Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:23 am With such a varied collection of great photographs, it's been a difficult selection process. I first narrowed the selection to 11 very strong images, and then (painstakingly) down to 5. All these images carried a mood or an emotion associated to a ritual and it's been tough to bring it down to such a small number.
But before we get to the 5 finalists, I'd like to show two images that made me smile:
Markus Grompe: The blessing of the Prius: culture clash!
Dominic Kite: The kid trying to steal Santa's milk. I would've gone for the cookies myself...
And now, the winners:
There are two honorable mentions and three finalists.
Honorable mention: Jim Critchley
What an expression! When I look a this picture, I feel the energy, I can almost hear his voice... and am thinking of hiding under the table!
Honorable mention: Noel Saratan
A beautiful, delicate photo. It is also very well shot in difficult light. In contrast to the image above, in this one, I can almost hear the silence. Please take a moment to read the description of this ritual in the original thread.
3rd place: Anerino
A wonderful image of that little boy's nightly ritual. He seems completely absorbed by his book, alone in his comfy little world. It is also beautifully lit. The bunk bed roof, the overhead light and the clever composition accentuate the feeling of "this is my special little place". Also love the Batman t-shirt and the teddy bear.
2nd place: Dominic Kite
When I posted the theme, I envisioned all sorts of rituals... but not the mating ritual! This is an outstanding image. The dark clouds and silhouette make a dramatic image. The lone deer, the lone tree... will he find his mate?
1st place: Terry Bowker
This image has all the elements I was looking for. First off, the image is visually appealing and the black & white treatment adds mood the photo. We also see the ritual: participant and environment. But most importantly, with this image, I "feel" the ritual in two ways: firstly with the woman, her lowered head and the connection she is trying to make with her hands, one on the cross and one on her head; secondly with the composition that accentuates the great size of the cross, as if to make us feel as the woman feels. Congratulations Terry!
Again, thanks everyone for taking the time to share your images. It's been great fun!
Terry: tag, you're it!
Julie