 - Ken Smith  Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Countdown to January's Contest Results Hello Everyone! It's the 15th of January and time to share our favorite contest image(s) from January. If it makes Staff Fav/Finalist/Winner, all the better. So give your favorites a showcase here, tell us why you picked them, and join us in the countdown! In December, there were 5,600 contest entries and in January the number was closer to 7,000. So, that's a good thing…an upward trend in contest entries. And I would like to see an upward trend for the number of folks that share their fav. :-) In earlier forum threads, BP (via Jim Moitke) said that they were striving to speed up the contest results. And BP finished up the January EPs much faster than previous months. So, fingers crossed that we'll see Staff Favs in a few days, and no more "Mad dash to the Finish Line!" :-) So, upload your Fav photo(s) then join us as we await the contest results. Good luck everyone!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Some helpful hints for attaching photos into a BP Forum Thread, if you're unfamiliar with the process: 1) Sign into BP. IF YOU HAVEN'T entered the Contest for today, you can use the "Photo ID" method to pull an existing image (from your Member Center) into your Reply here. This avoids a duplicate image upload to your Member Center. Note the Photo ID# of the image you wish to include here (visible in your Member Center) then return to this thread, click Respond, enter the text of your reply, and choose "1" from the images-to-attach drop-down (even though you won't actually be uploading a file.) Click Submit; at the next screen, populate the "Photo ID" field shown over at the right. Skip the other text fields on that screen, check the boxes at the bottom, and Submit. 2) IF YOU HAVE ALREADY entered the Contest for today, you can't use the Photo ID method *today*. Either wait until tomorrow to reply here first, or upload a copy of the image (from your PC) and attach to this thread. This produces a duplicate image in your Member Center; however, you don't have to make that duplicate visible in your Gallery. If you're uploading a duplicate, I suggest titling it "For Forum" so it stands out in your Member Center, for easier housecleaning later on. This can also help nudge BP viewers to go find the original image in your gallery, if they want to leave a comment. Likewise, if you want to add a comment to a photo seen here, first try to tell if it is a duplicate upload. As a courtesy, try to find the original image in the member's gallery and leave your comment there instead of on the duplicate... which may one day be deleted.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher  Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
tag..I haven't decided on a fave yet.
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- Nikki McDonald Contact Nikki McDonald Nikki McDonald's Gallery |
Thanks, Ken. I'll try to remember to post tomorrow. And I want to let everyone who might not know to double check their January EP's - they doubled back the last couple of days and picked up some more images.
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Michelle L. Frick |
Tag!
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Thanks for starting the thread, Ken. Tag!
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- Martha R. Mazon Contact Martha R. Mazon Martha R. Mazon's Gallery |
What a fascinating, almost other-worldly scene, Ken, with superb lighting, perspective and mood. Thanks for picking up the thread again this month!
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- Martha R. Mazon Contact Martha R. Mazon Martha R. Mazon's Gallery |
Good luck, everyone!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Nikki, great reminder on the January EPs; I picked up a couple more during their double-back and I bet most of us got a bonus EP(s). So, please check!! Martha, I should use reflectors a lot more than I do now, especially for flower photos. Your photo shows me why. I like the golden tones in it. Good luck in the next round!
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
Dang, I forgot again to enter the image here before entering the contest. Hopefully by tomorrow. UB.
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- Nikki McDonald Contact Nikki McDonald Nikki McDonald's Gallery |
Good luck to everyone. Hopefully, we will see some Staff Favorites later this week with Finalists and Winners next. Short month and all, you know :)
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Hey Nikki…such a magical scene. You got great light and I like the warmth of the scene, especially the clouds. A very beautiful rural scene. Yep…nothing like a "Brown" Christmas in Omaha. And today's snow is great; will be gone shortly! :-)
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- Jill Odice Contact Jill Odice Jill Odice's Gallery |
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Hey Jill, that's a unique view…and my thought was "I hope the balls don't burst thru netting, otherwise there will be a few sore heads." :-) The people add great perspective! Carolyn, you're getting really good at these macros…and this one is no exception. I like the diagonal of the meandering barb wire. And the berries bring it over the top.
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Kalena Randall |
Here they are!
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Kalena Randall |
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Kalena Randall |
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Hi Kalena and Peggy…welcome aboard! :-) Kalena, both your "favs" are very nice. I like the simplicity of the leaf photo, and lens baby gives the ropes a unique perspective. I tried a lens baby several years ago but could never master it. You should enter more photos; strive for 10 in March! :-) Peggy, sometimes the "right out of the camera" is just fine. I'm not sure what else you could have done to it….it's very eye-catching and congrats on waiting for just the right light!
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Thanks, Ken! Enjoying everyone's favorites ... Best of luck to all!
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Kara L. Hendricks |
Good luck everyone.. some great work here!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Thanks, Kara. And hopefully we won't be hanging out til the very last day of the month. :-) Nice job with your "fav of favs." You have a unique style for your photos, to include the texture overlays. I think your decayed flowers look better than my fresh flower photos.
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Kalena Randall |
Thanks, Ken. I love working with my Lensbaby. It's fun, but you're right. It does take some getting used to. As far as more photos, I have a hard enough time keeping track of what I put in the contest. Sure wish we could manage our photos into monthly uploads or something like that instead of just having one loonnnggg list! Lol
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- Nikki McDonald Contact Nikki McDonald Nikki McDonald's Gallery |
It takes a little extra time, but there are relatively simple way to keep track of your uploads and entries. Here are a couple of things that work for me. I upload and enter the contest on the same day and I always have a description of some kind, even if it's only "Category: Animals". This ensures that the date of upload stays on the image. If I must upload early and enter from my gallery later, I include the date I do submit in my description. On the last day of the month, I go to my member center - my photos and down to contest entries. Then I copy and paste those into a document which I keep in a folder on my hard drive. I am actually kind of obsessive about keeping track of these things, so I have several other things I do (like I actually plan out an entire month's entries in advance so I don't have to think about it the night before or in the morning), but these two things are quick and easy so I thought I'd share.
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
I'm choosing this one as my favorite from January because I've long wanted to capture a sunlight-through-stained-glass image like this, focusing on the gracefully curving ceiling ribs. But an upward shot taken from the floor (90 feet below these ribs) just doesn't produce what I've had in mind. This composition was only made possible recently, with the installation of some earthquake-repair scaffolding. I shot this as part of a 3-bracket series for possible HDR, but the middle exposure was quite nice, and I ended up using it alone, just pulling up the shadows a bit.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Kalena, to footstomp what Nikki said...many of us do a copy/paste of our contest entries. On the last day of the month, I paste them into an e-mail and send to myself. I label the e-mail "Contest Entries for ____ (insert the month here)." That way, you'll always have a record of what you entered into the contest.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Chris, you're blessed to be associated with the National Cathedral, and because of that you can pick/choose the best time to photograph. And no exception here; a real beauty and hopefully BP will recognize it as such. Welcome aboard!
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
Thanks, Ken... fingers crossed on this one! I'm definitely happy to take advantage of the "perks" (ie, special access) that come with being a volunteer tour guide there!! Kalena, similar to Nikki's comment, I also keep a very simple spreadsheet on my computer desktop, and for each new image I upload into BP's contest, I record a new row in that spreadsheet, including the image's filename, the image's "BP name" I chose, the category I entered, the contest period (ie, "Jan-14") and a very brief description of the image. (If I resub an existing entry directly from my Member Center, I go back and update the original row for that image, rather than make a new row.) In the end, I have a basically chronological record of every entry I've ever made, all in one place. (A separate tab in the spreadsheet tracks any Finalist/Winner outcome.) It has been interesting to see, over 8 years of accumulated entries! It is also useful if someone, say, wants a print of a particular image they saw deep in my gallery -- I can look up the BP image name they give me, see the camera filename, then pull that out of my archives. Sounds more complex than it is, but it isn't much "work" once you get into the habit of quickly updating the sheet for each new entry.
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Kalena Randall |
Thanks for the tips everyone. I do put the date in the comment section when I upload for the contest. I should probably keep a separate list on my computer, but I don't upload that many each month. I don't get out the the camera as much as others do. Maybe later on I'll be able yo do that. :-)
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
Wonderful picks and wishing you all lots of luck. The Staff Favorite's should not be too long!!! UB.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Welcome aboard, Usman. I also have a fisheye and agree with you; it's a bit of a challenge because perspective is altered. But that's what makes it fun. And you did great with yours. My eyes hit the temple first, then go to the right as I walk along the path to the right. Cool shot for sure!
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- Michael Frazier Contact Michael Frazier Michael Frazier's Gallery |
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Welcome aboard Mike! Such a beautiful view of Vermillion Lakes. Don't you wish Omaha had mountains like this? I hope we see your photo with a Staff Fav emblem real soon...and hopefully I don't jinx their release. :-)
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
Hmmm... Doesn't look like we're headed for an "early" announcement month this time around, with only 5 3/4 days to go... Best of luck everyone!
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
CONGRATZ Nikki, your above pick has already a Gold badge underneath it, a well deserved POTD!!! UB.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Way to go, Nikki! You are paving the way with your "fav" from the Countdown thread.
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Congrats, Nikki!
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- Nikki McDonald Contact Nikki McDonald Nikki McDonald's Gallery |
Thank you so much, Usman, Ken, and Peggy. I'm delighted, of course. Now if only the Staff Favorites from January would appear so we could all have something to celebrate today :)
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Kerby Pfrangle |
I got one staff favorite for Jan 17. It a picture of Julia my friends sister in from Russia. She is so pretty.
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- Bob Cournoyer Contact Bob Cournoyer Bob Cournoyer's Gallery  |
They're here, Nikki.....I got one
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
I got 10! I think I'll keep them!
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- Bob Cournoyer Contact Bob Cournoyer Bob Cournoyer's Gallery |
Way to go, Carolyn!!!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Congrats to everyone that got Staff Favs. The BP announcement said there were 675 Staff Favs, or about a 10.2 percent success rate. Last month, the Staff Fav rate was over 12%. Assuming Finalist rate is similar to last month (8%), we'll see about 530 finalists. Meaning…if you got a Staff Fav, there's a 75% chance it will get finalist…assuming there are 530 finalists. :-)
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countryimpressions.net - Tammy M. Anderson Contact Tammy M. Anderson Tammy M. Anderson's Gallery |
Thanks Ken for letting us know what our odds are. LOL I think maybe you hold the record for the most staff favorites. Congrats to you!
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
I am happy to have two Staff Favorites ... Congrats to all who received SFs and best of luck in the next round!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Here's the URL for the Staff Favs…based on an e-mail Jim Moitke put out earlier today: http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/dynoGall2.php?catID=60990
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
Got three SFs and very excited. CONGRATZ to you all and good luck in the coming rounds!! UB.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Now that's a yummy treat, Melissa. Congrats on your Staff Fav and fingers crossed on Finalist…which hopefully we'll see the announcement later today.
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
Hmmm... Monday, then Wednesday, then Tuesday, are the top 3 most common days to announce Finalists; while there's still 3.5 hours left in Tuesday (BP time), perhaps we'll see something Wednesday? tick tock, tick tock ;) Good luck to everyone!
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
Finalists just in. Got lucky to get two this time. CONGRATZ to all the Finalists and Good luck in the final round!!! UB.
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- Carolyn M. Fletcher Contact Carolyn M. Fletcher Carolyn M. Fletcher's Gallery |
Six finalists for me. Wonders never cease..
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
Congratulations to all the finalists! Two of my three staff favorites advanced. I see Nikki's posted favorite here, went to finalist; mine too… Did others post their "thread favorites" here without linking to the Member Center originals?
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Congrats to all that got a finalist, be it via your "Fav" photo here (congrats Nikki and Chris!), or a different photo. The selection rate was 6%, which is a little lower than normal. And with only 399 photos picked, there's a better chance to get gold. Good luck to everyone in the gold medal round!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Congrats to Jill too; her "Beach Balls" also made finalist!
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Happy to report that my two Staff Favorites progressed to Finalist. :) Big congrats to all the Finalists, and best of luck in the gold round!
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Is anyone noshing on chocolate, waiting for winners? I'm having Dove sea salt caramel dark chocolate Promises. nom nom nom
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Hey Peggy…well, I had a cold beer on a cold Omaha night. Does that count? :-) They should be coming out soon; tomorrow is the last day of the month. But at least this month, it wasn't as rushed as the last few months. We could catch our breath and enjoy the last few rounds.
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Hi Ken Yes, refreshing adult beverages definitely count! I have enjoyed the timing of the announcements this month ... the anticipation and the chance to enjoy each stage has been really nice. Again, good luck to all!
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
You are so right, Ken. Its been after sometime that I went through most all the Finalists and got a good dose of inspiration. Hope this trend continues in the coming months. Just had breakfast here which was a "paratha", with "chanay currie" and a cup of nice warm tea. I know most of you would not be able to relate, but believe me my taste buds are as sated as yours or Peggy's ;) UB.
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- Nikki McDonald Contact Nikki McDonald Nikki McDonald's Gallery |
A little Merlot here tonight. I, too, have enjoyed the time. But now I'm ready to see the winners. Don't expect one myself so I'm not anxious - just looking forward to seeing what is selected. Continued good luck vibes to everyone.
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Sounds good to me, Usman (and definitely healthier than my chocolate!) ... :)
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
Hi Nikki Merlot sounds good ... goes really well with dark chocolate ... :)
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Good morning, everyone. While we wait on the gold medals, just a reminder that today is the last day of the month, so do a copy/paste of your February contest entries for reference (if you're in the habit of doing that). Also, next month's theme is "Creativity." And like all BP themes, it's open to our interpretation. I've seen creative macros of oil patterns in water, or objects set against computer monitors, with reflecting base. Or a fisheye photo from inside a mailbox/oven, etc. If you have ideas on creativity, feel free to share while we wait. Or have more chocolates. :-)
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- Peggy Pfister Contact Peggy Pfister Peggy Pfister's Gallery |
January contest winners are out! Congrats to all the awesome winners!
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Congrats to the following folks that participated on this Contest thread…you all got GOLD!! Usman (1st place), Peggy, Carolyn, Kara, Tammy A , Chris B, Jill, and Bob C. A pretty good showing by the "Countdown" folks. :-)
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countryimpressions.net - Tammy M. Anderson Contact Tammy M. Anderson Tammy M. Anderson's Gallery |
Don't forget our new countdown leader's (Ken Smith) two second place winners too. Congrats to Ken and all the Winners for January.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
My apologies….I left off Nikki McDonald, my fellow Omaha photographer! Sorry about that, Nikki!! Tammy, thanks! :-)
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Oops…I left off Nikki McDonald. Sorry about that, Nikki!! Thanks, Tammy! :-)
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Jackie M. Sajewski |
Congratulations Winners. Wonderful images. Good luck to all of us next month. :)
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- Usman M. Bajwa Contact Usman M. Bajwa Usman M. Bajwa's Gallery |
Thanks Ken, and CONGRATZ to all the Winners, Finalists, Semi-Finalists and participants for making this such a wonderful place to share our passion. UB.
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- Nikki McDonald Contact Nikki McDonald Nikki McDonald's Gallery |
Thanks, Ken, and everyone else who has sent their congratulations. And congratulations to everyone here who had a SF, a Finalist or a Winner - wonderful images in the pools this month.
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