Tulip Festival 2014: dltphoto

When I  worked at the old store where I was the printing machine for many years, about this time every year I would print sooooo many photos of an event I had never been too but knew all about though the images I printed. I told myself I would never go and do the same. Well, one of my ex work colleagues suggested we go along with Mr "Cameraman" Koopmans. Firstly I was shocked by the hordes and I mean HORDES of tourists in Buses that were visiting this festival. Canadians were clearly in the minority at this event, as were REAL CAMERA'S. Wow, hardly anyone of the tourists had any real cameras. It's very disappointing. Cell phone and tablets, yes tablets, are very convenient, but they do not create what an actually camera can create. NO. Not ever. I'll admit I have been using my phone for things, but it's fun. I use my real camera's to create GREAT images.
The camera manufacturers need to address this confusion that Cell Phones can replace the handy point and shoot camera. Nikon attempted the Coolpix S800C, which is really an Android Cell Phone in a Camera. Perfect right? Combine the fun of a smart phone in the amazing ability of a Camera. Nice! Too bad Android only let them have an older version of that software which made the camera operate a little slower.

Anyways, Patience is the name of the game here if you want to snap a pic with the hordes of people in your shot, that and the Nikon 1 V1 with the 70-200 lens, for the ultimate in "isolation".  Here are some of my images mildly edited images shot with the "sprightly" Nikon 1 V1.  Check out some more images from a different perspective

APAC Submissions: April 2014:dltphoto

This months images weren't particularly thought through entries. Just something I slapped though the system quickly as the deadline caught me off-guard. I didn't even know who the Adjudicator was. Mr Razor Sharp, apparently. Fortunately my images happened to be "Razor Sharp". He is one of the more fussy adjudicators, actually almost annoying but brutally honest which we need sometimes. I only hope it doesn't put off some of our new club members who might take offense from it.
As for the Images, if it's something he has 'seen' before it's likely to not do well. Don't submit a sunset pic, unless it's an amazing shot that no one has ever done before, as he has 'seen' them all. Don't submit a blue heron pic, as he has seen a million of them. So what do you submit for an adjudicator that's seen it all??? We live in a beautiful area of Canada but its also got it's limitations of what we can shoot that hasn't been done and is still spectacular. I think his expectations are rather unmanageable. Take a look at some of his images. Have you seen them before? Actually a lot of his images I see quite regularly through through the club presentations. So are his spectacular? or more of the same?, as he did those images does that make them spectacular? My images aren't spectacular, but are they unique? Have you seen them before?

'Shades of Beige". Abstract, score 7.5

'Oil Painting'. Open, Score 8

There was a request on this one by my chum Gerry regarding cropping, I cropped it as shown but I also showed the Adjudicator the full image and also another different crop, and he suggested that all worked well.

Here is the original, uncropped 'as shot' version, you can decide.

I didn't have chance to submit an assigned topic image, which was "9 seconds". Maybe I'll do next months.

APAC Submissions: March 2014: dltphoto

This Months adjudicator was not as was advertised. It was supposedly my friend Elizabeth Kowal of White Album Weddings fame but instead it was Mark Kowal of White Album Weddings fame. They own a gorgeous little Chapel, so picturesque for weddings and portraiture. Sweet. An Ex-President of the club also.  He scored me 8's across the board!!!

'I'm not looking at you right now', Domestic/Captive Animals  Score 8

'Oh Lord I need a paint job', Architecture score 8

'Fenced', Assigned Topic "Bokeh" score 8

Nothing really exciting to say about these images for this month. I was deep in School Work and don't really recall if anything was said about them! They are probably featured in earlier posts, my 2 readers may have seen them before somewhere!!