The Photo Contest in On!

That sounds scary and unpleasant. We get some pretty big winds sometimes here, but I don't think we get those... I'll have to do some research.

Snirt must be a result of dry winds. We get very high winds here and in Albuquerque sometimes. Dry winds during the "fire season" cause many problems. Our fire season used to be spring/summer but is getting to be year 'round. I dislike high winds more than any other condition, even cold! My tai chi teacher loves to be outdoors in almost every weather scenario, but even he doesn't love strong wind. It is supposedly bad for your health. I wouldn't argue about that.

It's especially bad for your health when it blows you off a ridge top.
I was skiing on a ridge in the Madison Range ("Heaven", if you know where that is, Mulch) and that very nearly happened.

Well, I have no weather opinions at the moment as it has been excellent autumn moving and new garden fiddling weather over here......

but I did finally put lots of pictures in the contest, just tonight added several more. I don't think any of them have a snowball's chance in summer (there, I managed to get the weather in again!) of winning, but entering is kinda addictive. I wish I had stuff for some of the other categories.

I put my worm portrait in Insects even though I know that can't be right but it just had to go somewhere, LOL!

It should be "insects and other invertebrates."

I'm thinking about making a couple of calendars as gifts (since you guys had such a good idea!) and I had discovered that you can add photos to the dates on the calendars at Walgreens photo website. How cool is that? You can squeeze in a lot more photos that way.

Very cool!

Get your photos in everybody! It's getting later. I didn't put pictures in every category this year. That's probably a good thing.

Hey, I just saw that the photo contest is closed and judging has started! Can you believe how fast this is going?

Yeah, and I did not understand that Unix time thing as I thought I had time to make a couple more entries late today, where it was still November 1...... but oh well.

I have already voted in a few categories. I don't spend much time on it, just pick quick faves and let it go....... protection against being obsessive which is the other place it could so easily go!!

Wow! I missed a lot when I was computerless in Mississippi. I am glad not to have Chinook, Santa Ana or Mistral winds. We have enough with our windstorms which are no where near as bad as what you all describe. Love the calendar ideas and am not altogether sad to have missed entering things in the photo contest. I have some nice pictures, but they definitely aren't up to the photo contest standards. Now I will start reviewing all the pictures -- a very pleasant activity.

And they are Amazingly Good this year!

They sure are. Wow. Some I was unable to vote for because so many other good ones but wished I could...... well. As all things, photos also are ephemeral, ultimately.

Wow! We have some amazing photographers on DG!
I was afraid that some of my pics would be disqualified because they seemed so saturated (especially the sunsets) but it looks like my pics are pretty pale in comparison. Granted, I do have a pretty crappy camera and am surprised that mine look as good as they do, but wow! I really need to get a better camera and start pursuing my photography hobby again (and learn more about digital over the film I used to love).

I just went through the landscapes category, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. There are many, many just plain pretty ones. A few very unusual ones (I liked Sphinxes in the park, and the balloon festival one is surreal). A nice number of gorgeous ones (check out the waterfalls in Iceland). And just a few that are both gorgeous and unusual.

You've got to see the Piton de la fournaise volcano pouring lava into the Indian Ocean. That has to be Jean-Jacques'. I'd love to be there, hearing the rush of steam coming off the water.

Dang, this is going to be a tough choice.

Yeah - I made the volcano my #1 choice in that category. It was fantastic!

Is it my imagination, or did somebody put a photo in the misc. category of our Dahlianut in a field of flowers???? It's so impressionistic, I may be dreaming.

I saw that one too, Picante! hee hee.

DJ, there was (at least) one photo in there (can't remember which category) that seemed to be very color enhanced........... Honestly I wonder if anything actually ever gets disqualified, I kinda think it is on an honor system.

Are you hinting at us Picante?

Honor system, yes I think so too. I don't thing the DG admin want to be the photo police. I also think if something is too enhanced it won't get as many votes.

Crud, I just realized that I let DH upload the photos that he help me pick out and he always watermarks photos that he posts on the internet because he's worried about people using them. The contest is supposed to be anonymous for voting. I hope mine don't get disqualified.

Hmmm. Someone submitted a picture that was taken on a Ranch in Las Vegas, NM. Wonder who that was.

And another that said "Copyright Katlian 2009" on it. But it was there and votable.

Well, I see them there too but it still spoils the intent of the contest. I'll have to supervise more carefully in the future.

Katlian, if it's any consolation, there are a lot of photos with Judy Lemieux's copyright on them.

And clearly the contest admin people are laid back indeed. Did you see under the "funny, weird, misc." category -- there's a picture of Damian spawn of Satan. No joke.

Dahlianut, you may want to stay away from the wildlife category, because it's crawling with Damian's (less Satanic) cousins.

Dave, no, not hinting, I'm just trying to find out if that really is Dnut.

Hey, come to think of it, has anyone seen her since Halloween??? Did she transport herself off to Mexico for a visit with la Gran Calabaza?

Yeeks. I was worried about Roybird and the zombies. Now Dahlianut???

Yep. The subject of an untapped source of presents came up. She was motivated.

I put my name in the comment line, I didn't know we weren't supposed to. Is there a rule against this (I'm Judy Lemieux)? I wrote the botanical & common plant name or a description of the picture, where and when taken, and my name. Sorry if it's against policy. I didn't know what else to write.

None of mine have anything marking the pictures though. I was not a fan of the ones that had a date or signature or watermark in the image itself. It detracted from a few otherwise really nice shots. There were so many good ones (many, many better than mine - that's for sure)!

I wouldn't worry about it DenverJude. Its not like they are giving away cash prizes.

I guess it's not a problem since most members don't care who took the photo. And it's not as if we're campaigning to get votes for our photos :)

There are some incredibly talented photographers here on DG. So many to choose from! Arrgh!

I do like the demon squirrel though.

Jude, I really like the one of yours that I voted for in the containers category! Nice composition and I knew it was yours because it was DBG anyway. Dparsons, glad you noticed the ranch pic! I have not looked at landscapes yet. I am really impressed with the bird photos. And some of the Macros are just super. I want a macro lens, yes I do! Maybe in a few years when the roof is done. Sigh. And where is Dahlianut, anyway? I put in a certain picture she might get a kick out of, but not of a person. ( Hint : Hose! )

Aha! Jude, you're French. Descended from French Canadians? Just a wild guess.

Yes, where is Dahlianut??? Hope all is well.

I looked at the wild animals category and pets, too, last night. So many squirrels and frogs it made my head swim. And I saw the lovely Miss Piper Fox! Good to run in to a familiar face. There were some fabulous photos. Hope we hear from Dahlia soon. She is probably absorbed in the pictures. A dangerous obsession!

Jude, your "Bee in water lily" is outstanding, and looks like something Mulch would paint.

Miss Piper Fox has an equally lovely companion in that category.

picante -
Nope! Not French! My DH's adoptive father was of French or maybe French-Canadian descent, so that's where the name came from. I understand that Lemieux is the Canadian equivalent of Smith or Jones. ;-p
I'm German all the way through (very much Bavarian actually). My parents immigrated here in '59 from the Nurnberg area. I am eligible for dual citizenship.

picante - the water lily was such an intense color that it looked like it was glowing. I took several pictures of it. It also had interesting variegated leaves too.

Here is that same lily from farther away (less zoomed, actually).

And taken the year before (I think the same one).