day in Iceland (after a 7 hour delay departing London, and getting into bed at 2am). We received word they were closing the mountain we had to cross to get to our Airbnb at 11am so we left Reykjavik early to ensure we made it before the roads closed. As you can see it was grey skies with snow/sleet the whole way (and the winds, oh my!). As we came into Vik I told my husband "that's the church I want a photo of" and he immediately turned and climbed the hill to the church. The clouds were so low and the compositions just weren't working for me. So I told him "it's ok we'll try again when we come back through." He pulled over to this side parking lot and turned the car around so I was facing the church. I said "YES!" I saw what many of you commented on -- the red roof against the lack of color in the rest of the shot, the church with the stormy seas/jagged rocks in the background, the lights on in the church in the midst of the storm, and yes that pile of dirt that is distracting (Lol!). A little detail extractor was able to bring out the detail in the clouds because they were quite flat and gray to the eye. It's my favorite photo from our 4 days in Iceland, and now to win a blue ribbon just makes it even better!!

Oh The Tangled Webs We Weave
by US2UK

Comment:
Thank you to everyone for their votes and comments!! I definitely did not anticipate making the front page, let alone winning with this photo. It was taken on a dreary/cloudy/misty UK afternoon at the stables just beside my home. I really struggled with the center post being so prominent (and bright), but hoped with the processing and title the webs would be the focus as intended.

The Swedish
by US2UK

Comment:
Thank you everyone for the congrats and votes! I was in Sweden, sitting in a pub taking a lunch break, and saw the tram keep going by and thought of the Robert Frank photo of the bus. So when we were done with lunch I stepped outside and waited for the next one and was able to catch these 2 couples that I thought was very similar to Robert Frank's "bus" photograph. I never imagined it would be on the front page, much less win blue!!

Neighbors By the Sea
by US2UK

Comment:
Thank you nam!! I was pleased to have been able to capture this shot while on trip to Fiskebackskil, Sweden during the challenge.

Spring Sunshine
by patches

Comment:
This was my blue ribbon for this category, I knew it would do well! Such a stunning shot -- the tones of yellow contrasting against the black vase, and the composition are perfect!! Congratulations on red!!

Colors of Summer
by US2UK

Comment:
I LOVE the beach, and was so pleased to capture this shot on Southwold Beach, UK. I was stressing over the blustery winds that day thinking they were going to "interfere" with the shot. Then we get to the beach, and there are so many folks there enjoying their last weekend before school starts back, I just knew that shot I had envisioned in my head was not going to happen that day. But turns out, the wind displayed itself wonderfully adding to the mood of the photo, and with a little strategic maneuvering and stooping I was able to block out most of the people/beach equipment/umbrella behind the huts. I do love the colors of the huts, they add wonderfully to the photo!! Thank you for your votes and comments. Thrilled to have made it in the top 10 again!

Moo? Me?
by US2UK

Comment:
Thanks Paul, I truly appreciate the feedback. He was one of those "driving along the country road finds." Lol! Love that he was in the barn door.

A quiet morning
by Ammie

Comment:
Love the colors captured in this photo, and the title is very fitting. I think for me personally the animals in the bottom right are distracting. If cropped, it would have made this my "10".

Morning Walk
by Judi

Comment:
Great photo! Nothing like a "morning walk" along the beach.

Now this is minimal
by Waitingsilence

Comment:
Doesn't get any more minimalist than this! Love the shades of blue.