MINIMALISM: "LESS IS MORE" - SEPTEMBER 2024

Blue Staircase by Pilar Garda

GROUP A - SCORE 87

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 87 | Dwayne Tucker 87

This photograph was taken in Santorini, Greece.
(April 2022)

Nikon D850

Exposure Time: 1/4000

F-number: 9

Focal Length: 120

(ISO): 640

Lens Model: 24.0-120.0 mm f/4.0

Flash : N/A
Blue Staircase by Pilar Garda Blue Staircase by Pilar Garda
Salt and Pepper by Norene Monahan

GROUP A - SCORE 81.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 86 | Dwayne Tucker 77

Taken with Nikon D3400. 1/100 sec at f/5.0 ISO 400; 35mm. Natural light on kitchen table. Edited in Lightroom.

Flash : N/A
Salt and Pepper by Norene Monahan Salt and Pepper by Norene Monahan
Little Blue Window by Pilar Garda

GROUP A - SCORE 80

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 86 | Dwayne Tucker 74

Nikon D 850

Exposure Time: 1/500
F-number: 7.1
Focal Length: 120
Photographic Sensitivity (ISO): 100
Lens Model: 24.0-120.0 mm f/4.0
White Balance: Auto white balance
This photograph was taken in Mikonos, Greece.
(April 2022)

Flash : N/A
Little Blue Window by Pilar Garda Little Blue Window by Pilar Garda
A Lonely Grape by Norene Monahan

GROUP A - SCORE 87

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 89 | Dwayne Tucker 85

Taken with IPhone 13Pro. Natural light. Edited in Lightroom.

Flash : N/A
A Lonely Grape by Norene Monahan A Lonely Grape by Norene Monahan
Last of the Trash by Yevette Shapiro

GROUP A - SCORE 76.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 77 | Dwayne Tucker 76

Flash : N/A
Last of the Trash by Yevette Shapiro Last of the Trash by Yevette Shapiro
Graceful Simplicity by Walter Rojter

GROUP A - SCORE 88

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 88 | Dwayne Tucker 88

I found a bunch of small flowers while cleaning my messy front yard. After a quick online search, they seem to resemble the Spanish Needle, a wildflower commonly found in Florida and other parts of North America. It features small, white petals and a central cluster of yellow stamens. The Spanish Needle is often seen growing in fields and along roadsides and is popular with pollinators like bees and butterflies.
I thought naming it 'Graceful Simplicity' would capture the elegance of the flower's delicate form and minimalist beauty.

Camera: Fujifilm X-H2S
Lens: Lensbaby Velvet 85mm
Shutter: 1/30s
ISO: 800
Aperture: Probably f/4 or F/5.6

Edited and processed with On1 PhotoRaw 2024.5

Flash : N/A
Graceful Simplicity by Walter Rojter Graceful Simplicity by Walter Rojter
Infinite Space by Yevette Shapiro

GROUP A - SCORE 77

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 79 | Dwayne Tucker 75

Flash : N/A
Infinite Space by Yevette Shapiro Infinite Space by Yevette Shapiro
Welcome Weed by John McKnight

GROUP A - SCORE 84

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 80 | Dwayne Tucker 88

This was shot on a bluff over looking the Pacific Ocean in California. This wild weed caught my attention. I thought it was pretty with the intricate design of the leaves. I liked the overcast sky as a background for this image. I did post processing in Lightroom Classic, and I did some minor spot removal in Photo Shop. The settings were: f 9.0, 1/640 and ISO of 200.

Flash : N/A
Welcome Weed by John McKnight Welcome Weed by John McKnight
Looking up by John McKnight

GROUP A - SCORE 88.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 89 | Dwayne Tucker 88

This is the inside of a spiral staircase looking up. The location was at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville TN. I was intrigued by the vertical rods that were supporting the staircase. I had to hold my camera between the vertical rods to get my camera in the proper position to capture the symmetry of this image. I thought this image fit the Minimalistic them because of the simple geometric elements.

Flash : N/A
Looking up by John McKnight Looking up by John McKnight
Fluorescent Elegance Under Darkness by Walter Rojter

GROUP A - SCORE 87

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 85 | Dwayne Tucker 89

Under UV light, the world can look completely different.

I photographed this lily in the darkness using only UV lights, with a 15-second long exposure. After multiple attempts and experimenting with different settings and compositions, I finally settled on this one. This process is known as UV-Induced Visible Fluorescence Photography. It differs from Reflected UV photography, as it does not require any modifications to the camera or lens.

The title 'Fluorescent Elegance in the Darkness' captures both the grace of the lily and the striking contrast of light against the dark."

Camera: Fujifilm X-H2S
Lens: Lensbaby Velvet 56mm
Shutter: 15 seconds
ISO: 1600
Aperture: Around F/5.6

Edited and processed with On1 PhotoRaw 2024.5 with minor adjustments on the center brightness with Nik Efex Pro.
Flash : N/A
Thorns of Glass by Silvia Rojas

GROUP A - SCORE 76

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 76 | Dwayne Tucker 76

This is the top of a Chihuly glass sculpture in the Seattle Center, Seattle, WA, The sky was white so I added some color to the background and framed it.

Flash : N/A
Thorns of Glass by Silvia Rojas Thorns of Glass by Silvia Rojas
Lilac Breasted Roller by Rana Fine

GROUP B - SCORE 77

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 77 | Dwayne Tucker 77

Flash : N/A
Lilac Breasted Roller by Rana Fine Lilac Breasted Roller by Rana Fine
Two Fishing Lost Coast by Rana Fine

GROUP B - SCORE 80

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 76 | Dwayne Tucker 84

Flash : N/A
Two Fishing Lost Coast by Rana Fine Two Fishing Lost Coast by Rana Fine
Standing Watch by Ibis Hillencamp
GROUP A - SCORE 92

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 98 | Dwayne Tucker 86

Flash : N/A
Standing Watch by Ibis Hillencamp Standing Watch by Ibis Hillencamp
After the Storm by James Keith

GROUP A - SCORE 81.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 79 | Dwayne Tucker 84

Flash : N/A
After the Storm by James Keith After the Storm by James Keith
A Solitary Morning Shadow by Silvia Rojas

GROUP A - SCORE 88

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 88 | Dwayne Tucker 88

This was a solitary plant that broke thru the sand dunes at the Great Sand Dunes in Utah. It was a cool early morning so that the shadow was quite long. Shot with a Canon PowerShot G15.

Flash : N/A
For Love of Country by Ibis Hellencamp

GROUP A - SCORE 89.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 84 | Dwayne Tucker 95

Flash : N/A
For Love of Country by Ibis Hellencamp For Love of Country by Ibis Hellencamp
Minimalized Hummer by Barbara Thompson

GROUP A - SCORE 92.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 93 | Dwayne Tucker 92

280mm, f/5, 1/1600s, ISO 8000
Hand Held
Available Sunlight

Flash : N/A
Minimalized Hummer by Barbara Thompson Minimalized Hummer by Barbara Thompson
Lonely Cypress by James Keith

GROUP A - SCORE 86

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 87 | Dwayne Tucker 85

Flash : N/A
Lonely Cypress by James Keith Lonely Cypress by James Keith
Woodpecker Perched on Dead Tree by Dustin Quiel-Athanasiadis

GROUP B - SCORE 89

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 90 | Dwayne Tucker 88

This woodpecker woke me up one gloomy, cloudy morning earlier this year. If you are a bird photographer, you get to learn the different bird calls from the birds around the house. On this morning, I awoke to a call that was different from the usual neighborhood birds. I looked out from my balcony and there were a pair of woodpeckers frolicking around. I ran for my camera, set it up quickly and was back in time to take a couple of shots. Not shown on this photo: Mrs. Woodpecker--she would not sign the release.

Shot on Nikon D7500
f/5.6
1/320 sec
ISO 400
300mm

Flash : N/A
Aqua Bird by Rolando Prol

GROUP A - SCORE 96.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 95 | Dwayne Tucker 98

Flash : N/A
Aqua Bird by Rolando Prol Aqua Bird by Rolando Prol
Lonely soul by Claudia Masella

GROUP A - SCORE 81

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 85 | Dwayne Tucker 77

Flash : N/A
Lonely soul by Claudia Masella Lonely soul by Claudia Masella
Morning Solitude by Norma Orozco

GROUP B - SCORE 94

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 96 | Dwayne Tucker 92

Wakodahatchee - Nikon D7100, f4.8 ISO 500 1/80 sec

Flash : N/A
Morning Solitude by Norma Orozco Morning Solitude by Norma Orozco
Caribbean Catamaran by Dustin Quiel-Athanasiadis

GROUP B - SCORE 80

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 85 | Dwayne Tucker 75

I took this photo last December during a visit to the Caribbean island of Anguilla. I was having dinner at a restaurant on top of a cliff with a view to the bay below. After the sun set, this catamaran turned on its night lights and was the only thing showing in the darkness. I set my camera on a mini tripod on a ledge and used a remote shutter to capture the image.

Shot on Nikon D7500
f/2.8
1/5 sec
ISO 400
50mm

Flash : N/A
Geometric Abstraction by Barbara Thompson

GROUP A - SCORE 89

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 95 | Dwayne Tucker 83

40mm, f/4.5, 1/100s, ISO 3200
Hand Held
Available Sunlight
Flash : N/A
Black Bird by Jeanette Beatty

GROUP B - SCORE 83.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 84 | Dwayne Tucker 83

Flash : N/A
Black Bird by Jeanette Beatty Black Bird by Jeanette Beatty
Lofty Outlook by Daniel Holmes

GROUP A - SCORE 92

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 97 | Dwayne Tucker 87

1/200 sec ISO 200 F10 at 700mm ( Canon 100-500 RF lens with 1.4x extender) hand held from bed of my Ram 1500

Flash : N/A
Lofty Outlook by Daniel Holmes Lofty Outlook by Daniel Holmes
Sip In Style by Maribel Gonzalez

GROUP B - SCORE 82

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 87 | Dwayne Tucker 77

Flash : N/A
Sip In Style by Maribel Gonzalez Sip In Style by Maribel Gonzalez
Holding Together by Claudia Masella

GROUP A - SCORE 93

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 89 | Dwayne Tucker 97

Flash : N/A
Holding Together by Claudia Masella Holding Together by Claudia Masella
Sand crossing by Norma Orozco

GROUP B - SCORE 85.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 86 | Dwayne Tucker 85

Flash : N/A
Sand crossing by Norma Orozco Sand crossing by Norma Orozco
Four Poles by Daniel Holmes

GROUP A - SCORE 77.5

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 80 | Dwayne Tucker 77

1/800 sec at f/8, ISO 200 50mm ( Canon RF 50mm lens 1.8 STM - common nickname "nifty fifty" for its light weight and cheap price) Shot walking the beach in the morning, hand held

Flash : N/A
Four Poles by Daniel Holmes Four Poles by Daniel Holmes
One Tree by Jeanette Beatty

GROUP B - SCORE 78

JUDGES: Manolo Doreste 82 | Dwayne Tucker 74

A lone tree in the Everglades.

Flash : N/A
One Tree by Jeanette Beatty One Tree by Jeanette Beatty

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