Sat Feb 14, 2015 4:22 am Runner-ups first:
We start with this classic sunset view by Yaron Koler:
Among the sunset images, I liked the golden hues here and the splashes of blue sky in the upper right made nice accents in this image from Luxun54:
This sunset is a bit over-saturated for me but I kept being drawn to the beautiful silhouettes in the left side of this image by Alla Gilbourd:
Kudos to Walter for the diffuse glow in the fog:
Who says the glow has to be in color? Not Markus Grompe who caught this with an excellent eye:
Dennis Camp provides a double header tonight, starting with this one of unusual reflection and mist:
We had quite a few entries of sunset at the beach. This one from Arnie Peterschmidt has the sun off-picture, which I liked, and imparts a warm late afternoon feel after a day at the ocean.
Most people showed scenery and this one depicts the glow in a different way: as the repeating elements recede out of focus into bokeh, they assume a diffuse glow. Nicely done, Terry Bowker:
This was very close, by Eduard Lampe. The simplicity of the composition and luminosity drew my eye, and I kept coming back to this image (when viewed in full size). I deducted a few points for over-saturation; a lighter touch would have been good (for me). But still, an excellent image and a rare landscape where symmetry through the middle works so well.
For the top three, I can imagine the thrill of getting yourself at the right place and time and hitting the shutter.
Third place: The layers in this image give a lot to view, culminating in the sunrise. A breathtaking moment captured beautifully by Arnie Peterschmidt. On my screen there is a color cast on the dark parts; perhaps add a bit more black? Just taste here.
Second place: Lots of credit to Marcel de Jong for capturing this image, which speaks for itself:
And the winner is: Dennis Camp. The luminous balloons contrasted against the "blue hour" sky was beautifully executed here, with the reflections in the water as a bonus. This one is my favorite of a competitive, beautiful series of images by the PBasers.
Dennis, your turn!