Help me pick a photo for a contest

[RagingInMiami]

When I went to Colombia for the holidays, I visited the salt mines, which are pretty cool. The town that the mines are in are holding a photo contest for anyone who took photos inside the mine. The problem was that they did not allow tripods inside, but I did the best I could.
I narrowed my selection down to three photos. I'm leaning on the third one. What do you think?

[Rocinante]

1. For me it's a toss up

between #2 and #3. I too lean a bit torward the third one though.

[outraged2]

2. They are all interesting

...but I like #3 best.

[Be Brave]

3. For me, definitely

picture #1. Choose it and you will win. :) What's that blue ceiling at the top of the picture?

[RagingInMiami]

4. They call the salt mine "el catedral de sal"

Which means "cathedral of salt". The blue ceiling is in one of the many rooms inside the mines. I'm not sure what it's made out of, but here is another photo of the ceiling.

[Be Brave]

5. That's very interesting, and the blue is very striking.

So that is a natural coloration, not man-made (painted)?

[RagingInMiami]

7. I'm not really sure, to be honest

While the women was giving the tour in spanish, I was busy taking photos.

[Be Brave]

13. Another question:

Why are there religious objects in the salt mines? Are these salt mines considered a holy place? A miraculous place?

[RagingInMiami]

14. According to this article I found

The salt mines have been there for centuries, but the cathedral started 50 years ago when a salt miner "built a small altar to appeal for divine protection while they performed their dangerous work."

And about that blue ceiling:
"Walking in the semidarkness of the tunnels, where tonnes of salt have been extracted over the centuries, visitors reach a startling sight - an underground dome with an intense blue aura.

'This is where man meets God,' says Stella Higuera, a guide at the cathedral, which has been open eight years."

http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/News/2003/09/10/182474-ap.html

[Be Brave]

16. Thanks for the info.

I googled it, and I think the colors are due to the effect of colored light on the translucent salt. Here is a link with pictures not unlike yours:

http://www.backpackingforlife.com/southamerica/pictures/colombia/saltcathedral.html

Thanks for expanding my knowledge.

[RagingInMiami]

20. Thanks for that link

Looking at those photos, I was reminded of another photo I took in the mines. Here it is.

[outraged2]

15. Another mine

I saw something on TV a while ago about a huge salt mine in Poland(I think - definitely in Europe) that had the same kinds of religious carvings throughout. I was really beautiful and amazing. The explanation was the same as RaginginMiami noted... many many people died mining the salt and so being religious folk they carved all kinds of chapels, altars, and statues all over the mine.

[RagingInMiami]

18. I visited that mine in Poland ten years ago when I was traveling Europe

Back then, I wasn't much of a photographer so I didn't appreciate it as much as I did this one.

[fluffernutter]

6. this one is amazing. i absolutely love it.

can you enter more than one?

[RagingInMiami]

8. I'm not sure about the number of entries

But the contest is restricted to Colombian citizens only, which means I'm going to have my cousin enter it in his name, but also means the competition won't be as intense as if it would be if it were open to all visitors (the salt mines are a huge tourist attraction).
First prize is two round trip tickets to anywhere in Colombia from Bogota.
If we win, I will fly to Bogota and my cousin and I will use the tickets to go to Cartagena, which is on the coast and a party town.
Second prize is a digital camera. That's just how they describe it, no brand or anything, which means it's probably not going to be better than the ones I have. So if I win second prize, I'll let my cousin have that camera.
Same if I win third prize, which is described as a 35 mm film camera.
I just want to have the satisfaction of winning. It will also make my family down there real proud.

[fluffernutter]

11. good luck!

first prize sounds fun!

you are sweet to let your cousin have the cameras - i can imagine your family will be very proud, i will be too :)

[RagingInMiami]

12. My cousin is 13 years younger than me

I used to feed him the bottle when he was a baby and I was living down there. So now he is one of my biggest fans, bragging about me to all his friends. He's pretty good at hyping me up.

[fluffernutter]

9. what a tough choice, they are all very good.

I'm going to say #1 is my favorite, I think it really captures your attention and draws you in.

damn, you are really good.

[RagingInMiami]

10. I wish they would have let me enter with a tripod

But I'm going to buy a monopod for next time cause they didn't list any restrictions about those.
When you're down there, it's really dark, but if you use a flash, the pictures will lose the effect. So I took plenty of photos that came out blurry.

[Be Brave]

17. What ISO setting did you use on your digital camera?

[RagingInMiami]

19. I had to put it at 800

Which is something I normally don't like doing, but in this case, I really had no choice. My hands are not as steady as I'd like them to be.
The experienced convinced me that I have to buy a monopod.

[okasha]

21. I love the first one

but with two bright spots--the blue ceiling and the cross--it's very difficult for the eye to settle. I hate to suggest this, but you might want to consider cropping all but a little of the blue ceiling, maybe at the level where the curve of the darker blue hits the right margin. Or--and I really hate to suggest this, because I do love the blue--crop out the lighter blue altogether so that the only focal point is the bright cross.

[RagingInMiami]

22. Another photo I wanted to add that I might enter in the contest

[amazona]

23. this is the one I would choose

Good Luck!

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[intheflow]

24. They're all great, Raging.

But if I were going to pick one, it would be either this one (with the trumpeting angel) or the second one from the first three you posted.

[fluffernutter]

25. i love this one too.

good luck in the contest!