Gearing up for the Fair

I've narrowed down the final photos I'm going to exhibit.

It took a lot more time and effort than I thought it would.

One of the hardest categories I had to deal with was "Nature".
According to Photographic Society of America Nature is:
Images used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided in two classes: Nature and Wildlife. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

Well okay, then I had to re-think my idea. I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for, but my Nature submission was finally narrowed down to this:

Good old coral fungi and a slug!

I'm still struggling with the 'Winter Scene'.
I thought about the snow scene of our farm but then got sidetracked into other winter scenes.
I admit, winter is my favorite time of year to do photography.
And... I take so many shots in the woods and on trails that I hike ...it is hard to chose.
The pasture after our freak April snow storm.

The creek after week of ice and cold, then a melt.
Hubby likes this shot because of the cool ice and the water.

Then another favorite of mine the melt down in January.

But the winner may be this one. Taken at Parfrey's Glen on an ice hike with my friends.

Well, winner for me that is. I spread the photos out on the table and stand back as a judge may do and then just let my eyes roam over the shots.

Which one grabs the eye?

Hard to say. And then again, each judge has their own likes and dislikes. Are my 'scenes' not wide enough? Are they too focused? Do they want more color?

Oh boy, you'd think I was obsessing about this and you are right.

My domestic animal shot for black and white.

And the one I chose for Landscape.

I feel this does justice to the wide open landscape definition and it really is a true photo of our area. Perhaps not enough wow in the color, but that is okay.

My color reflection shot is hands down one of my favorite photos from Jersey Valley last year.
However, due to the recent floods, Jersey Valley may once again be gone. I don't know if there will be money to replace the wing dam that broke.

Enough obsessing.
I'm going to visit with some 4H kids who do photos each year to see how to properly exhibit the photos on Tag Board.

I am entertaining becoming a 4H leader again.

But that is another story all together!

I'm going out and enjoy this thing called sunshine outside.