2015 photo contest winners. Prepare to drool.

[woodster]

Bribing was Phil's idea. Not mine. I just don't understand why he wouldn't come all this way to have his picture taken with me, sail on beautiful Lake Murray, SC with my First Mate and me, hear me sing Rainbow Connection in Kermit's voice and have his choice of homemade peach or strawberry ice cream. He chose a sleigh full of gifts instead? Seriously?

somehow i don't think he is a frog kind of guy Kermit but it's not you and that doesn't make you a bad thing ..heck i love homemade ice cream and have fished Lake Murray when i was half this age...... and would consider it a privilege and an honer to eat with you some time ...so don't let it get you down....just be yourself and have fun

 

[centerline]

I have just about given up taking pictures on the boat as they always look the same over the years.

it would be nice to know what cameras were used & settings.

most of mine were taken with my phone... but some were taken with my canon T3i... I dont have the time/inclination to fiddle with filters, so whatever is available in the automatic mode is what I use.... but really do like the image stabilization that the T3i gives when shooting so that the image is sharp and clear.

some of the newer phone cameras are incredible.. even compared with most of the actual cameras of ten years ago. and with all the automatic adjustments built into them now, there are tricks to how you hold the phone and where you point it on the subject, that will make a huge difference in how the image is captured.

having an eye for when to zoom and how much, and where to center the frame on the subject helps a lot too.... but ANYONE who takes a lot of pictures is going to get a few good ones from time to time.... or as my dad always said, "even a blind hog will get an acorn once in awhile"

 

[TomY]

I have just about given up taking pictures on the boat as they always look the same over the years. Not that it would help me, but it would be nice to know what cameras were used & settings.

I'd like to know that too. And also what sort of 'system' people use to take pictures. My system is simple but effective. Here it is: I keep my camera and two lenses(that's all I own-both zooms) in a bag under the dodger - anytime(nearly)- we're off sailing. The reason I mention that is I have missed many great shots because the camera wasn't handy.

My shot of Perry Creek at dawn was taken at 5:45 am. I'm often up at dawn when on the boat. I brew coffee and enjoy watching the sunrise on the water. I remember the light suddenly turned that morning and I reached over my shoulder and grabbed the camera(I don't often close the top on the bag-it's holding the camera ready).

I only took one shot with a Canon EOS 50D(pretty old) and my favorite lens; 10-22mm zoom. The zoom length was at max: 22mm.

My ISO was set at 100(it usually is as that's the best quality if the light is available). I usually set my 50D at shutter priority and this shot I set the shutter speed at 200 and camera set the aperture to F8. I shot in RAW and load photos into Adobe Lightroom.
Mostly it was my simple system (camera under the dodger always), that I have to thank for getting this image.

This shot(above) was taken at 6:01 that same morning. Totally different light just 15 minutes later(and now at my back). This is the opposite end of the creek. My boat is the last boat in the background in this shot.

 

[Bob J.]

These are first class pictures.
Congratulations to all!!

 

[Brian D]

When I look at my EXIF data, I see that I shot in Manual mode, 28mm (EF 28~70mm L lens), F/2.8, ISO 400, 8 seconds on a tripod. The camera was a Canon 5d Full Frame DSLR. I have several film cameras but at the time I shot this, they were at home. When I am out and about I carry a Canon G12. Although it has a smaller sensor than the DSLR, it is capable of some very nice shots. The G12 is what I carried with me in Afghanistan. I used Photoshop to increase the contrast and decrease the exposure, basically the same that would have been done in a darkroom.

Now for a little hint. If one is really interested in getting into photography, I recommend KEH.com for used cameras. They have a great selection of used gear both film and digital at extremely reasonable prices. KEH rates their cameras very conservatively.

 

[GorillaToast]

If anyone is interested, I shot Marina at 2am in June 2013, with a Nikon D5100 with 55-300 Nikon lens.

Settings

ISO. 500
Manual
2 sec @ f/7.1
Lighting was by a orange security light at the marina. I used Photoshop to correct Color temp to get white hulls.

Thanks again to all for the honor!

 

[TENACITY CS36T]

Enjoyed all the pictures thanks for sharing to all..

 

[dscribner]

The neat thing really isn't shown in Kris's photo. Right behind him is the cutest floating cabin on the planet. Look it up. Floating Cabin Vinalhaven Maine.

 

[TomY]

The neat thing really isn't shown in Kris's photo. Right behind him is the cutest floating cabin on the planet. Look it up. Floating Cabin Vinalhaven Maine.

The houseboat is a unique fixture in Perry Creek, Don. Last season Foy Brown, the owner, moved it. The locals say he moved it for better cell phone reception,.....(I think that's a joke). Here it is(red arrow) when I took that shot.

The houseboat used to be farther up the creek, but was never up as far as where I'm anchored in this shot. I've been coming to this spot and only once had a boat beyond(a 16' Drascombe). I've even been giving directions to it for years.

"Go up the creek beyond the moorings until you start to feel nervous. I'm about 300 yards beyond there".

Funny, it's usually available.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Kris, I was stunned by the photo you posted from the Isle of Skye. When were you lucky enough to be there? I can only imagine that my Viking ancestors were once there (maybe that's why the image was so vivid to me).

 

[TomY]

Kris, I was stunned by the photo you posted from the Isle of Skye. When were you lucky enough to be there? I can only imagine that my Viking ancestors were once there (maybe that's why the image was so vivid to me).

Thank you, Scott! That is the only photo I've enlarged and printed at 2'x3'. It's one of my favorites and the big print draws me into it.

Our daughter went to St Andrews University in Scotland. We were there for her graduation in 2013. After the graduation, my wife and I took a train to Isle of Skye for a few days. I think that area of Scotland is the most dramatic I have ever seen.

As we waited for this ferry I took several shots from Isle of Skye. You can see the yawl heading down the sound. It was sailing beautifully and the water was flat, I was mesmerized, and kept watching it.

[

Suddenly, only 4 minutes later(on the metadata), the yawl crossed a sloop in front of this dramatic backdrop. The light changed and the water took on a new texture. The mountains and sky had a new depth. Most amazing was that the sails were suddenly illuminated by some rays of sunlight through the clouds. See the difference?

You'll love Scotland! Your tag has always stuck out for me. I learned to sail on Barnegat Bay, but before that(too young to remember), my parents took me sailing on an old wooden lightening on Lake Hapatcong.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Everything you say about the depth, lighting and the texture is good to begin with. And then there is this immense natural background without even a hint that it has been touched by human hands, or even penetrated, except for two small sailboats, representing probably the most beautiful creations humans have ever dreamed up (in my opinion, anyway). There is something symbolic about this photo that mesmerizes me.
Back to reality! My son went to University of Glasgow for a semester as an English Lit major. He traveled earlier to visit something called the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. He has adventurous tastes, so he stomached just about anything they offered on a plate, disgusting as it may have looked or sounded. He also trekked through the Highlands but I'm not sure if he got to Isle of Skye. I'll have to ask him if I can track him down. We traced him to Myanmar through a fellow teacher in Thailand. He finally responded to an e-mail and said he was planning to arrive in NJ later this month.
I've seen a fleet of Lightnings on LH on a few occasions. I think there must be a bunch of the older yacht club members who still have them and get them out on occasion.

 

[dscribner]

The houseboat is a unique fixture in Perry Creek, Don. Last season Foy Brown, the owner, moved it. The locals say he moved it for better cell phone reception,.....(I think that's a joke). Here it is(red arrow) when I took that shot.

The houseboat used to be farther up the creek, but was never up as far as where I'm anchored in this shot. I've been coming to this spot and only once had a boat beyond(a 16' Drascombe). I've even been giving directions to it for years.

"Go up the creek beyond the moorings until you start to feel nervous. I'm about 300 yards beyond there".

Funny, it's usually available.

Yeah, I know where you mean. There's an . . . . ATON to warn you. It looks like a lobster buoy but's it has a couple of pendants. That's about 15 yards from the gravel bar extending out to the south. There's a pool just about big enough at low to anchor and swing a bit provided you don't draft much. We draft 30" . . . Just an amazing spot. One of my favorites. Next two are Damariscove Is and Sequin Is. The photo is from our anchorage in about 4'.