As many of you know, I recently entered some photos in a local photo competition and was fortunate to be awarded second place for one of them. I was a little surprised by the one that was selected, because, quite frankly, it was not my favorite one of the group.
The more that I though about it, the more I realized how difficult it must be to be a judge, especially in an area like photography in which there is both a technical and an artistic component.
Why do we like what we like?
I’ve never used a poll in a posting before, but thought that in this case it might be interesting to learn which one of my four entries is your favorite. I am not really asking you to judge which one is “best,” but am looking more for a sense of which one you like most. You can use whatever criteria you like and I would be thrilled if you gave a few words about your choice.
As you can see, I chose a diverse set of subjects to appeal to a variety of tastes. There are two birds—a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis); one insect—a Blue-faced Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum ambiguum); and one mammal—a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes).
If I have set this up correctly, you can click on any image and scroll through each of them in full size. After viewing them all, select your favorite and register your vote. As I mentioned earlier, I’d be really happy if you left a few words about your choice. (I think the poll might let you vote multiple times if you have trouble choosing, but am not 100 percent certain, given that I am not familiar with the polling component.) NOTE: If you open the posting in Reader, you may need to click on the Title to get to the actual posting and to the poll.
Thanks. Merry Christmas in advance for those celebrating Christmas and best wishes as we move toward the start of a new year.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Fox at Waters Edge. You caught its wary character in action with face to face intimacy. A very tough selection! I admire your work.
Thanks so much for providing your feedback. This is the one that I actually thought would be the one that would win an award.
I like the clarity of the subject, contrasting with the background, but I love the colors, particularioly the simularity of the birds breast and the background. Add in great lighting as well. Nice. M :-), and Happy Holidays to you, Mike,.
I think this means that the bluebird is your favorite. Thanks for providing your feedback. I’m always fascinated to learn what attracts the attention of others in my photos.
Mike these are all excellent the fox, and the eagle stand out. Seasons Greetings.
Thanks, Victor. You happened to chose my two personal favorites.
This was a very hard choice Mike. The eagle commands enough respect to almost force the issue, but I love the fox.
I chose the fox because it’s a beautiful photo of an animal that is so rarely seen. I’m really surprised that it didn’t win.
I like the fox because of the frozen moment at the water and reflection of just the face. Capturing the only moment he was probably still. The eagle behind the tree appealed to me also. The bluebird looked like a painting, a very nice one. And the dragonfly was striking. But the fox was it, even though I love things that fly.
Thanks, Mike. I think that more viewers liked the fox than any of the others, though each had some supporters.I appreciate you taking the time to explain some of your reactions to the images.
Mike , they are all beautiful but I think the bluebird photo combines the best of your artistry and the best of your technical skills. Have a great Christmas and keep up the great work, Rob
Thanks, Rob. The bluebird was my most popular photo ever when I posted it initially on my Facebook page.
Love your work, and look forward to each picture! the bluebird because it is soft, captures the early morning peace. But the eagle picture is so commanding and majestic and your image so crisp.
Thanks so much for your input. It seems that each of my images has some supporters and I love the way you describe your reaction to the images. It’s easy to “like” a photo, but it is so valuable to me as a photographer to understand why certain images appeal to viewers.
The fox photo speaks to me. I like the graceful curve of the body, the position of the hind foot, the reflection in the water…the delicate pose and the feeling of tension and suspense. Beautiful colors.
Thanks, Nancy. Your description of why you like the fox photo mirrors that of my photography mentor. I had a number of fox images that I was considering entering into the contest and she convinced me that the S curve of the body made this one really special.
I voted for the fox. I remember being so struck by that image when you first shared it. The pose of the fox, the angle of the shot, and the fox’s eye all make it very engaging on top of your technical achievements.
Where to start, first I really love all your images but I have to share my perspective since I’m pretty good at that. Yes judging photography is difficult because it is very subjective. Your fox shots are magnificent but I might even prefer your other shot of the fox not turning his head, he’s in a straight line by the waters edge.
1st shot has amazing detail but people have more affection for foxes and eagles so it makes sense to see those shots are more popular.
I love the fox photo as I said, but I had to vote for your eagle shot because, here’s the subject part, I love Eagles. Getting a great shot of an eagle can be difficult, so cheers to your amazing eagle photo. I always enjoy looking at your photos very much.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful response, Pamela. Several folks have pointed out to me that they like other fox photos more than the one I entered. I might run another poll and see which fox image viewers prefer. It seems like each of my photos has supporters–that’s one of the cool thing about photography and art–folks have very different tastes. As I mentioned in another response, the eagle image is my favorite. The eagle was injured and could not fly and I took this shot during a rescue by a local animal officer. The eagle was successfully rescued and I got a really close-up look into the eyes of the eagle (here’s a link to my original post https://michaelqpowell.wordpress.com/2014/11/04/rescue-of-an-injured-bald-eagle/). I was totally devastated when I learned the next day that the eagle had been euthanized because of the extent of its injuries. For me personally, the eagle image has a significance that goes way beyond any photographic merit that it may have.
I voted for Bluebird at dawn. For color of background and different textures, for the lighting. It is beautiful.
The fox barely beat the eagle. As you probably know, I am pulled toward the predators. The beauty of the fox with that gorgeous tail combined with the wary curve of its body and the reflection won me over. What was your favourite?
My favorite? I think that the fox photo has the broadest appeal and has a lot of great elements (and I thought it had a chance of winning the contest). So, I think it is the best. However, the eagle is my favorite, because of the circumstances under which I took the photo. I was there when the injured eagle was rescued and took the shot during that process. The emotional significance of the shot was magnified the following day when I received the devastating news that the eagle had been euthanized because of the extent of its injuries.
Yes the personal connections make a big difference.
Well. That was interesting! I am partial to foxes, even over Eagles, so that one got my vote. But what is most interesting is that your readership definitely disagrees with the judges.
I agree with selah. It’s about the whole image, not just the object in the image and that’s what pushed it ahead of the other excellent images.
They are all great images Mike and each one has it’s own marets. They are all winners in my book! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you Mike. Looking forwards to see more great works from you, MT 🙂
The Bluebird…they are all fabulous images! Merry Christmas!
Mike – the Eagle is my favorite. I felt such incredible sadness when I heard the final outcome of his rescue. Not only did you capture a beautiful photo, but the story had such an impact on my choice.
I thought I had voted and commented but it did not come through… Mile the eagle is my favourite – its majesty and at the same time the shyness and the story behind the image. I found this so touching.