2603 Open Projected – Whangarei Camera Club

: Looking Out To Sea. MERIT We all liked the use of ICM in this image of our coastline. There are a couple of dust spots that could have been cloned out. Some of the uneven lines seem a bit too straight and sudden to be natural. We liked the colours and the abstract art feel of this image, that is still recognisable for what it is.

: Facing The Morning Sun. HONOURS We love the different angle used to capture the lone sunflower, showing the back and a good portion of the plant, instead of just the front. The bright clearly defined flower is nice and sharp, with good depth of field. The very pale, wispy clouds give the sky some texture while still allowing the sunflower to stand out.

: Wolf Moon. MERIT A bright orange moon that jumps out and feels closer than the trees framing it. The image is not particularly sharp and the background is quite noisy, letting the image down. The image is not blown out and is a good effort when using a long focal length lens

: Sacred Kingfisher. HIGHLY COMMENDED This is a great portrait of the kingfisher, with good feather detail and a sharp eye. A lighter background would have made the bird stand out more. The shadow around the eye could have been brightened a bit. The angle of the perch is positioned nicely, and you have captured it at a great moment with its beak slightly opened.

: In The Clouds. HIGHLY COMMENDED This almost silhouette image has potential. The highlights have not been blown out and there are great details in the clouds. We liked the feeling of looking up to the clouds between the trees but struggled to find a story and a focal point.

: Temple Of Light. HONOURS The low light conditions have been handled really well. The lights of the temple are bright and well defined, standing out against the subtle background colours. There are some bright whit lights bottom right and just left of the temple that distract. These could be easily removed. You have spotted the scene nicely, there is a good story here with lots of visitors and the image is nicely balanced.

: Seaward Kaikouras. ACCEPTED An amazing view, that has all the elements a landscape image needs. This image is best viewed at a distance as the processing is not quite right. There is a halo effect along the mountain range showing where layers have not been lined up properly. Details have been lost and the image feels overprocessed instead of planned artistic changes.

: Keeping Watch. ACCEPTED This image portrays a great story with the parent White Heron minding the chicks. Viewed at a distance the image has a good feel. The image has been cropped in too tight, losing detail. It has been over sharpened or to too much denoising has been applied. The whites have been blown out and feather details lost and there are bright white outlines around the trees.

: Mine. HIGHLY COMMENDED It’s my food and you can’t have it. a great title. The eye, beak and claw are nice and sharp. The rest of the bird has a softer focus, while still keeping good detail. There is a white patch in the background that draws the eye and could be toned down a little. A good crop here with the parrot filling the frame nicely.

: Service Was A Bit Slow. HIGHLY COMMENDED What a fun image you have spotted here. The title absolutely sets the scene. There is some noise in the image, that is not unexpected in a low light setting. You have chosen a good crop here and the lighting and humour makes the image stand.

: Time To Find Shelter. MERIT A striking dark and moody image. It makes it easy to image the downpour that may be fast approaching. The sunset has given out some great colours, and you have captured them well.

: Steps To The Clouds. HONOURS A different view of this sculpture that puts the photographer‚Äôs own stamp on this image. The image is balanced and cropped nicely, with the angles and lines keeping the viewers eye within the frame. The image imparts of grand scale, making one feel small while looking up into the heavens.

: Sunrise at Marcoola. MERIT We are invited into the scene by the people on the beach. The depth of field is okay being sharp in foreground to midpoint. The far distant sky could have could have been lifted a bit. The foreground holds more visual weight than the beach and muted sky. The curve of the grass and sand add interest to the scene.

: Goose Step. HONOURS We loved this humorous image of geese in formation. It is hard to tell if this is natural or has been created, so well done either way. All three birds are sharp giving good feather detail and sharp eyes. The grassland feels feathery and light makes a good background for the trio.

: Normanton Church. HONOURS A stunning, bright and magical image. You have captured this tranquil scene perfectly. Aside from the church and it‚Äôs reflection being the main subject, including the fishermen and the ducks has given the image a great sense of balance.

: Robin Red Breast. HONOURS This cute little bird is sitting rather nicely for you, the light in its eye give it character. There is good detail in the feathers, and great connection with the eye looking directly at the viewer. Some noise appears, although the background bokah helps dissipate it quite well.

: Where The Wind Walks. MERIT We loved the title of this image, it is very descriptive of what we see in front of us. The human element is needed to give scale and reality. There is a dark spot on the bottom left that is distracting. A heavily textured image that still has enough detail to tell a story. The image is noisy and quite small (file size and image on screen) so we are unsure if quality has been lost in editing and resizing

: Guardians Of The Coast. MERIT We liked how the bold colourful image fills the frame, although we would have liked to see the truck at the on the top of the flagpole. We had trouble finding a story to match the title of the image. The image is a bit soft and the midtones could be increased. There is enough detail to give a sense of the flag in motion.

: Orakei Korako Taupo. HIGHLY COMMENDED This colourful image depicts really well the raw nature of our thermal areas. The image tells a story of a place to visit. The colours blend well to create a pleasing image. It’s a pity about all the manmade items, they seem so out of place here and viewer’s attention keeps getting drawn to them. Nice colour and a good sharp image. A well-timed image (or good use of the remove tool) as it is often hard to get these spaces without people

: Yakas. HIGHLY COMMENDED Depth of field is spot on and three is a good number. We like how the white flowers pop against the black background. If there was more separation between the centre and back flower it would have been a stronger set. This is something to consider for next time.

: Puriri Bay Sunset. HIGHLY COMMENDED Full marks for blocking the sunset with the trees and avoiding total blow-out. Cropping a little of the black shadow area on the left would help balance the image. We loved the different colours of the sunset in the image and yacht mast behind the headland.

: Posing. HONOURS We loved the mono effect in this image, especially the subject‚Äôs stripped shirt and the bench seat she sits on, they present a bold and striking focal point in this image. The background sets the subject beautifully and helps tell the story of this image. The image is well framed, with good depth of field and is sharp throughout.

: Young Dab Chick. HONOURS A beautifully timed image with the water droplets sparkling in the sunshine. We liked the way the chick and it‚Äôs reflection filled the frame but still left enough space to allow the chick to move. The subject is sharp and showing very good feather detail

: An Uplifting Moment. MERIT A sharp clear image that draws you into the moment. Records a great story, good action shot recording this intense moment. A great crop here, with the subject nicely filling the frame.

: A Smashing Serve. MERIT A good action shot of this tennis player about to send the ball on its way. The fence does dominate a bit, but hey, what can you do? Good timing catching the player actually off the ground, and the expression of concentration on his face.

: 6170 Boat Shed. MERIT The image is nice and sharp and has some interesting additions to make it looked loved. The image feels a bit tightly cropped at the top and bottom. The straight on angle and bright blue sky make the image feel a little flat and two dimensional. The image is sharp and well-focused throughout.

: High Tide. HIGHLY COMMENDED The water sure is high, it might be time to sandbag the doors. We loved the angle this image was taken on. The lines of the building and fence come together nicely The well caught ripples in the water keep the image from feeling too static or still. The image is well exposed and sharp throughout and tells a good story.