I just got moved up to Masters level in the Creative category for Berkeley Camera Club this month, and was worried if I would be able to compete with the spectacular images that often appear at that level.  I submitted two images, and worried and waited… and won 1st Place!  OK, it was a three-way tie for first place, but I’ll take it as an indication that maybe I really can keep up with the Best Kids On The Block!  My second image didn’t place, but I must admit that I wasn’t all that happy with the image either.  It would have been OK at lower levels, but I need to up my game if I am going to be in the running in Masters, and it really didn’t cut it.

So… here is the image that shared 1st place tonight with BCC in Masters Creative category.  The shot was really pretty simple and was about an hour from concept to submission.  Mentally rotate the image 90 degrees to the right, and you will see that I slammed my fist into an aquarium, and just shot the result.  One flash below the acquarium for main light that shines on the fist, and a second over my shoulder for fill over the arm.  A quick trip into Color EFX Pro for pumping up the contrast and colors, and submit.  Nice to know I can win with a quickie like this… 🙂

For the record, my second image that did not place was a comical play on my new mustashe.  This was a photo taken by Evelyn in the hills of North Vietnam, which I then manipulated to put my head in the place of the mustache.  I wasn’t all that happy with the result, but I ran out of time for doing something different, and was happy enough with the fist above that I decided to let it go…

Title was “Hamming it up with new mustache.”  The BCC judge commented that he thought a better title would be “The power of lemon ice tea.”  I agree with him. 🙂

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While traveling along the road of life, enjoy the going and stop thinking so much about getting there.