Judge – Pam Stephen
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- 01 Sourthern_alps This is a Majestic image showing the beauty of New Zealand's southern region. A large aperture may have been used and the result is that neither the foreground or the alps are particularly sharp. Try stepping down to somewhere around f8 – f11. This seems to be a good range to enable reasonable sharpness throughout a large vista like this. Composition is handled well with the right hand side of the alps leading the viewer to the subject which is placed on the third (coming in from the left). This main peak has good lighting and stands out from the rest of the image. My eye was immediately drawn to that spot. Honours
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- 02 Mt Cook It is great that you had such a beautiful wide view of the Mt Cook area. My eye is drawn to the centre of the image and the clouds being blown to the right create a bright spot for me to focus on. While the mountains on the left hand side have wonderful details showing, the area of main focus has far less , the details are covered in a blue haze. It is not possible to always have great weather conditions, Sometimes it is good to remember a place and add it to your “return list” Accepted.
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- 03 Looking North Composition is well done in this image with both the seagulls and the car providing a sense of scale. The reflections are lovely. There are a few technical issues with this image. The main one being with the halo of white along the edge of the mountain, this may indicate that a sky has been added or a colour overlaid, this can be helped by adding a feather to the sky mask to soften the place where two images meet. There are sun rays that may have been added in post. If this is the case, consider adding a slight Gaussian blur to the layer with the sun rays and maybe taking the opacity down a little bit. Accepted
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- 04 Golden Hour It certainly was golden hour at this beach, and the capture of the water movement has been well handled. I found the overall effect of the colour in the sky to be overpowering. It is possible the sky has been replaced to make the scene more dynamic, however for me, it has begun to compete for attention where the movement in the waves would have stood on its own. The sky area needs toning down to help it blend with the natural environment. Accepted
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- 05 Wairua Falls Titoki Who can resist a waterfall in good light? I like that the photographer has focused on the water above the waterfall giving us an often overlooked perspective of the water patterns and movements created with this long exposure. I also loved seeing the colour from the clouds reflected in the falling water. There is a group of wild grasses at the edge of the lower right hand which also adds an anchor for the viewer, allowing us to understand the photographer is standing close to the edge of the waterfall. Honours – Runner-up
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- 06 Mangarata Block rd Arapohue I like the elements in this image. An open gate is always a symbol of welcoming the viewer deeper into the image and the tree stops the eye from wandering off to the side. There is a golden light on the edge of the tree and the gate which helps to give the image a lift. We have foreground, middle and background which gives depth to the image. HC
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- 07 Lake Aviemore Autumn A lovely reflection with autumn colours showing around the edge of the lake. The main subject is seemingly pushed forward by the receding mountains. The Clouds are also perfectly positioned to highlight the main subject which is covered in valleys and ridges. As with an earlier image, I feel this image could have benefited from the use of a stepped down f stop to increase overall sharpness. However in this case the main subject is closer and the scene is tighter in the frame which has increased the appearance of sharpness. It is perhaps a little tight in the frame and I (as the viewer) would have liked to see more foreground, not much but just a little bit more. HC
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- 08 West Coast Views like this make you want to travel around NZ and soak up all the beauty. Your composition is great and I like the placement of the palm tree on the Left hand third, this holds the viewer's eye in the frame and then the white surf takes me into the image. The blur from the lens or post processing, tells me the main focus of the image is in the wave pattern half way into the frame, but my eye is looking at the Palm tree, which should be sharp as it is so prominent. One of the exceptions to this would be if you wanted to capture wind movement in the palm tree. Accepted
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- 09 Golden Rock I like the way the Golden rock is sitting in front of the keyhole shape in the rocks and this helps to accentuate the colour of the rock and confirms it as the main subject. This image has the feel of an older or retro lens or maybe a lens baby? There is more blur in the image than normal and it wraps around the subject. It has created an almost 3 d effect of the foreground which this viewer finds a bit distracting. I feel this effect would work really well with flower petals or a subject that needs to be softened. If the effect was added in post, you could try two things – add a feather to the layer mask to help it blend more with the image and reduce the strength of the blur. Accepted
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- 10 Access to the Heads I like that you have thought about leading lines in this image and the foreground is so sharp you can almost feel the texture. As a bonus the photographer also got down low to give us an interesting view. I wondered if you considered cropping the foreground about a third of the way in and thus putting more weight on the water and the mountains in the distance. This is an artistic choice and the image works as it is. Merit
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- 11 Ruggard Fiordland Very misty view of the receding mountain range, I love the small details like the waterfalls and the peaks showing through the mist. There is a row of leaves along the bottom of the frame that do not add to the story and would be easy to crop out of the frame. There appears, on my screen, to be green fringing on the branches of the tree (left hand side) these can be greatly reduced in lightroom under the Lens corrections panel (defringe). Merit
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- 12 Once A Sea Bed The large boulders are an interesting study on their own. The salt is so white in places, It almost looks like they are lying on snow or ice. The image is quite closely cropped and it would have been interesting to see more of the scene. I had trouble settling on one boulder, so my eye kept moving around the frame. It can help the viewer if one item or area is marked or signposted (with light etc) as the place to rest your eye. Merit
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- 13 Mt Mania Halo The composition of this image is well done. You have a leading line taking the viewer to the mountains in the distance and the sky glow is lovely. There is a technical problem with this image which you may be able to address. I have therefore not accepted the image so that you can resubmit it into another competition. Given the wide view and the size of the file, I do not think you over cropped. It may be the way you resized the image to submit for the web site. As it stands the image has a large amount of noise and is pixelated to view, detracting from the scene. Not accepted
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- 14 Island in the sun I am always on the lookout for these types of Islands, so well seen by you. In this instance your focus is soft throughout. You have a good eye and it would be worth going back for another visit. Maybe a tripod would help although this can be tricky on wet sand. Increasing your shutter speed and tucking your arms up tight against your body can also help keep your camera steady. Accepted
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- 15 Rural Land This wide angle view of rural land works well with the colours of mid ground trees really standing out as the main subject, however there are plenty of supporting actors in this image and I enjoyed the mud roads criss-crossed with tracks. There is a lovely light touching parts of the image that really do speak to the time of year this was taken. HC
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- 16 Scene On the desert Rd This image gives off war of the worlds vibes. A very desolate view of the very cold landscape. The foreground fills about half of the image and looks interesting but is quite dark and it is hard to see the details. My eye is drawn to the main light which is falling on the snow behind the pylons, however this is probably not the most interesting part of the image. You could add a small amount of light in post, just to the area you feel is the most important in the image. Which for me would have been the foreground. Merit
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- 17 Changing Seasons The red tree in the middle area creates a lovely contrast to the green and brown bare trees. The Half round barn , the top of the hill and the red tree have created a pleasing triangle. There are some signs that the image is a composite image which is great, overall the image works well. I think it is important to zoom in to 100% and check for hard lines and maybe mask out some of the edge to give it an irregular pattern. Think of it as blending make-up. Merit
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- 18 From the Desert Road This image manages to give a feeling of space, while the low clouds meeting the mountains in the distance also give the feeling of being closed in. The colours endorse the feeling of cold desolate landscape. I tried to imagine if the image would be improved without the human element of the power towers. On balance I think that for this image they add to the story and feeling of the image, showing depth between the foreground and the mountains in the distance. The foreground has detail and it is interesting to see the shrubs struggling to stay upright with the weight of the snow. HC
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- 19 The Hermxtage Southern Alps The details on the snow capped mountain range are great, the exposure feels good on the snow and it is easy for me to see what the main subject of the image is. Overall I really enjoyed this image. Where the sky meets the mountain there is a white halo, I am not sure if this where a sky replacement was dropped in (in which case drop the opacity of the sky layer and pop a gradient filter from the bottom up and smooth the transition) or if it is a natural phenomenon. This can also sometimes happen if you add sharpening to the mountains. There are ways to improve this by drawing a mask along the edge of the mountain and cloning the sky over the white area. There are many ways to do this. The sky looks to be a slightly different hue to the other areas in the image, this can also be fixed by adding a very small amount of the same color to the image in appropriate places where it would be reflected onto the white snow. HC
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- 20 Benmore Scene This almost feels like a scene from a postcard. This is especially true with the white edge around the border. The clouds and mist add interest to the image as does the v shape of the valley behind the lake. I had difficulty deciding where the main point of interest was. Normally for me, it would be the body of water, however in this image there is a large tree (centre) that has a path leading up from the lake, it is located between the mountains and gullies seem to be directing me that way. While the lake does have little waves playing across the surface it is overshadowed by the supporting elements. Making the lake the brightest part of the image would have helped make it the star of the show. Merit
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- 021 Rangipo Desert Simple yet dramatic landscape. Composition is pleasing and the clouds help accentuate the main focus of the image. The foreground gives context for where we are and the vastness of the scene.Close up there is quite a bit of noise in those thunderous clouds, however this may be the texture of the environment (rain in the clouds will do this sometimes) rather than a technical issue. Perhaps the photographer would consider using a small amount of denoise or perhaps they consider it adds to the rawness of the image. Honours – Winner
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- 22 MountNg__uruhoe A nicely handled image of a very impressive mountain. The way the photographer has framed the image works well– it feels solid and real and makes me feel I could be there. The foreground adds context to the image. HC
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- 23 At the top of Mt Manaia Well worth the effort of climbing all those stairs! A Great birds eye view of a much loved scene. The rock ledge in the foreground is in focus and grounds the image so you can understand where the photographer is and just how high up you are. The water element adds interest as does the industrial area. The mountain on the left shows as a dark blob and I wonder if you could have moved over to exclude it from the image or make a pano including more of the mountain. HC
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- 24 Early Morning at Parua Bay Lovely still morning showing symmetrical reflections. I like that the water has a small amount of wave movement, adding interest to the scene. I like the placement of the cloud in the left hand centre of the image which gives my eye a resting place. The sun peeking through the left hand side gives a good sense of time. The image suits the crop chosen by the photographer. Honours
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- 25 Lake Pukaki The overall view is pleasing, however I struggled to find a main area of focus. The lake is the dominant feature however it lacks a feature to retain my gaze. It is cropped a bit tight on the left hand side near the vans. One of the Vans has a ghost image next to it. A remnant from an underlying image I suspect. There is a similar problem in the clouds where images have been added and probably need to be feathered at the edge.They are on the left and right thirds. It is often a good idea to zoom in to 100% after you have finished your image looking for hard lines and artifacts that might need a touch up. On the up side you are experimenting with multiple images and using layers. Keep going, you are definitely on the right track. Accepted.
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- 26 Driftwood These interesting structures leave the viewer to wonder at their purpose, perhaps there is a local culture of building them while visiting the beach? The front structure is the main subject of the image and I did wonder if the image was more about the human (Man Made) element than the landscape but there is definitely a feeling of space in this image and have graded it accordingly. Because the driftwood is close to the camera, it is hard to lead the viewer into the image, I imagine it as a full stop. If the driftwood was further away (say a third into the image) with an object like the log on the ground leading our eye into the frame it might have encouraged the viewer to explore the image more. Accepted
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- 27 Southern Vista From the flat land to the hills behind, this is an interesting vista. I like that the trees in the foreground are sharp and lit by the sun. The hills behind them on the left also have the sun playing over them. It would have been great if the light extended to the amazing hills in the distance. However they are in the shade and it is hard to see or feel the contours and overlapping layers. Sometimes it is hard to time our visits to a location based on the location of the sun. This could be a good excuse to go back. The image as a whole has quite a bit of noise in it. If you use lightroom try the new denoise. If you do not use lightroom there are other programs like Topaz that offer the same service (at a cost). Accepted
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- 28 Follow the Sun The sun is casting a lovely colour on the area and I can see the connection between the road and going towards (following) the sun. I have not accepted the image into this competition on the grounds that “while an image may include human elements for scale & context, but not to the extent that the human element becomes the prominent element”. For me the main subject of the image is the road. However I commend you for thinking outside the box, this will set you in good stead for future competitions. Not accepted.
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- 29 Wave watch at Ngunguru A light hearted look for a typical beach activity, even non surfers like to pause and check out the waves. The main focus of the image is on the Gull and the feather detail is pleasing. Image quality is good and the subject suits the crop chosen. HC
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- 30 Guardians of tongaporutu It is always interesting to see images that inspire you to travel. This is definitely the case here. What an interesting composition of rocks. There is a large orange fringe along the right hand side of the main rock – which could be removed in post. I also wondered if a wider view would work well with this scene. It is cropped very tight and the foreground rocks could have added to the story by leading us into the frame. There is also a lovely reflection just visible left of the main rock. Merit
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- 31 Centre of the North Island Another great image showing an interesting aspect of New Zealand's landscape. The weather gods were not with you on this day which is a shame as clouds would have helped create an interesting background. Depending on how you feel about such things, you could have added a few clouds in photoshop. If you do decide to do this, don’t forget to lower the opacity of the cloud layer to match the original, there are plenty of tutorials about this. There is also an atmospheric or haze effect which makes it hard to give a sense of depth to the image. Accepted
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- 32 West Coast This is a great West Coast vista, I love the birds flying into the scene and the cars parked along the right hand side of the bay. Overall sharpness is low in the image and while this is part of the image, adding sharpness to an image, for example the wave area would give separation to the different parts of the image (foreground, middle and background) and can give the image a sense of depth to an image. Accepted
