Tools of Trade – Competition 18th June 2026
The tools of trade are the star attraction for entries in this competition.
The Judge for this month’s competition was Andy Mitchell. The following are the top scoring photos and his comments
Projected Colour – Set Subject
The image shows a machine in use with the flames flaring from the grinding wheel. It also shows the rotation of the left hand wheel. The detail on the machine shows it is old, a little rusty and vintage. The Judge said he liked this photo.
The Judge liked the thought that has gone into creating this image. It works well as an abstract representation of tools. It has good focus so that you can see the hairs on each individual thread.
This photo grabs the attention with the obvioous motion in the wheel and the sparks.
Projected Colour – Open Category
Nice lighting painting in this photo. The sparks radiating from the central halo work well. The sparks fragmenting when they hit the ground adds interest.
A great capture of the paradlote in flight. It is sharp and the action is frozen. With the subdued background the bird is the hero of the image.
The bland background emphasises the bird which is the hero of this photo. The whole impact is contained in the blur, emphasising the motion.
Projected Monochrome – Open Category
The photo below has an abstract quality to it. The photographer has gone in close so that the background is excluded.
Good Action in a concert shot. The guitar players look like they are giving it their all. The lights add to a sense of chaos and action.
The author has done a very good job. The stars are on point, sharp, and there are streaks from passing satelites.
The chaotic pattern gives this photo a slightly abstract feel.
Print Colour – Set Subject
A well planned photo with nice colours.
Print Monochrome – Set Category
There is good contrast in this photo with the dark skin tones and bright clothes and with the net in between the photo works well.
Print Monochrome – Open Category
This is a good shot, the exposure on the birds is perfect. There is nice detail in the wings, and the image is sharp. There is a lot of detail in the capture. The photographer has really caught the action.
This photo works well compositionally with the use of the light beam. The double bass is parallel to the line and the musician’s legs are splayed so that converging lines focus attention.
An interesting portrait shot. The expression is engimatic and the viewer wonders what the subject is thinking about. The photo works well with the dark background and clothing, so the focus is on the subject’s face. Her dark eyes become an important feature of the photo.
A technically well taken shot, exposure and sharpness are good. It is well composed with nice, subtle shades of grey. The birds have a bit more contrast so the viewer focuses on them.
The photographer has caught the performer mid song. The lighting works, well highlighting the face of the musician and his instrument.
An Unusual Experience – Competition February 29th 2024
This month’s Judge was photographer Alan Bevan. Alan is also President of his local photography club. Alan gave good advice on both the open and set subjects. When judging a photo Alan looks for impact, composition, quality and narrative. Alan particularly noted the placement of elements within the images, looking for good borders and ensuring room was left around the image elements to allow them to stand out and for the viewer to be able to sense where the movement takes place and where the subject will move to next. When judging bird photos, Alan looks for the impact and narrative of bird behaviour rather than a static bird.
The image “Today’s Weather” by David Hancock was awarded high marks by the Judge in the Colour Set Subject as he said it was well composed with nice separation between the clouds and the border, has good colours and was shot at a good time of day, giving the image impact.
In the Mono Set Subject “Leap Year” by Kerry Malec was technically well done and showed creativity.
Taking out top honours in the Colour Open section Sam Savage’s image “Breakfast at Waitpinga” has strong impact. The Judge said it was was a great capture and had excellent timing. The image is almost humorous as the young bird is leaning so far back. As the viewer, you can almost hear the noise. The background is nicely out of focus and the image has good tonal range.
The image “Success” by Heather Connelly was also deemed a very good image by the Judge, there is nice separation between the main bird subject and the birds below. Alan said it was a well composed and captured image with the other birds being slightly out of focus.
Also achieving a high score in this section was “Lotus Beauty” by Di Gage. The Judge said there was sharpness across the image with good framing and beautiful detail in the middle and the viewer could see enough of the bee. The highlights were handled well with attractive soft lighting.
“Attitude” by Michael Selge in the Mono Open Section had a strong subject, the singer’s stance was dramatic and had high impact. The explosion of light in the smoke created drama with great framing of the subject.
Taking top honours in the Mono section was “Sharing” from Sam Savage. The Judge described it as a fabulous shot, beautifully composed with high impact.
In the Print Open Colour Section Di Gage’s “A Look Inside” (Image not supplied), was captured in a pleasing way, a flower being shot from above. In the Mono Prints Open Section Michael Selge’s “Chester” was a strong image with impact, a huge amount of energy and good tonal range.
And Michael’s “Dance” also had impact on the viewer, with beautiful light and a sharp image.
Finally in the Set Subject Colour Print section Michael’s “Boom” was an interesting capture, a great image, the explosion has impact and it is an extraordinarily unusual image of the woman.
Mark Pedlar’s “Fixing Christchurch” had a lot to like, an image of a mural with a face looking alarmed appropriate for a building being demolished nearby.
Blackwood Photographic Club of South Australia Inc. 