It's time to vote for the winners of the 2007 photo contest!

Over 2,000 photos were submitted into all our categories, and it's time for us to go through and select the winners!

To vote, go here:

http://davesgarden.com/contest/2007/

Then select the category you wish to judge, and then just follow the directions.

We'll announce the winners "on or around" November 15th.

Dave

This is gonna be hard!!!

No doubt, I have spent the last two hours looking at the Misc Category and I've managed to narrow it down to a little under 40. Ugh....this is going to take awhile!

Fantastic photos everyone!!!

One category was easy for me, one picture was just a clear runaway (IMO). I love it when a picture 'speaks' to me.

The others are going to take hours and hours... and hours...

and hours!

Wow, you can only pick 3 photos! There are a lot of good ones. Like tombaak says, some just jump out at you.

This is going to be fun... and hard work!

Glad you added the two size options to view, I started with full size but it was taking too long so I opted for the thumbnails. Only problem is I feel I may be passing up some good shots if I don't open them all.

Some things I thought were a shame: many images were obviously in the wrong category, had they been placed in the correct one, several could really stood a chance to get a vote. I had to remember the category and vote accordingly. Others I was ready to vote and was disappointed that there was that dreaded red date stamp marring the picture or a plant tag, garden hose, drainage pipe or something that automatically distracted my eye. Many could have been cropped nicely and then those images would have really popped. Some shots were just great and many brought a grin to my face but I kept thinking of that calender too and while I may have voted for one shot, I often would place one in second place because I just couldn't imagine looking at that shot for a whole month! LOL...so I wonder if that affected anyone else's votes. Guess I have been cruising the calenders images in stores too much lately!
Overall though, some fantastic shots and tough decisions.

Can the "red date stamp" be removed? Some cameras have the option of displaying with or without it. There was a picture I thought should be first that I voted third (just couldn't take the stamp). The date / time stamp is a killer for a picture being considered for a calendar.

I agree also with the category, one photo in particular that I thought could have taken first place, unfortunately it wasn't in the right place. Some where hard to choose which category though. I had one I went back and forth with, put it in Misc. then Scenic, then back... Blew it in the end. LOL

Definitely hard choices! It would be really great after the winners are announced to be able to comment, ask questions etc. on specific pictures!

I hope everyone remembers to keep zone differences in mind when you're considering not voting for a picture that you like just because you think it's in the wrong category. For example, the things I have posted in perennials may behave as annuals for some people who live in zones where they're not hardy, and the things I entered in trees and shrubs are probably only hardy to about zone 8 so some people might consider them tropicals. I'm definitely not going to vote for a picture of someone's dog that's posted in the annuals category for example, but I hope that people can exercise a little flexibility on the plant-related categories since there are a number of things that could probably fit in a couple of categories, particularly when you throw the climate factor in.

Dave, you're a genius at the way the voting is set up. Next year, though, maybe we could vote for our FIVE favourites. Took me a long time to get one category down to three and at the end I was going eenie, meenie minie moe. The quality is really good.

Ann

Done! I spent the better part of the day looking and voting! It was really tough! Beautiful entries.

Ecrane...good point. I did keep that in mind when looking at the annuals. I figured that what is a perennial for some may be an annual for others.
Some pictures were just obvious winners to me too. Some I voted for because they weren't necessarily 'photography 101' greats but they were whimsical and fun and evoked a nice feeling or memory.
I do not think I will be voting for anyone's dog for any category though. I just think that if the overall theme is gardening and nature it doesn't really fit. Also, someone's dog or grandkid is a bit too personal unless their presence there is really relevant to the shot.
I am taking forever though and the hard thing for me is, when I have 2 pictures that both have merit from a photography standpoint, I seem to break the tie by choosing then the subject that I like most. For example say 1 photo of a lavender flower versus a bunch of rudbeckia. Well I hate pastels but both pictures are great. Is it fair then to vote for the rudbeckia cause I like it more?

I also get the feeling the rose photos are done by some folks who are very serious about their roses. They have some beautiful photos there.

This message was edited Nov 1, 2007 3:03 PM

Ga_Peach, absolutely it is fair to vote for something because you like it more! That is why all the dog people will be voting for the dogs you don't vote for. LOL

I am a cat person myself, but the pet category is a tough one. I am trying to judge the setting not just the animal, cause it is just too hard. They are all so cute, and there are SO many... Who would have though that the most entries would be in the pet category!?

I guess everyone loves their pet the most and thinks it is the most photogenic and beautiful.

The truth of course is mine are of the most beautiful and photogenic... :)



edited to delete a poorly placed comma.


This message was edited Nov 1, 2007 1:14 PM

Love the voting method this year - it's hard, but it focuses me in.

Thanks!

Okay Tom, point taken. And for the record, I am a dog person. Don't have one cause of hubby but I do love them. I didn't mean in the pet category though. I found many pets and kids in the other sections too. Like in perennials or annuals. Someone may have taken the pic and had to get the dog in or something. That is where I meant I am not voting for pets and kids. There were some great ones that included both though in the scenic photos and they looked relevant to the photo. Then I would vote for them if it is a good picture.
As to the voting, I mean how does one choose? If you have 2 equal photos? What then is the deciding factor to be fair?

Also, is there a reason I don't know about that they don't put up who took the photo? My guess is so that it doesn't become a popularity contest where you vote for your friends? Is that it?
And why can't we see the tally? Like on the fun questions where you vote on the home page. After you vote you can see the results you know. Why can't we see the results in a category after we vote?
And another question....about containers...In this section let's say, are we voting for the best container, the best plant combo or the best overall photo?

This message was edited Nov 1, 2007 4:40 PM

It's a secret ballot all the way. We don't show who was the photographer, and we don't count the votes until the ballot is closed on or around Nov 15th.

After the votes are counted, the numbers will be shown and the photographers will be revealed.

dave

I judged the containers based on what I thought the most pleasing picture of a container and plants therein was, as the pictures that didn't actually show a container seemed more what I would consider a plant combination picture rather than a container picture.

The beauty of it though, is you can judge it however you see fit, based upon your own feelings! Judge it based on the plant combo, the container, both... Vote for what you like the most.

I had a couple that were really close, I went back and forth on (still might) in the end I opened up two browser pages looked at the two photos side by side and thought to myself "Which of these pictures would I rather have hanging on my wall?"

I believe that you will be able to go back, look again and change your vote (a hundred times if you like) until the end of the contest, so in time one may have more lasting viewability (don't think that is really a word) than the other.

Melissa

Dave,

It just occurred to me there are 14 categories and only 12 months... Even with a cover, that is only 13 pictures. And that is only if you use the first place photos.

If we wanted to see the top three of each, that would be 42 pictures.

Maybe a four year calendar? :) :) :)

Is there others haven problems seeing the last 100 pictures or so ??? when i get in there about 1/2 the picture load so I click on refresh & I cannot get any more to come in . I have just dial up is this why ??? I go into the thumnails and its the same way only 1/2 a page loads .
really nice pictures but i want to have a fair voting count & I can't see all the intries .

do we get a vote in each of the catagories or just in one ???

susie

Oh, this is gonna be sooooooooo haaaaaaaard! I barely got through the pets............

I just love seeing everyone's photos. For those wondering if they should vote for picture based on this or that, ... I really don't think there are any specific rules or guidelines to use to base your choices on. Doesn't matter if it's a snapshot, or a professional-looking masterpiece - if you lilke it and looking at the photo brings you pleasure, or it touches you in some way, then vote for it!

I'm off to start browsing!
Deb

I started with the full size option but would like to go to the thumbnails. How do I do that?

Susie, some really take a long time to load and it probably is your dial-up stopping it. You can right click in the blank image area and open up those pictures separately. Takes longer but at least you don't miss any.

Oh pirl, click on category, select option 2 and proceed. If already started, you'll have to back out and begin again.

I just LOVE the way it is all set up. Once you have gone through a category, your favorites show up and you can quickly go through them to weed out AND the best part, is that if you have to close the window or even the whole of Dave's Garden, you can quickly go back to where you left off. I was really freaked out to try it, but had to find out before I got too far into a category.
Also, some of us might have begun the whole photo contest thinking, of course I'll vote for mine. Truth be told, for me anyway, there are so many other ones to vote for. I think this might be the heart of the contest!

Thanks, Sue.

I didn't even vote for my own dog - don't tell him.

We could have a beautiful calendar with just the scenic pictures alone. I finally narrowed it down to three in that category, but it was hard, and I had to give up ones I thought were gorgeous.

There are good pictures in the container category but where are the rest????????????? I suppose it is a little late to be wondering where the pictures are?????

Pets could have their own calendar! That was so hard and I felt I could have easily chosen the top 12.

gail, what do you mean? After you make your selections for 1-2-3 at the bottom of the page it will direct you back to the beginning. Then start over for another category.

Hey, I got my favorite pics in the wildlife category trimmed down to a mere 69! Woohoo!








Thinkin' maybe I need to take a break and come back to them later...

Katymac, I meant there aren't very many pictures. Don't pay any attention to me. I am just being a whiner!

A lot of the categories have a hundred or two hundred photos, if there were any more nobody would have time to go through all of them!

Oh, this is SOOOO hard! Some really great photograph's have been entered! I think we have enough great ones that we could have separate calendars for each catagory: Pets, Scenic, Tropicals/Houseplants .......


Really difficult to narrow it down to three choices. I'm still working on it! I've voted for three catagories and need to finish the rest. Well ... with the exception of bugs ... I just can't go there! LOL

edited to say: I had to rush past the ones with snakes!

This message was edited Nov 1, 2007 9:08 PM

This is so much fun! It was easy in the miscellaneous category. I got my three favorites!

On to another category.

Soooo many good/excellent pictures!! Man....I started in the pet, but have it narrowed down....then the container.....I'm in the roses, and not sure where I will go from there......LOL.....

Thanks for the fun.....I love looking at the great shots!!

I think it really helps to be able to do this in "steps".

We can pick out favorites when we go through all the pictures in any category for the first time.
Then the process of elimination starts.. From the first round of "favorites" we are guided to eliminate the so-so ones--one by one until we get down to our 3 favorites.
This is a NEW step in the contest and I think it really helps. The "Remove this one" feature forces us to narrow it down to the very end and to our final 3 favorites.

I have just started. Have only done ONE category.
I like the elimination process. Makes it less time-consuming.

Question:

Once we have NOT chosen one as our potential favorite, is there a way to go back to the whole list of submitted pictures and have a second "go" at it?

And--Once we have used the "remove this one". can we change our mind and re-instate that picture in the list of potential 1-2-3????

Thanks, Gita

I am loving this process and am through with four categories.

Must be very opinionated as this is quite simple to me!

I may have messed up my voting. After I had it down to 3, I changed my mind on my selections and wanted to get back a picture that I had removed. I used my BACK button to go back a few pages to get an older version of the saved photos. Then I got those pictures down to my final 3 and then I hit "go back to main contest". Is that the page that will be counted? When I hit "go back to main contest", is that when the ballots are handed in, so to speak?

This is fun. Can't wait to do another category tomorrow!!

Gita, try your BACK button on the browser. Thats what I did. Not sure if it took though. see post below yours. crossed.