Assessed by Ruth, Rose, Donna. Scribe: Marg
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- 1.Tarn-Salon -This is a very interesting find and capture. However the rushes with their blue ting are a distraction that’s a shame. If you cropped the image above the left side grasses this strengthens the image and holds your eye to the rest of the image.- Merit
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- 2.Spotted Dove-Salon – You have a clever capture here, love the way in which you have managed to capture these doves. You have a good depth of field. The image does appear to be a bit over sharpened also there are a few soft spots in the image for example bottom of top bird and beak of lower bird. Shame you hadn’t thought to take out the yellow flower. However this has not been an easy image to take the judges have awarded you a -Highly Commended
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- 3.Moreaki Boulders – Salon- Love this Panorama for the boulders with the nice smooth water around them. The background handled well and it s been well cropped. The soft long exposure and light colouring makes this image very appealing. Presentation has been well thought of. – Well done Honours
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- 4.Ruru &Kakariki –Salon- Wow. Nature in all its glory! What a stunner chance for being on the spot to get this image. This Ruru is staring you down as to say you’re not having my catch. I’m sure you can see the photographer in its eye. For this amazing image you have been awarded a very rare -Honours Plus
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- 5. Diva Salon -Lovely portrait of this Diva. Lovely colours and a good background and its sharp.The weakness of this image is it the split background behind her head? Although it could be argued this draws attention to her face. However you have a – Highly Commended
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- 6.Kokako Pair-Salon A Delight to see these wonderful birds. These birds that are not an easy find. What a shame that the left one is nicely in focus and the right slightly not. Which detracts from it being the wow image? A crop off the bottom right would make the image stronger. Highly Commended
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- 7. Taken The Carrot –Intermediate Fun image with great details in the wing feathers and telling a great story. A Rare shot to see a seagull with a carrot. Unfortunately the shot is not in focus. -Acceptance
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- 8. Zygo Cactus Flower – Intermediate You have this cactus on a nice angle coming up from the left, a beautiful composition and good focus. With no doubt that the flower is the star of the show. However the dark black background is rather harsh. May be a crop from the top and right would soften this taking out some of the black empty space. – Highly Commended
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- 9.Lacey Bubbles – Salon These Bubbles sure make you think of lace. The background colours making them stand out. Very pretty image it has lots of circles within circles and a background of circles. However the top is not so much in focus so a crop here would have given it more wow. – Merit
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- 10.Curious Swan – Salon- This curious swan has great fluffed up feather detail. It is well focused throughout. Nice detail in the feathers and lovely colours in the head. It would have been nice to have seen the whole bird. – Merit
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- 12. Bad Hair Day For Guinea Pig- Salon-That’s a long title but a lovely scruffy & very sharp individual. It’s even got a glint in the eye and fantastic detail in the scruffy coat. There are a few blurring hairs the guinea pig was probably moving but a little clean up here would have taken them out. – Highly Commended
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- 11. Portland Cement Works –Salon -A lovely sharp image with great reflections and lighting but perhaps it’s a bit central. Try cropping in from the left and either highlighting the smoke at the top, or the reflections at the bottom, but not both, as they are competing for attention. – Merit
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- 13. Down Stream- Intermediate A Lovely view downstream. It feels very peaceful all the different colours in the trees give the images a real feel. However the rocks are blown out try a crop from the bottom right hand side this will take out the dark rock also go up to the blown out big rock this takes your eye further up the stream.- Accepted
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- 14.Hatea River Monochrome –Intermediate Black and white simplifies what could be a busy image. The light looking down the river holds your eye, with the darkness of the outside trees framing it nicely. But has it been over sharpened? – Accepted
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- 16. Wonderful but Unwanted-Salon – The bright lighting has shown up the spiky edges of the plant well, holding your eye to them. Having the frame in around this image has given it a balance which has softened the brightness of the overall image.- Highly Commended
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- 15.Weed – Salon A nice image with the stem leading up to the crown of seeds. However your eye is wandering all around this image trying to find a place to settle, to find a resting spot. It’s found at the bottom right. The favourite part of your image is the drooping seed at the bottom. Front to back, there is quite a lot that is not in focus. You could try a good crop above the flower drop to take the parts that are not sharp this brings your eye right into the dropped seed.- Accepted
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- 17.Waiting For Summer- Salon- Yes I think someone is waiting for summer, not a boat insight around these boat sheds. The editing has been done well. Leaves you wondering where this place is. The red buoy is a little distracting but it also brings the eye back around.- Merit
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- 18.Morning Mist-Salon – Morning mist makes you think soft . The sky looks busy and bright. There’s lots of detail but there seems to be just too much to it. It looks like the mist is about to be blown away. The boat is very central perhaps it might look more even if you did a crop from the left so the boat is on the third. – Merit
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- 19. Forest Friend- Salon – You have captured this Robin brilliantly, nice colours throughout the image. Just a stunning capture of a bird that is very difficult to photograph. Great details A well deserved –Honours
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- 20.Forest Friend 2 – Salon – Your friend looks a little soft around the face. The focus points are on the lower part of the tree below the squirrel. Think this image could do with a good crop top and right side. There is a lot of negative space on the right. Consider turning it into a portrait image. –Accepted
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- 21.Warrior Princess –Intermediate This image is telling a story of a performance. This was a difficult challenge to take this photo with the bright flames. The right flame is holding your attention more with its detail. The main focus seems to be on the knees. A dramatic stance well captured. – Highly Commended
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- 22.Light In the Dark –Salon Nicely composed on the thirds, beautifully focused with lovely lighting. However there is a lot of negative space around the bloom, this is too dark you need to consider a crop off the right hand side and some off the bottom. You would then have a portrait of a beautiful flower.- Merit
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- 23.Pink Reflections –Salon You can see where your title comes from it’s a nice and sharp image. And a good angle of the bridge. The reflections seem secondary and it is just a little too tight on the crop at the top and bottom. Shame about the red light as this is taking your eye away from the bridges beautiful colouring.- Merit
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- 24. African Violet –Salon A beautiful crisp image and colour in this Violet well focused with the yellow stamens drawing your attention. However the image needed a bit of attention around the leaves. Softening and, or darkening around the tip edges helps to remove that cut and paste look. When there is a fill black background even a crop keeps your eye on the subject. -Merit
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- 25.Lemon Lantern –Salon You have handled the taking of these beautiful coloured flowers with the veins showing on the petals well. There’s good clean lines of the flowers and you have chosen softness of the background depth of field making the flower stand out. You could try a flip of the image so that the stems come in left to right, leading our eyes into the image. Accepted.
