October 2026 Competition - Abstract

[Tim Mayo]

Our October monthly competition is now open for voting.

Please Include Metadata with Images Submitted.

Theme
For this month our theme will be "Abstract". If you need some inspiration then this group on Flickr will help.

Competition Dates
Entries start: The date that this post is published.
Entries end: Oct 21st
Voting starts: Oct 21st
Voting ends: Oct 28th

Shot Taken Date
Images can be taken anytime, there is no restriction like we had in 2024 for images to be taken in the current or previous two months.

What Do I Get if I Win?
I'm afraid now it's just the joy of taking part, but I will look into adding a special profile banner to winners profiles. In the past there have been vouchers for 1st and 2nd places, but we want to try and encourage people to enter without dangling a voucher code in front of them.

How to Enter + Rules

1. Post your entries in this thread by scrolling down to the reply box then hitting the 'upload images' button. Insert image as full not thumbnail.
2. Sony cameras only.
3. Camera metadata must be included in the images to verify.
4. Only one photo entry per member.
5. Keep the photos clean and family friendly.
6. Please don't use sky replacements or AI image generation.
7. You are free to change you image during the entry period.
8. Not essential but it would be nice if you added a little background information on your entry.

How to Vote (when voting opens)

1. Use the vote button (up arrow) to the right of the post (below post on mobile) to vote up images that you like
2. You can vote on as many images as you like apart from your own

Themes for 2026
Our themes for the year have already been decided to give you a heads-up on what's coming next.

• Jan: Travel & Places
• Feb: Black & White
• Mar: Life & People
• Apr: Light & Shadow
• May: Nature & Wildlife
• Jun: Motion
• Jul: Close-Up & Macro
• August: Urban & Street
• Sep: After Dark
• Oct: Abstract
• Nov: Long Exposure
• Dec: Your Favourite Shot of 2026

Feedback
I'd really appreciate feedback about how the competition is running but please don't post it in this thread. Instead please post any feedback in this thread in the Feedback Forum.

Thank you for participating and good luck!

Tim

 

[Alan Clark]

• E 28-200mm F2.8-5.6 A071
• 121.0 mm
• ƒ/5.5999999046326
• 1/125 sec
• ISO 1600

Dragon Man.
A small detail from a much larger art work, an example of pareidolia.

 

[VicSAZ]

Reflections in a harbor.

• ILCE-7RM4A
• 28-105mm F2.8 DG DN | Art 024
• 105.0 mm
• ƒ/20
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 320

 

[THXGEEK]

The Multiverse????

...or maybe bubbles of time???

• ILCE-1M2
• FE 100mm F2.8 Macro GM OSS
• 100.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 25600

(OK, I'll stop)

 

[ronhrad]

• ILCE-7RM3
• FE 20mm F1.8 G
• 20.0 mm
• ƒ/22
• 1/50 sec
• ISO 100

paracelsus and more

 

[alexpler]

Dotonbori, Osaka.

• ILCE-7C
• FE 50mm F1.8
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/20 sec
• ISO 100

 

[NatureBoyOhio]

Oculus World Trade Center​

• ILCE-6600
• FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS
• 54.0 mm
• ƒ/4.5
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Reina]

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
• 121.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 4 sec
• ISO 100

Walking in the woods, I stumbled upon a rotting tree stump. And to me ironically, the "veins" also resemble trees.

 

[etiennescamera]

• ILCE-1
• FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II
• 70.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/800 sec
• ISO 8000

Textures and colours in rocks in the Cederberg region, South Africa

 

[dragonsdreams]

This is looking across Lake Kerkini at early morning. The structures are observational towers for the migrating pelicans

• ILCE-1M2
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 100

 

[evacguy]

Here comes the Sun.

• ILCE-1M2
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 1250

 

[jroussellhuntsphoto]

abandoned papermill building and this broken window caught my eye. Taken w/the α7CR + 24-70mm GM2 | ISO 3200, ƒ/2.8, 1/160 sec. 70mm

• ILCE-7CR
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 70.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/160 sec
• ISO 3200

 

[GeffBourke]

Northern Lights. Bettles, Alaska.

• ILCE-9M2
• SAMYANG AF 18mm F2.8
• 18.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 2.5 sec
• ISO 1250

 

[BrianN]

Patterns at Portpatrick Harbour.

• ILCE-7M5
• E 50-400mm F4.5-6.3 A067
• 167.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 2500

 

[Krashman3]

• ILCE-1
• FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• 111.0 mm
• ƒ/4.5
• 1/160 sec
• ISO 5000

Does anyone know why this picture won't display full and why my credentials won't display under my profile picture? It seems that my exif info is not transferring over either? I posted this photo in my personal content and everything posted came through just fine. I'm just not techno smart. I tried drinking a single malt whisky, but that didn't make me any smarter, just made me feel better...

 

[gaturner]

The ceiling of the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik. It features mirrored hexagonal glass tubes inspired by the basalt rock formations to be found in Iceland.
Sony A900, Minolta 28-70 f2.8 G

• DSLR-A900
• 35.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/20 sec
• ISO 200

 

[Colin Andersson-Hamill]

• Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS
• 90.0 mm
• ƒ/2.7999999523163
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 6400

 

[reneegw]

ICM - Irises in the garden

• ILCE-7RM3
• E 35-150mm F2.0-F2.8 A058
• 150.0 mm
• ƒ/22
• 6/10 sec
• ISO 80

 

[Dingo22]

Sony ILCE-7M3, 200-600, shot at 600mm, f/8, Speed 640, ISO 50

• ILCE-7M3
• FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/640 sec
• ISO 50

 

[-ST-]

• ILCE-1
• FE 50-150mm F2 GM
• 50.0 mm
• ƒ/2.2
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Tim Mayo]

A big thanks to all who have entered our competition this month. Some brilliant entries like always! Voting is now enabled. Please remember that you can vote on as many images as you like, just not your own.

Please note if your image was not inserted as "full-screen" then the exif data will not normally display underneath the image. I've fixed these few entries. Sometimes exif is also stripped during the editing phase and therefore won't display when uploaded.