First Place: Jon Williams – On the Road in Arches
Second Place: Jeff Krueger – Pumpkin Patch Road
Third Place: Ken Haley – Moving Day
Robert Thoresen
July’s photo contest apparently had a lot of PCQC club members out of town and on the road. Entries for July dropped nearly 50%. Jon Williams got back in time to submit his first place photo from the Arches National Park in Utah. Ancient deposited sandstone lies atop supporting underground salt bed that over eons has been eroded by water and wind. For those who want to count, there are over 2,000 sandstone arches in the park. The Courthouse Towers, in the distance, are eroded isolated monoliths about five miles from the park’s visitor center. Jon was traveling with PCQC members Helen and Larry Phillips and specifically gives Helen credit for encouraging him to submit the photo. The disappearing road created the balance and the leading line for the picture’s composition. Camera: FUJIFILM X-E2, f/5.6, 1/25 sec, ISO 200, fl 14mm, Aperture 2.9709, no flash, modified with Adobe Photoshop CS6.
This past June Jeff Krueger decided to make a trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park, near Borrego Springs, California, which is 50 miles west of the Salton Sea. It is the second largest state park in the United States. Jeff had heard about a small place in the park called the Pumpkin Patch, a field of formed stones (sand concretions), resembling pumpkins. Jeff’s second place picture shows the “improved” part of the road to get to the patch. Jeff recommends a four wheel drive SUV to get to the Pumpkin Patch for there are several stretches where you are driving on sand and in dry washes. Not a road for an Infiniti Q50. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/13, 1/400sec, ISO 200, fl 35mm, Aperture 3.75, no flash, modified with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.0.
Ken Haley’s third place finish, Moving Day, shows how one can dispose of a house full of furniture quickly. No need to wait for the Quail Creek fall garage sale. Barbara and Ken were on their way home as they passed a street were they noticed a pick-up truck loaded with furniture. Being nosey New Englanders, they made a turn and went for a better look. A family had come up from Mexico and purchased a house full of furniture to take back to Mexico to sell. Ken and Barbara had difficulty believing that much furniture could be loaded on a modest sized pick-up. It also drew attention from other residents. Let’s hope the home’s owner was also present. Camera: Canon E0S 5d Mark III, f/7.1, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, fl 27mm, Aperture 3.0, flash, modified with Adobe Photoshop CS6.
The PCQC Photo of the Month Contest is a club activity offered to club members. One month a year there is an open contest for all Quail Creek residents. The first place winner’s photo (ties included) is displayed at the Madera Clubhouse for one month and is displayed for one month in the Creative Arts and Tech Center. The winner(s) also receives a 16” x 20” print of their photo. The judges are non-residents.