Nov 05 Contest Votes

[T Paul]

Voting will run from 24 Nov to 30 Nov 2005. Deadline for votes is 6pm EST 30 Nov 2005.

Only those that entered the contest may vote. All other votes will be deleted. If you did not enter, but would like to comment on an entry, please post your comments to the Nov 05 Discussion Thread.

Vote for the 5 best entries in order.

Note you cannot vote for your own image. If you do, your votes will be deleted.

Example Vote:
Pick the top five contest entries and list in order...

1. Entry X (First Place)
2. Entry A (Second Place and so on)
3. Entry Q
4. Entry S
5. Entry P

This thread will remain closed until it's time to vote.

And as always, when you vote try to include some things you especially liked about your choices…what made them stand out, what impressed you, etc. This is a learning experience!

[T Paul]

Martha (Marthig) has been kind enough to set up a photo album of the entries:

Nov Entries

[T Paul]

I see several people didn't follow the rules when naming their files...going to make it hard to vote for them if you don't know who they are.....

Originally Posted by T Paul

THE RULES:
...

3. When you submit your entry put your username in the filename (ie: tpaul.jpg). This is so users can save the images to a local directory and remember who did what--important when it comes time to vote.

Please take the time to look up their username if you vote for them otherwise it will make tallying the votes a bit difficult.

THANKS

~T

[Kraellin]

thank you, T and thank you, martha!

here's my votes:

1. kshulz
2. lorraine
3. PeterS
4. lazze_gurra
5. garazon

there were a LOT of very worthy entries! i wasnt real keen on leaving the drool, but since it was a restoration, i didnt mark off for that one. a number of folks i disqualified because of the right foot and leg treatment. i was also hesitant in picking ones that didnt match up with my idea of what 'sheepskin' looks like, but again, i didnt mark off much for that; it was the baby, afterall, that mattered most.

i thought some of the entries where items were added were quite good. loved the shoes and loved the flower, but in the end, because this was so tight, i did end up marking off for not being a straight restoration. i know, i know, but i had to pick only 5, so, gimme a break here.

a couple forgot to do a bit of sharpening on the baby and it showed when compared to those that had done this.

i gave a fair amount of leeway with color, especially skin color, but a couple of folks got cut for 'too yellow', 'too red', 'too ruddy', or something else along those lines.

so, in the end, for me, it was mostly 'how's the baby look?' and then how's the rest of it and my votes are based on that.

good luck all!

Craig

[RooB]

And my vote goes toward:

1. kschulz
2. PhotoB
3. Bobdown
4. Nurdant
5. Garazon

I voted mostly on how much detail/crispness was left in the image, and how much difference/variation there was in the foot clone.

BTW, there's two pictures with my name on it posted in that gallery-- I only did the one with the slightly pink background.

[Peth]

Well well well. Tricky one for me to judge. On the one hand there's the restoration and on the other hand there was the challenge of making it look like a professional studio shot. I kinda feel (rightly or wrongly) that a lot of people maybe assumed that this was a professional photo and therefore went about the restoration process, staying faithful to the original.

But in fact this was not a professional shoot. (I mean absolutely no offence by this remark Phil) A professional wouldn't leave a rattle in the frame, would wipe away any drool and would straighten clothing/ They would also make sure that the background complimented the subject so as to make the subject the 'hero'of the picture.

So, some people went further with the studio job and others went further with the restoration... bottom line - you must start witht a good restoration. From there you try and make it look professional. No one really'nailed it in my opinion but nevertheless there were some outstanding restorations. And this is how I saw it.

1. kschulz - really nice restoration... sensitive to the subject. I did feel that bubs melted into the background a little though.

2. Ro - Would have been first if it weren't that I felt there was a bit too much magenta in the skin tones. I like the fact that you lost the rattle and I really liked the way you made baby's foot push up the sheepskin.

3. Shalford - Nice thinking - tucking the rattle underneath the foot. Great job of the restoration.

4. NancyJ - a very close fourth Nancy... a few tell-tale signs in the sheepskin but hardly noticeable.

5. Mr Tennant - again nice restoration and the darkening of the edges was a popular technique of the day. Just a little grainy or something... couldn't quite put my finger on it. But a nice job mate.

Garazon, I've got to say your image was really nice as well but there were some strange masking impressions or something that left discoloured area on close inspection... something to look out for in future.

Well done all... it took me an hour and a half to arrive at my votes... was very close!

[garazon]

Here are my votes

1.kschulz - very nice job, clean and crisp looking
2.lorraine - very good job on the foot IMO, overall image good
3.PeterS - I liked the color of the sheepskin and if it had been more even, would probably have voted this higher
4.Ro - I also liked the way the foot pushed the sheepskin, overall image is good but just appears a little too dark in areas
5.PhotoB - I like the overall colors a lot but there were several scratches/creases that need to be fixed and prevented this from rating higher.

Very difficult time trying to judge these. I tried to keep in mind what I considered the end product, something Mom or Dad would put on their desk, and still keep to the "restoration" classification, so that cut a few out from the start, although there were elements of every entry that I liked. Great job everyone.

[MargaretM]

Here is my vote. Based it primarily on skin tone, sharpness, and overall pleasing impression. I thought many entries had too much black in the skin for a baby.
1. Jaime - good skin tones, nice and sharp and good color choice on the fur.
2.PeterS - also good but not quite as sharp.
3.Lorraine - nice skin tones and great fur. Rattle could have had more saturation.
4.kschultz - baby was nicely done but lost points on overall impression with the colored fur,
5.Marthig - nice job with skin and fur but not sharp enough.

[Lorraine]

Why is voting in each contest becoming more difficult? There are so many excellent entries that it’s almost impossible to pick 5.

So, to judge this contest, I resorted to the “restore” criteria and had to eliminate any entries that were unnecessarily manipulated. I’m sorry about that for there was great work done in those entries. Also, I voted for those that I thought had the most realistic details, contrast, skin tone and clarity.

I’ve picked:

1. kschulz – I found everything in this restore to be perfect. Most of all, the baby’s eyes are spectacular.

2. PeterS – Great work all around. I voted second place for this because the baby’s features and skin seem a little flat compared to that of my first place vote.

3. garazon -- Good skin tones and overall contrast. The blanket looks so soft, but I wish there was more color in it. The reconstructed big toe lacks some realistic detail which I why I put this in third place.

4. byRo – Good colors, tones and clarity. Nice work on covering the foot with the blanket. The skin is not as smooth as those that I rated higher.

5. mrtennet – Excellent restore and reconstruction of the foot. Skin is great, but the photo looks a little dark to me.

Congratulations to everyone who entered because each entry has remarkable work.

Lorraine

[NancyJ]

...so many entries, so little time.

1. Lorraine
2. Mr Tennet
3. Kshulkz
4 Bob Down
5 Peter S

[Marthig]

My best five are:

1- KSchulz
2- RooB
3- Bobdown
4- ChanchalBD
5- Lorraine

The selection was not easy but instead of concentrating on the restoration part I judged as a Mom or granny picking a portrait to place on her desk or favourite place. I looked for colouring of the baby skin, then little details like how was the restoration made of her leg and her dress.

There were many others that I liked but when looking at the foot and leg , they were missing something.

REgards

[Peter S]

Ok 45 entries you want 5 votes almost impossible

Kept looking at them, trying to be objective, gave up and chose the ones I liked the look of best
Took "SOME" time.

1 Lorraine
2 loverly
3 kschulz
4 Bobdown
5 smats

[Sean2]

My choices:

1) Cathsaigh- gray: very nice. Clean and dealt with the color issues in a different but acceptable way
2)Nurdant: nice skin tone, not overdone, not blown-out or too sharp, blended nicely with the overall picture - nice overall but the rug could have used a little more work IMO
3)Nancy J: a very nice rendition a thumb and a half up
4)terivon: nice picure and tone. Could not explain why this one caught my eye, but I liked it
5) twinkissed: cool !

My observation would be that the baby seemed to float from the background in many pictures- not tied to it somehow (shadow??). It also seemed that the skin and often the clothes were too "realistic or bright" for the age of the photo. However, it was a great contest and it was a pleasure to see so many people get into fixing the picture and discussing their methods of assessment.

I would go one step further and ask how people built up the skin on the baby? I would also like to know, in the discussion area, why people felt it was necessary to have the baby skin without blemish or shadow or if it was simply a personal "thang"

Sean

[twinkissed]

I apologize I'm doing this away from home and can't keep logged in for some reason so I can't give all my comments. I can't go back and forth between them. If I can I'll add why I picked these when I get back.



1. jaime - color is great and lines are clean, just overall the one that stood out to me
2. Bobdown - this one was almost a tie with jaime
3. mrtennet -
4. lorraine -
5. lazz_gurra - a little too smooth but I liked the coloring

[cazubi]

Congratulations to everyone for such nice entries. Here are my votes.

1. Lorraine
2. kshulz
3. byRo
4. marthig
5. nurdant

Cathy

[Cassidy]

An extremely difficult task
1. KShultz
2. BobDown
3. PeterS
4. lhines
5. rolffimages

[philbach]

Well here is my selection from many fine entries.
1.) Lazze-Gurra
2.) L Hines
3.) K Shulz
4.) Lorraine
5.) By Ro

Daughter Regan who is now a graphic designer is proud of all the participants.

[Legacy~Art]

1.artfolio_nov05.jpg
2.lazze_gurra.jpg
3.Peth.jpg
4.Lorraine.jpg
5.Baby_Roob.jpg

Having no idea whos picture belonged to who, can we kind all make a mental note to add your id to the picture so at least the ones like me can at least add names and not jpg names.

Thanks

[Ms Bay]

Here are my votes:

bobdown
caithsaigh
MrTennet
loverly
garazon

[kschulz]

So many great entries...this just doesn't get any easier.

My voting is based mostly on an accurate restoration. Looking for good definition, attention to details, lighting/shadows, clarity, believable reconstruction of leg and background, and skin tone. No points off for background color choice, since the actual color couldn't be determined for sure. I went with pink because I believed that is what it was and not by some personal preference, and I think that may be true for many of the others, so not a factor.

1. Lorraine - Great leg/foot replacement, clarity and details. Very good skin tone.

2. NancyJ - Again, the right leg/foot replacement is very good, especially the subtle changes to avoid the cloned look. The skin is a bit dark and splotchy, but well done overall.

3. Garazon - Good on clarity, brightness and saturation. Shadow on right leg doesn't seem to match the lighting.

4. lhines - Well done. I like how the detail in the skin is maintained. Might've rated higher if the right leg size was a closer match to the left, and maybe less saturated. To me, the skin color of the legs looks different than the upper portion.

5. Bobdown - The soft light, contrast and low saturation make this one very different from the rest. Very good restoration with variety.

For those that decided to go more "creative" by (re)moving the rattle, changing the clothing, adding flowers, sepia toning, etc., great job! I thought your entries were fantastic - just strayed too far from the criteria. All very well done!

- Kurt

[byRo]

My top five....

1) Lorraine
2) Garazon
3) Bob Down
4) Peter S
5) K Shulz

almost, but not quite...Nurdant, Kraellin.

Congratulations to all who entered, and a big welcome to the newcomers.

Rô

[PhotoB]

I too am voting on skin tone, and as a mom myself (to a 15 month old), one that I'd be proud to display at my cubicle. I quickly ruled out those that cropped off the problem foot area, though the work on those deserve a hand as well.

1. kschulz- wonderful coloring and restore- the neck over the right shoulder almost put you lower though

2. lhines - the only thing that kept you lower was the foot treatment- hiding instead of re-creating, but at least you tackled it

3. nurdant - nicely done, but the recreated foot is too sharp compared to the rest of the baby

4. loverly - the foot looks "off" and the eyes are almost TOO sharp, but the coloring kept you in my top 5

5. mrtennet - way too much black used for a baby portrait, but I still like what you've done

[Loverly]

1.Ihines
2.kshultz
3.NancyJ
4.byRo
5.Jamie

Good work everyone! Was very difficult to choose!
Based my decisions on neck area, foot, and if the photo stayed looking like a photo and not necessarily the perfect colored skin.
I'm not going to say anything that was wrong with each of the photos because I feel like if there is something that bugged me about the photo then probably I should have picked someones elses that got that part right and not rewarded them with a vote! So I will keep my mouth shut! Not sure if that made sense or not. hee hee

Loverly

[Bob Down]

1) ByRo
2) Garazon
3) Loverly
4) Lorraine
5) Kschulz

[ray12]

This is my first contest.

I agree, very difficult choosing 5.

Even greater challenge retouching this one! Everyone should get a vote for getting that tie out, fixing that leg, and getting rid of those dots and splotches! No wonder phil left the country for a while!

1. kschulz - best overall - nice colors - quite sharp - nice balance.
2. chanchalbd - I loved the vibrant bkgnd color and image contrast.
3. photob - totally impressed that he went out and got his son's leg.
4. peth - great out of the box thinking - enjoyed the creativity - Flower?
5. lazze_gurra - liked the contrast of the image and the frame. Nice image.

Ray 12

[Kraellin]

almost, but not quite...Nurdant, Kraellin.

thanks, ro maybe next time i'll remember to remove the 'pancake'

Craig

[Cameraken]

Great job everyone.

Thanks for the Album Martha.
Choosing the top five was almost as hard as Restoring the picture.

Here are my top Five.

Kshulz
Byro
Loverly
PeterS
lazze_gurra

Sorry about my entry. My monitor had slipped out of calibration

Ken

[pjulich]

My Vote:
1 - PeterS
2 - Kschulz
3 - Lorraine
4 - Baby_Roob
5 - baby_jgarazon
I evaluated based on the notion of having the print on my desk at the office. Getting the skin tone was very difficult and I thought these did the best job while staying within the size rules.

[Jaime]

Great works. Here are my votes:

1. lhines
2. kschulz
3. chanchalbd
4. shalford
5. cazubi

Congratulations to all the participants.

[lazze_gurra]

My vote is based on how I would like a photography of my own daughter to look.
That means, just what the eyes can see, and no technical aspect involved.
And this is what I came up with.

1. kschulz
2. garazon
3. Lorraine
4. ChanchalBD
5. PeterS

*/ Lazze_gurra