Time to Vote for December Challenge - SMILE!

[Abiyoyo]

Again, impossible to choose only 8. I could select others 20 beautiful images easily for this final.

 

Here are the final 8.

 

Senior smiler. Phil Crean

 

 

Egyptian girl with smile. Michael Ventura

 

 

 

Grinning motorcycle officer at the 159th anniversary celebration of Milan’s police force. Cecile Marion

 

 

Oww. Amsterdam. wiskerke

 

 

Child in Bartica, Guyana. gvallee

 

 

Cuban man in his 60's, Trinidad, Cuba, Latin America. Doc.

 

 

 

Maasai Women in Kenya, East Africa. NYCat.

 

 

 My son modelling the Ice cream face. Colin Woods.

 

[Phil Crean]

Thanks for putting mine in there... 

She was photographed on my first trip to the Canary Islands, Lanzarote in 1988.

I met her as I was wandering around with my Hassleblad and 150mm lens asking various people if I could photograph them in my then very broken Spanish.

She was totally bemused by my request but happily gave me this lovely portrait.

 

Just last year I was contacted by a woman who had seen the photo on my website and it was her grandmother who had since passed away, so I sent her a copy.

 

Phil

 

[Michael Ventura]

Thanks for having one of mine make the cut.  Not voting for it of course.

 

Michael

[wiskerke]

Oww, thank you!

 

wim

[Cecile Marion]

Thanks for including one of mine!

[Ed Rooney]

 

A great 8 choices, Jorge! Not a single phoney frozen grin in the bunch. 😀😉😃😆🤪

[gvallee]

Thank you for choosing one of mine Jorge.

[NYCat]

Thank you, Jorge. Those women were singing a traditional song for us and messed up the words which sent them into a giggling fit. I was happy to see them enjoying our visit to their village.

 

Paulette

[Doc]

Thanks for including one of Mine - Very difficult to choose just 8 from that lot of entries! Good choice of competition, Abiyoyo!

 

Kumar

[wiskerke]

Bump!

Poll closes in a few hours!

 

wim

 

edit: Oops! Totally incorrect!

Poll closes on 07/01/22 at 23:59

it says underneath the poll.

January 7th.

Edited January 1, 2022 by wiskerke

[NYCat]

4 hours ago, wiskerke said:

Bump!

Poll closes in a few hours!

 

wim

 

You know, I thought it ended on the first at first but I think it is the European way to write the date 07/01/22. This is not July.

 

Paulette

[Michael Ventura]

I thought these polls usually go til the 7th of the month

[wiskerke]

50 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

I thought these polls usually go til the 7th of the month

You're absolutely right. I must have read it wearing my other glasses.

I will correct it.

 

wim

[Abiyoyo]

Two days to go and the race is so tight…

[Marianne]

Tough choice just among the top 8! Congrats to all the finalists! 

[Abiyoyo]

Congratulations to all finalists and principally to Michael, the very close runner up Gvallee and Paulette for the very tight final days.

 

Michael, in two months you have won with two beautiful Egyptian  images, now is your turn to start the 2022 year challenge.

[Cecile Marion]

Congratulations, Michael!

[wiskerke]

Congratulations, Michael!

 

wim

[NYCat]

Yes, lovely warm image, Michael. So much emotion in her face.

 

Paulette

[gvallee]

Yeah!! Well done Michael! I had voted for you. 

[Michael Ventura]

Thank you Jorge and thank for running this challenge, I thought your selections were well chosen, I could have easily imagined any one them as the winner!  Egypt is a very special place to me, one of my favorite trips of my life.  I managed to visit my father’s boyhood home, outside of Cairo, and tell him all about my trip and show him photos, while he was in nursing care.  My whole life I heard stories about growing up within eyeshot of the Great Pyramids and sailing on the Nile…to me they were like being told fables, only he was in them.  So being able to walk the streets he walked, sixty to seventy years earlier, was a journey and dream  I’ll never forget.

 

So again thank you all! I will pick a new challenge subject.  Wim is it possible for you to post your wonderfully archived list of past challenge subjects, I don’t want to repeat any.

 

Michael

 

[wiskerke]

Here you go:

 

2021

December - Smile!

November - Weather
October - World Markets
September - Agriculture
August - Seaside
July - Small-Town Life
June - Family
May - in Between the Lines
April - Buskers
March - People
February - Doors and Windows
January - Pandemic

 

2020

December - Repetition
November - Photographers
October - Orange
September - Broken
August - Homegrown or Home brewed
July - Fire, Water, Earth and Air
June - Green
May - Signs
April - Social Gathering
March - Fog and Mist
February - Sustainability
January - Irony

2019

December - Holiday Spirit
November - Empty
October - Attention to the Reflection (Urban)
September - Faces
August - Climate
July - Children in Action
June - Remembrance, Honouring, Celebrating
May - The Thrill and Joy of Sport
April - Women's Role in Today's Society
March - Eating
February - What is Love?
January - Happy New!

2018

December - Converging Lines
November - The City
October - You Wear It Well
September - Think Local
August - NEWS
July - FUN
June - National parks scenery (pure nature)
May - Twilight
April - In or On the Water
March - Without leaving the house (or garden)
February - Winter Activities
January -  Music

 

2017

December - Taste
November - Iconic
October - Failure
September - Critters
August - On The Beach
July - Street Art
June - Festivals
May - Transport
April - Proverbs and sayings
March - Urban Wildlife
February - Urban Landscape
January - Friendship and Friends

 

2016

December - Behind
November - Trees
October - River
September - Our Native Land
August - Digital Manipulation
July - Pedal Power
June - Help
May - Worm's eye view
April - City
March - Joy of Travel
February - The Blue Hour
January  -  Silhouettes and Shadows

 

2015

December - Motion
November - Solitary
October - The Decisive Moment
September - Concept
August - Travel Magazine cover
July - Skyline
June - Environmentally Friendly
May - Communication
April - Little
March - The Good Life
February - I don't know why I like it..
January - Informal Portrait of a Stranger

 

2014

December - Festivities
November - Autumn Colour (Color)
October - Shoot Local
September - Music
August - Bridges
July - My Favourite Place
June - Perspective
May - Rules
April - Abstract/Minimalism
March - Health
February - The Unusual / The Weird / The Lucky Shot
January - Sunset

 

2013

December - Peace
November - Cold
October - Harmony
September - Triumphant
August - Taking it easy
July - Heat
June - Night
May - Excess
April - In the Air

 

Old forum:

A Magical Moment
Alone
Forgotten
Togetherness
Autumn

 

wim

 

[Michael Ventura]

Thanks Wim!  I will start a new challenge tomorrow (Saturday).

Edited January 8, 2022 by Michael Ventura

[John Morrison]

Lovely pic, Michael: the shy smile, the colour palette and the figure framed against the doorway...

Edited January 8, 2022 by John Morrison

[Phil Crean]

Well deserved... Congrats. 🏆

Phil