Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Plunketts Creek in winter

Plunketts Creek in winter

Original - Plunketts Creek cutting through Camp Mountain in the village of Proctor: the creek's ecosystem has recovered since it was a tannery's waste disposal system, from 1868 to 1898.

Reason: I am nominating this winter panorama of Plunketts Creek (in the village of Proctor in Plunketts Creek Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States) because I believe it meets the WP:FP criteria. Specifically, it has no technical issues that I am aware of (or that were mentioned at WP:PPR), is of more than sufficent resolution, illustrates the subject (Plunketts Creek) in a compelling way, and "is among the best examples of a given subject [creeks] that the encyclopedia has to offer". I know of only one Featured Picture that is of a creek (Image:USA Lassen NP Kings Creek CA edit3.jpg), but even that is not used in an article specifically on a creek.

I also believe this picture illustrates and adds value to the Plunketts Creek article in several specific ways. The Geology section of that article describes how the creek is in a dissected plateau and at right the creek can be seen cutting into Camp Mountain (it forms a water gap through the mountain just downstream of the site pictured). The creek also cuts through glacial deposits, as can be seen. The picture also illustrates the history and ecology of the creek and its watershed. In the late 19th century the village of Proctor was founded as a company town with 120 houses for a large tannery, which used the creek for its waste disposal. The watershed was also clear cut of all its trees then. Today the tannery and most of the houses are gone, the trees have grown back, and the creek and its ecosystem have recovered to the point that the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources rated Plunketts Creek a "High Quality-Cold Water Fishery".

There is a wider, lower resolution of this image at Image:Plunketts Creek Winter Panorama.JPG. It was originally five photos stitched together with Autostitch and cropped with Paint.net. I cropped out part of a bridge at left per a helpful suggestion at WP:PPR and can upload the original five images if desired. I want to thank Dincher for requesting the article on the creek initially and Ben MacDui for requesting a winter photo of the creek. (A summer version of this scene is at Image:Plunketts Creek in Proctor.JPG.)
Articles this image appears in: Plunketts Creek (Loyalsock Creek) (a Featured Article), Plunketts Creek Township, Pennsylvania
Creator: Ruhrfisch

Support as nominator Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 01:51, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose First, maybe it's my computer, but it seems slightly blurry in the middle. Second, that shaddow on the left is distracting, and third, the coloring could be brighter. above all, it doesn't have the 'wow' that an FP should have. Juliancolton ^{The storm still blows...} 02:19, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Comments - Thanks for your comments. I do not have much experience with image processing. Could it be sharpened to deal with the perceived blurriness? Could its colors be adjusted for brightness? The shadow on the right is from Camp Mountain and since the creek is on its north side and in the Northern Hemisphere, it is nearly impossible to get a sunlit picture without the shadow. I am not sure what the shadow on left you refer to is. I am unable to find a 'wow' factor mentioned in Wikipedia:Featured picture criteria, could you please point it out for me? Thanks, Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 03:16, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  - Criterion 3 - "It illustrates the subject in a compelling way, making the viewer want to know more. A featured picture is not always required to be aesthetically pleasing; it might be shocking, impressive, or just highly informative." —Vanderdecken∴ ∫ξ φ 12:18, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Comment I'd like to see a similar picture taken during a different season. Winter would seem, IMHO, to offer the very least attractive view of the creek, i.e. Spring would (I imagine) offer various flowers, perhaps a butterfly or something of that nature, Summer would at least give us healthy looking trees, and Autumn would probably give us leaves with wonderful colors. faithless (^speak) 04:22, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Reply - Thanks, there is a summer picture at Image:Plunketts Creek in Proctor.JPG. The foliage is dense enough that the house is hidden, as is the curve of the creek and mountain to the left in the background. Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 04:12, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose Overexposed, shadow is very distracting, and imagine shows nothing unique or historical. EgraS (talk) 05:54, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose Per above. And generally speaking its nondescript. --Mike Spenard (talk) 06:22, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks to everyone for your comments. Sorry to trouble you for your time. Please withdraw my nomination, Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 10:37, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose - unsharp, many blown highlights, overexposed. Sorry, better luck next time. Try WP:PPR first, to get a bit of community opinion on your pictures. Don't be disheartened. —Vanderdecken∴ ∫ξ φ 12:18, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Request: Per WP:SNOW, please withdraw / close this nomination. I took it to WP:PPR and was foolish enough to bring it here without a seconder. Sorry to waste all of your time and thanks again for all of your comments. Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 13:19, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  - Well, you didn't necessarily waste our time. It's still a nice image, but FP is just very strict. I think it would be good on commons as a quality image. Keep trying, and you will soon get the idea of what an FP is. Juliancolton ^{The storm still blows...} 13:26, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    - Thanks for your kind words. I fear my camera (which is the best I can currently afford) is just not up to the task (this is my third attempt at FPC). I also worry that even Ansel Adams would have a hard time getting a picture of a creek through FPC - even at their prettiest, there is just not much "wow" factor there. Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 13:58, 3 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not promoted --jjron (talk) 08:07, 4 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Nomination withdrawn.