Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/April-2017

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Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 1 Apr 2017 at 23:59:57 (UTC)

Original – The Westminster Bridge with the Westminster Palace in the background.
Reason
Found this while reading up on the most recent incident overseas (well overseas for me anyway); this image struck me so I thought I ought to list it here to see if it had a chance at an FPC star. Presently this image adores the article Westminster Bridge, where it holds the distinguished place of honor as the lead image in the article's infobox.
Articles in which this image appears
Westminster Bridge
FP category for this image
I think probably Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Places/Architecture
Creator
Commons User:Martin Dunst

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 07:35, 2 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 7 Apr 2017 at 01:07:18 (UTC)

Original – The Castle of Zafra is a 12th-century castle located in the municipality of Campillo de Dueñas, in Guadalajara, Spain. Built in the late 12th or early 13th centuries on a sandstone outcrop in the Sierra de Caldereros, it stands on the site of a former Visigothic and Moorish fortification that fell into Christian hands in 1129. It had considerable strategic importance as a virtually impregnable defensive work on the border between Christian and Muslim-ruled territory.
Reason
High quality. Gives a stunning view of the castle and its surroundings.
Articles in which this image appears
Castle of Zafra (Guadalajara)
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Places/Architecture
Creator
Diego Delso

Promoted File:Castillo de Zafra, Campillo de Dueñas, Guadalajara, España, 2017-01-04, DD 41-46 PAN.jpg --Armbrust The Homunculus 02:41, 7 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 7 Apr 2017 at 16:37:02 (UTC)

OriginalRed-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) from Brazil
Reason
The beauty of this bird is all in the head. FP on Commons.
Articles in which this image appears
Red-legged seriema, seriema, List of birds of Brazil
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Animals/Birds
Creator
Charlesjsharp
Since the subject is facing and, so to speak, pointing right, it makes sense in terms of composition to have more space on the right. Sca (talk) 14:37, 29 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Such as? Sca (talk) 17:14, 4 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Grateful for an explanation of 'Fails some points in 3rd criteria' please. Charlesjsharp (talk) 08:14, 5 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Looks very sharp & clear to me. Sca (talk) 15:07, 5 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Entire body should be visible, instead of only the head. The article is Red-legged seriema, not Red-legged seriema's head. --Marvellous Spider-Man 11:41, 6 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
By that logic, we should never use mug shots of people. It's an interesting head. Sca (talk) 14:59, 6 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
There is a difference, when it's used to identify the entire species of Human being or Homo Sapien, not Britney Spears or any specific human being. This picture represents the entire species of the bird Red-legged seriema, not any popular specific animal like Bobbie the Wonder Dog and Fido. --Marvellous Spider-Man 15:09, 6 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
IMO, this red-legged seriema pic. is more interesting than the one of Ms. Spears in her infobox – her massive (15,400-word) article notwithstanding. Sca (talk) 15:46, 6 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
The only interesting thing about this bird is its head. We could also have FP of the whole bird, but since it runs along the ground, it's tricky to get a very special shot. Charlesjsharp (talk) 11:55, 7 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Promoted File:Red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) head.JPG --Armbrust The Homunculus 17:03, 7 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 8 Apr 2017 at 14:29:55 (UTC)

Original – The underside of a small heath butterfly (Coenonympha pamphilus), taken in May in the Kampinos Forest, near Warsaw in Poland
Reason
illustrates this butterfly very clearly. FPC on Commons.
Articles in which this image appears
Small heath (butterfly)
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Animals/Insects
Creator
Charlesjsharp
  • Thanks Chris. After reading your comment, I checked a DoF chart and did a test. I reckon I took the picture 25cm away from this 18mm butterfly. With my 100mm macro lens at F11 I have 1.6mm DoF which is OK if you can get the insect absolutely square on to the camera. 1/400 sec was needed for hand held crouching near the ground. I then cropped to 60% of the original 5472 x 3648 pixels. At F14, the DoF only goes up to 2.0mm. F14 is two stops and also, my camera (like most) produces better images at F11 than F14. ISO 800 is the highest speed I can sensibly use, so it would not have been possible to use F14, even in the excellent lighting conditions I had. I'm not sure what you mean by 'less compression'. This image is not downsized, it is just cropped, then saved as maximum quality JPG. If I could get closer to the subject to use full frame (therefore no cropping), I reckon I would have been 13cm away. Unfortunately that would cut DoF to 0.3mm which doesn't work at all. Also, the butterfly would have flown away! And if it didn't for some reason, me and my camera would block out too much light and usually throw a shadow. Obviously there is no chance for proper focus-stacking in the field though one can sometimes manually stitch a couple of images together. It's all a carefully calculated compromise! Charlesjsharp (talk) 08:17, 30 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • Yep. My comment "less detail on the scales" was meant to refer to the diffraction issues which leads to the camera (lens?) producing better images at F11 than F14, but in a way that non-photographers can understand. I didn't go into ISO etc. for the same reason.
I just opened the image in PS. It showed that you saved at a quality level of 10 (out of 12). That shouldn't lead to any noticeable JPG artifacts. Hmm... I'll PM you on your talk page. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 23:15, 30 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Promoted File:Red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) head.JPG --Armbrust The Homunculus 16:32, 8 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 9 Apr 2017 at 05:45:47 (UTC)

Original – Letter from Theresa May invoking Article 50
Reason
In lieu of the referendum last year in the United Kingdom which confirmed the exit of the Britain from the European Union, it was announced that the Prime Minister would invoke Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union sometime in 2017. As it happens, yesterday was that day, so I am presenting the copy of the formal invocation of Article 50, giving formal notice to the Council of the European Union of a member state's intention to withdraw from the EU in order to allow withdrawal negotiations to begin as required by the Treaty on European Union. Since this is the first time that such paperwork has ever been formally invoked, I am listing it here for FPC consideration.
Articles in which this image appears
United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, Brexit, European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/History/Others
Creator
UK Prime Minister Theresa May / 10 Downing Street

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 07:52, 9 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 14 Apr 2017 at 07:42:36 (UTC)

OriginalCaltha palustris flower
Reason
good macroed image, blossoming and blooming
Articles in which this image appears
Caltha palustris
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Plants/Flowers
Creator
Petar Milošević
  • Charlesjsharp i do focus stacking. Because of that, my f is merely uninteresting stuff. And dont worry, i know what i am doing. Nothing is missing on this flower. By the way, made of 32 shots. That is a lot lot more than some...how much, f !? And in better quality than all single shots of flower. --Mile (talk) 13:18, 5 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • OK. I understand the F7.1, but shouldn't the image say that it is a composite of many images? You are right that a focus stack should produce very sharp images, but in this one the definition doesn't seem to be quite there, though I'm not opposing the image. Charlesjsharp (talk) 14:55, 5 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 14:50, 14 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 14 Apr 2017 at 07:48:32 (UTC)

Original – Matevž (Slovenian cuisine) with roast meat and sauerkraut. Often called just Matevž.
Reason
best shot of Matevž
Articles in which this image appears
Matevž
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Food and drink
Creator
Petar Milošević
  • My issues with the composition: odd angle and cropped table mat. Technical issues: generally over-exposed, particularly right side of white plate is blown out, as is some of the cabbage. Food itself is not very sharp (taken at 1/60) with odd choice of F4, so little depth of field. Sorry. Charlesjsharp (talk) 08:24, 5 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 14:51, 14 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 22 Apr 2017 at 04:21:58 (UTC)

Original – View of a Mesa in Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars, taken by HiRISE.
Reason
A high-resolution image of a Mesa, a common geological occurrence on Earth, as it appears on Mars. Useful in the understanding of common geological processes on both Earth and Mars.
Articles in which this image appears
Mesa · Noctis Labyrinthus
FP category for this image
Space/Understanding
Creator
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) · Jet Propulsion Laboratory · University of Arizona

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 10:28, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 2 May 2017 at 20:36:22 (UTC)

Original – This illustrates California State Route 108 and its surroundings as it passes through Sonora Pass.
Reason
This illustrates California State Route 108 and its surroundings as it passes through Sonora Pass. It is high-resolution and aesthetically pleasing, and shows the meadows along the highway.
Articles in which this image appears
California State Route 108
FP category for this image
Landscapes
Creator
A Silly Person from Sonora, CA, United States

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 17:46, 23 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 24 Apr 2017 at 01:58:11 (UTC)

Original – The Doorway from Moutiers-Saint-Jean is a portal dating from c 1250, originally for the monastery of Moutiers-Saint-Jean, near Dijon, Burgundy, France. It has been installed at The Cloisters, in New York City, since in 1932. It has been described as "the finest Gothic portal in America".
Reason
High quality image of a notable work of architecture, with its own article.
Articles in which this image appears
Doorway from Moutiers-Saint-Jean +2
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Artwork/Others, maybe?
Creator
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Promoted File:Doorway from Moutiers-Saint-Jean MET DP255158.jpg --Armbrust The Homunculus 02:40, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 24 Apr 2017 at 17:16:48 (UTC)

Original – A passenger/freight train on the Bernina line near the top of the Bernina Pass at an elevation of over 2,100 metres (7,000 ft); pulled by two ABe 4/4 multiple units
Reason
Good composition illustrating the scenic route of the Bernina line with the Piz Alv, Piz Minor and Vadrets Minor peaks in the background; FP on Commons.
Articles in which this image appears
Bernina railway, Piz Minor
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Vehicles/Land
Creator
Kabelleger
A moderate crop might be OK, but I think the photographer's intent probably is an environmental shot showing the train in very wintry mountainous country, so we wouldn't want to take too much of that away. Sca (talk) 20:57, 15 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Agree. The picture is not about the train, but about the scenic landscape the railway passes through – hence the EV for Bernina railway. A crop will take away that EV. —Bruce1eetalk 06:53, 16 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
Well, I'd say it's about the train and the landscape, showing the conditions under which the plucky Swiss run trains. Train without landscape or landscape without train wouldn't be nearly as interesting. Sca (talk) 15:43, 16 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
PS: I'm a bit prejudiced due to family history. – Sca (talk) 15:43, 16 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
You're right of course, the train is important, that's what makes the picture interesting. But it's the landscape (with the train) that gives the picture its EV, and a crop would kill that. —Bruce1eetalk 17:36, 16 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Promoted File:Berninabahn zwischen Lagalb und Ospizio Bernina im Winter.jpg --Armbrust The Homunculus 17:21, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 29 Apr 2017 at 09:37:05 (UTC)

Original – Male komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) on Komodo Island, Indonesia. A reptile's forked tongue allows it to sense from which direction a smell is coming.
Reason
Through to second round of Commons Picture of the Year 2017
Articles in which this image appears
Komodo dragon, Komodo National Park, Indonesia
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Animals/Reptiles
Creator
Charlesjsharp
  • Naturally the harsh shadows are intentional to show menace with the extended tongue. I took other photos of the whole animal and of males fighting, but I chose this one to feature. The animal is so large, if you show it all you don't get the menace, nor the detail of head, tongue and front leg. Charlesjsharp (talk) 06:59, 20 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oh yeah, I get the menace. My issue is that this choice, though very appropriate for a more aesthetics-oriented site like Commons (not to mention hard to avoid this close to the equator), limits the image's EV in the article. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 01:41, 22 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • I can clarify. The main function of a photo on wikipedia should be encyclopedic: does it accurately portray the animal? In this case, having more than half the animal out of frame, and the half that is in frame obscured by shadow does not fit this description. It certainly is articistic, and "menacing", however it's not encyclopedic. For example, would you know that it is shaped like this
    based on this image? Mattximus (talk) 01:09, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
    • But it shows its forked tongue very clearly, the role of which is discussed in the article; and it's the only picture in the article showing its tongue. So there's EV. —Bruce1eetalk 06:25, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • Having taken both photos, I can explain further. The full length picture is good for the header photo as it illustrates the whole animal. But it cannot do justice to this most fearsome of reptiles. For that you need the nominated image. Think about human portraits. Do we reject all of them? Think about education. Which image would you use to talk to children about this creature? Charlesjsharp (talk) 09:47, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment I took the liberty to replace the old version with a gamma-corrected one, please see if this might fare better... If you don't like it, feel free to revert it on the file page! --Janke | Talk 14:09, 26 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 12:46, 29 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]



Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 30 Apr 2017 at 07:10:35 (UTC)

Original – A male emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa) at Warren Heath in Hampshire, UK
Reason
Quality macro image of tiny damselfly (about 37mm long)
Articles in which this image appears
Emerald damselfly
FP category for this image
Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Animals/Insects
Creator
Charlesjsharp
  • Compare the orientation of the dragonfly to what's already been featured and you'll see what I mean by "a flat plane". Directly from the side, or directly from above. This is closer to a 45 degree angle.  — Chris Woodrich (talk) 04:05, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • The problem with this image is that the dragonfly's wings are severely out of focus, which is not so with the images you quoted. (Except for the wasp, but that's a different kind of image). --Janke | Talk 12:34, 24 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]
  • As Janke said, and I need to emphasize, the issue was with the DOF. The flat plane was a recommendation for reducing DOF issues, as was the higher F-number. You could also take a step back and then crop. The grasshopper image you cite (the only one of these I took myself) was not at 1:1. I think it may have been 0.5. Been a few years.  — Chris Woodrich (talk) 00:20, 25 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Not Promoted --Armbrust The Homunculus 09:43, 30 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]