judges – Christine A, Jenny and Bruce. Scribe – Margaret H
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- 1 Novice Still life with Persimmons A lovely still life arrangement. The image has nice side lighting. Parts are a bit dark that doesn’t allow some of the detail to show. We suggest the image would be stronger with a lift of the shadows and tone down the highlights a little. Perhaps remove some specs/dust on the cloth, bottom right. Easy to miss while you concentrate on the main subject. Good try, the lighting arrangement on this type of image is never easy. Highly Commended
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- 2 Novice Forty Winks Great example of street photography. Well captured photo of a siesta in the shade on a hot afternoon. The diagonal aspect of the image adds an additional aspect and allows us to see the context. The dapple lighting is lovely. The rusty suitcase adds to the story. We suggest a move to the right to include all of the foot or have a tighter crop. The image is a little soft but works with the main object in the land of nod. Highly Commended
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- 3 Intermediate Pretty in Pink This image has a nice colour palette. A tender study in the Life cycle of this lovely flower. Some blooms are open in full and others yet to appear. In our view the main weakness is sharpness: the flower looks a touch soft and there is a hint of swirl or wind blur in the background that pulls attention from the centre. Consider a gentle crop from the lower edge to remove the half out buds and from the upper edge to trim the busy bright shapes: that keeps attention on the hero bloom. Blooming and becoming co-exist. A lovely concept. Merit
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- 4 Intermediate Just a Lick of paint As the title tells, this image is a symbol of a once joyful past that has now been forgotten. The mono treatment so suits this image. It lets the texture of peeling paint, rusted roof and lichen on the posts carry the mood. Try a mild midtone contrast lift (clarity or a small radius dodge/burn) that could make the flaking paint sing. To lessen some of the scrub, try out a crop on the right- hand side, see if it improves the image. This photo shows us a contrast between the rigid geometry of the house and the chaos of nature, creating tension that is both haunting and beautiful. Highly Commended
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- 5 Salon Artistic Ampersand This abstract image captures the beauty of light in motion. Very creative with nice colours. The dark background acts like a void allowing the light to flow freely, almost like a thought forming in space. While the image is purely abstract, we feel it leaves you disconnected without a point of reference or grounding element. Well titled and creative use of the full name for the symbol & that helps to tell the story. Highly Commended
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- 6 Salon Frozen in Flight Here we have a frozen insect suggesting a sense of suspended time. Details of the bee are sharp as is the ice surrounding it. The ice striations (Markings/patterns) and air bubbles partly obscure the insects’ finer details- especially the wings or facial features. There is a lot of negative space. Some of that we think is to give the bee space to fly into. We suggest a slice off the top and a little from the empty end to tighten the balance. The background is nicely blurred and the whites are well handled. A more selective focus could help isolate key features like the eyes or wings, guiding the viewers’ attention more intentionally. An interesting image and worth another try. A good start for the High Key competition next year. Merit
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- 7 Salon Loving Couple Lovely capture of these beautiful birds. We loved the affection between them that has been captured. Background nicely blurred and the whites are well handled. The mirrored S curve of the necks creates a lovely rhythm. Our only comment is the image has been cropped too tight on the bottom and right-hand side. The removal of the darkened area on the left edge would bring this image up to an Honours. There is a quiet elegance in this image which adds to the story of this loving couple. Highly Commended
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- 8 Salon And now We are Three The story here of “two crash-landings and one unimpressed spectator “captures a moment filled with energy. The feather detail against the blue sky immediately draws your attention. The strongest part of this image is the geometry. These two birds landing form a broad V, and the perched pink anchors a tidy triangle. We feel the weakest point is the focus of the image which is quite soft throughout. If not for the title the third bird would go unnoticed. Suggest a faster shutter speed and a stop more exposure, would greatly improve images like this. Acceptance
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- 9 Salon Santa’s on his way A solitary deer standing beneath a canopy of trees. Those are some antlers; Santa would be impressed. Nice composition with the animal filling the frame although cropped a bit tight. The sunlight in the distance distracts from the deer. We suggest a crop to the antlers on their own could make an image or if the photographer has more canvas available on either side, a bit more space could be added to the subject. This image has loads of potential and with a cleaner background and calmer light you would have a standout image. The subject looks engaged with the camera and looks very comfortable being photographed. Acceptance
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- Intermediate Small Forest The bright yellow mushrooms rise from the moss, their smooth caps glowing against the deep green. The subjects and the foreground are in focus and the background suitably blurred to remove most distractions. A nice composition. Suggest a lift to the shadows to show more detail of the ground cover. The yellow spot bottom LH corner distracts. One option is to remove it in post processing or you could crop off the bottom of the image making a landscape format without losing anything. A good title to remind us to look for the small and wondrous things in nature. Merit
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- 11 Intermediate Twin Falls A nice capture of waterfalls. Telling a story about two different voices in the same place- one broader, one more lacy- and the calm pool in the foreground. The textures of wet rock and moss are complementary to the silky water, and the shutter speed gives a gentle sense of movement. The Judges felt the image was a little over exposed and the frame is a touch loose. The bright water takes the centre stage, yet the large area of flat murky pool in the foreground doesn’t add to the image. Suggest an adjustment to the levels to increase the greens a bit more and a crop all around to eliminate the sky and the dark patch at the bottom left corner. Your settings have been right to get the fluffy water look and you have a strong subject and a pleasing dual rhythm. Good try. Keep looking at your histogram when taking this type of image. Merit
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- 12 Salon High Playground A cheerful” adventure playground for grown ups” vibe. The image is sharp and colourful. The towers have strong lines and texture, the rope bridge adds rhythm. The big spiral slide sweeping towards the right side of the frame gives the scene energy. A question, are the towers really on a lean? If not, the photographer could use the perspective tool to straighten these. We suggest a small crop from the top to reduce the bright sky. Good choice to include the people as it gives perspective on how big this ride is. Merit
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- 13 Salon Iced Rose This image feels like a memory trapped in a snow globe- delicate, chilly, and a bit other worldly. Definite focus point, bubbles are sharp and background blurred. The centre glow has dominance and the near-abstract treatment keeps us looking rather than just recognising “a flower”. The flower’s edges blur slightly into the ice, which softens its impact. We suggest a touch more clarity or contrast at the petal tips could heighten the sense of entrapment or emergence. Perhaps more directional light- from the side- could strengthen the image. ( we have read that if you freeze in layers with distilled water, you can control bubble density). You are commended for trying something different. You have a strong concept and a lovely palette here. Merit
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- 14 Salon Red Dragonfly WOW. The rich crimson against the soft green background has a calm, almost poetic quality. We especially love that “touchpoint” These complementary colours almost vibrate, the wings provide gorgeous texture, the creamy petals add shape and gentle contrast. The dragon fly is pin sharp and the background nicely blurred. The photographer has captured a striking colour study with elegant balance. Honours
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- 15 Salon Punga Frond An Interesting image. It makes us think about the strong entrance to the world of these classic nature plants. Background is nicely blurred. In our view the composition is thoughtful. The diagonal fronds create rhythm and lead the eye naturally into the tight spiral. In our view the fern frond is a little dark and detail not so sharp. With a slight lift to shadows to just the centre part of the frond, would reveal more detail. We also suggest a lift to the midtones on the koru by a fraction or add a subtle dodge across the three inner nodes to reveal more texture. You have captured a classic and modern fern study with strong shape and texture. Clever use of mono, well chosen for this image. Highly Commended
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- 16 Intermediate Tunnel Texture Where are they going? The small figures give scale and a slight sense of mystery, while the brickwork (masonry) becomes the real subject. A good DOF and perspective looking down this tunnel The two explorers lead the eye towards the end of the tunnel. It is not until notice is taken of the title that the viewer realises this is about the brickwork. We like the strong recession created by the curving walls and the way the textured ceiling forms a repeating pattern. The light falloff along the floor guides the eye neatly to the darker throat of the tunnel. The view of one judge felt a tighter edit would help the intent with a modest crop from the left and a little from the top would reduce the heavy mass of black texture and pull attention to the figures and vanishing point. The photographer could consider warming the colour balance slightly to tame the greenish cast and clone out the few bright specks on the floor near the edges. Image is sharp, highlighting the textures of the roof. Exposure well handled. Highly Commended
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- 17 Intermediate Chromatic Secrets of Waipu Cove Amazing colours and reflections. Exposure handled well in this difficult location. The blue band is strongly dominant and anchors the frame, while the warm colours give balance and depth. The gentle blur in the water suggests calm and lets the reflection read clearly. In our view the image is quite busy with no natural focal point for the eye to rest. As the colours feel a touch pushed in the blues: easing saturation and bringing the overall white balance a notch warmer might make the stone look more natural. There is some “noise” in the darker area which could be reduced in post processing. Overall, a good composition. This image is like a secret natural underground theatre. Highly Commended
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- 18 Salon This image gives a sense of quiet strength from the hefty stonework, Craigivar Castle Scotland the delicate roof lines and that touch of ivy around the door. We felt that the light is a bit flat, and the sky takes a lot of attention without offering much detail. At first glance the image doesn’t appear straight. Looking again we can see that the image is straight, the slope of the ground tricks the eye. A play with the perspective tool can help correct the tilt impression. We suggest a crop from the right for a tighter shot and to cut out some of the sloping ground. The colour has a magenta cast. Nudging the white balance slightly cooler/greener and enriching the greens in the foliage would give the scene more life. In our view the border detracts and competes with the image. This image has potential and is a nice memento of your travels. Merit
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- 19 Salon Mount Pembroke Milford Sound The title helps set the scene and the story about scale and layered mountains meeting soft, wind-brushed clouds. The composition is strong and balanced. The converging ridge lines create a natural V that funnels the eye to the summit. The lake adds a good base as well as a sense of depth. Is there a filter over this image? The white balance is very yellow. A cooler white balance and a touch more blue/cyan in the water and sky would feel more natural and make the snow seem cleaner. There are slight halo edges around the peaks against the sky. As a suggestion try using “masked sharpening” on the mountains only. Also consider cropping a sliver from the top to tighten the sky. For presentation, remove the rounded border as it distracts from the vista. A nice iconic image of New Zealand. Merit
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- 20 Salon Camouflage Butterfly A very well camouflaged butterfly. At first glance it was hard to make out the butterfly amongst the rocks. The story here is about lighting and texture. How clever is nature? We like the earthy gritty colours. The diagonal placement of the subject adds a dynamic. We felt the image is let down by the strong lighting and dark shadows that draw our eyes away from the subject. The bottom wing is either not in focus or moving and is distracting. We suggest the author reduces the overall brightness to the image and then adds a little more contrast to the butterfly. Speckles of light on the top rock draw the eye away from the buterfly. Overall, an interesting image. The photographer has spotted a clever match of pattern and place. Merit
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- 21 Salon Central Asian Farmer Lovely portrait of this fellow. He is fully engaged with the photographer and the mono treatment works well. Maybe it has been cropped too tight on the left side that cut off his arm, but this doesn’t detract from his engaging smile. Suggest a quick check of the background for slight blemishes on the brick wall that are a bit of a distraction. Highly Commended
