2013 Photo of the Year - Last Day to Vote For Round 2

 It was just unfortunate to be against the photo it was so early on, Id say its in the top 5 in my opinion, great photo

 Yea, to be honest I'm a little disappointed with a few of these photos

 i dont know if disappointed is the right word for what im trying to get across but some truly AMAZING photos got knocked out of the first round just b/c of the photo they went against - for me personally, both of the tailwhip (bmx and the mtb footjam) photos deserved to get much more recognition/deeper. most of these photos are either scenic, berm, or tabletop oriented. at least the street photos gave some contrast to the subject matter

 Most people seem to vote on photos based on the trick or riding captured, not the actual photography.

 Ahhh, @northvanseb, another 14year old photo editor? A great photo appeals to the viewer on an emotional level as well as being technically sound. In many cases the former can overcome the latter. All these photos are well composed and executed, what separates them is their appeal to the audience on a more personal level. Being that the audience here is mostly dh/fr oriented mountain bikers it seems the vast majority have voted for the shots that speak to their own sense of what the sport looks like or what gets them excited. That's going to be different for everyone. Your comment demonstrates how much you need to learn before being so critical, first and foremost being that a great photo does not have to be one that you particularly like or enjoy. Cheers.

 How the Hell did another photo of the canyon gap (# 2,345 I believe) beat out an original shot of a guy ripping in the mists below a majestic waterfall? Or better yet, how'd a basic shot of getting low in GR beat out a shot where the photographer TRAINED A MONKEY TO SCALE A TREE TO TAKE A PICTURES!?


Good lord, what's wrong with you kids?!

 For sure Steve & I had a rough pairing for round one. When I saw the original bracket I was bummed that one of those shots would be cut first round. Steve definitely had one of my favorite shots in the competition, and I feel grateful to have been voted on.

 Dave…. I voted for you^ ….wicked shot

 Dave, I feel the same way! Choosing between your photo and Steve's was horribly difficult -- two amazing photos by two great photogs. I think some of the matchups were a bit... Unfair to us voters! Ha ha.

 ive always wondered how they manipulate it so the moon looks big. any one know? also these pictures are incredible

 To get the moon that big you need a very long lens. It should say in the photo data, something over 1000mm. Though it looks simple that shot was probably not so easy.

 Neither do the two WC shots. Somehow Trumpore's shot really has me. Go Trumpore!

 I think there's only one WC shot. But several DH related shots. I do like the WC race shot for the fact the rider is so in focus and the crowd is so blurred. It really puts emphasis on the speed at which these guys are riding. It's a neat way to showcase speed that we can easily witness in a video.

 Gore's is from the WC as well. I just don't feel them, bit messy, not really my cup of tea. Not saying they're bad, just don't please my eye the same way as for example Trumpore's and Grant's photos.

 Elliot on a mountain bike with E.T. in his backpack.....

 The moon pic is the best pic for me. Such an amazing shot. Only the waterfall shot amazed me more, but it is gone.

 perhaps you don't get the big picture

 l love the moon shot, personally. I hope it wins

 I just think it's a bit cheesy to be honest.

 I really love the one opposite the moon right now, Riga's shot of Tippie roosting. The timing of that shot, the lighting, looks amazing.

 YeAh! Wheres the waterfall!

 I must agree that the moon photo doesn't make me get a goosebump, but it's really unique. The bright idea and amount of work to get this shot done without photoshopping is enough to earn my vote Huge respect to the photographer!

 This is democracy, more popular photographers country is on pinkbike, more votes he gets

 Dave, no need to get worked up. I even voted for your photo. My point is that staff shouldn't be allowed to enter because they have more chance of winning. It's even a legal requirement in some countries that they can't enter.

 Am I the only one who doesn't even pay the slightest bit of attention to the flag next to peoples names? I prefer to judge people based on their actions, not where they live.

 BrynScott, your point is valid but a non professional, non Pinkbike staff photographer won last year which holds true that anybody has a fair chance of winning.

 Brian there are no "staff photographers" in the contest & Explain how Paris and Margus have an unfair advantage over myself of the others? I just don't see your logic here that's all.

 *can't

 I think you have no idea how photo contracts work. There are no staff photographers, simply photographers who work out contracts for specific events, etc. and other than Margus & Paris there are no other PB contributors here. The best media outlets choose to work with the best photographers, so yes they belong here. Those that are upset should work to take better photos rather than make excuses.

 Bryn, none of the contestants work for pinkbike. So you're being an ass.

 I sort of agree -- the voting brackets seemed to put two excellent photos up against each other and two not-so-great photos against each other, so that we were left choosing our least-disliked and our more favorite favorites. Tough calls all around... However, if a few of us didn't bitch and moan, it wouldn't be Pinkbike, would it?

 I don't think anyone is annoyed by him not riding, in fact I respect him stepping down to not risk his life. He's a solid rider, Rampage is just another beast.

 I'm confused... Which of the above shots are not real riding?

 Photography is an art, so our judgment is not about difficulty of picture content, but about feeling

 It's probably gonna be another generic orange jump/ridge with high contrast like always.

 it wasn't last year...

 So what? Most of my best photos are screenshots from gopro footage, nothing wrong with that!

 In a 'photo of the year' contest, yes, there IS something wrong with a photo looking like a still from a video clip. These photographers put their time, money, equipment and sometimes even their lives on the line to get great photos. A still shot from a go pro might be a great photo compared to the everyday, but it doesn't hold up against these amazing works of art. One = happenstance. Others + planning, timing, lighting = works of art.

 Put their lives on the line?! Settle down mate! Firstly it isn't a gopro still, you just haven't paid any attention to the context of my comment. If you actually took the time to find out how that image was captured you'd know that plenty of planning went into it. Secondly this is a photo of the year competition voted for by us pinkbike users, not a "composition, planning and overuse of editing software competition" voted for by a bunch of art critics. I'd suggest the vast majority of voters are not interested in composition, they are voting based on how that photo makes them feel. I refer you to both the above comments by @general-lee

 Yep, lives. How many photogs do you think hang out in precarious positions, on cliffs or under gaps or in trees, trying to get great shots? My point was that it's not easy, that's all. Also: declaring that the rest of the photogs here overuse editing software, in the defense of one photo, is really shortsighted and seems as though you ignore the talent and beauty showcased. But maybe that's just my perspective... And perspective can be a funny thing, eh?

 I made no such declaration, you have simply assumed that's what I'm implying.

 It's not a still from a video, read the exif data to the right. It's a still shot with a 5Dmkii with a 15mm lens @1/160 of a second. If it was shot on video it wouldn't have the exif data from a still shot, and the reason it may look like that to you is due to the relatively slow shutter speed relative to the speed of the bike. This gives it a sense of motion that just wouldn't be possible at say 1/500th or above.