Dgrin Mini Challenge #260 - Paths, Trails and Roads Less Traveled RESULTS

sapphire73

Thank you all for participating in this mini-challenge! With so many fine entries, I found it very difficult to judge this mini. And being a bit weary from my conference, I decided to make my selections for HMs and winners, and then get input from three amateur photographers in my family. Each one selected the photo I had selected as the winner. That said, it is a subjective choice and I really appreciate the fine photos you have all entered here. Thank you!

Some general comments

@JAG The Fork in the Road panorama is beautiful. The color palette, high key feel, and partially obscured mountains all pull me into it.

@grandmaR I chuckled to see the mourning doves taking a bath in the road, but I especially like your lovely path to the sea!

@sarasphotos All of your entries are a great fit with this theme. I am especially drawn to your third entry but would happily stroll along any of these.

@slpollett Lovely to see the bluebonnets at Muleshoe Bend State Park! I like the way your second entry shows off the flowers in the foreground and that squiggly road, but I prefer the overall composition of the third with its winding road.

@CHANDLERJA Surprising to see so little traffic in the striking Main Street photo! With your second entry, I really like the juxtaposition of the dirt road intersecting with a paved road and the red truck rushing by. Very nice!

@pegelli The black and white processing and shadow heighten the drama of this nighttime shot in the city. Nicely done! I also like the rocky trail which suggests a more difficult journey, with no clear view of the destination.

@lkbart "Glad somebody had a chainsaw" tells an interesting story, partly because of the dashboard in the frame letting us know that a vehicle had to pass this way!

@gazoo Lovely use of selective focus to pull us into the photo with the blurred foreground and definition further along the path. Also, beautiful light and lovely black and white processing!

@StueveShots Great set of entries! Love the woodland path in California, with its fog and the pink rhododendron blossoms. I am especially drawn to the photo taken at St. Fagens Museum in Wales. Lovely subject and processing!

@Cavalier "Into the Storm" is stunning with the drama of the clouds in that "big sky." Great capture! And I would love to walk along that fern trail!

@DavidRGillespie Lovely photo of this trail on Mount Baker with its gorgeous, autumn colors!

@BMW Kurt (I am going to comment on my favorite of these but didn't consider them in the judging because the challenge had already closed.) My favorite is the Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I enjoyed seeing a roadway from a different perspective!

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

@DavidRGillespie Mount Baker in September

@CHANDLERJA Red truck on the road

@Cavalier A Fern Trail

@gazoo Woodland Path

@JAG Fork in the Road

Winners

Tied for Third Place:
@slpollett Bluebonnets at Muleshoe Bend State Park

@StueveShots St. Fagens National Museum (Cardiff, Wales)

Second Place:
@Cavalier Into the Storm

First Place:
@sarasphotos Father and Daughter in the Forest
Great capture! Beautiful mood, light, composition and subject matter. Love the way the father is looking at his daughter as she leans a bit to the right.

grandmaR

A deserving winner. I enjoyed seeing all the entries- this was a really nice mini

kurzvorzwoelf

Even though I did not contribute to this mini, I also enjoyed that so many people contributed with great photos. And great to see your extensive commenting and judging @sapphire73, You made this mini truly enjoyable. I agree with @grandmaR that you picked a well deserved winning entry!

Congratulations to @sarasphotos for the first place with that absolute stunning picture! This one has really touched me

Also, congratulations to @Cavalier, @StueveShots and @slpollett for hopping onto the winner's podest.

And kudos to everyone else who participated - I got inspired a lot by all of your shots and enjoyed all of them!

sarasphotos

Thanks so much Gretchen, for choosing my shot and for running such a great challenge. Lots of excellent entries. Congrats to Jo (@Cavalier) and @StueveShots and to all of the HMs.

I'll try to get the new mini up tomorrow.

JAG

Great work Gretchen! Congrats to Sara, Jo and Stueve for some awesome work! Also thanks for the HM and to all who participated this round. Hope to see more of this caliber of entries on the coming challenges!

pegelli

Congrats to Sara for a well deserved win! Also congrats to Sherry, Jo and Stueve for the other honourable places. And thanks to Gretchen for an excellent challenge and all the comments to the other shots!

Cavalier

Well, that was well deserved, Sara!! What a beautiful portrait. Congratulations and looking forward to your mini.
And thanks, Gretchen, for the second place.

slpollett

Thanks for the third place nod! I also really loved the winning photo and it was my favorite as well. Congrats to everyone!

Sherry P.

StueveShots

Wow! Thank you for the third place--I am tied with an amazing photographer whose work I always admire, so thanks! But the winner was clear--Sara's photo is simply beautiful. This was a fun contest!

Heather S.

lkbart

Congrats to Sara on that winning shot - it's stunningly beautiful! Was a great challenge theme with a lot of great shots! Congrats to all the placers - wonderful photos! And thanks to Gretchen for the thoughtful comments and an all around great mini!