What Is This?

Challenge #45 in the Language Of Light series. Hosted by OldArrow.

Challenge has finished

Let's make this one a bit different. Take a photo of something unusual, or something usual in an unusual way, but take care to present your object clearly! Then go see what the other Entrants' images might be, and write your guess in the Comment field below their image. At the end of Voting phase, each Entrant should explain their image, and we'll see who managed to guess correctly what their image shows. More about it - in the Rules!

Show full rules

Announced:

Thursday, 1st November, 2012 (GMT)

Submissions:

Thursday, 8th November, 2012 – Wednesday, 14th November, 2012 (GMT)

Voting:

Thursday, 15th November, 2012 – Wednesday, 21st November, 2012 (GMT)

Processing rules:

Digitally taken photos with full EXIF only.
Longer side of the photo MUST NOT be over 1600px.
Minor Post-Processing interventions are acceptable.
One-Shot photo contents only.
No Frames nor Borders.
No watermarks, no date/time nor any other identification allowed.

Capture date rules:

No restrictions.

Additional rules:

Observe DPR Rules on decency. Entries which may offend the viewer in any sense will be disqualified.
Your Entry MUST have a proper Title. Title MUST NOT suggest what the object may be - let it remain as mysterious as possible.
Titles containing camera codes or such (alone or anywhere within the Title) will be disqualified.
Leave your guess as to what other Entrants' objects might be in the Comment field under their entries. Don't "guess" under your own Entry! ;)
AFTER THE VOTING PHASE, all Entrants should explain their images in the Comment field, and congratulate those which have guessed right.
Sandbagging, vote soliciting or any other improper voting attempt puts the perpetrator on the Blacklist.
Entrants / Voters blacklisted and/or caught cheating in ANY DPR Challenge are NOT WELCOME in my Challenges, and will be removed on sight.

Maximum number of entries per user:

Maximum number of entries in challenge:

100

submission
phase has

ended

96 entries

voting
phase has

ended

2438 votes

Voting results: 96 entries Slideshow of 3 1 Page: 10 Rows:

1^st

(winner)

2^nd

(runner up)

3^rd

(runner up)

4^th

5^th

6^th

7^th

8^th

9^th

Entry has been withdrawn

10^th

11^th

12^th

13^th

14^th

15^th

16^th

17^th

18^th

19^th

20^th

21^st

22^nd

23^rd

24^th

25^th

26^th

27^th

28^th

29^th

30^th

(joint)

30^th

(joint)

32^nd

33^rd

34^th

Entry has been withdrawn

35^th

36^th

37^th

38^th

39^th

40^th

1 / 3

Sample entries

These entries were provided by the challenge host(s) as samples and cannot be voted on. Upload sample image.

Challenge comments

Total comments: 21

Really fun challenge, thanks to OldArrow and all the photo contributors

Comment edited 22 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Hello everyone.
My work "contemplating the sea after a photosession" published in this challenge (you may find it here http://www.dpreview.com/challenges/Entry.aspx?ID=681596&View=All&Rows=4) was considered as a controversial one. Even a fake. To remove all doubts about its authenticy I have uploaded the original. Please see the it here: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/8928807064/photos/2320007/dsc_0021 and judge accordingly. If still there are doubts I can send the original NEF

Unfortunately I cannot upload the NEF here, only jpeg converted directly from the RAW file.

Best regards, Evgeny

PS Please do not consider this message as soliciting.

0 upvotes

What I'm worried about, it took 137 attempts to fill in those 100 slots! Why is it so difficult to follow the simple rules right away? Almost all DQ's had to be done to oversized entries, several for the missing title, and two or three because they were explained in the desciption field (missing the challenge point).
I'm sorry that those disqualifications also removed the guesses already entered, but it was unavoidable.
Otherwise, congrats on overall quality, y'all! Some very good works to vote upon here!

0 upvotes

Took about two hours to go through the hundred entries and make my guesses. Some were impossible. Frustrating - but in a good way. My brain hurts now. I look forward to the revelations when the voting is done. Good challenge idea!

3 upvotes

Like and agree!

0 upvotes

I have had a challenge like this in my photo course and it was very fanny. This has to do with creativity.

0 upvotes

A great challenge, it allows for creativity with the photos, more interest for the forum with the comments & has produced some stunning images,
The only trouble is its a bit addictive!

1 upvote

Agreed....explanations are going to be interesting if the images are anything to go on...

0 upvotes

Having a blast with this challenge. I also find the title clues interesting and entertaining, especially considering some of them are probably misleading intentionally ;~) Thanks OldArrow

0 upvotes

OldArrow, This an extremely time-consuming challenge you've given us, and I love it! It's good to get the grey cells working. Thanks, and I hope you have another similar challenge sometime. Ruth :-)

2 upvotes

Like and agree!

0 upvotes

I love this challenge!! Thanks for coming up with this idea!!!!

0 upvotes

Thanks... and then again, you should have observed the rules! This way, you do it twice ;)
Best Of Luck!

0 upvotes

Old Arrow:

Your “What Is This” challenge is great.

I submitted what I figured would be a frustrating shot, that has since been identified (read easily here) as what it is by many (please read frustrated at how quickly this was done!!!). Real fun I must say as some of the submissions are still not solved by me or any of the other sleuths out there. Congrats to those who have no comments below their entry.

The Title Clues on many entries are also interesting and quite quoi by some! This is an interesting component to the challenge and could be quite an addition to future challenges.

Thanks Fil, it is fun again, even my wife took time to guess at some of the entries, but was of no help what so ever in solving any of the real mystery ones.

Cheers to all who have entered and will ~ Kipper

1 upvote

Well said Kipper! This is a brilliant challenge, so great job, OldArrow! This one promotes voter participation via commentary and for me, even promoted getting the camera out to make a new photo (or fifity). ;o) Like you, Kipper, my wife and kids have even enjoyed guessing (or trying to) on this challenge.
Thanks again to the host and all the participants for the excellent entries, here!
Y'all take care,
Mick

1 upvote

ATTENTION, ENTRANTS...
As I'm checking the entries for their alignment with the Rules, be aware that, by disqualifing the Entry, all the comments below will vanish too.
So once again, PLEASE do check the rules twice before entering your images.
My sincere apologies to all of you who have already commented in such cases!

1 upvote

This is so much fun! and what people are photographing is just great and cleaver. Excellent work at hosting too.

2 upvotes

I tried to enter a picture and when I reached "upload" i got the msg that "ERROR - QUOTA REACHED" although i have not entered any pic previously.

Comment edited 35 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

This might be the site playing up... sometimes hapens. If it persists, contact DPR (via Feedback, bottom of the page, right) and ask.
Best Of Luck!

0 upvotes

Fil:
Your sample entry, so what is it? ~ Kipper

0 upvotes

Since I'm not within the voting sphere of this Challenge, there's an explanation posted under the Sample image now.

0 upvotes

Total comments: 21

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