Picture contest

[ElieEstephane]

Hello everyone!
Since pretty much nothing is happening during winter now, how about we restart the picture contest to stay active a bit?
We'll decide on new topics, everyone will share their images and we'll create a poll. It will be a chance for the old members to share with the newer members (like me) and vice versa.
Looking to hear our suggestions, specially from the more experienced old members.

[stefan m.]

What kind of photo contest?

[stefan m.]

Alright my first atempts...

[ElieEstephane]

What kind of photo contest?

Something like this
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=30992

[stefan m.]

So flowers and opuntias? ive always found topdown and rosette photos more appealing

[DaveW]

Edit:- Should have said these pictures were not intended to be an entry therefore are not intended to be competitive. Just showing them as an idea as what you can do with previously taken images in the winter months.

You can combine both, using creative flower top shots also if you want. You don't have to take new pictures, try creatively cropping some of the old ones you have, as long as you still have enough megapixels for a reasonable image and most cameras these days have more megapixels than needed for reasonable crops. If you don't have Post Processing software most computers have some form of basic editing software on them and even smartphones now:-

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing ... pc-or-mac/

https://www.howtogeek.com/214508/how-to ... -software/

https://www.imore.com/how-to-crop-strai ... phone-ipad

rutilans2.jpg (44.51 KiB) Viewed 967 times

mammulosus2.jpg (49.58 KiB) Viewed 967 times

This was the original image before the crop below:-

commodus.jpg (87.48 KiB) Viewed 967 times

commodus2.jpg (79.45 KiB) Viewed 967 times

Or even closer:-

red.jpg (90.38 KiB) Viewed 967 times

yellow.jpg (109.28 KiB) Viewed 967 times

stigma.jpg (97.98 KiB) Viewed 967 times

[stefan m.]

I'll try again tomorrow..... ill try to stabilize the phone camera this time.

[ElieEstephane]

Wow dave these are gorgeous, specially the stigma shot!
Stefan im just giving an example. This thread is intented for opinions about a new phot contest. Once we start, there will be a new thread in the picture contest along with a voting page.

[stefan m.]

So , probably the best photo i have right now.
From a different time, something i dont even own, when my hands were steadier.

[DaveW]

If you did not recognise the stigma it was Turbinicarpus polaskii.

Turbinicarpus polaskii.jpg (83.85 KiB) Viewed 914 times

I usually use a tripod rather than hand holding my camera Stefan for close up shots, since hand holding close up magnifies any camera shake therefore is more demanding on steadiness than at normal photographic distances.. Whilst most smartphones and tablets do not have tripod mounts you can get clip on gadgets that will allow you to use them on either a miniature or conventional photographic tripod.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best- ... artphones/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Adap ... B00WTY99NO

Just Google for them in your country, or look on EBAY.

[7george]

Tripods are useful (even the camera has stabilization mode) but not always we want to use these because of different reasons. I have several but they take space and time for screwing the camera on and so on. Some hiking sticks has an option to mount the camera on the top.

And we will need more and more pixels for cropping and magnifying to show all details...

Coryphanta

SAM_226xsm.JPG (153.96 KiB) Viewed 900 times

Thelocactus setispinus

SAM_3804xs.JPG (151.91 KiB) Viewed 900 times

I have to get a new camera maybe.

[stefan m.]

I think i have a very original idea.. Ugliest plants we own
The photo contest should be about the most etiolated, the most deformed , the mistakes we have made as growers, the sick, the damaged ... basically the plants that nobody wants to see.
* Monstrose plants that are healthy do not apply.
* living plants only(as long as they are not dead)

[7george]

I think i have a very original idea.. Ugliest plants we own
The photo contest should be about the most etiolated, the most deformed , the mistakes we have made as growers, the sick, the damaged ... basically the plants that nobody wants to see.
* Monstrose plants that are healthy do not apply.
* living plants only(as long as they are not dead)

Viewers discretion is advised...

[stefan m.]

Well, they usually photo flowers on super rare plants. Its winter an the only thing flowering right now is sclumbergera and kalanchoe(could be others...but not anything cool). So why not something 180" different.

[ElieEstephane]

I started a new trial contest. You can find it here:
http://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 67#p339567