PSNZ Canon Bi-monthly Online Competition

6th Round Winners for the PSNZ Canon Online 2011

Canon Online 2011 winners

From Sally Phillips, Canon Online coordinator

I hope you all had a good Holiday Break and that 2012 will be a safe and happy Year for you all. Thank you to all the entrants and judges who made 2011 a successful year for PSNZ Canon on Line

Congratulations to Bret Lucas for his winning image ‘Human Garden’. And to Bret Lucas for winning the overall winners’ spot for 2011.

Our judge for Round 6 is Bruce Girdwood APSNZ. Thank you, Bruce, for your time and effort at this busy time of year. Bruce has kindly provided comments for the top 10 images so I have included them

From Bruce

I have enjoyed working my way through the images presented in round 6. The standard is high but I have happily made my choices for the top 10 images. In making my decision I first considered the strength of the story line, then I considered how the photographer used the tools to tell the story in a unique way and then I considered the technical aspects of the image. When all these components come together a powerful emotional response can be created. I think all the images in the top 10 tell a great story, do so uniquely, elicit an emotional response and are very well presented. I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to comment on these images and I hope you find what I have said about each image to be helpful and perhaps even educational.

Human Garden

This is an incredible image, which took me time to explore. I enjoyed all the time I have taken over it. It is a very interesting and creative depiction of artists performing their respective art forms. The presentation reminds me of a collage, many stories within a story, all separate but together they form an intriguing story. Composition is exquisite with the trapeze artist flying in on one end and the fire dancer a full stop on the other end. The somersaulters fill their space perfectly and form a strong visual focal point due to their position, the colour of their shirts, their motion blur and the fact that they are upside down. The use of groupings is excellent. If I were to have any suggestion for improvement I would propose moving the “Maori” dancer slightly to the left to fit under the trapeze artist, just far enough to remove the interference between her hand and the leg of the drag queen. What a wonderful image with so many interesting facets.

The Eldest Woman

My immediate emotional response to this image is one of contentment. A rare moment of peace, relaxation and time to just enjoy a simple pleasure in life. I get drawn right into the subject’s mind and feel the introspection very strongly. It makes me feel like I am standing in the sun after days of rain and cold, closing my eyes and soaking in the warmth. The story is strong and elicits a strong connection with the viewer. The author has told the story very well too. The use of monochrome works very well to enhance contrast, wrinkles in the skin and to create the peaceful mood. The positioning of the pipe above the shoulder with space between pipe and shoulder enhances the composition. Placement of the woman’s head slightly to the right works well. Timing to get expression, moisture between lips and smoke rising is wonderful.

James

This mage has a hand that reaches out to me and physically pulls me into James’ childish enjoyment of the seaside. James is uninhibited in his enjoyment. His disability immediately creates empathy and enhances ones own sense of enjoyment of the scene. Composition is very well used to enhance the strong storyline. James is well placed in the picture space, slightly to the left and the photographer has been careful not to have the line of the hill in the background cut through James’ head. Good attention to detail. Very good use of shallow depth of field to make James sharp all over but throw the hills out of focus to create separation. Use of burning in enhances overall effect and choice of monochrome is excellent. If I were to suggest any improvement it would be to clone out the highlights to the left of James’ head. Story well told and supported by great use of the tools to tell the story.

My Child

A sombre image which is well supported by lighting, tone, composition and pose. The white make-up on the girl and the head dress of the mother puts one into a different era but then the modern drinking cup brings one forward in time. There are clearly cultural aspects to this image, which bring an unfamiliar representation of the relationship between mother and child. Both are very serious but the child is clearly trusting and the mother loving. Photographer has chosen a good angle, which makes the girl with her white face dominant, lighting reinforces this. The mother is in the background but has a strong presence without dominating the daughter, creating a secondary story. The third story is that of the two of them together, their relationship. Very well seen and captured.

Oxford Street

This image is full of icons that when pieced together tell a story of a place with attitude. At first glance it is simply a woman walking down a busy street. After a bit of examination – the taxi, the reflection of Harrods, half of the Selfridges sign – you know exactly where you are and then you begin a journey. The woman walking with intent, the man reflected in the taxi window, the man on right corner all have attitude and you progress from one to the other. Then you have the busts to keep you busy and then your eye drops to the right hand bottom corner and you could think “homeless person”. There is a lot going on, it tells the story of the business of Oxford street in al its different aspects, and does it very cleverly. A unique and interesting image very well seen and captured.

The Old Wreck

The whole tone of this image reflects ageing. Toning and texture very well used to achieve the emotional response to this image. The writing, although hard to decipher gives the impression of a story. The combination of all the elements combine to tell a story of a ship with history, just fading over time. Composition is simple and effective – ship well placed, rocks and breaking water create a beautiful texture for the foreground and the lighting is soft and gentle.

Dead Center

Empty streets, cold grey tone, cranes, “dust” on the road – Armageddon? The photographer has chosen a good angle and excellent tones to create a great sense of foreboding, a questioning of what has happened. One is left with a sense on unease and I am compelled to search every inch of the image for signs of life but find none.

Wild Horse of Ruatahuna

Wild horse, wild boy. The horse will not be told but the boy is not being intimidated – he has guts/confidence riding a “wild” horse bare back with basic bridle. The horse’s expression is wild. The story is “boy and beast, one will dominate the other. My hope is that they find a truce and I am comforted that they will as the boy has a gentle demeanour about him. Simple composition fitting the subject, moment with horses mouth and eye position well caught. Muted colours work well for this image – they create an understatement and reflects the concentration of the boy. Good use of corner burning to draw the viewer into the image.

Close Quarters

The story is simply nesting gannets and it is well told. Each gannet is getting on with its important business. Exposure is excellent , bright whites and dark blacks, creating a sense of isolation, streaking gives good texture and the diagonal composition creates a dynamic leading the viewer across the image, The gannet on rhs is isolated and has a different pose to the rest so forms a good focal point. Well seen and presented.

Little Purple Daisy

This image is a portrait of a simple, beautiful, flower but it is very well seen. The photographer has made excellent use of the wide angle, the buds in the background and the colour contrast to present a “portrait with a difference”. The main subject is quite clearly the large flower and we are drawn into the texture of the middle, the excitement of the pollen and then radiated outwards by the petals to a secondary set of images, which are the opening buds, just out of focus. Then there is more, the feint bud in the space to the top right, which could have been empty and would have thrown the image off balance, and then there is the lovely subtle green of the background. There is so much to explore in this image. A portrait with a difference, well seen and presented.

Top Ten Images and Photographers

The images can be viewed as a slideshow. Clicking on this link will open the slideshow in a new browser window. When you have finished viewing the slideshow, close the window to return to this page.

Overall Winner for 2011

The final placings for 2011 are as follows. Congratulations to Bret Lucas and Eduardo Atienzar Mortinez for both sharing the most points during the year.

However, as the rules indicate, “if there is more than one author on the same number of points at the end of the year, the top point-scoring image from the entries throughout the year will be re judged. The top image will receive one point giving that author the winning points for the trophy”.

Cliff Threadgold judged the top images from both Bret and Eduardo and selected Bret's “Fernatic” as the winning image. Consequently, Bret gets an extra point which makes him the overall winner for 2011.