Trensamiro

You can consider yourself fortunate. As any photographer worth their salt I have a good, calibrated, HD monitor (1920 x 1200) and you know what, half the display's real estate is a black void with no information whatsoever while the forum text appears in a ridiculously narrow strip in the center.

Most any other forum will expand its contents to fill the window, no matter how wide the resolution, no problem at all. This one doesn't, god knows why, not that it would be rocket science precisely.

The "Original" link for "Available sizes" is broken, it shows an utterly unrelated image.

Sorry but I can't believe this image was taken at ISO 125.

I've downloaded the Original size and checked the EXIF data and it indeed says ISO 125 but the image quality is already quite poor for ISO 1250 let alone ISO 125.

Something must be wrong with the EXIF data.

No fake for sure.

I've tried a number of pics, all of them suitably large and with lots of fine detail and despite getting reduced 4x-5x to 20-25% of their original file size I can't see any difference at 100% real-pixel level, even when quickly switching back and forth between the original JPG and the reduced one to try and notice any pixel changes.

When subtracting the one from the other, the resulting file is pitch-black and only a full equalization succeeds in showing a fine pointillist-like pattern of differences, none of them visible until subtracted and equalized.

Amazing technology indeed, lots of uses for it.

Indeed, truly wonderful capture, a most deserved first prize, my most sincere congratulations !

Have a nice weekend.
T.

Thanks for your kind comment, happy_snapper_uk, and also thanks a lot to those of you who voted positively for my image.

As for the ones who gave my image negative votes (0.5 and such, which actually add nothing but detract from the final score) I fail to understand how anyone would be able to rationalize a negative vote on a large well-composed, bright, colourful, pin-sharp, fully-on-topic image.

Not voting for it, I would understand, "there's no accounting for taste" and all that jazz. But voting negatively with no rationale behind it, just out of spite ... sheesh, I wouldn't wanna be like you.

A few remarks:

1) Congratulations, an excellent capture of a fleeting moment, a well-deserved 1st prize indeed.

2) You should have refrained from commenting about the hug, friendly or not, best left the people looking at your picture to make their own minds about what's happening, right or wrong. As it is, you may have ruined the "Awww, aren't thay cure !!" first impression for a number of people. Just see the "Stupid puppy" remark by some poster.

3) Actually and despite what you say, I doubt very much the cat is "fighting for his safety", at least in this precise moment you've captured. I've owned cats all my life and when a cat feels threatened when embraced by someone or something, he automatically brings out his claws in all four paws. However, in your picture the cat has all his claws perfectly and utterly retracted so I don't think he was fighting for anything but actually playing with the dog. Maybe later he did, but not now.

Have a nice weekend.
T.

*Congratulations on a truly excellent image !

I like most everything about it but I'll point out that stark *contrast* is what makes this picture, i.e.:

- contrast between the /overall greyish hues/ versus the relatively small patch of /delicate color hues/ brought about by the little girl.

- contrast between the /hard and cold stony or metallic inanimate materials/ overall versus the /tender and warm live being/.

- contrast between the intended /somber mood and tired, hopeless expressions/ on the statues versus the /playful mood and joyful smile/ on the little girl's face.

Put it all together, plus technical excellence to boot, and there you are, *a winner*.

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The cutest thing I've seen in a month or two ! :-)

And also very good shot technically speaking, very sharp and well-focused with nice /bokeh/.

Congratulations !

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