5/22/2008 6:30:50 PM

I agree..wonderful art! Fantastic ..love it!

5/23/2008 6:26:04 AM

I MUST AGREE WITH RONALD AND CYN ON THIS CAPTURE, Thomas!!!! LOVELY ART WORK!
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR EP & POTD!!! :0)

7/17/2008 12:44:04 AM

Awesome image. Congrats on POTD!!

7/17/2008 12:54:34 AM

awesome work on this....congrats on your POTD!

7/17/2008 1:15:48 AM

Great shot Tom ~ it does has an arty feel ~ many congrats on POTD!

7/17/2008 3:17:12 AM

Hey Tom,

Congrats on you POTD. It's a great shot and a well deserved recognition!

Pat

7/17/2008 3:20:08 AM

Magnificent!
Congratz on your POTD!
~Lisa

7/17/2008 3:44:05 AM

WOW! I LOVE IT! Looks like a beautiful, artsy effect, awesome

Congrats on BP POTD!

jo ann c.

7/17/2008 4:08:27 AM

What a great mooding image. Very classic looking, congrats Tom on your awesome POTD.

7/17/2008 4:30:29 AM

Amazing! Just breath-taking in my opinion. Colors, processing, capture--manifice'
Jane

7/17/2008 5:03:47 AM

This is a great image. Is it straight from the camera or is there some post processing done?. I really like it.

7/17/2008 5:09:54 AM

congrats on the POTD

7/17/2008 5:12:41 AM

Knew this would be winning all kinds of awards the first time I saw it! My question is, how did you get this parking spot??! :-) Sincerest congratulations to you, Tom. This really show how to make the best out of what most of us would have said was an impossible shooting situation!

7/17/2008 5:43:57 AM

Congratulations Tom. It is a real honor on having the POTD. As I have told you before, I think that this is one of the best photographs I have ever seen! Simply stunning.

7/17/2008 6:00:55 AM

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S on your well deserved POTD! 8o)

7/17/2008 6:11:06 AM

What a fantastic image Tom! A real eye catcher!!! Congratulations on this wonderful POTD!!!

7/17/2008 6:43:24 AM

Great tones and rain image, like so much how this look, congrats!

7/17/2008 6:56:26 AM

Tom:
This sort of work is a direct to link to the experiential and on the rare occasions, when working in this way, a masterwork is born. I believe this to be one! The multitude of irony and cartoon, embedded in both, the formalistic visual and the experiential situation(lens image)are many and compel much related attentions.If you wish further discussion, outside public domain you may contact at:. Though I think some of my works are on this site, it is one I haven't visited for a year or more. So the works are old and the series of SinCon works has gone through some significant movement. I also receive an e-mail everyday from this site, replete with an image. It was your image that kicked me in the but, enough to revisit this site. A most inspiring work…rok-on.
sam smith

7/17/2008 7:03:58 AM

Nice work. It definitely looks like a pice of artwork.

7/17/2008 8:44:06 AM

Wonderful evocative image, Tom--big congratulations on your POTD!

7/17/2008 9:13:37 AM

So unique and beautiful Thomas, a big congratulations on your potd!

7/17/2008 10:01:27 AM

congrats...i absolutely love this one

7/17/2008 10:26:10 AM

Congratulations!

7/17/2008 12:44:18 PM

Stunning! I agrre with everything everyone has said beore me. Congratulations. A certain favorite for me.

7/17/2008 2:40:51 PM

Tom, this is a beautiful image. Like I always say, "when it rains, go out and make beautiful photos". Checked out your gallery and enjoyed seeing all your photos.

7/17/2008 3:40:49 PM

very powerful!

7/17/2008 4:30:34 PM

Cograts on this wonderful POTD.
kk

7/17/2008 6:33:04 PM

beautiful and congrats on POTD

7/19/2008 6:26:09 AM

Congratulations on the POTD, on this wonderfully artistic photo.

7/20/2008 8:06:15 AM

Hey Folks,

I want the thank everyone for their kind comments. This is the story behind the photo.

I love setting out on a “photo sojourn” and coming back with one or two nice images to share. I can generally pre-visualize the day, but never know what I can come back with.

This day I set out to take photos of the National Cathedral’s Lighting to Unite by artist Gerry Hofstetter. http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/ltu/index.html

Unfortunately, it was the final night of the show, and when I arrived it was cancelled due to a torrential May rain. I am sure that was a good decision, since water and electricity don’t mix.

Undaunted, I decided to try my luck in Georgetown despite the rain. It was around 9:30 pm, and I parked on the corner of Wisconsin and M Street. I set up my tripod inside the car since I was not about to risk getting me or my camera gear wet. My tripod straddled the console and I had hopes of getting a 5 or 6 second exposure of the cars traveling through the intersection. The rain was coming down so hard that the water was just sheeting off the windshield, and it was loud. What then caught my eye and attention were the pedestrians, running for shelter to keep dry.

I angled the camera to capture those brave souls as they passed by. I switched my camera to manual focus since the auto-focus was confused and tried to focus on the windshield and not beyond it. I was using a 24-70 mm lens at 70mm. Exposure was set at 1/100 second exposure at f /5.0. As the locals passed by, I shot off a dozen or so exposures. I left soon after when the radio began announcing flash flood warnings in the area.

When I arrived home safely, I had one particular “just right” image.

I often compare photography to fishing. It takes patience and skill, but luck often plays a big part in it. That May evening, I got lucky and landed a nice one… I am glad I was able to share it with you.

7/20/2008 12:52:35 PM

Congratulations on your artistic POTD, Tom! I love the feel and look of this wonderfully creative image. Thanks for the detailed description of how you made this photograph - great work!

7/22/2008 3:36:20 AM

Hey Tom. Great shot. I totally agree with your fishing analogy. I have made great use of that "luck" portion of the equation. But it does take an "open" eye, and technical skill. Clearly you have both.

7/24/2008 8:23:52 AM

A fabulous work of art!

8/4/2008 8:47:33 PM

Congrats on your stunning POTD and finalist, Thomas!

8/21/2008 5:59:49 PM

Congratulations on your finalist, Thomas!!!
kk

8/21/2008 7:14:29 PM

This looks like a painting, Tom. Fantastic! It just goes to show you that you can't let a little (or a lot) of rain stop you! Congratulations on your finalist!

8/21/2008 8:35:59 PM

Fantastic mood in this picture. Congratulations on your finalist Tom!

8/22/2008 6:16:11 AM

Wonderful artful image! Congrats!

8/22/2008 8:13:11 PM

Congratulations!! I can see this hanging in a gallery. So beautiful!!!

8/24/2008 9:38:00 AM

Congratulations Thomas on your Win.

Dominick

8/25/2008 10:22:43 AM

An outstanding FIRST PLACE WINNING image Tom. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us on the evening you captured this remarkable photograph. A huge congratulations!

8/25/2008 11:48:42 AM

congrats on this fantastic winner Tom!!!

~J~

8/25/2008 1:17:05 PM

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 "The Fairy Trophy"

A Special Trophy for

"July Winners"

8/25/2008 1:30:22 PM

This is a fantastic image! Favorite.

Congratulations on your amazing WIN!

8/25/2008 1:30:32 PM

WTG, Tom! Congrats on the 1st Place!

8/25/2008 3:47:06 PM

MY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WIN.

KARU.

8/25/2008 3:52:47 PM

BIG CONGRATS, Thomas, on your WONDERFUL FIRST PLACE WIN!! This is one of my favs of all time!! Deb

8/25/2008 3:58:36 PM

Amazing capture, well seen too! Bravo on the first place win.... wow!

8/25/2008 4:11:30 PM

Congratulations, Thomas! A very striking First Place win!

8/25/2008 5:25:27 PM

I love this!!!!!!! Congrats :)

8/25/2008 6:05:58 PM

Congratulations on you 1st place work of art !

8/25/2008 6:11:52 PM

Congratulations!!!

8/25/2008 6:46:15 PM

Congratulations, Thomas, on your very well-deserved win! I've loved this image from the first moment I saw it.

8/25/2008 7:39:44 PM

Well the story you narrate above is compelling and the image unforgettable, Congratulations to you Statas.

8/25/2008 7:55:45 PM

Congratulations on this very amazing and well deserved image, Thomas!!!

8/25/2008 8:17:33 PM

Big congratulations on this outstandng winner!

8/25/2008 9:21:20 PM

Congratulations!!

8/25/2008 10:33:42 PM

Congratulations!

8/26/2008 1:09:15 AM

Congratulations Tom. As I have told you over and over, this is simply a stunning image!

8/26/2008 5:24:20 AM

Don't know how I missed this amazing image but congrats!

8/26/2008 11:23:56 AM

To Everyone:

Thank you so much for your comments. I am honored to be a part of the BP community.

The best to all of you....

Tom Statas

8/26/2008 12:18:15 PM

Captivating image. Congratulations on both awards.

8/26/2008 11:44:55 PM

Thomas, I just got back from vacation and saw your First Place Win! Congratulations! You know this was a favorite for me from the minute I saw it.

9/2/2008 11:47:14 AM

WONDERFUL - WONDERFUL - CONGRATULATIONS TOM!!!!!!

9/2/2008 2:56:46 PM

Congratulations, Tom, on this really terrific image winning!

9/13/2008 3:46:41 PM