An image using backlighting to present the main subject as a black shape against a much brighter background.
The following are the images that achieved the highest scores in the competition and the Judge’s comments.
In the projected colour set subject the top images were from Kerry Malec and Judy Sara.
Kerry Malec – Teepee
The Judge loved the simplicity of this image and pointed out that it was well composed technically, with the vertical item intersecting the foreground, the mid ground and the background, tieing the whole image together.
Judy Sara’s ‘Elephants on the Move’ is an example of a perfect silhouette with the elephant and calf in motion.
Judy Sara – Elephants on the Move
Also by Judy Sara, ‘Running Along the Beach’ has good composition with interest in the foreground, mid ground and sky.
Judy Sara – Running Along the Beach
Meredith Retallack’s ‘Sunset Dreaming’ is also a good demonstration of a silhouette of the main subject with a beautiful sky. The lighting in the foreground makes the subject pop.
Meredith Retallack – Sunset Dreaming
‘Sunset Dreaming’ by Vicki Kramer has captured the clouds as part of the silhouette and they pop against the bright sky. Plus it is a nice beach scene.
Vicki Kramer – Sunset Silhouette
In the Silhouette set subject mono section Meredith Retallack’s ‘Leaving the Mount on Foot’ scored well. The image is defined well, the viewer can see the sunlight shining through the tower. The image has a fantastic sky and foreground interest with the reflection on the water, sand corrugations and the person giving mid ground interest.
Meredith Retallack – Leaving the Mont on Foot
In the open colour section, the top scorer was Sarah Bailey with “A Stroll in the Garden’. Sarah’s image was creative, and the contrast between the colours is very good.
Sarah Bailey – A Stroll in the Garden
In the open mono section Michael Selge’s ‘Victory’ is a great concert shot, the singer has been captured in an interesting pose and the lighting has been photographed well.
Michael Selge – Victory
In the colour prints set subject category, Duart McLean scored the highest mark with ‘Palm Morning. This is a beautiful scene, with soft colouring and good gradation in the sky.
Duart Mclean – Palm Morning
In the mono prints set subject category the highest scorer was Judy Sara for ‘Elephant on the run’. The Judge found this to be a fantastic image, the rim lighting shows the texture on the trunk and in the corrogations. The image is dynamic with action and movement.
Judy Sara – Elephant on the Run
Following the set subject categories are the open categories. In the colour prints Duart McLean’s image impressed the judge the most with ‘River Reflections’. This is a beautiful image, the lighting shows it was taken at the right time of day, it shows the texture on the cliffs and has lovely contrasts. The lines lead the viewer into the background. The ripples add interest to the photo as does the sky.
Duart Mclean – River Reflections
Lastly in the mono open category Judy Sara’s ‘Trees in the Storm’ is a superb image, with an interesting foreground and wonderful trees. Nice lighting shows the curve of the branches. It has a lovely background with the diagonal lines contrasting with the vertical lines on the ground.
An image showing a structure built to span a physical obstacle such as a body of water, valley, road or railway without blocking the path underneath.
The judge for the Bridges competition was David Rowlands and the following are his comments.
The images that took out top honours in the colour print set subject were Gordon Lindqvist with ‘Pont d’Avignon’, Vicki Kramer with ‘Sydney Icon Peeking Through’ and Michael Selge ‘Over the Bridge’.
The Judge said that ‘Pont d’Avignon’ is a nice image with the bridge well positioned. The image has sharp detail and a good reflection.
Gordon Lindqvist – Pont d’Avignon
Vicki Kramer’s ‘Sydney Icon Peeking Through’ showed a different view and angle of the bridge. The inclusion of the structure on the right was a nice touch and the image has good exposure and was technically well handled.
Vicki Kramer – Sydney Icon Peeking Through
‘Over the Bridge’ by Michael Selge had good colour contrast, the people add interest and they give a feeling of movement.
Michael Selge – Over the bridge
In the monochrome prints section, three following three images by Mark Pedler were chosen.
‘D’Avignon’ is a lovely photo and it suits a monochrome image, it has good side lighting, showing detail in bricks and building.
Mark Pedlar – D’avignon
‘Tooleybuc’ is framed well using the leaves. The bridge is well poistioned and has good contrast.
Mark Pedlar – Tooleybuc
‘Under The’ is a lovely image, the bridge takes up the screen real estate well and is very sharp with fine detail.
Mark Pedlar – Under The
In the monochrome prints open category, two images by Michael Selge took top honours.
‘Gabriela and Rodrigo’ is a well handled image in spite of the bright stage lights, the artist has good expression and it is well composed and sharp.
Michael Selge – Gabriela and Rodrigo
‘Perched’ is a well handled image, the animal has a good expression and there is enough room in the image for the animal to be looking into.
Michael Selge – Perched
A number of images took high score in the digital colour set subject section.
‘Saltstraumen Bridge’ by Angela Cogman shows an interesting contrast in architectural styles and was shot at a good time of day.
Angela Cogman – Saltstraumen Bridge
‘The Safe Way Across’ by Meredith Retallack has a dramatic sky and has a fairy tale feel about it. It is a lovely bridge and is quite dramatic with the sky and the mountain in the background.
Meredith Retallack – The Safe Way Across
‘Moors Bridge’ by Di Gage has a lot to look at, you could make a book cover from it, the fence, the moss covered rocks and the dangling chain give a feeling of age to the image.
Di Gage – Moors Bridge
‘Under the Bridge’ by Judy Sara almost looks like an abstract image. The Judge particularly liked the reflections under the bridge and it has good zig zag patterns.
Judy Sara – Under the Bridge
Again by Meredith Retallack, ‘Golden Glow Avignon’ is a super dramatic image, with a lovely red tinge in the sky and good exposure on the buildings.
Meredith Retallack – Golden Glow, Avignon
‘Birkenhead Bridge’ by Sheila Gatehouse is a sharp image. The water is is like a mirror. The inclusion of the boat is a nice touch, the lights have been handled well.
Sheila Gatehouse – Birkenhead Bridge
Meredith Retallack’s ‘Sweeping Toward Mont Saint Michel’ doesn’t have any blown highlights, there are sweeping leading lines. There is nothing to distract the viewer and no cropping is needed. There is interest all the way through and it has a lovely sky.
Meredith Retallack – Sweeping Towards Mont Saint Michel
In the projected mono set subject three images scored highly. ‘Arches, Toulouse’ by Meredith Retallack, has a grungy look on the underside of the bridge. It provides really nice framing of the second part of the bridge with the people. The entire composition and the exposure is done well and the detail is maintained throughout.
Meredith Retallack – Arches, Toulouse
‘Anzac Bridge’ shows a nice cityscape. The exposure is perfect and it provides great framing and contrast of the darker bridge against the light cityscape.
Vicki Kramer – Anzac Bridge
Vicki Kramer’s ‘Anzac Bridge is a lovely shot. This image is a perfect candidate for a monochrome shot and it has fantastic tonal range.
Angela Cogman – Budapest Chain Bridge
In the projected colour open category ‘Yellowcard’ by Michael Selge has good timing. The artist in the background is fantastic and there is great expression on both their faces.
Michael Selge – Yellowcard
‘One Missed Out’ by Sam Savage was loved by the Judge. It is almost as if Sam had directed the birds. The photo was taken down low and at eye level with the birds. There is enough of the ocean to see it is a shore bird and there are no distractions in the sand. This image should be put in nature exhibitions.
Sam Savage – One Missed Out
‘Autumn Luminance’ by Sarah Bailey is a lovely shot taken from different angles and then stacked.
Sarah Bailey – Autumn Luminance
Lastly in the projected monochrom open category there was one high scorer. ‘Buildings’ by Judy Sara is a good architectural shot. The image presents a snippet of a larger building which makes something interesting to look at, with contrast of different directions and vertical and horizontal lines.
Abstract art usually refers to the creation of non-representational or non-objective artworks that focus on colours, shapes, lines and textures, rather than visible objects or scenes. Use filters, blends, warp, overlays or light to create images in Photoshop (or similar).
The Judge for this competition was Geoff Smith. Geoff started his photography journey as an apprentice photo technician for SA Government in the early 70s. He went on to become a Senior Photographer. He later became a professional portrait photographer.
Geoff made some suggestions that all photographers could take note of. Several of the images with dark backgrounds had a one pixel wide border that made the image stand out when projected onto a screen as it differentiated the image from the dark background on the screen.
Geoff also said that when presenting a monochrome image the main subjects should have good tonal separation so that they don’t blend together.
The following are the top images from the competition and a brief summary of the Judge’s comments.
Projected Colour Set Subject
Topping the charts was Vicki Kramer with ‘Nub’ and Gial Iskov with ‘Water Colour’
Of ‘Nub’ Geoff said it is a delightful change, the texture could be paint on the wall and it looks as though it has been printed on a lovely grade of art paper. Great subtlety of colour. A good use of the frame.
Vicki Kramer – Nub
‘Water Colour’ is a very interesting study. The highlights were interesting, good forms and repetition of elements. It is fluid, the highlights are interesting. It has a very good structure and good design elements with the flow of the design going from bottom left to top right. Nicely composed.
Gail Iskov – Water Colour
Also scoring highly was Susan Bell with ‘Out of Place’. The image compositionally invites the viewer to explore the area that is not as busy, and leads the eye to left of centre. Good colour.
Susan Bell – Out of Place
‘Amazing Technicolors’ by Kerry Malec has colours that jump out, compositionally it works beautifully. The attention is drawn down to the shape and the viewer is invited to explore up by the red colours and to see the blue line at the top.
Kerry Malec_- Amazing Technicolours
Gail Iskov’s ‘Autumn Leaves’ shows definition, there is good light, tone and texture. Good use of frame and shape. There is a 3D aspect to the image. It works very nicely.
Gail Iskov – Autumn Leaves
Projected Monochrome Set Subject
The top scorer in this section was Judy Sara with ‘Daisy Mandala’.
Judy Sara – Mandala
‘Mandala’ fits well within the square format. It is an interesting subject giving a suggestion of texture.
Projected Colour Open Category
‘Gastro Slug’ by Meredith Retallack is a very impactful shot. The image is very tasteful. The slug is a lovely contrast colour.,
Meredith Retallack – Gastro Slug
Gordon Lindqvist’s ‘Gull in Flight’ is a lovely capture, there is nothing distracting in the background. It is all about the light contrast against the blue sky. The red around the eye and on the beak stand out. There is space in front of the bird for it to move into.
Gordon Lindqvist – Gull in Flight
‘Knock Knock’ by Michael Selge is a delightful study with beautiful red doors and gargoyle knockers. It is a good use of frame.
Michael Selge – Knock Knock
Projected Monochrome OpenCategory
‘Adorned with Dew Drops’ by Meredith Retallack is a nice study with the backlight coming through on the dew drops and a diffused background. The lighting on the coils and springs works well and it has subdued colour and tones behind. The web is highlighted by the dew and it has strong contrast tonally.
Meredith Retallack – Adorned with Dew Drops
Judy Sara’s ‘Sheep’ is interesting, even the sheep look interested. The image has good composition and it is good that the sheep are backlit. The separation of the individual animals is very good and the slow rise to the background frames the sheep well.
Judy Sara – Sheep
Colour Prints – Set Category
The square format of Judy Sara’s ‘Daisy Twirl’ frames the subject well. The strong colours stand out with the attractive brilliant red in the middle. It has nice symmetry.
Judy Sara – Daisy Twirl
Vicki Kramer’s ‘Abstract Glass’ is an interesting composition, with different moulded shapes and the relevant shadows. The image has movement and has a strong diagonal composition. It shows a good use of the portrait format.
Vicki Kramer – Abstract Glass
Lovely forms in Vicki Kramer’s ‘Lake Tahoe Morphed’ and it fits the space well. It keeps you guessing what it is.
Vicki Kramer – Lake Tahoe Morphed
This is a high impact image by Vicki Kramer. ‘Which Way is Up’ fits into the square format well.
Vicki Kramer – Which Way is Up
Colour Prints – Open Category
Judy Sara’s ‘Bee Eater Eating’ is a good use of the format, is has a horizontal element with the branch balanced by the line of the bird. Good detail on the bird and well executed and composed.
Judy Sara – Bee Eater Eating
Again by Judy Sara, ‘Ostrich Family’ has warm tonings, the ostriches have good detail, good depth with the out of focus background. The three chicks tell a story. It is nicely composed with no distractions and enough space to give balance.
Judy Sara – Ostrich Family
Michael Selge’s ‘Calistemon Snack’ shows the lovely colours of the bird and the flower. The background is controlled and out of the way. There are no distractions. The profile of the bird is good, rather than front on. It is looking at nebulous space.
Michael Selge – Calistemon Snack
Monochrome Prints – Open Category
Michael Selge’s ‘Horny’ is all about the silhouette and the stark lighting. The movement from the arms and bodies add interest as does the diffused lighting.
Michael Selge – Horny
Also by Michael Selge, ‘Dune Rats’ is a delightful live concert image. The singer’s eyes really stand out. There is strong lighting behind him, making this a difficult capture. The strength of the image is in the singers’ expression. The image has good tone and good composition.
Michael Selge – Dune Rats
‘Baby Elephant Drinking’ by Judy Sara has good tonal separation. The little elephant shows good separation from the adult. The image has good texture. Even though we canno see the absolute scale of the larger beast, we can see the little one which gives the scale of the larger animal. There is enough detail on the highlights and it has a lovely tonal range and tells a story.
This competition requires the photographer to capture the way in which water moves and the way it interacts with light, in either a natural setting or a controlled environment.
The Judge for this competition was Peter Phillips. Peter is a member of the Edwardstown Photographic Club, and has been a judge for 20 years.
The following are the top images from the competition and the Judge’s comments.
Projected Colour Set Subject
Hazel Marshall’s image ‘Wave Meets Rocks’ used a fast shutter speed capturing the action of the wave.
Hazel Marshall – Wave Meets Rocks
‘Reflective Water’ by Michael Selge caught the sunrise. The seagull draws the viewer’s attention and the image has nice colours. Michael got low to capture this shot.
Michael Selge – Reflective Water
Sarah Bailey’s ‘Liquid Twilight’ was very nicely caught, with intentional camera movement giving a beautiful result.
Sarah Bailey – Liquid Twilight
‘Drip Drop’ also by Michael Selge was not an easy subject to capture, but was handled very well.
‘Old Port, Honfleur’ by Meredith Retallack has a nice reflection and good light, especially the light on the building. The colours pop.
Meredith Retallack – Old Port, Honfleur
‘Ripples’ was taken by Hazel Marshall. A simple composition that shows the ripples on the water well.
Hazel Marshall – Ripples
‘Wall of Water’ taken by Vicki Kramer has captured amazingly green water.
Vicki Kramer – Wall of Water
Sarah Bailey’s ‘Water’s Whispers’ has a beautiful soft look.
Sarah Bailey – Water’s Whispers
Projected Monochrome Set Subject
Judy Sara’s ‘Curves and Horizontals’ is well handled, the whites are not blown out and has good composition.
Judy Sara – Curves and Horizontals
Meredith Retallack’s ‘Profusion of Pearls’ shows the light reflections very well with good composition.
Meredith Retallack – Profusion of Pearls
The following two images were taken by Judy Sara. The first ‘Ripples in the Waves’ has nice composition. The ripples with the reflections and the pattern is what makes this photo.
Judy Sara – Ripples in the Waves
The second, ‘Drinking’ shows an elephant from a different perspective.
Judy Sara – Drinking
Projected Colour Open Category
The Judge said ‘Love is in the Air’ by Sheila Gatehouse was well spotted, a quirky photo.
Sheila Gatehouse – Love is in the Air
‘Clematis’ by Susan Bell has been nicely taken, with good depth of field, with a good out of focus background.
Susan Bell – Clematis
‘Illuminated Cactus’ by Gordon Lindquist is an interesting photo, creative and well thought through and taken.
Gordon Lindqvist – Illuminated Cactus
‘Lumpy Bits’ is difficult to determine what the photo is of, but has an abstract feel, it keeps you guessing.
Vicki Kramer – Lumpy Bits
Projected Monochrome OpenCategory
‘Meredith Retallack’s ‘Arches, Toulouse’ has a good aspect to the arches with people walking through at exactly the right moment.
Meredith Retallack – Arches, Toulouse
‘Heilung’ by Michael Selge has difficult lighting for photography, the man with his arm out and open mouth steals the show. It is a powerful shot.
Michael Selge – Heilung
Heather Connolly’s ‘Inneston Weeds’ is a very simple, with good composition and good detail. The plants stand out and are nicely isolated.
Heather Connolly – Inneston Weeds
‘Hammerfall’ by Michael Selge is a good stage shot.
Michael Selge – Hammerfall
Rod Patterson’s ‘Mannum Falls’ is nicely exposed. Good black and white tones.
Rod Patterson _ Mannum Falls
Michael Selge’s ‘Sphere’ shows a lovely piece of sculpture.
Michael Selge – Sphere
Prints Colour Set Category
‘Autumn Reflections’ by Judy Sara used gold and blue which are great complementary colours. The image has a wow factor with the reflections showing the subtle movement of water.
Judy Sara – Autumn Reflections
Also by Judy Sara ‘Bow Waves’ shows the light on the crest of the waves.
Judy Sara – Bow waves, Near Tromso, Norway
Mono Prints Set Category
‘Into the Deep’ by Vicki Kramer shows the movement of water, you can see the air bubbles. It is a creative shot.
Vicki Kramer – Into the Deep
Judy Sara’s ‘Waves and Reflections’ is a nice shot.
Judy Sara – Waves and Reflections
Colour Prints Open Category
Michael Selge’s ‘Calistemon Snack’ is beautifully sharp with great feather detail. The bottle brush is sharp and the photo is well composed.
Michael Selge – Calistemon Snack
Judy Sara’s ‘Lilac Breasted Roller with Lizard has been presented in a minimalistic manner.
Judy Sara – Lilac-Breasted Roller with Lizard
Mono Prints Open Category
Judy Sara’s ‘Coming Down the Path’ is lovely and sharp, the dark background isolates the animal beautifully. Well presented.
Judy Sara – Coming Down the Path
‘Dune Rat’ by Michael Selge has been excellently handled, especially with the difficult lighting. Lovely light on the face, with his wide open eyes. The drums in the background don’t intrude.
Michael Selge – Dune Rats
Vicki Kramer’s Memorial Reflections’ creates impact where the photo is brightest, the ripple effect shows the reflection well.
Blackwood Photographic Club of South Australia Inc. 