Judges – Noel,Ruth, Bruce and Scribe Margaret H.
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- 1. Exploring the Victoria Battery- Intermediate –Lovely leading lines and Arches the graffiti as focal point. The V shapes taking your eye through the image, the colours and texture work giving you the sense of age. There is a good Depth of Field right through the archers. Highly Commended
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- 2. The Snoot- Intermediate – The dog has found a nice hole to reveal its snout. The snout is nice and sharp. You are left wondering what the story of this place is. A narrow the DOF to get more of dog in focus would have improved your image and to brighten the shadow area. Merit
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- 3. Leaving Golasecca –Intermediate –What a great place to position yourself for this image The triangles on the over bridge are pointing so your eye follows. The reflections and the angled bridge structures are nice and clear. However the shrubbery needed a crop at the bottom. Merit
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- 4. On Santander Ferry – Intermediate—If not for the title you wouldn’t know that you where on a ferry. It is an interesting aspect of a view you saw. The summitry in this image is well catered for, with squares, oblongs and angles galore. Merit
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- 5. Every Second Counts –Novice – Certainly have a story here. The Helicopter is good action news media shot, sharp where it needs to be. Your eye keeps being drawn back to the Aid workers and wondering about the double exposure of them. This does not take away from the image, maybe adds interest. You have handled the light of the scene well. However the two bright lights on the right needed to be toned down a tad. Merit
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- 6. Zen Path-Novice– The Greens in this image and the path with the Bamboo arching does lead you through do give the sense of relaxation. A crop from the left to take out the first tall standing plant would stop your eye from going back to that point. However you do have a nice sharp image throughout and good Depth of Field. Merit
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- 7. Life Orbs- Novice — The Orbs on this flower are nicely in focus. You have captured them well. The Orbs on this flower are nicely in focus. The bright yellow subject against the dark green back ground works well. To strengthen the image a crop on both sides to make it a portrait would help with the negative space around the flower. Try spot cloning out the white spots which are a distraction. Tone down the white on the top right. Highly Commended
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- 8 Slow Speed Ahead – Salon–This an interesting story and place here and a good sharp photo. The White Water line shows that the boat has turned to take the move ahead. The slow speed sign takes your eye to the top and leaves you wondering about the place. Try a crop off the left hand side of image and remove blue bollards. Highly Commended
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- 9. Softly Little Dancer –Salon– This happy little dancer is quite a cutie as she poses. You have presented a nice portrait crop. Nicely focused. A shame she is not looking at the photographer for contact. However there is a soft white Halo around the subject which causes this image not to get a higher marking. Merit
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- 10. Sophie – Intermediate–A delightful photo of Sophie.The background is nice and soft to compliment her dressed in pink. What a shame you didn’t get her looking at you to have some connection. The focus is a little soft, so her eyes are not sharp. Shame it is a bit too tightly cropped on the left a little bit more room would have also made a difference to the overall image. Good colour for back ground and leaves on footpath adds something natural to the image. Highly Commended
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- 11. They Are Not Biting—Intermediate –Your Title, I wonder why they are not biting? You have spotted this scene in some ones garden pond. The reflections in the water are making it an interesting scene. The colours and light have been handled well. The Border frame added holds this image together, the two leaves at the bottom are a wee bit bright perhaps they could have been toned down. Your Photo it’s just like a painting the post processing makes it your own and you now have a well deserved Honours
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- 12. Juvenile Tui –Salon –Juvinille Tui– Lovely colours the feathers are nice and sharp same as the eyes, and flax flowers, what a shame the beak isn’t sharp as the beak really needs to be as sharp as the eye. Highly Commended
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- 13. Wax Eye –Salon—Great shot nice and clear. Honours
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- 14. Dew Drop – Intermediate– Capturing Dew Drop such as this one is not easy. This image is not quite in focus. Focus stack would help fix focus. The noise is because of cropping in too hard. However it still needs a crop to take out a lot of the negative space around it, the minimalist effect and the dark green background works well as its not adding to the image. Good on you for trying to capture this drop with a reflection. Merit
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- 15. Down By The River – Intermediate Top two images are a bit flat and lacking colour however it’s a nice Triptych story here. I like the idea of starting at the bottom image and it leads you to the top of the scene. The top photo doesn’t seem to fit it seems out of place. You needed to lift the mid tones a tad. Merit
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- 16. Colour My World – Salon– This is a colourful image. However is your title really capturing the photo subject? The Colours are shining to brighten up a dark scene, but reflective light covering the image is a bit distracting. The white car distracts you need to tone this down and crop right to the pole to take away the bright white would help your image. Merit
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- 17. Image of Motion – Salon You can see different things in this photo, if it was cropped from the top and left side it would keep you looking at the interesting in focus shapes. Your other option was capture more smoke on the left hand side as it is its too tightly cropped and you really needed more space to cover this. Merit
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- 18. The Butcher and The Pig – Novice Good focus a lovely depth of field. What a lovely connection these two have. They are placed nicely in the frame. They are having a nice chat before the bacon Sammie. I hope the pig doesn’t know there’s a butcher close by. Honours
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- 19. Wool Press, Arapohue – Novice Monochrome really works very well for this image. The natural lighting is good coming through the window showing up the detail and writing. A well deserved Honours
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- 20 Fishhook Of Pohe –Intermediate Great time of day early morning to be out taking this shot. The colours are stunning and restful at the same time. You have great long exposure for the water. The reflections stand out nicely. Well done Highly Commended
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- 21. Night’s Conversation -Intermediate Great you have taken a well balanced shot. Title supports a very strong story line in this image. Subjects are well placed in frame. Your eye travels around to take it all in. You have obtained great focus. Wonder what they are talking about it must be a great story. Just wee a query perhaps the line of light at the top of the lights could have been taken off ? It is bit distracting! However you have been awarded Honours
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- 22. Coastline -Salon A Great place for a view of the coast line lovely day clear sky not a cloud in sight however that would have even been nice. The coast line looks rather rugged. You have positioned yourself so you have the big rock placed nicely in the V of the landscape, leaving your eye to travel around the coast. The colours in the image are looking very natural. It is cropped nicely in a landscape format. Image portrays fabulous scene particularly the wave action. Highly Commended
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- 23. You are Disturbing My Sleep –Salon Nice feather detail showing in this Pelican. The eye and beak are a little soft in colour against the rest of the bird. The Vignette is helping to keep your eye on the resting Pelican. The black lines in the water are a bit disturbing perhaps these could be removed. Merit
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- 24. Kookuburra – Salon- A great capture of this Kookaburra in what looks like quite bright light conditions. Good sharp eye while the body feathers are showing nicely the head is rather soft, what a shame the feathers aren’t all sharp. Merit
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- 25. Mr Pile- Salon – Great when there is a image that is there to create some humour. Well spotted, and you have taken the shot. This image is cropped well and the timber colours are adding interest. This is a great image lovely and sharp. Someone had a great imagination. Did you make it or did you find it? Highly Commended
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- 26. Graffiti On Mural – Salon Photographing someone else’s art is quite easy but creating your own is best. You have taken this image at very good angle and exposed it well. The good strong vignette helps to keep you looking at this art work. Highly Commended
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- 27. How To Get To A&E – Salon Boys out having fun! Reminding us of the days when we didn’t think safety first. What a great capture you have here. The focus is spot on. The bike is nicely in the frame giving room for it to move into. However the passenger is a bit hard to see you really need to lighten the shadows particularly around the rider and passenger. Highly Commended
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- 28. Almost Gold Leaf – Intermediate Skeleton leaves are so interesting to photograph and you have done this one justice. The bottom left is a little soft in focus, if you can try focus stacking to get the edges all in focus. I think a landscape crop would have made the image stronger as there is quite a bit of negative space around the leaf. In this image the vignette distracts. Simplicity in nature abounds as this image shows. Like so much in nature after decay only the bare bones are left. Highly Commended
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- 29. Blue Smoke Gets in Your Eyes -Salon This is a strong image of the blue smoke. A great angle so you are looking from the bottom left up through the swirling smoke to the right corner. However the Image a little too dark overall and the Top half of smoke not in focus. Focal point is hot end of stick and is sharp. Also you needed to Crop half way from top and half way across from right. Do think about your title. Blue Smoke would have been enough as there is no reference to seeing eyes in the image. Merit
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- 30. Fushia Bloom – Salon A good landscape format for this image but the Subject not quite sharp throughout and the background colour not quite tying in with the flower. Perhaps try using a colour a little softer next time. You needed to clone out the pink spot on the bottom petal as your eye is kept drawing back to it. Merit
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- 31. The Guardian – Salon – Good spotting of this face in the rock. It sure does look like it is watching over the tidal inlet. The rock is a little soft in focus on the top. Narrower DOF may have helped with focus. Merit
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- 32. Japanese Maids –Salon – This is a lovely pose of these Japanese Maids. They are both engaged with you as the photographer. A nice depth of field with the background slightly blurred. The subjects are nice and sharp. Their gowns of pastel shades of blue and pink make them stand out. Because the girls are in lighter colours the background needs toning down. There are some distractions in the background these need to be toned down the one on the right needed to be taken out. Merit
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- 33. Tokyo Twosome – Salon – This Happy couple are enjoying the chance of you photographing them. However it is a little too tightly cropped The subjects fill the frame yet it allows the viewer to see the environment they are in. Smiles do make a difference to the mood of image. The photo is nice and sharp. A dark Vignette may help to draw the couple together since the back ground is so light. Merit
