Another beautiful ending 20.5 Mike Moffat Pictorial Silver
J1 Great definition in the starburst around the sun. The sky above the tallest tree holds little interest. Consider cropping to eliminate it, which would also take the horizon line out of the centre of the image. The horizon line appears to slant down towards the right side of the frame. This can be corrected in post.
Tall Ship 23.5 HM BPP Jim Orcheson Pictorial Bronze
J3 The maker has picked a good angle to show off the rigging and sails. Sharpness an detail are good. A slight brightening of the hull would give better balance with the bright sails. Vignetting is is good way to draw the viewer#039;s attention to the subject. In this case it ha been a little too heavily applied creating obvious dark corners in an otherwise bright sky. Consider applying is more subtly.
Sunshine Eyes 21 John King Pictorial Gold
J3 A well captured moment. The modelling of light on her face adds depth. Both eyes could be brightened very slightly. You just want to bring out a little more detail without making them too bright. The background is quite distracting. Consider toning down the highlight areas of the background to keep the viewer#039;s attention on the girl.
Bright and Contrasted 22.5 John King Pictorial Gold
J3 Excellent sharpness and exposure. The background has been nicely handled. The larger petals on the right combined with the leave stretching out to the right give the plant a somewhat unbalanced feel. There is slightly more negative space on the right than is necessary to tell the story.
Wood Carving-The Pizza Makers 17.5 John Bunyon Pictorial Gold
J3 The subject fills the frame nicely. The lack of focus and blown highlights take away from the impact. When photographing someone#039;s art work, try to find a perspective that will show your creativity rather than just a record image of the art.
At the Car Show 19 Chris Sparks Pictorial Silver
J3 A well seen detail that maker has used to capture this hot rod. It#039;s unclear whether the subject is the bullet style headlight or the reflection in the chrome. If it is the headlight, then it is uncomfortably tight to the edges. If it is the refection of the cylinder head, consider framing even tighter, only including enough of the light to give context.
Dundas Town Hall 22 SPP Chris Sparks Pictorial Silver
J1 Nice contrast between the modern linear windows and the old fashioned clock reflected in them. The distorted reflection appears too busy for this image to be effective. When shooting reflections, photograph from several vantage points in order to determine the ideal amount of distortion.
Trinity NL on a Misty Day 22.5 Geoff Dunn Pictorial Master
J1 The photographer captured the essence of Newfoundland nicely. The fog, the bright houses, and the rocky shoreline all work well together. A crop on the left of the frame just right of the white house may improve the image. It would draw the viewer#039;s eye to the more interesting aspects of the image.
Unwavering determination 25.5 HM DP Greg Alderson Pictorial Master
J3 Great action shot. The fairly heavy processing to create the rich colours and intensified detail works well to support the intensity of the moment. The three women on the edge of the frame are just far enough back to be out of the action and don#039;t add significantly to the story. Consider re-framing to exclude them.
Look up to the sky 25.5 HM DP Victor Turczynski Pictorial Master
J3 This images walks the line between pictorial and creative, and could fit in either category. Technically excellent and illustrates a creative approach to the subject. The change from cool to warm tones in the centre give the feeling of looking out through a portal. Well done.
Into the Woods 20 Loretta Monteleone Pictorial Silver
J3 Exposure and depth of field have been handled well. The boardwalk provides a leading line, but is very prominent and is unclear where is leads. Since it is turning away from the bright area of water on the right, consider cropping from the right over to just to the left of the two trees at the first bend in the railing. This may make it feel more like you are being drawn down into the woods.
Banksy Like - Burlington Canal 21.5 Andy Langs Pictorial Gold
J2 Interesting street photo. Given that there is more than one artist at work on the wall, I would not consider it a picture of someone else#039;s art.
Good composition and use of negative space. The shadow is well positioned.
The figure is perhaps a little too close to the edge of the frame.
Pumping Water 20.5 Roy Oldfield Pictorial Gold
J3 An interesting scene and it is easy to see why it caught the maker#039;s attention. The water spout and trough are place well in the frame. The main challenge is the lighting. The image would have more impact if the interior was brighter and the exterior was toned down. In a case like this consider either fill light (flash) or blending at least two images, one exposed for the outside and one for the inside.
Jacket and Hat 22 Roy Oldfield Pictorial Gold
J1 The soft blue is a great complementary colour to the yellow. The image would have more impact if the hat and shirt were in sharp focus. Consider trying to bring out more texture in the hat in post.
Underwater Seaweed 19.5 Francesco Berri Pictorial Silver
J3 A well-found spot to photograph. There a many things here of interest, but it is unclear which of them drew the maker#039;s interest. Try to frame the image to include only those elements that support your main subject. For example, there is a subtle leading line from the foreground thorough the gap in the trees. this could be emphasized through cropping and/or vignetting to help draw the viewer down that path.
Ethereal Studio 2 23 HM GPP Ted Buck Pictorial Gold
J2 Great use of complimentary colours.
Try muting the bright areas to see if it gives the image more mood. Specifically her face is very bright, but in order to mute the face, the other areas, such as the bath, need to be muted as well.
Her head my be slightly too close to the top of the image
Ethereal Studio 3 23 HM GPP Ted Buck Pictorial Gold
J3 A technically well done image. Watch for the little things. There are several small distractions that individually wouldn#039;t matter, but in total they become distracting. For example, on the right edge, the scratches, reflection and marks on the sign, as well as the bright triangle and squiggle just to the left of the model's face.
Ethereal Studio 5 22.5 Ted Buck Pictorial Gold
J2 Interesting composition and portrait.
Try the following - may give more of the right impact
- reduce contrast somewhat (to reduce the bright spots on her face)
- reduce warmth very slightly
- put a fairly strong dark vignette around the model (this will get rid of the distractions in the leaves and other parts of the background)
Limbs at high noon 21.5 Ed Espin Pictorial Master
J3 Technically well executed. The toning gives it a slightly surreal feel, adding to the impact. The brush and surrounding trees take away some of the main subject#039;s impact. This image would work really well as part of a series that includes details of the gnarled branches.
Too bad it#039;s a Nikon 22.5 Michael Coomber Pictorial Gold
J2 Great tones on the man in particular.
The cars on the left have some bright reflections that are distracting and could be softened.
Maybe try a dark vignette to give more emphasis on the man, and will also soften the people in the background top right
Marc Jordon 23.5 HM GPP Michael Coomber Pictorial Gold
J1 Black and white is a good choice for this image. There is no detail in the bottom left corner of the image. It may be recoverable in post. Fine details are lacking throughout; perhaps as a result of a little too much noise reduction.
Boys beachcombing 19 Michael Coomber Pictorial Gold
J3 The shoreline creates a lovely curved leading line. The boys are well placed in the frame. Consider a lighter application of the processing to eliminate the halos around the boys and create a more natural look. The storey may have been stronger if the boys were walking towards the camera or in the process of finding something.
Tabacaria 19.5 Derrick Butler Pictorial Bronze
J3 An interesting street scene. The overall exposure is handled well. Deciding where to crop is challenging on narrow streets. The postcard stand on the right is distracting. If more of the stand were included it would become a supporting element. Consider some selective adjustments to tone down the orange light at lower left, brighten the awning slightly, and add a little more light to the lower third of the image.
California Poppy 21.5 Mike Moffat Nature Silver
J3 Good sharpness and detail in the main subject. Choose your backgrounds carefully. The out of focus poppy flower along with the dead ones in the background tend to be a distraction rather than adding to the story.
American Lady Butterfly 22.5 Andy Langs Nature Gold
J1 The lovely soft background allows the detail in the butterfly to shine. The pink flowers are the brightest part of the image so draw the viewer#039;s eye away from the main subject. Cropping most of the flowers away may help, or alternatively reduce the highlights on the flowers in post.
Peregrine Falcon with catfish 22 Peter McCusker Nature Gold
J1 Great storytelling image. Well composed. The harsh lighting has caused some deep shadows on the underside of the wings. Consider bringing back shadow detail in post. There is a smudged area of the sky, just above the falcon#039;s neck which is distracting.
Monarch Butterfly in Flight 20.5 Lan Gao Nature Bronze
J3 Well timed to capture the butterfly mid-flight. Very challenging lighting conditions. The heavily saturated reds in the background and area of clipping in the green bud pull the viewer#039;s eye away from the main subject. You may not be able to eliminate them, but consider re-framing to minimize their impact.
Balance Rock 18.5 Ed Espin Nature Master
J1 The choice of black and white emphasizes the shape and texture of the rocks. The horizon line slopes downward to the left side of the frame. The title suggests the balance rock is the main subject, but the image does not reflect that view. The rock has little detail and occupies a small portion of the image. Simplifying your composition by cropping to have the viewer#039;s eye go directly to the rock may help.
Total Eclipse April 8 2024 23 Dan Copeland Nature Master
J3 Timing worked well to produce an even glow. The glow fades out on the sides, but not at top and bottom. A slightly wider shot would have made better use of the outer darkness to more effectively frame the moon and glow of the sun.
Orion Nebula 23 Dan Copeland Nature Master
J3 The shape and colours of this nebula create a good centre of interest. The image seems to lack contrast, with the sky looking a little muddy. the cluster of stars on the right edge are somewhat of a distraction, consider re-framing to exclude them.
Loon NL 19.5 Derrick Butler Nature Bronze
J1 Good timing to capture the wing span. Focus is soft in many areas. Using a smaller aperture and most likely a higher ISO will most likely result in an image where all elements of the loon are in focus.
Goslings under the Wing 20 Laura Nelson Nature Silver
J1 Great storytelling image. There is a lack of detail in the shadow areas of the nestled goslings. Considering lifting the shadows both there and in the feather detail of the goose#039;s neck to create a more impactful image.
Red Fox on the Beach 19.5 Laura Nelson Nature Silver
J3 Good nature story and the subjects are well placed in the frame. Because the birds are an integral part of the story, more impact would have been created if they were sharp. The image could also benefit from a little more contrast.
Windmill at the Farm 20 Chris Sparks Creative Silver
J1 Effective shutter speed was used to show movement. The image has several technical issues and could be improved by bring out more details in the dark shadow areas and avoiding the blown out white areas. There are a few dust spots that could be removed in post.
Fantasy wasp ride 22 Greg Alderson Creative Master
J3 The image has impact and humour. The processing techniques add to the fantasy theme of the title. The rider has been well blended into the image. Consider a vignette to very slightly darken the edges. This will subconsciously hold the viewers attention on the main subject.
