been there, saw that, agree with all the previously posted comments. great. george

I've never seen smoke that smart! The white suit exposure and detail is great.

George and Geno

Many thanks for your very nice comments - much appreciated by me.

a great concept, well executed with for sure a lot of work. worth to be a fav :)

MIcha,

Thanks very much for your generous comments - much appreciated by me.

I don't think this is your best 2007 picture. You may not think so yourself either. But is has been very nice following the "development" of this picture and your other composites. I think they show how photo sites can work at their best if the photographer/author of a picture is open for suggestions and when other members/viewers are willing to engade in the process and give suggestions (some good and working well - others suggestions maybe not good after all).

Caroline

.*lol* I am doing things the wrong way now. After having written and posted my comment to this picture I read what you had written about it. I see we think the same way about it. Well - sorry for not having read your text before posting my comment.

Caroline

I have admired so many aspects of this photo; your talent, patience, attention to detail, hard work......you should feel very proud of this :-)

Vaggelis, many thanks for your generous appreciation here - much appreciated by me.

Caroline - ditto to you too as above. Absolutely no problem about your comment there! I am really pleased to get your comments and as you know, they are always valued too. I did have some other candidate images but this one stood out for me. It was such bloody hard work with the smoke! I was in fact glad to be finished with it at the end and it took a few days for me to really enjoy the end result when the bulk of that hard work was over. Technical aspects of composites can be really boring in the middle of the process. One of my favourite places with composites is when I get the initial idea and start to work on it. Some parts can be really tedious but when I'm happy with the end result it's all worth it.

As a matter of curiosity I wonder what you felt was a better image for me in 2007? No pressure to answer that one, onl;y if it feels comfortable for you.

Again many thanks to you both.

I know the feeling. Some of my own pictures make me want to puke when I have finished post processing. After having posted or printed them I feel I don’t want to see them ever again. I am just so very, very fed up with the picture. *lol* I prefer those that gives next to no pp. To me it doesn’t help that I am happy with the end result – I am just fed up with the picture(s).

I would have a hard time picking your best, but of you composites I like the one, which made it to the 2008 Calendar best. I also like some of your more traditional landscape pictures like these two for example: http://www.myfourthirds.com/document.php?id=32490 and http://www.myfourthirds.com/document.php?id=34814

Caroline

Eugene, this was really something when I first saw it and still is. The idea is fantastic and execution is tops. A lot of hard work went into this.

A great composite from mr."smokerings-Donohoe". I like the image very much, and its a great idea.I like the pub-atmosphere (Irish I recon). I can´t imagine how you did it, but you will never be alone, just light the cigar, and there she is. I guess you have sheared some hours with your pc to make this composite complete. Great work Eugene, both pre and post.p. Trond.

This is like meeting an old friend. It's good to see it again.

I chose this one as my competition pick also for the same reasons which I mentioned when you first uploaded it and especially in the context of this "competition" because this pictures for me is the symbol for the passion and patience which is necessary to turn a good idea into a great photograph. I do not say that this is the best photograph of the year but it best shows the spirit under which great photographs are produced and it shows that this community does contribute to improving our work.

Caroline Jeff Trond Martin and Klaus

Thank you all very much for your comments and appreciations here. Really appreciate that.

I have to say as a headline though, a very big thank you to Klaus and deevee for voting this image as your selection for for the purposes of the competition. I am feeling very honoured by that. Thank you very very much.

Caroline thanks to you for the links to those two photos. I share your view in relation to the Skerries fog pic. It all seems so long ago now!

Thanks again to all of you who shared your views and appreciations.