Our judge for this round was Caroline Ludford LPSNZ LRPS. She is originally from Lancashire in the UK and moved to NZ in 2006, recently retiring from NZ Police after 29 years service (UK and NZ) having been a Police Forensic Photographer in Auckland where I dealt with many varied and sometime gruesome scenes.
Along with being an accredited PSNZ judge, she also keeps busy volunteering for the charities Make-A-Wish and Heartfelt, and you can find her out and about photographing birds whenever she gets the chance.
Caroline’s Comments:
It was a privilege to assess these images for the Canon On Line competition. I thoroughly enjoyed looking through all 90 shots. With so many wide-ranging topics, it was not an easy task to pick just 10.
For me photography is about creating powerful, emotive pictures and having an awareness of lighting and how it changes your photography for the better. You will see that many of my top ten have beautiful lighting and that’s why they stood out to me.
Congratulations to the top ten authors.
1st By the river – Brent Higham
This image really stood out for me. The lighting makes this an exceptional shot and leaves the viewer curious as to what you might find down by the river. It has a mystical atmosphere to it with the tonal range adding to that mood. Excellent shot.
2nd In the mist – Shona Kebble APSNZ
A beautiful simple scene that has been skillfully handled. Delightful lighting and a feeling of balance with the inclusion of the two sticks. Stunning detail and colour with the reflection in the water adding to the ambiance. I could see this hanging in a gallery.
3rd Clean up – Dianna Hambleton LPSNZ
The lighting and colour palette caught my eye with this image and the more I looked, the more of the story came out. He looks quite unkempt and I could imagine him being quite a sad figure which adds to the tale. Striking detail.
4th Journey – Alison Denyer LPSNZ
There is so much to explore in this image and the more I viewed, the more engaged I felt. It grew on me each time I looked at it. I enjoyed the story that you could take from it. Strong compositionally with the birds bringing me back into the shot in the mirror.
5th Cloisters – Roger Wandless FPSNZ
This shot caught my eye with the lady gazing out into the light. Good composition and I enjoy the repetition of the shapes of the light coming through and disappearing to the window at the bottom of the shot. Nice use of black and white keeps distractions to a minimum.
6th Desperate little one – Pankaj Bhakta
I enjoyed the vibrancy of colour within this image and the slight movement captured in the wings of the silvereye chick as it awaits some food. The black background together with the simple composition lets us concentrate on the main attraction. Nice detail.
7th It was a fragile beauty – Annette Johnston LPSNZ
I found this shot held my attention with the delicate and graceful detail. It is a clean, stylish and elegant portrayal of a once elegant flower. I enjoyed the simplicity of the image.
8th Shannon – Kevin Dickinson APSNZ
The eyes showing us the innocence and beauty of youth sparkle in this image. I enjoyed the slight tilt to her head and the fine focus with her hair blending into the darkened background. I feel that the black and white treatment adds to the feeling of modest beauty and enhances this image.
9th Thai brush vendor – Liz Hardley FPSNZ EFIAP/b LRPS
The lighting and detail of this chap as he goes about his day captured my imagination. His expression makes me feel that he is happy with life. The author has captured a decisive moment with interaction between the two of them. Nice use of black and white with the full range shown here.
10th Galaxy in colour – Toya Heatley APSNZ
I enjoyed the swirling craziness of this shot with the vibrant colours. Something different to the other images but with impact and a ‘force field’ mood to it. The black background adds to the vibrancy and I love it.
A final couple of notes on the competition:
The overall leader board is still wide open, so get thinking about your entries for round 4, which closes on 25th August. There’s still plenty of time to think about what you would like to enter – the online system is up and running, so if you’ve already got that winning image for next round, feel free to enter it now!
The winning images from each round can be viewed larger here, please take the time to look at these stunning images.
Remember, virtually all photographic images are eligible for CanonOnline – the only images that aren’t eligible are those which have previously received a placing or have been awarded an honours or higher at the National Exhibition – the full rules and regulations are available on the website, at the canon online submission page. Best of luck to you all!
James Gibson APSNZ AFIAP
Canon Online Co-ordinator