Congratulations to Karen Moffatt-McLeod APSNZ, the winner of the Canon Online round 5 for 2025.  There were 93 entries in this round.

A bit of history about Karen:

Predominantly a portrait/creative portrait photographer, I do love monochrome for portraits, but in recent times have been producing a lot more colour images as this is a different type of challenge. I am fortunate to have a handful of people (models) that are happy to get involved in my creative projects and have worked with this model for a few years now which has been interesting to watch her grow from a young girl into a young woman.

About the winning image:

Firstly, a bit of history, Gráinne Ní Mháille the Irish “Pirate Queen” is a well-known historical figure in sixteenth-century Irish history who is commonly known by her anglicised name of Grace O’Malley.

I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about pirates and also strong women and had been wanting to do a pirate shoot for a long time.  Finally, things came together with costuming, my model and my new Smoke Ninja machine which I used as I wanted to create a sea foggy atmosphere.  My husband has a lovely wooden model of a tall ship which I decided lent a bit more to the sea-faring image so I took an image of that and included it during the processing.

I shot this in my home studio with a key light on the right and above her and a fill light (small LDC) front and left and ran around madly with the smoke ninja in one hand and the camera in the other.

 

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The judge for this round was Marie Bilodeau LPSNZ

An introduction to Marie:

My name is Marie Bilodeau. Twenty-eight years ago, I relocated from Canada to beautiful New Zealand. New Zealand reminds me so much of home. As a self-proclaimed nature lover, I am drawn to the numerous forests and lakes in search of birds.

 

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Judge’s Comments

It is always a pleasure to see the spectacular images entered in Canon Online. They are a great source of inspiration to me. Congratulations to everyone who entered. Choosing ten from over ninety fantastic images was a challenging task.

1st Gráinne Ní Mháille - Karen Moffatt-McLeod APSNZ

The stunning portrait of the Irish Pirate Queen tells a lot about her personality. Her facial expression is one which would challenge many of her adversaries. She appears determined and even intimidating. This image is stunning.

2nd A Southern Emu-wren displaying tail - Jennifer Burton

Perched on a treetop, high above the forest, this wren can see for miles. It is the perfect place to display his beautiful tail for all to see. The intricate detail in the bird is magnificent. Thank you for sharing.

3rd The Cheat - Allysa Carberry APSNZ

There is a lot to love about this image. The characters are all animated and tell a delightful story, together with the setting and props. I could look at this scene over and over continuously see something interesting and new. Its’ like a scene in a TV show.

4th Low Key Glass - Dianne Wells LPSNZ

The wine glass nestled close to the wine bottle seems to strengthen their relationship. The perfect pairing. It is a well-crafted minimalistic image. Excellent job.

5th Portal - Roger Ball LPSNZ

The portal is surrounded by exquisite light that leads us in. Once there we are treated to a simple, divine image. Well worth the journey. The complimentary colors of blue and yellow are superb. This image is simple but effective.

6th Seagulls at Makorori in Sunset - Brian Turner LPSNZ

This delicate, simple image speaks volumes with the birds breaking through the fog bringing just the right bit of contrast. The position of the birds works well in relation to the rest of the image. Very creative.

7th Leaf skeleton and reflection - Shona Jaray Hon PSNZ APSNZ

Even as life ends this leaf retains its beauty. The minimal color palette forces our focus to go beyond color to the intricate pattern in the leaf and its reflection. Well seen.

8th Out of Darkness - Barbara Lee APSNZ

What strikes me about this image is the beautiful effect of the light. It brings a sense of movement to the sky and sea, while providing a pathway for the birds. Very creative image.

9th On the escalator - Markham Mail APSNZ AFIAP

This is a strong image with each silhouette telling its own story. A father is minding his child as the mother looks on. One little girl is in a world all her own. The diagonal escalator works well to feature all the individuals. Well done.

10th Young Nicks Head - Julia Rae FPSNZ

Young Nicks Head was originally named after a 12-year-old crew member who pointed it out while on one of Captain Cook’s expeditions. It features prominently between the coast and sea. Subtle shades of blue add delicacy to the image, with the wee ship providing a sense of scale. It is a great image of a famous landmark.