IOW Dec 24 to 30

[pontiac1940]

Thanks for your gallery images this week. There were seven images uploaded this week (thanks to all) and 4 were on my "honorable mention" list, so I decided to narrow the honors to just two images..hope that's okay with senior management.    

Happy New Year to all. Time for renewal. 

Clive

Honorable mention ... 
billz               Blue Umbrella
Not sure what the story is here, but there is a story. It borders on being a bit sad ... a solitary person walking in the rain. Who knows? (Probably someone just walking home in the rain, but that's boring. ) 
At first, the lease sign bothered me, but it is just a part of the unknown story. The photo lacks color and is dullish which matches the overall feeling. Pleasing composition. 




IMAGE OF THE WEEK 
srmoment's               storm tossed
Here my bias is showing..I just happen to like photos of birds flying. However, I like this for a few reasons. The birds are well captured with pleasing wing positions. These gulls seem oblivious to the rough water and the carefree gulls contrast the angry water. I like the random spacing of the gulls and they are "composed" well...one does not compose flying birds any more than one can herd cats. Although the water is "dirty" from the waves disturbing the sand, there is nice backlighting making the water translucent.   

[Tpgettys]

Thank you for judging this week Clive.  It really has been pretty quiet around here, hasn't it?!  (As is typical of this time of year, BTW.)  I quite agree with your selections, and especially for the IOW.  I do love billz image, but there is something special about Pat's dynamic surf image that really grabbed me too.

[hmca]

Thanks for judging, Clive. As Tom noted, people are usually busy and gallery submissions are low during Christmas week. It's still not easy to narrow down your selections though, is it?
Bill, you have such a good eye for photography. I have often thought what fun it would be to go on one of your morning walks with you.

Pat......your image has such energy.....imagine it would be very impressive printed large! Congratulations on yet another IOW!

[billz]

Thank you for judging Clive, it's an honor to have my photo included in the selections. I agree with your IOW selection completely. Congratulations Pat!

[srmoment]

Thanks and kudos to you Bill for another intriguing image!
My image is from the powerful storm we just had (worst in ten years). The waves were huge and tossing full-length logs around like matchsticks, and the gulls were "storm-surfing" the tops of the waves. [...in fact, I had one toe pointed forwards and one toe pointed backwards, in case I had to high-tail it out of there! The sound was amazing as the foam actually hissed and the logs made this loud, alarming knocking-clacking sound as they were tossed.]
...and yes, as birds don't fly in composition-formation, I had to clone a few out.
My camera loves storms!

p.s. My golfing buddies were talking about the idiots down at the lagoon who were standing too close to the storm action and I sheepishly told them that one of them was me...... Would I do it again? - you betcha!

[Sepiana]

Well-deserved recognition. Congratulations to both! Keep up the good work!