# SDMB Monthly Photo Competition - rolling discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** photo\ **Created:** [November 27, 2022, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642 "2022-11-27T20:27:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 112
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2224 "2026-05-18T15:43:19Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > It is ambiguous, it could also be past tense But in that case it wouldn’t be “lo mal que estamos” but “lo mal que estuvimos”, I think. “Estamos” is present tense. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2225 "2026-05-18T17:01:06Z")
Yes, “estamos” is present tense, but “lo pasamos” could be both present or past tense. Both we **are** in a horrible situation, but **we are having** a lot of fun and we **are** in a terrible situation, but **we had** a lot of fun are possible. Ambiguous, and I see no way to resolve the ambiguity without asking the artist. My first reading went for the second meaning, your first reading for the first. Both being native speakers, by definition we are both right. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2226 "2026-05-19T00:16:50Z")
The other side of my entry: [https://i.ibb.co/KcbWsFjK/IMG-20260517-125233929.jpg](https://i.ibb.co/KcbWsFjK/IMG-20260517-125233929.jpg) As always with such things, I hope I picked the right one to enter. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2227 "2026-05-19T00:31:35Z")
Amen to that. (In re my own doubts). j ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2228 "2026-05-22T01:46:19Z")
At least you folks have excellent candidates to choose from. This month, I got nuthin. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2229 "2026-05-24T22:40:49Z")
I love the “hearts for Covid victims” wall. I can’t say anything about the quality of the photo as such, but the choice of subject is impeccable. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2230 "2026-05-25T21:52:00Z")
Tough choice this month. I decided if I saw something new I liked, I’d go with that, but this one from 2022 is one of my all time favorites. It’s from Florence Italy and was probably done by Clet Abraham: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55293543729_f8ceca259c_b.jpg "DSC02089") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/197666118@N08/55293543729/in/dateposted-public/) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2231 "2026-05-27T10:20:16Z")
The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls. The May poll is [live.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monthly-photo-competition-42-may-2026-graffiti/1029726/22) mmm ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2232 "2026-05-27T10:56:25Z")
Aw, man, no votes for mine yet. Maybe I should wait until someone else besides me votes. As an aside, it’s always a pleasant surprise for a mod to have a flag that’s easy to deal with and doesn’t involve anything wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2233 "2026-05-27T12:05:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As an aside, it’s always a pleasant surprise for a mod to have a flag that’s easy to deal with and doesn’t involve anything wrong. Ha ha, I always feel like I’m being a pain in the arse with my monthly mod notes. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2234 "2026-06-01T10:19:17Z")
Congratulations, @Spiderman on your graffitian win! Please let us know our June topic. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2235 "2026-06-01T12:34:03Z")
Well, only one vote (thank you, whoever that was), but my three votes, in order, made the top three, so I can hardly complain. My usual rule of not voting for someone else’s artwork that just got photographed was difficult to apply, this round. @Spiderman 's entry would have been an interesting photograph even without the graffiti (but was made even more interesting with it). ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2236 "2026-06-01T14:11:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > My usual rule of not voting for someone else’s artwork that just got photographed was difficult to apply, this round. I struggled with this as well. Graffiti _is_ someone else’s artwork (some to a greater extent than others). I looked for entries that displayed the photographer’s artistic abilities rather than the graffiti artist’s talents. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2237 "2026-06-01T20:35:19Z")
I loved @Chad_Sudan 's. Timeless, and kind of funny. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2238 "2026-06-02T10:48:41Z")
Glad to see this win. As beautiful as they were still I was not expecting all the public art submissions for this graffiti challenge. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2239 "2026-06-02T21:05:17Z")
Yes, this contest raised some interesting questions about what is graffiti vs. what is street art. Where exactly does one draw the line for “this is graffiti” and “this is not graffiti”? Does it have to be lettering only or are images allowed? Does it have to be spray paint? For me, I had no pictures of “traditional” graffiti, so I just went with the closest thing in my camera roll. Luckily this was just a low stakes Dope thread, so we don’t have to solve those issues 😂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2240 "2026-06-02T21:34:38Z")
It’s not a dichotomy. It’s graffiti if it’s done without the owner’s permission. It’s street art if it’s artistic and in a public place (and let’s not get into the debate on what “artistic” is, in this thread). Any given work can be either, both, or neither. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2241 "2026-06-02T22:26:08Z")
Here’s some background information on the subject of my photo (I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to post it before voting was over). > **[Skeiðará Bridge Monument, Iceland](https://meanderingwild.com/skeidara-bridge-iceland/)** > > The Skeiðará Bridge Monument stands as a reminder of the 1996 eruption that caused huge floods. It can be seen a short distance from Skeiðarársandur I realized my caption may have implied that the girders were officially converted into a playground slide. Really, they were simply left where they landed as a monument to the volcanic eruption and subsequent flood that washed out the bridge. People (including me) were using it as a slide when I visited, though, and I imagine that’s not an uncommon activity. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2242 "2026-06-03T00:58:10Z")
There really wasn’t much doubt that my picture would be from [Graffiti](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/graffiti-pier-pier-no-18)[Pier](https://www.cosmosmariners.com/blog/graffiti-pier-philadelphia), a living, breathing graffiti monument. It’s constantly being changes as people paint over old art. Thank you for all that voted for my shot. With a race last weekend, & another one this coming weekend (in two different sports) I propose **Racing** for June; car, bike, running, skiing, swimming, or some other form ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/2243 "2026-06-03T01:58:48Z")
A request for clarification on an appropriate submission: I have a photo of a horse and rider in a flat-out gallop, racing toward the finish line. Thing is, it’s an image from an equestrian competition called eventing, held over three days, with dressage the first (essentially precise schooling figures), the second day being cross-country galloping with obstacles to jump and a time limit to meet, and show jumping on the third day. Each day’s effort is performed one rider at a time. There’s no question the horse and rider are racing flat out in the photo, but it’s not a horse race per se. Would it be okay to enter? Not coming in under the time limit incurs penalty points. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642.md?page=111) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642.md?page=113)