Martin, that's't what happens when you don't allow us to edit our comments - we have to copy, delete, paste, repost and then everything can get out of sequence. I was wondering what the heck Penny was talking about until I read Daniel's reposted message! :-)

Uf!!!. You came late Martin, I just set the new topic. Please check it all so I can finish my sandwich.

Daniel, how about "surrealistic post-processing"? That'll get Rod out of everyone's hair for 14 days...

You turds! I've been reloading this page for the last 20 minutes and was wondering what the heck's going on with all the post/delete/repost business ;)... really scratched my head seeing JP repost something from the other day...

Ooops! Penny it seems Martin has discovered our secret about correcting comments (copy - delete - paste).

Debie and Al: right now I canŽt speak because I have a sandwich in my mouth. Give me some time to feed myself and let the blood flows to my brain. Or you just get a silly topic like "landscapes" from me!.

Thanks Carole and Brent!.

About the backdate, IŽgoing to choose 10 days in order to Rod can use all of the pictures that have been "eating" space in his hard disk.

Who sed landscapes??
I second Penny's nomination. No landscapes, please dear God, no ;)

please no ... anything but landscapes ....

Congratulations Daniel - one of my favorites from the many great images in the challenge! And congrats to the other placegetters. I think I voted for all of them! :-)

where is the new challenge - Daniel you are taking too long over lunch

Congratulations Daniel! That was a fine image for a well deserved win, and you didn't even have to win with the one you knew all the guys would have to vote for ;-)
Thanks for a great topic and well run challenge Frank :-)
And thanks Martin for the extra pixels- that should help a lot with certain images.

So where is Danial. That's a looooong lunch :)

Penny, shhhh! I made the backdate amount default to 10 days (it should have been 10 days since the 2nd or 3rd open challenge), maybe Daniel won't notice the default selection... ;)

Debi. I agree with aam. The second pic looks like it was a very dark picture & has been over adjusted, not nice. but maybe that is what it looked like at the time the shot was taken ;-)

message to Daniel - if you don't backdate the new challenge (at least not too far back), I promise to take my quota of pictures in the next two weeks.

OK guys, starting with C25 entries can be 1000px longest side, however the file size is still limited to 350kb so you may have to consider balancing jpeg compression vs. image dimensions a little more carefully. I'm finding jpeg level 8 (in PS) usually keeps the image well under 350kb even at 1000px and with no noticeable IQ side effects (nothing anyone would notice if they don't see a less-compressed version).

The header area up top has been compressed vertically so that the larger images won't need to be scrolled up/down much more than at 800px, it's a little rough at the moment but that'll get finished up eventually. For now though, there ya go... 1000px max on the long end ;)

Congrats to Daniel for his winning photograph and for his other winning photograph (even though it didn't win top prize it will be talked about in years to come so please thank the lovely model with the jewels) and a big round of applause to Franky for the terrific topic which we all enjoyed very much!
(I will remember this round so it must have been good).

Agree. I donŽt like this kind of overprocessing style.

Thanks aam - I think there lies the problem - photographs are being processed more and more in the style and way shown in that link

Congrats Daniel - worthy winner.

Uh!. Fortune was on my side this time!. Thanks everybody and thank you Frank for choosing a topic that helps my to win!. Aside the great entries we had in this challenge, I found very interesting this message section, and I wish I had more free time to read it more carefully...

Rod mate, if you want to hang the jewel case portrait on your wall, no problem, IŽll send you the 6MP file...

Now I am at the office, IŽm going to spend lunch time here setting the new gallery. IŽll do my best efforts to choose an interesting topic :-)

Yes, Debi.

Just an FYI, if all goes well, for C25 the max image size will be 1000px at the long end, but still 350kb max file size. Look for the new restrictions under the info tab... if it still shows as 800px, then we're still under the usual limits for a bit... there will also be some display shenanigans happening so hang in there until things are fully adjusted ;)

Congrats Daniel - what a fascinating picture with great composition - well deserved win

[link]

Please look at the before and after images - does the after image look over processed to you?

Have to agree with Martin. I suspect Adam's fame came from self-promotion and marketing. He has great work, no doubt, but by the amount he is referenced or quoted you would think he invented photography or is the only photographer in the world.

Congratulations Daniel, as Frank mentioned you're on a roll lately! There were plenty of wonderful images entered once again so this makes the winning shot all the more relevant!

So, bringing up another challenge category and just mentioning b&w as a possible base theme generates, what... 100 posts? ;)

I'm going to be hated for saying this but: Ansel... personally, big fat yawn. I could write a few paragraphs on why I feel this way (mostly about technical work/self-promotion vs. story/context/images that speak for themselves) but as my momma always said, "if you ain't got nothing good to say..." ;)

Wonderful Daniel. This was one mother of a challenge to judge, the work was diverse & good, well done to all that entered. IOO (in our opinion) there was not a bad shot, so the judging was done as to what best suited the theme re our interpretation. I (Ernest) was hoping in some way that we would use the single number vote as there were shots that I would have liked to acknowledge. My current voting sys of 5,4,3,2 & 1 does not allow this. Jill has her own system as only a woman can :-)

Frank, a great challenge. We leave for China for our annual vacation on Dec 22nd & hope to see how Daniel's challenge progresses.

Kind regards.
Ernest/Jill

Yes Franky I'm raring to go, me batteries are all charged up me memory card is formatted so now we just have to wait for Daniel to get out of bed, which can't be easy wiv the gorgeous missus he has a.
Well done Daniel you nailed the topic with a terrific picy which is a work of art mate & I would gladly hang it on my wall right next to the picy I've printed up of your lovely missus:-)

Congrats to Daniel for winning this challenge, who really has a run these days! We have seen a great number of fantastic entries and I really appreciate all comments and votes on the images. Sorry if I was not fully able to follow all discussions here, sometimes too complicated.

Daniel, I am passing on the baton for you to kick of the next challenge. I know that Rod is just sitting there, holding back all his creative ideas and cannot wait to go out. :-)

Cheers to all
Frank