PF PHOTO CONTEST - Will You Be My Valentine? (2/10-2/16)

[ZapperZ]

Will You Be My Valentine?

Valentine's Day is almost upon us. This week's theme is all about Valentine's day and what it represents. You picture must have a subject matter that has a clear connection to or representation of Valentine's Day. I may have to make a judgement call in cases where this connection is not clear.

Contest Rules:

1. Any digital photo or digitally-scanned photo relevant to the theme will be accepted within the contest period. In case there's a grey area, or you're not sure if the picture is suitable, check with me first.

2. Please resize your digital photo to no more than 650 x 490 or 490 x 650 pixels. You may also crop your picture if you wish. But other than that, any form of picture editing or modification is not allowed. This is a photo contest, not a picture editing/special effect contest. You may add a watermark or your name/nickname to the photo for identification purposes.

3. Upload your photos to any of the photo servers such as imageshack. Then post it the relevant contest thread and link your picture using the img command. PM me if you do not know how.

4. Only ONE picture per member per contest. Once a picture is posted, it cannot be changed other than a total withdrawl by that member from that week's photo contest. Exceptions will be made for modification to comply with the rules, such as resizing.

5. At the end of the contest period, I will open a poll and every PF member can vote for the picture they like best.

6. Note that in case we have a large number of entries, I will do the polling in more than one thread. If that's the case, you can vote in each of the polling threads. The photos will be assigned in the the polling threads in the order they were submitted.

7. These pictures must be something that you took, not something taken off someone else's photo albums or taken by someone else. I have no way of checking if you did this, so we'll go by the honor system.

8. You can use a picture only once. Once it is used in a contest, it cannot be reused in another contest.

9. Please post only pictures meant for submission in this thread.

Zz

 

[hypatia]

My doggy sending her Valentine wishes to her best doggy friend!

 

[Evo]

Awwwww, how cute!

 

[Astronuc]

My doggy sending her Valentine wishes to her best doggy friend!

That is so precious!

 

[Kurdt]

I need to get taking pictures again for I haven't entered a competition in ages. I have a valentines type picture but its awful because I was just getting the opinion of my friend (an artist) about some artwork I did in a valentines card for this coming Hallmark event.

 

[ZapperZ]

Whoa! We can't let hypatia wins this without a fight! Here's mine! :)

This is Donald and Daisy in front of the Hearts topiaries.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Well, given the lack of entries, maybe I have a shot with this (I've been a bit bored).
Valentine Kisses
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3779/valentineskissesci7.jpg

 

[turbo]

Edit: disqualified

 

[ZapperZ]

32 years ago today, I proposed to my wife and we were married exactly 14 days later on Feb 28. I made her a hand-made Valentine's Day card using pen and India ink and watercolors and I tried to find that earlier to enter a picture of it, but somehow it got misplaced when we moved here last year. Instead, here is a picture indicative of how we are spending our 32nd Valentine's Day together. We are snuggled up inside with a cozy wood fire going and a blizzard outside. The snow is coming down at about a couple of inches per hour and because of thunderstorms (yes, even in the snow!) being forecast for tonight, we have water stockpiled and the generator is at the ready. I just popped out back to snap a few images of the storm - the snow has abated a bit, but I like nighttime snow shots anyway. Happy Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately, while the story is romantic, the picture does not have any direct connection to Valentine's Day itself. So I have to disqualify it. You may replace it with another picture if you wish.

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

32 years ago today, I proposed to my wife and we were married exactly 14 days later on Feb 28. I made her a hand-made Valentine's Day card using pen and India ink and watercolors and I tried to find that earlier to enter a picture of it, but somehow it got misplaced when we moved here last year. Instead, here is a picture indicative of how we are spending our 32nd Valentine's Day together. We are snuggled up inside with a cozy wood fire going and a blizzard outside. The snow is coming down at about a couple of inches per hour and because of thunderstorms (yes, even in the snow!) being forecast for tonight, we have water stockpiled and the generator is at the ready. I just popped out back to snap a few images of the storm - the snow has abated a bit, but I like nighttime snow shots anyway. Happy Valentine's Day.

Turbo - you need to go back outside and make a heart in the snow, then submit the picture.

Alternatively, hang a heart (preferably red, but not too gawdy) in the branches.

BTW - Congratulations on 32 years!

 

[ZapperZ]

Turbo - you need to go back outside and make a heart in the snow, then submit the picture.

That might work!

Zz.

 

[Kurdt]

Turbo - you need to go back outside and make a heart in the snow, then submit the picture.

As long as Turbo doesn't make it the way he'd write his name.

 

[Astronuc]

That might work!

Zz.

Ah. Zz is tough, but fair.

 

[larkspur]

I had to wait until today to take this one. These are from my sweetheart.

 

[hypatia]

As long as Turbo doesn't make it the way he'd write his name.

 

[hypatia]

I had to wait until today to take this one. These are from my sweetheart.

ohhhhhhhh ahhhhhhh beautiful!

 

[Moonbear]

No fair! Pretty lighting for your photo AND a sweetheart who sends roses! I had to resort to photographing the remnants of a bag of Hershey's kisses that I bought for myself. (No, they're not good chocolate.)

 

[larkspur]

No fair! Pretty lighting for your photo AND a sweetheart who sends roses!

I turned the lights out and held a flashlight over them and used the timed shutter release.

I had to resort to photographing the remnants of a bag of Hershey's kisses that I bought for myself. (No, they're not good chocolate.)

Those chocolates look really good Moonbear! Do they have just a hint of cherry or a lot of cherry flavor?

 

[Astronuc]

I had to wait until today to take this one. These are from my sweetheart.

WOW, Larkspur! Very nice! Wonderful composition, contrast and color! I hope I am not appearing too prejudicial.

My compliments to your sweet for his choice of a sweetheart.

 

[turbo]

Turbo - you need to go back outside and make a heart in the snow, then submit the picture.

Alternatively, hang a heart (preferably red, but not too gawdy) in the branches.

BTW - Congratulations on 32 years!

Here you go! In a blizzard, perhaps the most temporary Valentine's Day greeting ever recorded.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/3/snowvalentinemu2.jpg

Edit: It has been about 15 minutes or so, and the valentine is nearly obliterated, almost as quickly as one written in the sand on an incoming tide. We are looking at a LOT more snow tonight according to the more knowledgeable weathermen. Not such a bad thing, since the last few winters have been dry, depriving us of snow-pack to replenish the aquifers. Anyway, happy Valentine's Day. Here in Maine the blizzard has prevented the delivery of flowers, prompted the cancellation of dinners at restaurants, and has encouraged people like my wife and me to cozy in at home and ride it out in comfort.

 

[larkspur]

WOW, Larkspur! Very nice! Wonderful composition, contrast and color! I hope I am not appearing too prejudicial.

My compliments to your sweet for his choice of a sweetheart.

Thanks Astronuc!

 

[Kurdt]

I had to wait until today to take this one. These are from my sweetheart.

Well you can guess what I'm going to say.

 

[Moonbear]

I turned the lights out and held a flashlight over them and used the timed shutter release.

Wow, that's neat. What made you think of something like that? It has a beautiful effect.

Those chocolates look really good Moonbear! Do they have just a hint of cherry or a lot of cherry flavor?

It's a cherry cream filling. They taste a little like those fake cherry cordial candies that are usually available around Christmas time. I had never seen that flavor of kisses before, so decided to give them a try. The caramel ones were better (they had little Valentine's sayings on the paper part, but since they were better, I finished eating them first).

 

[Moonbear]

Here you go! In a blizzard, perhaps the most temporary Valentine's Day greeting ever recorded.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/3/snowvalentinemu2.jpg

Aww...now that's really sweet! That's the sort of Valentine greeting that makes women melt. Your wife is a very lucky woman.

 

[larkspur]

Here you go! In a blizzard, perhaps the most temporary Valentine's Day greeting ever recorded.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/3/snowvalentinemu2.jpg

Edit: It has been about 15 minutes or so, and the valentine is nearly obliterated, almost as quickly as one written in the sand on an incoming tide. We are looking at a LOT more snow tonight according to the more knowledgeable weathermen. Not such a bad thing, since the last few winters have been dry, depriving us of snow-pack to replenish the aquifers. Anyway, happy Valentine's Day. Here in Maine the blizzard has prevented the delivery of flowers, prompted the cancellation of dinners at restaurants, and has encouraged people like my wife and me to cozy in at home and ride it out in comfort.

That is so sweet Turbo! Did she get to see it before it got covered again?

 

[turbo]

Aww...now that's really sweet! That's the sort of Valentine greeting that makes women melt. Your wife is a very lucky woman.

Thanks, Moonie! I wanted her to wake up to find my original card on the kitchen table this morning, so after she went to bed, I tried to find it, but failed. Tonight, we scoured this house, trying to find it and came up dry, which is why I entered the first blizzard shot. A blizzard is no hardship to us because we both grew up in this area and we have lived with them (with decreasing frequency and intensity) for decades. The contest rules prompted the new temporary Valentine - one that cannot ever be saved in a box or passed on.

 

[larkspur]

Wow, that's neat. What made you think of something like that? It has a beautiful effect.

I wanted a black background but didn't have any material large enough so I turned out the lights to make it black. Then I couldn't see to focus so I pointed the flashlight at the group of roses I wanted in the shot and snapped a test. It ended up to be a keeper...

It's a cherry cream filling. They taste a little like those fake cherry cordial candies that are usually available around Christmas time. I had never seen that flavor of kisses before, so decided to give them a try. The caramel ones were better (they had little Valentine's sayings on the paper part, but since they were better, I finished eating them first).

Too bad they can't fill Hershey's kisses with Reese's peanut butter filling.

 

[turbo]

That is so sweet Turbo! Did she get to see it before it got covered again?

Nope! She goes to bed early (up at 3:30 or so every day for work) so it is a day-after-valentine's day surprise! We're a bit quirky, so it will fit right in. Thanks!

 

[berkeman]

I had to wait until today to take this one. These are from my sweetheart.

That's an extraordinary work of art, larkspur. Beauty.

 

[Astronuc]

Here you go! In a blizzard, perhaps the most temporary Valentine's Day greeting ever recorded.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/3/snowvalentinemu2.jpg

Edit: It has been about 15 minutes or so, and the valentine is nearly obliterated, almost as quickly as one written in the sand on an incoming tide. We are looking at a LOT more snow tonight according to the more knowledgeable weathermen. Not such a bad thing, since the last few winters have been dry, depriving us of snow-pack to replenish the aquifers. Anyway, happy Valentine's Day. Here in Maine the blizzard has prevented the delivery of flowers, prompted the cancellation of dinners at restaurants, and has encouraged people like my wife and me to cozy in at home and ride it out in comfort.

Very nice, Turbo! Adding Moonbear's compliment, I think that both you and your wife are lucky.

 

[turbo]

That is so sweet Turbo! Did she get to see it before it got covered again?

No, she usually hits the sack at about 7 or so, so she can get up early enough to exercise and put in some early extra hours at work. I'll have to show her these pictures tomorrow. She is my soul-mate. I'm hobbling around tonight, after fighting the snow-blower this afternoon and shoveling the inaccessible stuff, so she brought in all of tonight's firewood so I wouldn't have to stress my knees any further. I couldn't ask for a better partner. Did I mention that I love this lady, and that she is my best friend?

 

[Astronuc]

I made a remark in the other Valentine's thread about hot sauce as a gift on Valentine's Day. Well, this is my gift from my wife. :!)

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/43/valdayhotsaucewz7.jpg ​

How great is that?!


Now I have to go write in the snow!

 

[larkspur]

That's an extraordinary work of art, larkspur. Beauty.

Thanks!

 

[larkspur]

I made a remark in the other Valentine's thread about hot sauce as a gift on Valentine's Day. Well, this is my gift from my wife. :!)

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/43/valdayhotsaucewz7.jpg ​

How great is that?!


Now I have to go write in the snow!

That's a great gift for you Astronuc!
Take pictures of your snow script too!

 

[turbo]

Very nice, Turbo! Adding Moonbear's compliment, I think that both you and your wife are lucky.

Thanks, Astronuc! We don't feel so much lucky as fortunate to have found each other and recognized what we represented to each other. My mother glommed onto Beth the very first time that I bought her home (and I had previously brought home some sweet ladies that were daughters of professors at Harvard and Princeton, that she liked) and we rely on each other constantly. I can't think of anybody else I would want to live with.