1. IMO, this is 'Best of Show'. But it's one judges *might* be inclined to think..."Been there, seen that....a thousands times before." If they're highly interested in 'originality'.
3. A very nice image, but probably a little too 'snapshotty' to catch a judge's interest.
4. Interesting, but perhaps a bit odd(?) for competition.
5. VERY nice. But appears to be leaning out the right side of the image (though not a horizon' problem). Also suspect some might think the cloud cover looks a bit 'faked'.
6. VERY nice again. And unlike #5, appears 'balanced'. Would definitely be a contender.
7. See comment re: #3. This is a VERY nice competition that may have been a good contender if caught in more interesting light.
8. A definite contender, but like #1 *might* seem a bit too familiar to judges.
9. If only allowed one entry, this might well be my choice. Excellent composition, great lighting/color. Begs the viewer to give it a 2nd look and causes the eye to travel nicely around and through the image.
10. Definitely too 'snapshotty'.
Hope some of this doesn't sound too terse....just trying to inject what I *think* a judge might say. All are very good in their own right....I just think #1 & #9 are most likely to do well in a competition.
All landscapes but 1 shot. The Flamingo is a real winner anyway. As for the landscapes: For me clouds rule unless trumphed by Alpenglow. I would have to give #6 the nod, followed by #5. The water reflection shots are diminished by lack of a strong sky, Harsh Light, and a bit drab landscape in the right of the shot. Very nice entries. Of course it matters what the judges think.
The ones I'd appreciate seeing if I was going to a show would be (in no particular order) #1, #4, #5, and #8. I can definately see those selling! But as others have said, they're all pretty great shots!
I think I'd say screw the competition and start to put together a book. You really have some awe-inspiring stuff there. (Well...except #10. It is pretty mediocre in comparison with the rest.)
