# 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:** 97
**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:** [January 1, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1924 "2026-01-01T21:20:39Z")
January thread for [“Fire or Ice”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monthly-photo-competition-38-january-2026-fire-or-ice/1026256) is alive and kicking. mmm ---
**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:** [January 1, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1925 "2026-01-01T22:04:55Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > twas the red coats of the riders that made the photo, IMO. Agreed. Again, very lucky of me that that group of tourists were all wearing bright red 😂 ---
**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:** [January 7, 2026, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1926 "2026-01-07T13:55:54Z")
**2025 Photo of the Year** poll is up and running! [Looky here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-sdmb-photo-of-the-year-poll/1026431) 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:** [January 7, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1927 "2026-01-07T22:57:28Z")
Hm, something that’s missing in this best-of-the-year: Part of how I judge photos in the monthly competitions is how well they fit the theme. Without that context, it changes which ones are best. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1928 "2026-01-07T23:24:49Z")
I prefer it without the themes: judging purely on the picture alone. Each already won in regards to a theme, so let’s see how they stand on their own! ---
**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:** [January 7, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1929 "2026-01-07T23:31:14Z")
Sure, but the absolute best picture of the year, on its own, might not have even made it to this poll, because despite being great on its own, it didn’t fit the theme as well as some other. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2026, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1930 "2026-01-07T23:41:49Z")
But if we had to choose among all the pictures this year irrespective of the theme and whether they fitted it it would be a very long list. I probably would not bother to review them all again, and voting 50 people (if at all) voting 743 pictures would probably give 35 pictures with one vote, 25 with two, 12 with three… and none with more than 5 or 6 (no, I did not check the math, but I trust the general direction is right). I do not think this is a better option. You ( **Chronos** ) are overthinking the whatever is missing part. I feel comfortable with the task and find it good that no picture of mine is included and that from the three I have chosen, two are in the top and one is in the very bottom of the poll so far. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1931 "2026-01-07T23:51:48Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > You ( **Chronos** ) are overthinking the whatever is missing part. Well, yeah. Overthinking is what I do. Didn’t stop me from voting in the poll. ---
**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:** [January 8, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1932 "2026-01-08T01:20:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Hm, something that’s missing in this best-of-the-year: Part of how I judge photos in the monthly competitions is how well they fit the theme. Without that context, it changes which ones are best. The purpose of the best-of-the-year poll is to determine, by vote, the best photo submitted in the 12 Doper photo contests of 2025. The themes they were entered under have no relevance in this special contest. mmm ---
**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:** [January 9, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1933 "2026-01-09T17:46:19Z")
Getting back to the January monthly contest, I don’t know if it’s because of time of year, but it’s interesting how many people are choosing Ice photos over Fire photos. I still don’t know what I’m going to post, but in my ruminations so far, all my ideas have also been Ice. I can’t think of any Fire photos I’ve taken off the top of my head (aside from, perhaps, a “fiery” sunset). ---
**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:** [January 9, 2026, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1934 "2026-01-09T18:37:05Z")
I was thinking that too, we’ve all got a lot more ice in our lives! I know I had a fire photo but I can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1935 "2026-01-09T19:34:45Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > I can’t think of any Fire photos I’ve taken off the top of my head (aside from, perhaps, a “fiery” sunset). It’s pretty darned hard to get a fiery photo looking good because our eyes are great at seeing the huge difference between bright flame and dark shadows, but the photo will either show flames on a black background or blown-out flames on a nicely exposed background. Ice, on the other hand, just sits there waiting for its photo moment. The biggest risk with ice and snow is underexposure, as the camera tries to make “snow” look 18% gray. Add a stop or so of exposure compensation. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1936 "2026-01-09T20:09:36Z")
Any scene with a lot of contrast can be hard to expose properly. In a scene with a lot of snow, you face the choice of exposing for the snow (in which case the other parts of the picture will be blocked in), or you can expose for the non-snowy areas (in which case the snow will be overexposed, probably to the point of losing detail, i.e. it will be “blown”). One way around this is to use HDR (high dynamic range), where you take more than one shot at different exposures, and use software to merge them. The software helps you pick the right exposure for each part of the shot (e.g. a darker shot for snow and a lighter shot for other stuff like trees). HDR can give good results when used judiciously. When overdone the result has too little contrast. HDR requires multiple exposures, so it doesn’t work well for moving subjects (like fire). I always shoot in RAW mode. JPG tends to compress the dark and light areas of a shot, eliminating detail that can be brought out in post-processing. JPG also introduces noise into dark areas, which shows up as splotchy areas when you lighten them. RAW does a much better job of preserving detail. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2026, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1937 "2026-01-10T08:48:09Z")
I took my photo spontaneously extra for the occasion the same day I posted it. It was just there in front of me. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1938 "2026-01-11T00:28:27Z")
This conversation spurred my memory of an old vacation photo, so in it goes! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1939 "2026-01-11T01:33:23Z")
The entries so far this month are really amazing! ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1940 "2026-01-11T02:13:40Z")
I don’t know why my ImgBB photo is not showing; it just shows the text description of a link. I’ve certainly done this before, even with ImgBB. The link opens perfectly in a new tab. Perhaps something to do with its size or aspect ratio? [IMG-1215-DXO.jpg (4618×2503)](https://i.ibb.co/pvPw4Y9d/IMG-1215-DXO.jpg) Testing: [![](https://i.ibb.co/3ysdSgLc/IMG-1215-DXO.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/3ysdSgLc/IMG-1215-DXO.jpg) I figured it out; you can’t use the link for a Full Size image; you have to use the first link, which renders a smaller one (but still clickable for full-size). ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1941 "2026-01-11T07:32:36Z")
Lest anyone conclude from my entry this month that Luxembourg is a den of unsavory activity— **[d’ Buergbrennen](https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/festivals-and-traditions/buergbrennen.html)** This was the official promotional flyer for that year. [![](https://i.postimg.cc/50B8qzcc/20240201-170417.jpg) ](https://i.postimg.cc/50B8qzcc/20240201-170417.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1942 "2026-01-11T07:38:14Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Lest anyone conclude from my entry this month that Luxembourg is a den of unsavory activity I was about to suggest posting an explanation. Thanks for taking care of it first. I know we’re not supposed to post discussions in the contest thread, but maybe when the contest is over you could post this there (assuming it’s OK with @Mean_Mr.Mustard ). That thread will live on long after the contest is finished, and in the future someone might see that photo and take offense to it. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2026, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642/1943 "2026-01-11T07:40:26Z")
I already considered that, and set an expiration window on the photo upload site. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642.md?page=96) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-monthly-photo-competition-rolling-discussion-thread/975642.md?page=98)