ZapperZ's Great Outdoors Photo Contest

  • Thread starter Astronuc
  • Start date
In summary: Those are great! The first one is my favorite-pure snow with a perfect sky.This shot is not of the caliber of many here, but I needed to get out and capture some fall colors today. This is a pair of apple trees at a scenic overlook dedicated to the Old Canada Road.
  • #176
How fantastic!
 
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  • #177
Gokul43201 said:
Some pictures from this past weekend, climbing some fun ice formations on the bluffs overlooking Lake Superior:

Excellent!
 
  • #178
Just wanted to share this one, it's unsuitable for the landmark game.

22085868.jpg


It is not a fantasy cyber pic from some game, it's real
 
  • #179
Borek said:
I am green with envy. I think I will call Marzena to take a picture for the contest.

fuzzyfelt said:
How fantastic!

Andy Resnick said:
Excellent!
I can understand the envy, but I should probably mention that all these activities come with a little potential for injury (or worse). I've generally been a careful outdoorsman, and have managed to go several months at a time with negligible damage, but this past week has been less fortunate. The weekend gave me a fat lip, a bruised chin, a tender ear and a bump on the side of my head (which would have been a whole lot worse, if not for my awesome helmet) from trying a somewhat tricky climb. And last night, I dislocated my shoulder (not too severely, I hope - I was able to pop it back into place fairly easily) while skiing down a somewhat icy hill.

But despite the occasional bang-up, the experiences are so worth it.
 
  • #180
Cute creature.. maybe if I get some time I'll show you guys what this little bugger did to my porch swing. I hope he's warm right now. :grumpy:
100_9335i.jpg
 
  • #181
Gokul43201 said:
the occasional bang-up

I would say that's part of the joy. Just not too much.
 
  • #182
Borek said:
I would say that's part of the joy.
Agreed. You're green with envy; I'm black and blue with joy! =)
 
  • #183
Gokul43201 said:
Agreed. You're green with envy; I'm black and blue with joy! =)
When I threw myself into white-water kayaking, I wound up being black and blue with some regularity. I ditched the larger kayaks in favor of a low-volume squirt boat with sharp rails. Low volume means low buoyancy, and when you're running very heavy white-water (lots of air bubbles), the water gives you even less buoyancy. Flip in heavy rapids, and you have even less "purchase" on the water with your paddle, so it's tougher to execute a roll unless you are very experienced. All this with boulders whizzing by your head (hopefully whizzing by, anyway), upside down in heavy rapids. I returned home from time to time with a couple of dings, sore muscles, bruises, etc. Still, it was so much fun that I wouldn't trade it for any other outdoor hobby. I enjoyed Alpine and Nordic skiing, technical rock-climbing, hiking, climbing mountains, etc, but white-water kayaking was tops!
 
  • #184
turbo-1 said:
but white-water kayaking was tops!

Turbo,

hehe, maybe for you, but I must say that riding a bike (motorized) at a spirited pace does it for me, one post Rhody... over and out of this thread...
 
  • #186
Astronuc said:

Astro,

Interesting story, I admire those who follow their dreams (see thumbnail of Squash) quite an amazing story. I admit as a kid Everest did hold some allure which sadly for me today does not exist. I prefer truly wild places, ignored or as yet undiscovered by "the masses". The ascent of Everest (South Col Route) well worn, with discarded trash, oxygen bottles and un-recovered bodies, and fixed ropes is a turn-off, for me anyway. I must have been spoiled somewhere along the way, having hiked to some fairly remote areas, being rewarded with the best unspoiled beauty nature has to offer, and feeling extremely humbled to do so.

Rhody... :rolleyes:
 

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  • #187
Nice rhody. :)
 
  • #188
drizzle said:
Nice rhody. :)

Thanks Drizzle, I wasn't expecting comments, but yours is most appreciated.

Rhody... :wink:
 
  • #189
Someone sent me an email about 'amazing striped icebergs'. A search lead to Snopes.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/stripedicebergs.asp

http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/antarcticwave.asp

Actual icebergs are found on sites like NatGeo and the following:

http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/antarctic-images/parliament-house-exhibitions/aurora-extraordinary-visions-of-antarctica-2006-exhibition/icebergs

http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/antarctic-images/photo-gallery/icebergs-and-ice
 
  • #190
Yesterday:

grzbiet.jpg
 
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  • #191
Borek said:
Yesterday:

grzbiet.jpg
Image doesn't show up for me! Skiing?
 
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  • #192
Not enough snow for skiing. Can you see images in my other posts? I always post them exactly the same way, perhaps that's just some temporary problem.
 
  • #193
Borek said:
Can you see images in my other posts?
Yes, I can see your images (Marzena's too) from the photo contest threads.
 
  • #194
This is a great thread... I know someone who lives in a bit of the rural-suburban wilderenss... and has quite a few pictures of things ranging from turkys, a network fo chipmunk warrens, and soon... a HUUUUGE cardinal.

http://nancysnaturenook.wordpress.com/2009/10/

Clearly a novice photographer, but doing good stuff given some technical limits and the fickle nature of nature.

Turkey on stairs...

http://nancysnaturenook.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/img_0106.jpg

Distant Cardinal...

http://nancysnaturenook.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/cardinal.jpg
 
  • #195
Gokul43201 said:
Yes, I can see your images (Marzena's too) from the photo contest threads.

There were capital letters and a dash in the name, perhaps that was source of the problems (but there is no trace of potential problems in my server logs). I have changed filename and modified both posts, perhaps it will be better now.
 
  • #196
Borek said:
I have changed filename and modified both posts, perhaps it will be better now.
Yes, it is. Thanks.

So what are we looking at? Is it a naturally bald hill or a ski mountain?
 
  • #197
Not a ski mountain for sure, how natural - no idea. It is not very high, something like 700 meters above sea level (about 2000 feet), could be the forest was removed for farming. The picture is (intentionally) misleading - it was composed to avoid most traces of people. This one was taken about an hour or two later, in a different spot, and better shows how the area really looks like:

grzbiet2.jpg


As you see it is not as wild as the first picture suggests.

Patches of snow were left only on northern slopes, and pictures were taken in different directions.
 
  • #198
Borek said:
Not a ski mountain for sure, how natural - no idea. It is not very high, something like 700 meters above sea level (about 2000 feet), could be the forest was removed for farming. The picture is (intentionally) misleading - it was composed to avoid most traces of people. This one was taken about an hour or two later, in a different spot, and better shows how the area really looks like:

grzbiet2.jpg


As you see it is not as wild as the first picture suggests.

That is so beautiful, it takes my breath away; that stand of (birch?) in front of the conifers is a perfect segue from the sepia tones through red, to green. I think I like this more casual shot even more than the snowy ones.
 
  • #199
Birches they are.
 
  • #200
Borek said:
Birches they are.

If that's where you live, you are a very lucky man.
 
  • #201
No, I live about 400 km North, that was just a short trip.
 
  • #202
Borek said:
No, I live about 400 km North, that was just a short trip.

Close enough... I had no idea Poland was so... wild and... well... it looks a lot like New England, but more open and clean.
 
  • #203
Search forums for our "Vacations in Poland" threads for more pictures.
 
  • #204
Borek said:
Search forums for our "Vacations in Poland" threads for more pictures.

Ooooohh, thanks Borek!
 
  • #205
turbo-1 said:
When I threw myself into white-water kayaking, I wound up being black and blue with some regularity.

Another way to get black and blue involving water - the annual "football" game played every Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and the following day in a local town.

The tradition is that this has been played for about 1000 years, though all the historical records was destroyed in a fire in about 1890, so nobody is quite sure. There are reliable accounts of it being played in the 17th century.

The population living either side of the river flowing through the middle of the town form the two teams. The ball is solid (a leather casing whcih is elaborately painted, and stuffed with cork chippings), and weighs about four pounds. The goals are two bridges over the river, about 3 miles apart. Each day's game lasts a maximum of 8 hours, finishing well after dark.The first team to score a goal wins, but if the game is won in less than 4 hours, a second game is started.

There are very few rules. It is basically an 8-hour scrum-down, with anything up to 500 people taking part. When somebody dies while playing, there is a one-minute silence before the start of the next game in their memory.

All shop windows etc in the center of the town are boarded up as protection, except for the pubs and bars which are open all day. Anything which gets in the way of the game does not survive. The police block roads as necessary to stop unsuspecting motorists having their cars torn apart, but otherwise keep a low profile!

2011 was one for the record books - the first time in 75 years that 4 goals were scored in one year.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/derby/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9419000/9419123.stm, and the links on that page.
 
  • #206
Wait... "shrove" is the past tense of "shrift" right?... How does that turn into pancakes? :rofl:


Oh... the pubs... Oh, and "when somebody dies"... :bugeye: Good lord...
 
  • #207
This announcement is a bit late for some parts of the world, but in any case...

If you enjoy the outdoors, you should look into attending the Banff Mountain Film Festival. It is awesome! The Festival features a collection of the year's coolest outdoor films and documentaries and has showings around the world.

Tour dates for the US are mostly in March-April, though NYC had theirs in Feb, I think, as did most of Canada. Dates in Europe run from Feb through April. See (under Worl Tour) here for more info: http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/worldtour/ [Broken]

Promo video:

 
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  • #208
Took these this morning- I stopped down the lens as much as possible (f/20, f/22), which helped intensify the contrast. Sucks to be a tree in this weather...

[PLAIN]http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/2084/dsc4524.jpg [Broken]

[PLAIN]http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/4301/dsc4519g.jpg [Broken]

and I call this one "Defiance". A clean background would be *much* better, but I'll take what I can get:

[PLAIN]http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/4636/dsc4525.jpg [Broken]
 
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  • #209
Ah, forsythias in the snow. A common occurrence here - still a welcome sign of spring.
 
  • #210
Those are lovely pictures, but like Turbo-1 that's spring incoming right there!
 
<h2>1. What is "ZapperZ's Great Outdoors Photo Contest"?</h2><p>"ZapperZ's Great Outdoors Photo Contest" is an annual photography competition that celebrates the beauty of nature and the great outdoors. It is open to all photographers, both amateur and professional, and encourages participants to capture stunning images of landscapes, wildlife, and outdoor activities.</p><h2>2. How can I enter the contest?</h2><p>To enter the contest, simply submit your photos through the designated entry form on the official website. You can submit up to five photos per person, and all entries must be original and taken by the participant.</p><h2>3. What are the judging criteria for the contest?</h2><p>The photos will be judged based on their creativity, composition, technical excellence, and overall impact. The judges will also consider how well the photos capture the theme of the contest, which is the great outdoors.</p><h2>4. Are there any prizes for the winners?</h2><p>Yes, there are prizes for the top three winners of the contest. The first-place winner will receive a cash prize, while the second and third-place winners will receive gift cards and other outdoor photography-related prizes.</p><h2>5. Can I use photo editing software on my entries?</h2><p>Minor adjustments such as cropping and color correction are allowed, but any major alterations or use of filters will result in disqualification. The judges are looking for natural and authentic photos that accurately represent the beauty of the great outdoors.</p>

1. What is "ZapperZ's Great Outdoors Photo Contest"?

"ZapperZ's Great Outdoors Photo Contest" is an annual photography competition that celebrates the beauty of nature and the great outdoors. It is open to all photographers, both amateur and professional, and encourages participants to capture stunning images of landscapes, wildlife, and outdoor activities.

2. How can I enter the contest?

To enter the contest, simply submit your photos through the designated entry form on the official website. You can submit up to five photos per person, and all entries must be original and taken by the participant.

3. What are the judging criteria for the contest?

The photos will be judged based on their creativity, composition, technical excellence, and overall impact. The judges will also consider how well the photos capture the theme of the contest, which is the great outdoors.

4. Are there any prizes for the winners?

Yes, there are prizes for the top three winners of the contest. The first-place winner will receive a cash prize, while the second and third-place winners will receive gift cards and other outdoor photography-related prizes.

5. Can I use photo editing software on my entries?

Minor adjustments such as cropping and color correction are allowed, but any major alterations or use of filters will result in disqualification. The judges are looking for natural and authentic photos that accurately represent the beauty of the great outdoors.

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