Challenge #248

[Grant]

The town of Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia has an annual Scarecrow Festival (http://www.mahonebay.com/visitor_calendar_scarecrow_festival.html) and it is a hoot. Due to the timing of Hallowe'en I wasn't sure to put this up this week or next week. In any event it is up this week.

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Present and Past Challenges will remain Until tomorrow at 7:00 pm the
then the Present will be Past and new images will be posted as Present.

* Important notice to all the new people in this forum. This is not a
close shop you are all invited to submit an image. If you don't think you
are good enough this is your first mistake, I think most have found that
working on the Challenge has improved their personal level. So young and
old, hot shots and cool dudes now is you time to post.

Special note send entries to: thechallenge@eastlink.ca

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[BobWarren]

Icabod Crane & the Headless Horseman -- an apt Challenge, indeed.

[lisabee]

Oh, I hope I don't get nightmares downloading this just before I go to sleep :eek:

Lisa

[Grant]

Last week Leopard arrived at my door, this week is is Hurricane Noel that is tapping at my door!

Batteries ... check
Drinking water ... check
Food ... check
Bathtubs filled with extra water ... check
Lawn furniture secured ... check
dogs and cats tethered ... check
Grog to fight of scurvy ... check
Challenge ... woops ... check

The first images are now being posted.

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[kimi_boo]

oh Grant... I wondered if you were in the path? :eek:

Take it from a girl (and I use that term lightly) that has gone thru many.
Hunker Down! :o

[kimi_boo]

They are all great but Bob... yours is super cool!! ;)

[BobWarren]

Thanks Kimi! So when do we get to see your masterpiece?

[BobWarren]

Grant --
Good precautions for the expected hurricane. I happened to be on the coast of Maine when hurricane David barreled by just after Labor Day 30 odd years back -- just took a lick at us, fortunately. Keep dry!
Bob

[Ellen]

Sounds like Noel is slowing down- is that good or bad?
Bob- I agree with Kimi!
Steven- looks like you and Bill had a messy trip back home; and to think that tomorrow it will be dark at 5. Maybe the 1-800-55C HLOE hot line is in order.

[billz]

Ellen - Nothing we hadn't seen before ... and the sounds of freedom were all around. I'll have to give the 'dial a Cascadian Mudhound' hotline a try.

Steven - That's just great!

Bob - As Kimi and Ellen have already said ... really neat image.

Bill

[Grant]

The sun is up and the day is grand. One door leaked a slight bit and we lost two trees a very old one and a very young one. The old on fell across power line and we were in the dark for 12 hours. All in all not big deal.

The bad news is that most of the storm happened in the night so i really didn't get so see the spectacle but it did give a whole new meaning to "things going bump in the night"

The foolish news that had a good ending was that I had planned to go out and take photos of the storm. NOT a good idea. So I took advice and stayed hunkered down.

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[BobWarren]

Grant --
Glad you survived with minor damage -- and photos of a hurricane in the dark probably wouldn't have shown much anyway.
Bo

[BobWarren]

Bill & Ellen --
Thank you for your kind remarks -- I'm leaning to Tom Murray's contribution, myself.
Bob

[kim2900]

So far, all the submissions are really great! But I especially like Ralph Hawkins comedic take on an otherwise spine-tingling image! Great idea!

[Grant]

If any one is interested in a little taste of the aftermath of Hurricane Noel please check out "A Little Blow" (http://web.mac.com/fromaway/Grant/Bump/Bump.html)

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[Byron Gale]

Steven,

Kit-Kat seems to be enjoying the spectacle - but can't seem to take his (her?) eyes off of the Bill-board.

I always enjoy your clever inclusions!

Byron

[Red Sky]

Byron- You're fading! I hate to think of the reference being made.
This image was done with images collected on Halloween day. I had the good fortune to meet BillZ that day, and we drove down Whidbey Island, past a Navy base flying those Prowler jets. We caught that ferry and went across the Sound and met Ellen, who brought her "avatar" to the ferry dock. While in her town she showed me a condemned pier that housed a restaurant I used to eat at. On the way home Bill and I photographed the Deception Pass bridge. So, I combined all the photos and used the avatars as a little cryptic hello to the forum friends I met that day.
How's that for a story? Now hearing of the demise of this forum, the depression aspect carries more meaning to me.

[Byron Gale]

...You're fading!...I guess we're about to learn whether I'm left- or right-brained!

I didn't recognize the pooch in color (that's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it).

Knowing the story makes the image even more intriguing!

Byron

[Ellen]

Byron - I've been concerned too about your fading away, isn't there a magic blend mode to make everything fine?
It was a pleasure to have a too short visit with both Bill and Steven, and we all must just take the next step to connect.
(And maybe stock up on those happy light things)

[BobWarren]

Ichabod and the Headless Horseman certainly inspired some great images this week.

ALEX B: I like the way you separated the figures over you reconstituted background.
BARBARA W: The skeletal hands and blood spatters in #1 are great. Love those fabric folds in #2.
BILL Z: The web-barred window is very cool.
COCO: I like the way you lit up the jack-o'-lantern in the darkened
scene.
ELLEN H: The ref and the foam hand had me laughing -- great idea.
LISA B: The abandoned hay field and the skull-in-the-sky set the mood
nicely.
MALCOLM D: Radial blur superimposed on the original? A nice effect.
MARIA S: Nice repositioning of the figures for a bloody encounter. I
like the trees silhouetted on the horizon and the lens flair effects.
Nice job on the book jacket in #2.
RALPH H: Wonderful scene change for our running Ichabod.
RITA G: Nicely creepy enhancements -- I like the line-drawing effect on the horseman and the improved jack-o'-lantern.
RED S: The suiciding Ichabods (like the Dancing Itos) always bring a
smile. Nice compositing.
SHARI M: The night-toning and the ghostly maidens make a nice
combination.
TOM M: Love the intersecting spirals and background for the jack-o'-
lantern.

I will continue posting Challenge comments here and on the Adobe Elements forum ( http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx/.3bbb01bc/ ) until a new venue consensus emerges.

Bob Warren
http://www.rewarren.com/challenge/index.htm
RANDOM GALLERY:
http://www.rewarren.com/challenge/random.html

[Ellen]

Thanks as always, Bob for taking the time and care to comment, as I said your moon one was really striking. (and I guess the second was struck;) )

[Ritage]

Bob, thank you for your comments.

The sort of line drawing effect it merely a blendmode change to Exclusion plus Poster Edges. Worked out just by chance.

Rita

[billz]

Bob - Thanks as always. The webbed window shot came from a tour of Bellingham's alleyways that Steven was kind enough to lead. (For those of you who remember the top and bottom zebras ... they're real.) The Green River ad on the building was a reference to the beverages Steven, Ellen and I enjoyed at a Port Townsend soda fountain. All in all a great day.

Bill

[Ellen]

How'd I miss the Green River ad? Good one Bill!