Defying the Odds

This one is an old shot, originally done for a 'Shallow DOF' challenge. It is the winner today at dailyawards.com in the sports category.

For a while, I had only been submitting pictures to DPChallenge, but it's interesting to see the variance in scores between different websites that I post shots to. Some shots that have done really well in a themed challenge at DPC have done terribly at other places when they have to stand on their own. Hopefully, the reverse is also true that some of the terrible scores I've been getting lately aren't necessarily a reflection on the shot, but people's idea of how it meets the challenge.

Back to today's shot... no, I'm not talented or even lucky enough to have captured this shot in motion. The board was resting on a chair and my window sill with black felt hung up behind it (with books behind the felt to keep the light from shining through). The dart was hung from the ceiling, and after it finally stopped swinging completely I stood over it and took the picture. It was completely handheld with a little point and shoot, so it took several shots. As for the lighting, I just happened to get lucky there with a tiny stream of sunlight peeking in over the black felt and hitting the textured stripes of the dart.