At one point or another, we all come across things that simply don’t fit our personal definition of regular and common. We look, pause, and say, “Whoa, that is over the top!” A common definition of over the top includes something too extreme, too dramatic, or more than what is expected and needed. But is it a matter of personal preference or choice? Perhaps so. I remember when HDR first appeared on the horizon. My early attempts were nuclear — colors so intense they could probably be seen from space. So, for this week’s challenge, I would like to see what you consider over the top (OTT). There is no right or wrong here; OTT is a very personal thing.
I’m certain my OTT examples may not match yours, and vice versa. Think of too much of anything — the Griswolds’ Christmas lights come to mind! Maybe it was someone’s dramatic reaction to a mundane occurrence, or an outrageous clothing style. I’ll give you a handful of what I find OTT, and you be the judge.
I’m starting with one of several churches we visited on our trip to Brazil. When I was researching what to do in Ouro Preto, every search mentioned the Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar. Besides its Brazilian Baroque architecture and Rococo interior, one detail always came up: the basilica holds an estimated 881 to 957 pounds (400 to 434 kilograms) of gold in its interior decoration. We simply had to venture down and up the steep hills to see that for ourselves. The light reflecting from its interior was intense — or shall I say, over the top.
Turquoise is used a lot in the American Southwest. Although one can find inexpensive pieces of turquoise jewelry, high-grade natural stones fetch serious collector prices. The stone shows up in all types of jewelry, but is it really necessary to own three nearly identical necklaces of the same stone? Call me a simple country boy.
If you have ever taken a cruise, you know how overwhelming some of those floating cities can be. But why travel with a few thousand close friends when you can use a private yacht? I spotted this one docked in Venice, presumably waiting for someone far more important than me. I, meanwhile, was riding a vaporetto — definitely not OTT.
Speaking of transportation, I certainly would not discard a 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II. It could be kept among the Bentleys and Lamborghinis until that special moment came along when only a royal vehicle would do.
And if you can afford a few fancy cars, then perhaps you won’t find this “simple” ballroom over the top at all. Look at the chandeliers and the golden-accented decorations on the walls! I suspect even the dust in there feels underdressed.
So, share with us what you find over the top. I’m sure you’ll surprise me and many others. Please remember to link to this post and use the “Lens-Artists” tag so we can all find your response.
Thanks for all the wonderful responses you shared with celebrations in your life. Great posts! Next week, we will feature a guest host. Steve Hyde (of Steve Hyde Photography Blog) will lead the challenge starting at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out more about the challenge then. Please see this page for more information about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history. If you don’t want to miss any future challenges, please consider subscribing to the team members’ websites. Here they are:
- Tina of Travels and Trifles.
- Patti of P.A. Moed.
- Ann-Christine of Leya.
- John of Journeys with Johnbo.
- Anne of Slow Shutter Speed.
- Sofia of Photographias.
- Egídio of Through Brazilian Eyes.
- Ritva of Ritva Sillanmäki Photography.
- Beth of Wandering Dawgs.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Pilar, Brazil, Churches, Cityscapes, Italy, Lens-Artists, Ouro Preto, and Venice. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
Sources:
- Wikipedia — Our Lady of the Pillar Mother Church (Ouro Preto) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Pillar_Mother_Church_(Ouro_Preto)
- Google Arts & Culture — Basilica Nossa Senhora do Pilar, Historic Town of Ouro Preto — https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/basilica-nossa-senhora-do-pilar-historic-town-of-ouro-preto/3AHVq5gK_Zd2zg
- Wikipedia — Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow (includes Silver Wraith II, 1977–1980) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Silver_Shadow
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Lens-Artists Challenge #408: Over the Top | Steve Hyde
Pingback: […] leads on this weeks Lens-Artists Challenge with the topic – Over the Top or OTT. We’re free to post anything we consider to fit the theme and my selection are mostly from our […]
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Pingback: […] More on the Lens-Artists Challenge: Over-the-Top. […]
norasphotos4u
Here’s mine for the week
https://norasphotos4u.wordpress.com/2026/08/13/lens-artists-challenge-topic-over-the-top/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks very much, Nora. I’ll look at your post.
Lens Artists Challenge – Topic – Over the Top – norasphotos4u
Pingback: […] week Egidio of Through Brazilian Eyes has chosen an interesting topic for us to explore. What’s considered “over the […]
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the pingback with your link, Nora.
Rebecca Cuningham
Thanks to our host Egídio, here is my simple OTT: https://fakeflamenco.com/2026/08/13/madison-cyclist-breaking-the-rules/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the note and link to your post.
Tish Farrell
Many thanks, Egidio for this inspiring theme. I’m afraid it led me on a bit of ramble, in more ways than one:
https://tishfarrell.com/2026/08/13/over-the-top-in-bishops-castle/
Egidio Leitao
Tish, thank you for your note and compliment. I can hardly wait to see your post. Thanks.
Pamela Zmija Photography
https://yourlifeasartphotography.com/2026/08/12/lens-artists-challenge-408-over-the-top/
I enjoyed this challenge and the idea hit me as we were driving! It was worth my husband turning around a couple times 😉
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for posting the link, Pam. I can’t wait to see your post.
Pamela Zmija Photography
Egidio a very thought provoking challenge – thank you! You have some beautiful examples, the church is incredible as well as the boats. We went on a Disney cruise with our kids in 2019 and I was in absolute awe at the size of the boats and how they floated almost effortlessly on the water!
Egidio Leitao
Pam, thank you for your kind feedback.
Leya
Thank you for a very special challenge, Egidio – and you have shown us how to do it! Great OTT’s all over! I have all as favourites, but must say I loved that beautiful Rolls-Royce… ♥ When I was young (and foolish) I once had a boyfriend with a fancy sports car. I loved sitting there beside him, glowing- but soon understood it really was his car that I had fallen in love with – not him. He didn’t last long. Funny memories your post made me remember.
Egidio Leitao
Ann-Christine, that Rolls Royce is beautiful. I have other shots of it, and hopefully, I’ll find another way to share it. Your boyfriend story was interesting. I think we all had something similar in our lives. Thanks for writing.
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, your over the top images are all amazing. I love the luxury Yacht and the Rolls Royce.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Beth. Those two images are so over the top for me.
Steve Schwartzman
One thing we might consider over the top is the six-fold usage frequency of the phrase “over the top” itself in 2015 compared to 1970 (as shown at https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=over+the+top&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3).
Egidio Leitao
LOL That is true, as is the case with “awesome.” Fascinating chart you shared. Thanks.
Steve Schwartzman
Google’s Ngram viewer is a good resource to track usage trends for words and phrases. However, because it uses printed data (e.g. books and magazines), it doesn’t reflect spoken trends in vocabulary. For example, over the past year or two almost every receptionist I’ve dealt with at a doctor’s office has at least once and usually several times said “Perfect” when I’ve replied to her questions or requests.
Egidio Leitao
That makes me think of the usual answer people say to “thank you.” One seldom hears “you’re welcome” these days.
Anita
Thanks for this week’s fun challenge, Egidio! Since we both usually photograph nature, your “Over the Top” theme took us both in a rather different direction. Your examples certainly took it to a very glamorous level, while my interpretation turned out to be a little less luxurious… 😉
Here’s my take: https://maltanita.com/2026/08/11/over-the-top-too-much-too-many-too-big/
Egidio Leitao
Anita, your note says it well about our photography genre. It was a different direction for me, too. Thanks for writing and sending your response. Wow! That is great!
Rebecca Cuningham
Love the squash blossom necklaces. Great images all.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Rebecca.
Pepper
Wonderful challenge that will take some time.
Egidio Leitao
Pepper, thanks for writing. I appreciate your feedback.
Teresa
What an amazing challenge but I am not sure if I can find any to post for this week. Anyway loving your OTT first and last images.
Egidio Leitao
Teresa, thank you for your feedback. Don’t worry if you can participate this week. I’m glad you liked the post and challenge.
Kenneth L Hartke
An interesting challenge and some great images. I struggled with it just a little until I came up with a response. OTT is sometimes obvious but sometimes tied more to an experience or expectations. My contribution is here – https://klh048.wordpress.com/2026/08/10/lens-artist-challenge-408-over-the-top/
Egidio Leitao
Kenneth, you raised an excellent point about expectations vs. reality. I’m glad you joined in. Thanks for the input and link here.
Toonsarah
Some great OTT sights here, especially the church and the chandeliers! And a timely challenge for me as I’d already promised to share some photos from Luminescence which was decidedly OTT: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/luminescence-in-westminster-cathedral/
Egidio Leitao
Thank you very much for this wonderful comment, Sarah. I’m glad you liked the examples. Also, thanks for the link to your response.
bushboy
Fabulously OTT photos Egidio
Here’s my contribution
https://bushboy.blog/2026/08/10/way-above/
Egidio Leitao
Well, Bryan, your comment put a smile on my face. Thanks for it and for the link, too.
restlessjo
I just love that last image, Egidio. No, I couldn’t quite relax and treat it as everyday, but there’s room for a bit of OTT in our lives, isn’t there? xx
Egidio Leitao
Jo, many thanks for this feedback. That last image is the Queluz National Palace in Portugal.
restlessjo
I was there about 5 years ago xx
Tina Schell
Loved your post this week (as usual) Egidio. So many marvels, so little time LOL. Loved that gorgeous car and your closing image especially. Terrific idea for the week too. My response is here https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/lens-artists-challenge-408-over-the-top/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the wonderful feedback. Yes, that RR was something. I liked your post a lot.
Kirstin Troyer
Wow…I shared a few from Venice…We saw a yacht on the water there that was definitely over the top. The cathedrals were amazing.
https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2026/08/taking-in-life-around-me-lens-artist.html
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for joining the challenge and leaving the link here. I appreciated your comment. Thank you.
marina
Over-the-top images indeed, Egidio!!!
Mine are <a href=“https://milepebbles2.wordpress.com/2025/04/21/recollection-gem-air-travel-during-covid-19/”>here
Egidio Leitao
Yay, Marina! Glad you found those images OTT, too. Thanks for the comment and link.
Suzette Benjamin
What a fabulous theme, Egídio. Thank you for your kind approach to the topic in giving leave to interpret OTT as needed. Any yacht would be over the top for me, as would be that opulent chandelier in that “simple ballroom”! A wonderfully photographed gallery. I like the collage format you used at the top of your post as well.
Egidio Leitao
Suzette, I’m glad you liked the theme. I hope I did not hurt anyone’s feelings here, in case one of my readers owns a yacht. 🙂 That ballroom is the Queluz National Palace in Portugal. Sofia posted another view of the room in her response. Thanks for your note.
Suzette Benjamin
You are welcome, Egidio.
I. J. Khanewala
Lol. Your images definitely raise the question you ask. Over the top in this way is sometimes really incomprehensible.
It’s a nice challenge. My response will appear in three days, but I’ll be off on a trip by then. Hope to check in some time soon to see what others are doing.
Egidio Leitao
I’m happy you found laughter here. The responses are beginning to come, and they are outrageous. I’ll be looking forward to your post. Happy travels.
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography
What a grand post and challenge, lots of glamorous places and things- But can you ever be too over the top? Yes, and great photos Egídio.
Egidio Leitao
Now, glamour is wonderful. Some people, though, go overboard. So many celebrities come to mind. Thanks for the comment.
Dawn M. Miller
I’d like to go to a party on a yacht. Just one, one time.
Egidio Leitao
Now, wouldn’t that be nice? I don’t know what I’d wear if I were invited to such a party.
Dawn M. Miller
Well now you have stressed me out! (lol)
photobyjohnbo
This week’s posts will be an interesting series. I wish I had a photo of one thing “over the top”. I have a retired friend who used to work for a company that installs marina equipment, decking, etc. One of their products is a parking ramp for boats. A boat owner would lease a spot in the multi-story facility and could store or retrieve their boat using an automatic lift mechanism. Now, that’s “over the top” in more than one way. >grin<
Egidio Leitao
John, you are absolutely right. The challenge has just started, and some examples got me laughing already. That ramp you described sounds like an excellent candidate. Thanks for writing.
eklastic
Great examples, Egidio. Particularly the church ones. I’ve always found baroque style or baroque-like styles too much for me. So I decided to go for clothes: https://picturesimperfectblog.com/2026/08/09/when-you-let-the-kids-dress-themselves/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback and link. I’ve gotten so used to OTT churches that it’s become the norm to my mind. 🙂
PR
Great examples, Egidio. My entry here: https://flightsofthesoul.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/lens-artists-408-over-the-top/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback and link.
Sofia Alves
You’ve picked some excellent examples of OTT, Egídio, and your post is so informative too! It’s a wonderful challenge, I hope you like my take:
https://photographias.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/lens-artists-challenge-ott/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback and link, Sofia. Glad you liked the post.
chava61
Here is my contribution: https://chava61.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/lapc-408-over-the-top/
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for adding the link to your response.
Steve Hyde
A great challenge Egidio. I enjoyed your post and images. Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar is something else!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback, Steve. I’m looking forward to your challenge next week.
pamperrault21
You’ve curated a great selection of images, each one interesting in its own way, but the showstopper for me is the collage you created! Nicely-done. Great challenge too, thank you. pp
Egidio Leitao
I’m glad you liked that collage, Pam. Thanks for the comments, too.
Liliane Habakwizera
The article and the stories are very informative, interesting, and attention grabbing as well as awesomely great images of arts. I thank you for reading this comment. Blessings!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback.
Writing to Freedom
Thanks for the fun challenge Egidio. Great examples of OTT living and material excess. Though the chandelier room is pretty.
Egidio Leitao
Glad you liked it, Brad. Thanks for the feedback. That chandelier room is in the old Royal Palace in Guimarães, Portugal. I agree it’s gorgeous.
Terri Webster Schrandt
What a great theme, Egidio, if a bit abstract! You showed some excellent examples. The ornate church and the giant yacht indeed quality! I’ll see what works with my upcoming Sunday Stills post.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully, something will come up and you’ll be able to join.
shoreacres
I laughed at the photo of the yacht. One of our local boys, Tillman Fertitta (Landry’s, Houston Rockets, Ambassador to Italy, etc. etc.) has his superyacht Boardwalk in Venice now, or at least close by. I used to work next to one of his ‘smaller’ yachts at the Boardwalk Marina in Kemah; Tillman’s also the developer of that recreational area, as well as the Pleasure Pier in Galveston. Over the top? Sure. But as he says, when you have a lot of people to entertain, you sometimes need more space!
Egidio Leitao
OMG! That is a yacht. I love the reason he gave you. I had to laugh at that. Hey, when you have important friends, you do what you have to do. Thanks for writing and including the link, too. I’m glad the post brought laughter. Thanks, Linda.