wildswing

Hi guys,

First off, I want to make sure it's ok to post this message and the accompanying request. As well, I've been a member on the board for a while but haven't posted much. I mostly just lurk and read, so posting this may be out of line. If the administrators think it's inappropriate, then please delete with my apologies.

A local business sponsors a calendar photo contest every year and the public is encouraged to vote on their favorite picture. I finally got around to entering a couple of pictures that I figured were good enough. Here's the one I like the most...

2009 Real North Calendar Photo Contest

If such a request is ok with the forum rules and if you are so inclined, I would really appreciate your support. Just type your email address in the voting box and click on "vote". They allow one vote per email address, so you can vote as many times as you have valid email addresses. You have until September 15th to vote.

The person that submits the picture that gets the most votes (hopefully that's me) will win a Canon Rebel XSi digital camera. As well, those who vote (that's you guys) are eligible to win a Canon Powershot A590 digital camera. I see nothing in the rules that restricts voters to Canada.

FYI...the compressed version you see on the voting page distorts the original picture a lot. Here's the original in my photobucket album. Click the pic for the full res version...



Thanks very much in advance!

wildswing

Just saying thanks to anyone who's been kind enough to vote. I really appreciate it.

Could ya maybe toss in a reply to the thread too if you're up to it please

wildswing

BUMP

A little over one week left to cast your vote. Remember you can vote as often as you have valid email addresses.

For those worried about this being a spammer sight set up to get email addresses. There's nothing to worry about. They're a legitimate regional credit union... https://www.northerncu.com/

Thanks again to all those who have voted so far. At least I hope you have. You not a very talkative bunch. Anyhow...it's very much appreciated. Keep 'em comin'

420guy

iTrader: (5)

OK the vote is in for ya. BTW was that a time lapse pic? Whats with the circular lights in the sky? Looks cool tho

wildswing

Thanks 420guy!

Yes, it's a 2 hour exposure. The circular streaks are star trails. I took it during last summer's Perseid meteor shower (Aug 12) hoping to catch some meteor trails. It was a perfect night. No moon and no clouds either.

Using my 18 mm lens (approx 90° field of view) I was able to point the lens north, frame up my cottage in the lower left corner and (hopefully) get some meteors coming from the northeast. No such luck. No meteor trails, although we did see a few faint ones while waiting. Had I started around 11:30 I would have caught the International Space Station passing overhead. Nice pass. It went high overhead from horizon to horizon.

I waited till about 1 am, turned off all the lights at my cottage, walked back to the camera (already set up on a neighbor's dock earlier that day), opened the shutter and walked back. Sat in the dark for 2 hours, then walked around with my flash to light up my sauna and cottage and lit a small camp fire on the shore. Walked back and closed the shutter. The other lights you see are landscape lights at other cottages. The glow in the center is from a combination of the Milky Way and lights from a nearby village.

Surprisingly it turned out really well for my first try at such a picture. The slight blips in the trails on the voting page are a compression artifact. You don't see them in the high res version (click the pic in my op to see that one)

For you photography geeks...
> ASA 200 film (couldn't find 100)
> Nikon FG body
> 18 mm lens (can't remember the name - cheap japanese ebay special) set 1 stop closed from wide open to compensate for the 200 ASA film (F5.6 if I remember right)
> 2 hour exposure (1 am - 3 am)

wildswing

One last bump.

The contest closes Monday at 5 pm EDT. Unfortunately the "All Voters" random draw for the Canon PowerShot A590 was held this past Monday so, sorry to say, you no longer have that as an incentive. I'm hoping there's still a few stragglers out there who are willing to help out a fellow member //holds out his weary hand and rattles the change in his tin mug//

Thanks to all those that have and are about to vote. Your support is very much appreciated!

wildswing

Woooooo Hooooooo!!!! I WON...I WON...I WON!!!!

THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!!

I got the call this afternoon. Many thanks to all those that voted! A little paperwork to fill out and I can pick up the camera. A few touch ups to the picture and it'll be used for the cover of next years calendar.

I can't thank you guys enough!

Dlusion

Congrats bro!! I do photography too and probably one of only a few others on the board that knows and can relate to what you're talking about so feel free to geek-out.

Nice long exposure, good guess for the time to be open too. Did you have to weigh down your tripod to keep it extra steady? Or it wasn't windy or you had a kickass (Manfrotto) tripod ?

wildswing

Manfrotto tripod and the weather was perfect, no wind, no clouds, no moon.

Thanks again fellas!