i like what you've done to this picture.

well done. there is definitely encouragement to be had from your awards, regardless of the inconsistencies you find with the judging. it was a great selection of photos you entered. onward and upwards mel ;-)

very cool congrats

the coke bottle is a nice touch ;)

Lightened shadows, increased contrast, lowered saturation is about all :)

Wow, way cool. How much touch ups did you do?

wow – I like this one; it really does it for me on some level.

I like your choices that you entered...a wide spectrum of topics.
Strange that someone wrote on the matte about the cloud.

Yeah, contests, based on art is so subjective, you really never know what the judges criteria is even when they spell it out...but i think these guys were right-on...five 1st's and a 2nd! Congrats Shell

Mel has been known to cheat! ;-)

wow.
really, nebraska?!

Ha! The results of the contests! In such subjective thing as photography! :)
Now, you know why to be a pro photographer is so hard a job, in fact.
We're all proud of the pictures we take, in general. I never met a photographer that didn't have a big (or huge) ego about his work, really. (This is why I hate them in general they are so pretentious usually ;)
So I know what it is when, entering in a show/contest with some work you value for so many reasons that are your own (and only yours), you end up with nothing, or not much, behind a one that you find, truly or wrongly, a bad one!
It hurts, I know! ;))

Don't worry, though.
First, you earned something here: experience. Believe me, it's the most important thing. If you want to go into photo contests, you'll have to get experience and use it, you'll see.

Then, you still got some nice rewards, even if not what you where waiting for.
Congratulation, then! :)

Now... tell me... you tricked this reward in Photoshop, right? ;))
(only pulling your leg here).

That is so awesome!

congratulations -

YOWZA!! Way to go! Congrats are certainly in order!

Thanks :)..........I entered the wheelchair photo, the hollingsworth motel sign, the ladybug, the dragonfly, Ashesforyou smiling in the grass, and the typewriter at the museum

reflexive shot

i like the light on this.. yes i think is a little ghostly...

like it.. seems one of that written i see in the movies..

feeeeeeeed me!

only place in town you can find rambo knives, throwing stars and switch blade combs.