Challenge 163 - Recovery

[AlexR!]

I'm an eternal optimist, a sort of 'glass half full, it'll turn out ok' kinda guy. So I'm looking up and forward this week and the theme for the next challenge is Recovery. Hopefully that also suits your mood wherever in the world you are living. Of course Recovery doesn't have to be about the current crisis; flowers and new life are emerging all around us, things are always being repaired and rebuilt etc, let your imaginations run wild...

We have had above average (i.e. double digit) numbers of entries for the last few themes, so let's keep that going and build on it too if we can. So for those new or shy on this forum, please give it a go. It provides not only a fun challenge and a reason to get the camera out, but it is a lovely confidence boost when someone completely independent judges your work kindly.

Judging will be based on the following-
* fulfilling the brief
* a good photo based on composition, focus and consideration to the light.
* Having impact. Will I remember your image after I go away from the computer?

I will do my best to give friendly and constructive comments and find a winner based on my criteria stated above, bearing in mind I have absolutely no qualifications other than I know what I like.

The usual rules apply:
• The competition subject shall be selected by the winner of the preceding competition who will also judge the competition.
• One picture per person; images should conform to general image posting rules.
• Please use a Canon EOS camera - DSLR or M series..
• Posted images should be taken during the running period of the competition. Any images submitted that were taken before the competition started, or after the competition has ended, will be deemed invalid.
• Images 800 pixels widest max.
• No Photoshop frames and borders.
• Include a title; the image must convey the theme without title description.
• Please, NO comments on images- on this or another thread- until the round is over.
• No canvassing e.g. “I’m thinking of posting this image for the challenge, what do you think?”
• I will pick 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourite images (please don’t PM me to discuss my choices).

Closing date for entries is midnight (GMT) Sunday 5 July, so 3 weeks to think, snap and play in PP. Have fun.

[Colin W]

Hand Recovery

Recovery by Colin Wallace, on Flickr

[Farider]

A brand new flower arrives to celebrate recovery. It’s the first time I’ve had two blooms on our bird of paradise plant.

Bird of Paradise by Ian, on Flickr

Ian

[Lavenderhill]

Green shoots of recovery following a very late pruning.
green shoots of recovery_edited-1 by Rose, on Flickr

Rose

[Guntackle]

Recovery by Guntackle, on Flickr

[EOSwinters]

Recovery
by nigel winters, on Flickr

[leeperry]

Flower of Scotland

[Daisy M]

Recovery by David Miller, on Flickr

[AlexR!]

Thank you everyone for your entries. The Challenge is now closed. I will go away and cogitate and pop back in a day or two.
Cheers.

[AlexR!]

Thank you for the entries. I had hoped to continue the recent trend of numbers in double digits, but I know these are strange times and seven is a reasonable number in the circumstance.
Firstly, my potted thoughts on each. As always, please don't feel offended by any implied criticism, it is all meant constructively and helps me get my thoughts in order to decide a winner.

Colin W and Hand Recovery. I love the concept, although obviously I hope that no hands were hurt in the cause of making the image. The idea to make it mono is the right one and I really like how the texture of the bandage stands out.

Farider and Bird of Paradise. A gorgeous splash of colour, and really well constructed in the frame to create the diagonals. If I'm being really critical, it is a shame about the 'red' part of the background, would have been helped if it was all vegetation.

Lavenderhill and Green Shoots. A really simple idea, but really well executed. Life emerging from what looks like bleached dead wood. I'm less concerned about the background than Farider's, because it adds to the feeling of dilapidation, but I do wish the diagonals on the right hand side weren't intruding quite so much.

Guntackle and Recovery. So this is interesting; it is all about context. Within this competition I know exactly what it is showing - a single shop trying to open and vainly sell goods to an empty street, which is so poignant. But look at this in a couple of years time and would I still understand that? If only the blackboard had said 'now open...'. But maybe that doesn't matter, all images require a level of wider understanding.

EOSWinters and Recovery. Oh dear, the morning after... At first sight, I might just gloss over this simple image, but on looking closer I do love the detail of the carefully placed pills, the engraved glass, the reflected window.

Leeperry and Flower of Scotland. Classically simple, a textbook example of showing just how pleasing images are when using the rule of thirds. The triumphant emergence of a Scottish thistle from a field of green and yellow. Possibly a shame the light on the thistle itself is so flat, but it still commands attention.

Daisy M and Recovery. I love a left-field interpretation of a theme and this makes me smile. Really great to have spotted these three in that position, and to have managed to include the logo and 'Recovery Service'. whilst maintaining full depth of field. I do find it slightly tight in the frame, feel a bit of space to breathe and not to have clipped the wing mirror and aerial would have helped.

And so, my top 3 and winner, based on my three criteria and just gut feeling are:
3rd: Farider
2nd: Leeperry
!st: Lavenderhill

And so well done to all, thanks for joining in, and particularly to Lavenderhill for their first ever Challenge win. Over to you for the next one.

[Daisy M]

Well done to Rose, well deserved, plus of course the other two podiums, thanks Alex for setting & commenting on my shot, very constructive as usual. Looking forward to Rose's subject.
Dave

[Farider]

Congratulations Rose for your first win and well done Gary. And thanks to Alex for the challenge and the judging.

Looking forward to your new challenge Rose!

Ian

[leeperry]

Congratulations on your win Rose and to Ian on his podium place.
Many thanks to Alex for running the challenge and his constructive critique.

[Lavenderhill]

Thank you, Alex for the challenge with your the judging and congratulations to the other podium places.
I am currently in a state of shock as I did not see the win coming amongst the standard of the entries - I will now need to get my thinking cap on and come up with the next challenge which should be in the next couple of days.
Rose