2414 – Open Projected – Whangarei Camera Club

Judges – Donna, Jenny and Linda

: 31. Look At Me- Novice Lovely to see this bird in action. It seems to be stepping gingerly over the uneven ground. The bird appears to be aware of the photographer. Well done capturing a bird in action, it’s well placed in central frame. However it has been taken in bright sunlight – reducing the contrast of the feathers these are not sharp. The story would be stronger if taken in more muted light. Next time try using a faster shutter speed to reduce movement blur. You have done well bird photography is sometimes very trying. Highly Commended.

: 30. Moon Set- Salon This story in this image is all about the cyclic nature of the earth and its moon. The colours are lovely and gentle. The sky, the clouds and the earth appear to be deferential to the Moon. Well placed in the image on the thirds. This is a difficult time of day to capture bush and moonset clearly. Merit

: 29. A Long Way To Here-Salon-This image speaks of the beginning or end of a day – either day well spent and appreciated – or a good day to come with anticipation of the good things that will happen. The photographer is showing some good skills here with the lovely light on the waves and the long exposure creating a cool effect. The long exposure is handled very well indeed however you do have blown out sun area. Try bracketing shots like this – you will be able to recover the highlights. Another option is to use a tool in post processing to clone onto the blown out area. Highly Commended

: 28. Magnolifence- Salon- A clever title and lovely colours with the petals glowing in the light. Beautiful clear shot taken in context of being part of a tree Magnificent indeed. Spring time and blue a muted sky – what more could we wish for. The composition and lighting are very well handled. The top right corner of the image works well. It helps us to see the context. There are lots of other flowers, could be a great poster with the top petals and bottom buds removed. Honours

: 27.Tauhouon Kniphofia Hot Lunch- Salon Lovely nature picture with a nature title. What a great colour scheme. What a lovely way to “lunch” This little bird is doing what birds do. It shows the behaviour of the bird and the magnificent colours of the flower. There should be more hot lunches. To further enhance the story here, the photographer could tone down the bright areas, directly above and below the bird and the bottom left corner of the image, or you could do some cropping tighter at Top to remove the bright diagonal, and at Bottom to remove the 2 brighter horizontals and on right crop half the blurred flower. Well seen bird. Merit

: 26. Open Wide-Novice Is this real??The message is clear – don’t mess with me. Well composed and great depth of field, the image appears to be taken in harsh light but is well handled. The feathers on the bottom of body nicely defined. To add to the image, next time the photographer could take the photo earlier of later in the day. These birds are squawky often however you probably won’t meet one like this. You have been awarded a Congratulations a well deserved Honours

: 25. Leading Lines of Whangarei-Intermediate Really nice to see a different perspective of this iconic Whangarei Bridge. This is an example of “seeing” an image in the ordinary. The lines lead us to up the path to the top of the bridge. The black and white treatment focuses our eyes on the destination without distraction. The exposure has been handled nicely and you do have several shades of grey this is important when doing monochrome work. However the leading lines – lead to nowhere. To create a stronger image the photographer could wait for something to appear on the path. Highly Commended

: 24. An Eco of Three Flowers-Intermediate These images of cottage garden favourites are a delight however. The image is not sharp. There is no background so the out of focus flowers seem unconnected. In the future, the photographer could try using a longer depth of field. Wondering if you used a tripod but this would also be advised for small flowers. Merit

: 23. Faded Glory-Salon This is a beautiful image reminds you of time gone by. Lovely colours and an interesting composition, its pretty soft but that suits the image it gives you a feeling of sadness but also thanks. Two lovely roses that have been spectacular in their day but now are respected in their old age. It looks like they are lying in state. The muted colours promote a feeling of respect. The orange vase in the background is the brightest part of the image. It does not seem to add to the story. Tone down the top bright edge of the orange vase or completely crop it out. Highly Commended

: 22. Pink Explosion-Salon It is a story of hope and anticipation, like fireworks. There is a feeling of warmth without any rain – perhaps because it’s so wintery. There are highlights in the top half of the image. The bottom flower is a shame it’s there but at the same time it does make your eye go higher into the beautiful sharp stamens of the flowers. However the image is too bright and the colours are blown out. Remember to check the histogram when taking images – especially in bright light. It’s a tool that should always be checked. And will help with future images of this type. Highly Commended

: 21. Mount Aoraki-Salon Lucky you to be there when this iconic mountain is glowing and free of clouds. Well taken beautiful colours and its sharp. The border suits the image. Honours

: 20. Line Out-Salon Well caught moment in a game. Players nice and sharp, it’s hard to get this sort of image and this it’s sharp and showing good detail in all the players. Could be just a tad too bright or over sharpened. Highly Commended

: 19. Kaka-Intermediate Brilliant shot of these characters of the bush, with great composition. This image shows the bird’s powerful beak. The story is one of dominance and strength. The bird looks like it’s engaging with the photographer. It’s depicted here in its natural environment. The subject has little structure in the feathers. It seems like it has been de noised too much to the point of looking like a plastic bird. The bird is quite static. It would be interesting to see what post processing has been done to see why this bird is lacking in detail. It may be recoverable – Good work on capturing this native bird in its environment though. Merit

: 18. Sunrise Whangarei-Intermediate How lucky we are? A brand-new day!!! Especially fascinating in this image are the sunrays appearing from behind the horizon. Dark rays draw the eye back to the action. This type of photo presents difficulties and good on you for having a go at it. Not sure what ISO has been used nor any idea of how much this image is cropped. Either of these things could have caused the Noise. However, the photographer will know the set up and work on this issue for next time. The image is very noisy, and the foreground is completely black. Accepted

: 17. Quail Sunbathing-Salon This protective mother looks like she is teaching her babies about the good things in life. It seems like the group have ventured from the shadows to a snippet of sunshine. The details in the feathers are gorgeous. What a shame about the strong shadow on the younger birds, toning down this shadow on the right would add to this lovely story. Highly Commended

: 16. Peters Pool-Salon- Stunning spot to find the reflections of the Southern Alps. Crisp reflections and it suits central line placement. This famous landscape is so serene and familiar. The image is very well managed and technically well presented. However there are some spots at the bottom these needed to be tidied up a bit. Merit

: 15. In A Mosque -Salon Such intricate detail! Great composition depicted here is an insight into the opulence of a Mosque. The photographer has done well to line the image up symmetrically. The rich tones add to the luxurious feeling. Beautiful detail with the chandelier’s light casting a glow. We can only see a part of the story – there is no context for size and dimensions it makes us curious as to what else there is to see. If possible, a broader view would add to the concept. We’d like to see more images – perhaps an AV. Highly Commended

: 14. Iconic Warf-Salon –A classic image, it depicts a scene that we know and love. There is a sense of coldness from the snow on the mountains but the rays on the wharf contrast with a feeling of well-being. However the Wharf is over sharpened. Highly Commended

: 13. Kereru-Salon -This lovely, protected bird has been captured in its environment. Nice and clear. Good catch light in the eyes. It seems to be acknowledging the photographer in a perhaps condescending way. The story is one of birds doing what birds do however the bird’s head is too close to the top of the border your composition is too tightly cropped. Merit

: 12. Limestone Sunset-Salon- This image speaks to us of the end of a lovely day with the promise of another one tomorrow. (Red Sky at night..) The sky is magnificent and the dominant part of the image. Limestone Island almost looks like a haven to escape to. Difficult shot in low light; while silhouettes mostly work in these conditions, this image is very dark on the bottom edge and lacks any definition for a good part of the image. Try to get more contrast in the blacks with post processing software. Another option, if you have it available could be to use bracketing.-Accepted

: 11. Spring Time -Salon Beautiful bluebells in woodland sing aloud the idea that all is now well with the world. It’s spring time a time of renewal and hope for better things to come. The low light of the bluebells with the still leafless branches add to the story. However there is no subject or place to rest the eyes on. It would be good to have perhaps a focal point – perhaps a tree trunk or an in-focus flower. Well done as you have added a Tasteful double border. Highly Commended

: 10. Heron –Salon Incredible heron reflection, the story here is all about doing what you have to do in the environment that you (the bird) are at the moment. The colours are muted, and you can see why the bird has chosen this very location to find a feed. The reflection of the bird is almost perfect, adding to the sense of place and belonging. Mangroves are such busy places. However while everything is in focus, the bird and its reflection are hard to focus on. This is because the colours match that of the environment. The story of this image could be strengthened if the photographer had used a smaller depth of field and removed the red/orange leaves from the upper & lower corners. Perhaps a crop off the top would have also helped. Merit

: 9. Kingfisher –Salon Perfect detail of feathers upper body and face the colours & background are clean. The bird is quite static, shame the bird’s Lt foot is blurred. These days the current thinking is that nature images should portray more than a bird on a stick. The idea is to display more behavioural aspects of animals??A Well deserved- Honours

: 8. Fisherman Spean River Scotland-Salon- What an idyllic scene. This image has a beautiful colour palette and nice reflections. Fishing in the bend of a river in what looks like autumn. The only human element we can see is the fisherman and his gear. The story is one of peace and tranquillity. However the subject is not all sharp also the colours are muddy on the mountain slopes perhaps you could try increasing the contrast in the trees, but to deal with the out of focus is more difficult. You could try a filter or overlay. Merit

: 7. Moon Set – Salon – A nice composition with the moon position offset by the rock in the foreground. This image gives the feeling of conclusion. Although we still have the glow of sunset, the sun has gone for the day. Shortly the moon will be gone as well. It seems like it has been a lovely day – but that’s over as we prepare for the next phase. Even the sea looks expectant and docile. The Portrait crop is unusual and does give a sense of the range of the movement of both sun and moon. The limiting factor though is that we can’t see any of the wider contexts. If possible, try this image with a wider crop (maybe even a square) so that we have more of the story to ponder on. Merit

: 6. Tidal Pool (Mono)-Salon-There is a desolate and isolated feeling to this image. The tide is out and has left a small puddle and lots of mud behind. Effective monochrome shows up sand sculpturing and the pool draws the eye to the foreground. If it’s possible, try reducing the shadows so that some of the wonderful texture of the rocks can be seen as the rocks are the constant feature amongst the otherwise moving environment. Merit

: 5. Close-Up Intermediate-What lovely contrasting colours in this image. It looks like a painting. Gorgeous colours… very soft focus. Generally close up images have part of the image in focus. It may be the photographer’s intention to present the image as is. But does it work in this case. If you wanted a completely dreamy feel you could try adding more blur. Accepted

: 4 .Southern Alps-Intermediate- In this image we feel we are right there in the Southern Alps. Lovely lighting, reminiscent of old Polaroid’s, this is an impressive vista with the afternoon light. Excellent detail in distant peaks its nature at its magnificent best. However the colours in the mountains are a bit muddy, the red area at the bottom is a bit distracting the same with the two green stalks these two could have been removed. To increase the impact you could try increasing the contrast in the mountains and reducing the haze. Merit

: 3. Bruce-Intermediate -Great monochrome portrait. Good engagement with the photographer. This image tells the story of the character of the subject. The treatment gives us an “old- worldly” look as if the subject is from a bygone era. This is added to by the clothing and the hat. Hat brim incline matches the angle of eyes. Bruce’s face is lined with age and experience – there is a kind look in his eye. He has a strong connection with the photographer. Do hope you had the subject’s permission to use his photograph in this competition. Honours

: 2. Hanging on –Salon -The story here is one of persistence in a challenging situation well seen. The image is very small and noisy– it may be cropped in quite a bit. Lovely composition, the eye is sharp but the feather‘s on the chest lack detail. Your border does seem a bit big, perhaps you could try a narrow one of a complimentary colour this would enhance your image more. Acceptance

: 1.Scruff – Salon -This image speaks of friendship and companionship. Lovely colours and Scruff is sharp in the eyes and paws. Eyes are engaged with the photographer. Scruff looks like he has a connection with the photographer. They know each other well. The backlighting (contra jour) adds to the concept – the sun is going down after a companion afternoon. However some of the blurring is a bit distracting making the face a bit dark. Try doing a little bit of dodging on the face to see if this adds to the story. Highly Commended