Wood in all its forms – July 2025 photography contest

Hi everyone,

This month’s contest theme is WOOD. Wood as a plant material—roots, trunks, branches that make up a tree. Dead or alive, splinters and knots. Sawdust too. Firewood, from the woodshed to the hearth. Wood as a crafting material and all the things it can become: from a spoon to a violin, a boat to a stave church, and so much more—way too long to list! 😉

Technical details:

1. Each of you can post up to 3 photos. One photo per message, numbered 1 to 3. Along with the shot, feel free to share a few written details—location, context, anecdote, or photography technique. Photos can be submitted until Tuesday, July 22 at midnight, Milan time.

2. Voting will take place from Wednesday, July 23 at 00:00 until Tuesday, July 29 at midnight. All forum members can vote for their 3 favorite photos, listing the photographer’s name and the photo number in order of preference: 3 points for first place, 2 for second, and 1 for third.

3. Results will be announced on Wednesday, July 30 during the day. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. Photos already featured on a podium are not eligible to compete.

The winner will have the special privilege of organizing August’s contest.

This thread is reserved for contest photos. For other wood-themed photos and general discussions, head here.











Alright, your turn! 😛

Catherine

Photo 1: Wood on wood. The tree is the house of the little houses.

Photo 1: This young deer already has impressive antlers



A wildlife shot 😮... can’t help myself 😄

Photo 1

Woodwork.

The halls of Questembert, dating from the Louis XIV period. Restored. Listed as a historic monument. Still relevant today: market, association, tourism, and more.

Photo 1: Wooden boats

In Mali, you can see pirogues everywhere on the Niger River and in the Inner Delta: pirogues made of sewn or nailed planks, sailboats, and also large pinasses equipped with motors. For the planks, they mainly use wood from the caïlcédrat, the "African mahogany" (though there’s less and less of it these days), as well as ebony and the djoun/jun tree, known as the "elephant’s foot." But pirogues aren’t just economically important (fishing, transport)—they also hold huge cultural significance for the various fishing communities along the river and in the delta.

hgb

photo no. 1



He thinks, he dreams, he ponders, or maybe he’s just resting... Who knows? He’s there, as driftwood, on the lakeside promenade in Evian.

Since I’m terribly bored on VF, which seems to be fast asleep, and I feel like I’m the only one awake around here—well, I’ll post my

photo #2

Crozon Peninsula. Abandon...

Photo #2

Wood in house construction Half-timbered or timber-framed houses

Photo 2: Mortar and pestle, wooden tools rooted in Malian cuisine

Valued for their sturdiness, durability, and ability to preserve the flavor of food, these tools are made from local wood species (acacia, bamboo, mango tree). They’re used to pound millet, spices, garlic, ginger, pepper, and other essential condiments for everyday dishes.

hgb

Hi there,

Photo No. 1

Caulking a Pinisi in the old port of Jakarta (Indonesia)

Photo 2: A lifeguard tower in Miami Beach



This one: Made in America 😉

Photo number 1

The Ghost of Valmagne (Valmagne Abbey, Hérault)

Photo number 2

Prayer card, Tokyo, Japan.

Photo number 3

The attic (somewhere in France...)

Photo #3

Wood and trees provide shade and coolness. Here in Sardinia. Trunk about 7 m long.

Photo 1 Carved wooden totems, Isle of Pines, New Caledonia

Photo 2 Other carved wooden totems, Port-Vila, Vanuatu

Photo 3 A traditional tribal hut in New Caledonia (Bourail).

PHOTO 2

In Thailand, more than one person has an artist's soul. There are also undeniably many fans of Westerns. Here, just a few kilometers from Mae Hong Son in the mountainous northwest, a local resident showcases their skills and taste.

photo no. 3

Gibraltar. The sharp claws of this old tree keep watch over a hypothetical enemy...

Photo 1: A window onto the Dolomites

Photo 3: Encounter with the "beeches" of the Cévennes



Straight-out-of-camera photo with multiple exposures

Hello

Photo No. 2

In a quiet neighborhood—and there are more of them than you might think—in Tokyo (maybe around Harajuku, but no guarantees), a tea salon hides behind a wooden structure.

Photo 2: A Doorway to the Faroe Islands

Photo 3: Interior wall, Switzerland

Photo No. 3

The Guangxi Provincial Museum in Nanning (China) features a reconstruction of a Wind-and-Rain Bridge from the Dong minority in its garden, where smoking is strictly prohibited 😮



PS: Another very large museum opened a few years ago southeast of the city center along the banks of the Yong Jiang River, which runs through the city. It’s the Guangxi Museum of Nationalities, and it’s well worth a visit.

Photo 1: Nature unleashed. Haute-Savoie, July 2019. Explanation in the discussion thread below.

Photo 2: The Lord. Botswana 2021

What stories could this centuries-old baobab in Nxai Pan National Park, north of Gweta, tell us?

Photo 3: Frozen in time. Namibia 2021

Anyone who’s visited Sossusvlei in Namibia is left amazed by the sight of trees petrified by time and the lack of water.

I didn’t quite get when the voting starts?

In the meantime, here’s the link to the slideshow.

(The photos from 4ecofuel as published are tricky to insert properly into the slideshow...)

Gorgeous theme!

3 points: Attila 3 (Switzerland) 2 points: Kate 3 (France) 1 point: Montagnard74 2 (Botswana)

Hery

Hi Agnès,

Voting opened yesterday and runs until the 29th inclusive.

Thanks so much for the slideshow!

Catherine

Here’s my vote:

Kate photo 2: 🙂🙂🙂 Attila photo 2: 🙂🙂 Montagnard photo 3: 🙂

My votes:

Rouquine 38 photo 1: 3 points Dolma photo 3: 2 points Montagnard 74 photo 3: 1 point

Hello, 3 points: Rouquine 38 photo No. 1 2 points: Dolma photo No. 1 1 point: Jojoone1 photo No. 1

Have a great day

A subject that really delivers! (and given your contributions, it definitely doesn’t leave you stumped) 🙂

3 points: Kate_3 Already not a barrel, not yet a barrel (in the attic) 2 points: Dolma_1 The spirit of wood (Evian) 1 point: Montagnard_3 Petrified but still unruly (Namibia)

Hi everyone! Not a lot of entries this time, but the holidays probably explain that. :) My votes:

🙂🙂🙂 Kate 1 🙂🙂 Dolma 2 🙂 Kate 3: to find out what’s in the bottle :)

And thanks to Agnès for the slideshow! 😉

Hi everyone,

Here’s my vote:

Rouquine, photo 1, 3 points For the majesty of the stag and that beautiful light illuminating its coat.

Ragamuffin, photo 3, 2 points For the original composition of this fun scene with the character in just the right place at just the right time.

Attila, photo 2, 1 point. For the frame within a frame—well spotted! !

Hi there!

Thanks for the interesting, if sparse, contributions to this very eclectic topic.

It’s made choosing a bit tricky—I’m going for a “travel inspiration” angle here:

Ragamuffin 3: 3 points Taamaden 1: 2 points Lilione 2: 1 point

If I’d gone with pure photographic criteria, the points would’ve been handed out differently (I *love* Rouquine’s tree-trunk shots and Kate’s attic pics).

Voting closes tonight at midnight.

Catherine

I’m dropping my ballot in the box

Rouquine 38: 1 🙂🙂🙂

Montagnard 74: 3 🙂🙂

Ragamuffin: 3 🙂

Hi, Here’s my vote:

3 points: Kate photo 3 2 points: Attila photo 3 1 point: Dolma photo 2

Good evening,

My votes:

3 points for photo No. 2 by Dolma

2 points for photo No. 2 by Rouquine38

1 point for photo No. 2 by Kate

Hi there,

Last-minute post, sorry! 😊

Post42 #3 🙂🙂🙂 for this thriving ficus!

4ecfuel #1 🙂🙂 an invitation to travel through the South Seas.

Lillieone #2 🙂 a musical journey.

Despite its undeniable photographic qualities, I had to eliminate one image right away because it was completely off-topic:

Le bois matière végétale,

😒

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the delay in announcing the results—I was tied up yesterday.

So, the top spot goes to Rouquine38 and her stunning stag, which earned 12 points.

Not far behind is Kate, whose attic photo got 7 points.

They’re closely followed by our two bronze medalists, tied for third: Dolma with her abandoned boats on the Crozon peninsula and Ragamuffin with her Chinese smoker on a wooden bridge, each scoring 6 points.

Over to you, Isabelle, for August’s contest! 😉

Have a great day,

Catherine

I say it every time: there’s a contest, and in the end, Isabelle wins! #jealous Thanks, Catherine, for this inspiring theme—let’s see what our Grenoble local has up her sleeve 😉

Hello, Thanks to everyone who voted for the photo of the young deer with already beautiful antlers 😊

@Herodotos

Despite its undeniable photographic qualities, I had to eliminate right away an image that was completely off-topic:

Wood as a plant material,

😢

I think that’s exactly the photo you’re talking about. Actually, I agree with you—it doesn’t fit the theme. I posted it for a laugh, just to share an animal, and I really didn’t think people would vote for it 😅

@Kate

I’ve had the impression, since these contests restarted, that we’ve moved away from this idea. I see lovely things, but not always an “invitation to travel.”

I completely agree with you, Kate. Most of the photos aren’t travel invitations. Based on the definition you shared in the discussion, I only have a few that fit, and like you said:

Given the low participation, we’ll probably have to keep going in this direction, but it would be helpful to clarify it in the rules. For example: 2 out of 3 photos must be travel photos.

I’m not sure if that’s the solution...

@Montagnard74

I say it every time: there’s a contest, and in the end, Isabelle wins! #jealous

As usual, you’re exaggerating a little! And thankfully, otherwise I don’t see the point ;)

Tomorrow, I’ll post the theme for August...