For the DPChallenge "Apple" contest at the challenge size. Be sure to select the original size to prevent it from being scaled upwards.

The best case is when you bite into an apple, and there is no worm inside.

A bad case is when you bite into an apple, and find a worm.

The worst case is when you bit into an apple, and find half a worm.

For the DPChallenge "Apple" contest.

The best case is when you bite into an apple, and there is no worm inside.

A bad case is when you bite into an apple, and find a worm.

The worst case is when you bit into an apple, and find half a worm.

This came out slightly softer than I was expecting, possibly due to very slight motion blur at the slower speed. The shot at 1/60s turned out better.

The shot I conceptualized for the Triangle challenge, and then discarded as being too likely to be overdone. This was a severe error, as nobody else in the challenge used 4-sided dice at all. In retrospect, they're only used for RPGs, and that's probably not all that common after all. Since I wanted to see how it would have come out, I went ahead and set up the shot anyway, well after the entry period had passed. I have also posted the full size version.

For those curious about the title, there's a folk song of dubious quality but excellent humor value to old RPG players called "The Mage is Always the First to Die", which is actually something of a credo in most RPGs, mages being remarkably fragile. They use four-sided dice to determine the amount of damage they can take or dish out. If someone was rolling up a fifth level mage in this shot, he scored only 6 hit points on the roll... half as much as a lucky first level fighter.

A full-size version of a shot I conceptualized for the Triangle challenge, and then discarded as being too likely to be overdone. This was a severe error, as nobody else in the challenge used 4-sided dice at all. In retrospect, they're only used for RPGs, and that's probably not all that common after all. Since I wanted to see how it would have come out, I went ahead and set up the shot anyway, well after the entry period had passed.

A lightened version of the original 40mm Forehand challenge entry, based on comments by DPChallenge members.

My potential entry for the Triangles DPChallenge contest. I ended up not submitting it, feeling that it just wasn't interesting enough.

8 second exposure version of a lamp against an oddly painted wall.

6 second exposure version of a lamp against an oddly painted wall.

This is more subdued somewhat sharper, and a little darker than the 8 second version.

This is actually the same shot as Leaves, Light, and Shadow, only at one tenth the exposure time and cropped tighter.