2022 May Entries

Topic: OPEN Judge: (Double Click on any image below to start slide show)

BASIC LEVEL WINNERS

: 8.0 The marker did a good job of expressing the vast openness of Texas. The choice to use a panorama crop helps to get rid of needless parts of the image. The clouds are interesting though those on the left side are a bit over exposed. In my opinion, if the maker would lower the exposure and take the highlighter slide all of the way to the left, would help to bring out detail in the clouds. Take the shadow slider to the right to lighten up the fore ground and the tree. Try cropping off the right side just to the trees.

: 8.0 – The image show a very nice peaceful farm scene. This image has a lot of empty space which could be cropped out. Try cropping both sides to the cows, also crop the top 1/3, or so, of the image. This will help to focus the viewer’s eye to the cows, barn and the colorful clouds. Also, try and increased the exposure in the foreground to help make the cows pop more.

: 9.0 This is an interesting image. I am going to assume (ass u me) that the maker either had a GoPro strapped to his/her chest or helmet or had a passenger take it for him/her. Regardless, it displays a sense of place and the action which is going on. The fact that the maker used the sides of the bridge for a converging parrel lines is appealing and leads one’s eye from the speedometer to the horizon.

: 8.0 The marker has done a nice job of capturing a nice tranquil moment at a Koi Pond. The two fish and the turtle, in the bottom right corner, adds interest. There are several parts of this image that the maker seems to trying to capture. In my opinion, the image could be improved in several ways. When the maker is taking an image of water, try using a Circular Polarizing filter to “cut” through the glare. The viewer’s eye will find that this mage’s horizon isn’t straight and sags to the left. It seems that at the bottom, there was some vegetation which is out of focus and causing a blur. It may have not been an option but, if the maker could have waited to see if the fish and/or turtle got closer to the Cranes would have helped to improve the image. Try knocking done the exposure and highlights and bring up the shadows.

: HM 9.0 This is a nice and well exposed image of a person riding their motorcycle down a country lane. Some might not like that this is a butt shot but, it doesn’t bother me. The subject of the image should be the rider. Instead, the motorcyclist is almost lost to the viewer’s eye. Yes, it is nice to have some road, in the foreground, to lead the viewer’s eye to the main subject. In my humble opinion, there is too much road in the foreground. The maker should try and crop off the bottom 10% – 15% and the side to where it just meets the road. This should give the viewer a vertical image which focuses on the rider while there will still have enough of the trees to give the image a sense of place.

: THIRD PLACE 9.0 The maker did a good job capturing the red/orange clouds. There is a very nice contrast between the clouds and blue sky. In my opinion, the viewer’s eye is drawn in by the blue sky. The makers should try and crop off the top 15% – 20%. That will give the viewer’s eye less area to wander off to and will help it focus on the red/orange cloud

: SECOND PLACE 10.0 The maker has done a good job expressing the old saying, “Close but no cigar”. It has the viewer, if they play Poker, thinking should they keep the two Jacks or discard the Jack of Hearts and go for a Royal, straight or regular flush. The cards are well exposed and in focus. The maker has the background blurred enough so not to be too distracting. Inside NIK’s Color Effect Pro is a tool they call Darken/Lighten Center. In my opinion, that would be a very good way to keep the exposure of the cards and darken the background a bit. By doing that, it would help the viewer’s eye to focus more on the cards.

: FIRST PLACE 10.0 The maker did a very good job isolating the angel from the background by making the background black. There are enough shadows to create texture but are light enough to show detail. The image is cropped to eliminate unwanted distractions

ADVANCED LEVEL WINNERS

: 8.0 Comments – As a viewer, I am always drawn to reflections. Including those in the glass of other buildings. The maker did a nice job with the image’s exposure and focus. In my opinion, this image could have been better if the maker had moved more to the right, if possible, to get more of the reflection in the glass. There is a blur, on the left side of the image, that is distracting to the viewer’s eye and could easily be cropped out. The maker might also play with straightening the buildings to remove the fisheye effect.

: 8.0 The maker shot this image from a lower position looking up at the cross with some nice clouds in the background. In my opinion, the image suffers from the horizon tilting to the right. Try straightening the image and especially the center cross. Also, there are plants, in the foreground, which are blurry and distracting.

: 9.0 The maker did a very nice job using the trees and the shaded path to draw the viewers to the end of the of the path to the planter. The planter is lighter than the surrounding trees and shaded path thus drawing the viewer’s eye to the planter. The maker might play with cropping the image. By reducing the foreground, sides and top, the planter is more pronounced thus drawing the viewer’s eye to it.The maker did a very nice job using the trees and the shaded path to draw the viewers to the end of the of the path to the planter. The planter is lighter than the surrounding trees and shaded path thus drawing the viewer’s eye to the planter. The maker might play with cropping the image. By reducing the foreground, sides and top, the planter is more pronounced thus drawing the viewer’s eye to it.The maker did a very nice job using the trees and the shaded path to draw the viewers to the end of the of the path to the planter. The planter is lighter than the surrounding trees and shaded path thus drawing the viewer’s eye to the planter. The maker might play with cropping the image. By reducing the foreground, sides and top, the planter is more pronounced thus drawing the viewer’s eye to it.The maker did a very nice job using the trees and the shaded path to draw the viewers to the end of the of the path to the planter. The planter is lighter than the surrounding trees and shaded path thus drawing the viewer’s eye to the planter. The maker might play with cropping the image. By reducing the foreground, sides and top, the planter is more pronounced thus drawing the viewer’s eye to it.

: THIRD PLACE 9.0 The maker did a nice job capturing the women in the parade. The maker “shot” them while they were looking and smiling at the maker. The image is well exposed and the clouds adds interest to the image. In my opinion, the image suffers from the head of the brown horse and the hoof of the white horse being cut off. If the maker had moved their camera more to the right and a bit down the whole images of the horses could have been photographed. Also, in the future, another focus might be the pooper scooper following behind the horses.

: SECOND PLACE 10.0 The maker did a very nice job photographing these Pansies. The ones in the front are well exposed and tack sharp. The green leaves do a nice job framing the flowers. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the Pansies. A minor suggestion would be to use a subtle vignette to darken the areas around the pansies thus further drawing the viewer’s eye to the flowers.

: FIRST PLACE 10.0 The maker did a wonderful job with the exposure, focus and isolation of the rose. It has no distracting backgrounds. Nothing in the rose is blown out or not sharp. Just a minor suggestion, use your healing brush to take out those spots on the Rose’s leaves.

MASTERS LEVEL WINNERS

: 8.0 This is a nice silhouette of the tree and the colorful clouds in the background. The maker did a very nice job with the exposure, showing detail in the clouds without blowing out the brights in the lower left corner. In my opinion, this image could have been improved if the maker had made this a vertical image and not cut off the bottom, giving it an anchor, and the top of the tree. As a viewer I find the clouds at the bottom to be more interesting and would have liked to see more of them.

: 8.0 The maker did a nice job capturing the golden light on the clouds and the God Rays coming up to meet them. It is well composed. In my opinion though, it looks very flat and soft. If the maker would apply some Tonal Contrast, it would help to make the clouds to pop.

: 8.0 This is nice colorful flower image. The maker chose to frame the flower by shooting it at an angle showing only part of the flower. This composition works well. The bottom left is sharp but the rest of the image, including the stamens, are a bit soft and out of focus. This would be a very good time to practice focus stacking. Also, a subtle vignette would help to bring the viewer’s eye to the stamens

: 8.0 The maker did a nice job capturing the cactus flowers. The colors are vibrant and is pleasing to the viewer’s eye. In my opinion, this image seems to be a bit too soft. It looks like the center stamens are picking up too much pink. The maker should try and crop 25% off the right side. This would direct the viewer’s eyes to the flowers. The light background is conflicting with the flowers for attention, darkening them down would help. The next time, try using focus stacking to get all parts of the flower in focus.

: 8.0 The maker was at the right place at the right time. The image makes the viewer wonder is the Eagle looking at his/her next meal and is the Squirrel thinking, “if I just stand still maybe the eagle won’t see me and go away”. The maker did a nice job telling a story with this image. It looks like the maker cropped some off the top and/or bottom to eliminated some useless information. In my opinion, a bit more could be taken off both the top and bottom. Both the Squirrel and the Eagle seem to be a bit soft to the viewer’s eye. If the marker could have moved more to the right, that twig wouldn’t have gone through the squirrel.

: 8.0 This is a nice well exposed image. Everything that needs to be in focus, is. It portrays the sense of young love. The maker did a good job of not leaving too much foreground in the image. In my opinion, I think that the viewer would like to know what the couple is looking at. Again, in my opinion, if the maker had zoomed out so that the viewer could see what the couple is seeing, putting them in the lower left corner, it would make for a more pleasing image. Then to make sure that the viewer’s eye is directed to the couple, use a subtle vignette around them, making them the brightest part of the image.

: 8.0 The maker has done a nice job to show the vastness of the flats that the individuals who are fishing. The golden light and the sun reflection are both pleasing to the viewer’s eye. The image suffers from a horizon that tilts to the left. The maker might want to try and crop out at least 1/3 of the foreground and on the sides to create a vertical image. This would help to accentuate the individuals fishing.

: 8.0 The maker did a nice job showing what is fairly common in parts of the world. The image shows the bright, but weathered, colors of the building and the gentleman in the window and the clothesline below the window. In my opinion, this would have been a much stronger image if the marked had taken a vertical shot that got the window and building in the photograph without cutting off the door and window on the bottom. This image needs something to anchor it, to the foreground and the street below.

: 9.0 – A very nice still life of the Pampas Grass and the colorful clouds. The image is well exposed and is sharp. In my opinion though, I think it would be a better image if the maker had stepped back and got a bit more of the foreground to give the Pampas Grass “roots” to anchor it in the image.

: 8.0 This is a very nice waterfall image in which the maker slowed down the shutter speed enough to show movement. It seems that the maker wanted to use the fern fronds to frame the waterfall. In my opinion, the viewer’s eye is drawn away from the waterfall by the lighter fronds screaming look at me. The maker might try and crop out the fronds. Use the highlight slider to darken down the waterfall and use the clarity and texture sliders to help bring out the detail.

: 9.0 Nice image of a Brown Pelican. It is well exposed and the maker has left room on the right side for the Pelican to look. In my opinion, the Pelican looks a little too soft and there seems to be noise in the water and the Pelican.

: HM 9.0 The maker did a very nice job with the exposure, focus and composition of the flower bud. The whole bud is in focus and the lighting and shadows are well handled. The background in nicely blurred. In my opinion, though, the viewer’s eye is distracted and drawn away from the bud by the very light stem. The maker should darken down the stem and it would be a much better image.

: HM 9.0 The human eye is lazy and likes to go downhill. The maker has done a very nice job composing this image so that the viewer’s eye is being led down the path. The image is well exposed and in focus. As a viewer, I would like to have my eye drawn to one point. The Aspens, on the left, are lighter than the colorful Aspen leaves on the right. The maker might try crop a third off the left. Tone down the left side of the image making the colorful leaves and the end of the path the lightest part of the image. This would draw the viewer’s eye to that point.

: THIRD PLACE 10.0 As a person, I enjoy sarcastic humor. The maker used sarcastic humor to name this image. It is well exposed and tack sharp. The screw, nails and staples tell a story. The telephone pole has a history of things being posted, torn down and reposted, leaving the hardware behind. In my opinion the story is the hardware and a minor suggestion, for next time, would be to move to the right to have the hardware be more pronounced in the image.

: SECOND PLACE 10.00 Avery nice simple image. It took a second to realize that the foreground is a reflecting pool. In my opinion, I like how the maker limited the foreground to the bottom 1/3 of the image and left enough on the top for the time of 9:01. One could make the argument for showing more of the Memorial but, this works very well too. One minor suggestion would be to, next time, to move more to the right and wait for someone to walk on the path between the pool and the Memorial to give it a bit of perspective.

: FIRST PLACE 10.0 This image could be used for a Golf Course’s brochure. This image has several layers for the viewer to look at. The Golfers are on the right with plenty of room for the to look to the left. The sand trap in a very nice anchor, houses nicely fill in the middle and the clouds, and their colors, adds interest to the image. One minor thought might be for the maker to, maybe, take a bit more off the top making it into a pano.

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