SSN_146_THE STREAM.jpg

Honours. An interesting and inventive interpretation of the set subject. There are lots of lines and the shadows do lead you through the image from bottom right to the top left. I really like the blue colour tones in the water and the addition of the yellow creates a nice contrast to the blue. My only suggestion would be to crop some of the black off the top off the image, and maybe clone out a little bit of the yellow, just enough to have remove it from the image edge. This subject has been very well seen and in this grade I think it deserves top makes. Well done.

SSA_140_Full Stretch.jpg

Honours. A very nice action shot. Also, a creative take on the set subject, with the Polo sticks taking on the role of the leading lines by leading the viewers eye to the ball. The background is nicely soft and does not compete with the horse or their riders. I like that one of the horses is making eye contact with the photographer, as this adds some engagement with the viewer that is missing from the people the image. The exposure is good and the shutter speed that have been used has frozen the action nicely. Resulting in capturing a very cool moment in time.

SSA_097_ROYAL ARCADE.jpg

Honours. Very cool! There is a lot to see in this image and due to the composition, which is great, you really look into the image. The very low angle of the camera works very well, and I love the chest board pattern on the floor, along with the symmetry of the roof, with all lines leading to the archway and what I believe is the concierge desk at the centre of the image. Excellent capture that I can’t fault

OPB_151_Fish of the day.jpg

Honours. Wow, what a cool image. Timing, light, exposure, shutter, depth of field, all spot on. I can’t say much more. Amazing capture very well done.

OPA_140_Look into my Eyes.jpg

Honours. Another very strong image. It’s not very often you get to see a seal this close. The focus is good. The detail, in the face, including the flies and not so pleasant discharge from the nose is exceptional. I think the composition is also very good, especially the eyes being on an angle in the frame. A very strong natural history shot.

OPA_012_A LOST WORLD.jpg

Honours. This image has been very well captured, and the title is very well suited. There is good detail across the whole image especially in the foliage. Which draws the eye beautifully into this space. There is some noise in the rocks, which has possibly come from lifting the shadows in post processing. Having tried to take similar images, I know how hard it can be to get the exposure in both the highlights and shadows perfect and something must give. Even with the use of exposure blending and taking several shots at different exposures, it can be difficult to blend them perfectly. I think the photographer has done a good job with this image, and I believe the noise is something that probably could not be easily avoided, as the dynamic range in this location far exceeds the capability of any camera.

FTA_027_FIRST LIGHT.jpg

Honours. Elegant use of late afternoon light and exposure placement. Enjoyed both the rim lighting and strong use of shaddows. Only minor issue is the vignette is a touch too heavy.

OPN_121_Waterfallwomanjpg.jpg

Honours. For me the image gave me a strong sense of serenity and peacefulness. I liked how you how you have used the depth of field to leave the waterfall pool and the waterfall itself in blur which has in my opintion really helped reduce the impact of the highlights. Nicely done. I also enjoyed the shutter speed selected which provides, in my view a gentleness in the water flow. While I found the overhanging vines a little distracting, in my opinion these vines were not a significant distraction from the quality of the story.

OPA_140_Grooming Time.jpg

Honours. For me this is a truly beautiful image that shows a time when birds preen their feathers. Nice light, nice detail, nicely presented.

OPA_097_MISTY TREES.jpg

Honours. I enjoyed the way you have used intentional camera movement to create an impressionist image. Nice hues, nice lighting and lovely hues. Nice image.

OPA_021_FALCON IN THE RAIN.jpg

Honours. A beautifully presented portrait of the karearea. I really am attracted to this image because of the clarity of the eyes which reveals the predatory nature of this bird.

SSA_012_FROSTED.jpg

Honours. A story of a neglected fence and gate emphasized by the wintry textures. The desaturation of colours adds to the mood and the angle of the fenceline adds visual interest to the composition.

OPN_150_ UP ON THE HILL.jpg

Honours. I was amused by this image in which all the sheep are looking at the photographer. The big cloudy sky and the subdued colour palette add atmosphere. Lovely side lighting on silhouetted sheep.

OPA_140_Baby on Board.jpg

Honours. I see a strong story in this high key image of a mother and baby chick. The treatment simplifies the image, stripping away much that might otherwise distract from the story.

OPA_095_STANDING TALL.JPG

Honours. Yellow and blue are contrasting colours, so the yellow of the Sunflower stands out against the complimentary blue colour of the flowers in the field. It is also a simple uncluttered compositions with the flower slightly off centre adding a bit of drama, which is pleasing to the eye. Even though the sunflower is small it still stands out, this is because yellow is a colour that advances forward will blue will retreat into the background, that’s why this composition works so well. There is a light vignette at the corners which draws the eye in towards the sunflower. There is a small bit of yellow at the bottom right, it is not a big thing, but I would be tempted to remove it as it can be distracting.

OPA_012_FROSTY HILLS.jpg

Honours It is always good when you can connect with an image emotionally. This photograph creates the emotion of a cold bleak wide open space. The composition and colour pallet are simple. There is the negative space of sky, with its shades of grey, that sets a bleak mood. Lower down we have the frost covered hills where the light and shadow has created contours over the hills giving them shape. In the foreground there the frost covered grassland adding a subtle brown tone to the image. To create a feeling of a wide open space the photographer has chosen a panoramic crop to the image.

SSN_152_foggyBW.jpg

Honours. In my view the only changes to make to this beautiful minimalist image are to print it – frame it in a simple black frame and hang it on a wall! I find the compositional choice, moment choice, and black and white choice all work together to create a finished piece of art.

OPN_152_Silhouette.jpg

Honours The chosen colourful time of day and placement of your silhouetted scene work beautifully to create a strong image. I love the size and crispness of the people featuring against the gold water, with the leading lines of the jetty, bush and clouds taking the viewer’s eye to the focal point of the image.

OPA_140_Heron Portrait.jpg

Honours. I can feel the heron looking at me and in my view this adds an emotional connection to the image. In my opinion the cropping is perfectly suited to the image and I love the detail in the eye area and beak.

OPA_071_GRACEFUL FLUIDITY.jpg

Honours. In my opinion the title leads us to a beautifully crafted, graceful image with lovely lines and a subtle focus point. I enjoy the skilful camera work as well as artistic finishing off of the image.

SSN_144_ecocide - is this our future 1.jpg

Honours. For me the simplicity of this image strengthens the comment on the social issue of climate change. I find your composition effective and appreciate your attention to detail within the image.

SSA_140_Wrecking havoc.jpg

Honours. The effective subframing within the image catches my eye. I then also appreciate the use of complimentary blues and rusty oranges and I feel the juxtaposition of the two main elements within the image, strengthen your strong social comment.

SSA_097_SCRAMBLED.jpg

Honours. I find your choice of compositional texture, your choice of layering and your choice of sharpness and blur add up to create a strong story and clever statement. This is further enhanced by your title.

SSA_080_Playtime.jpg

Honours. A stunning example of creative photography. The dark background draws the focus to the girl and the colours around her. I am sure much fun was had when creating this image. Well done!

SSA_027_ARMAGEDDON; HOPE IS BUT A DREAM.jpg

Honours. This is a stunning piece of creativity! It is full of drama and dreamy colours. Very well done!

OPN_121_runDogRun.jpg

Honours. This image could have been placed in the creative category. I love the intentional camera movement in this image, the dog is clearly defined, yet the speed in which it is moving has given the photographer the opportunity for a lovely creative image. I feel that there are a few distractions along the top of the image and would recommend cropping it at the top a little to remove the distractions and make the image stronger, however I am willing to ignore them and enjoy the dog. Nicely done.

OPB_021_OUTSTANDING IN HIS FIELD.jpg

Honours. I love this image, the beautiful soft pastel colours of the sunset or sunrise, the silhouetted foreground with the cow definitely out standing in HER field. Well done!

OPA_140_Surprise Attack!.jpg

Honours. This is a spectacular action shot of the two seals. The eye is so intense. I like the softer background and the capture of movement in the water in the foreground. Very well done!

OPA_080_Glenorchy Wizard.jpg

Honours. This took me back to the movie theatre when I was watching Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. He is a good-looking wizard! I like the directional light coming in from the left of the image. Nicely done.

SSA_012_HOAR FROST OTAGO.jpg

Honours. I can really feel an intense coldness in this frosty scene. I felt all the elements from the tonality in all areas, the fog rolling in from top left the frost settled on the ground, the widespread frost across the entire image, all contributed to making this such an excellent image. In my opinion a well composed and presented image.

OPB_021_WINTER STORM AT COSY NOOK.jpg

Honours. I enjoyed the context, the placement of the main elements and the tones of the image – from the horizon line to the surge of the waves and the dark brooding tones on the rocks, the sky and the sea in the background. All this combined to give me sense of the drama of bad weather. In contrast I found the bright tones on the breaking waves to imply a sense of hope for something better to come. I thought this image was well conceived and constructed as it gave me a strong emotional connection to the story.

OPA_080_ BEST DAYS ARE OVER.jpg

Honours. I really enjoyed this image. As an older person myself, and having experienced a number of physical health challenges, I got a sense that this image has a story of age and usefulness that speaks across people, possessions, homes, animals and societies. I could picture this story through the use of tones to draw attention to just a small part of the scene and leaving the larger part of the scene in shadow and darkness. This aspect of the image resonated with me when I think back over a human life. For example, a good 20% to 30% is in growth before we reach the productive/useful part of a human life. This lighter tones in the image on the steering wheel, the dials and the gear stick reminded me a lot of times when we think we have control of our lives. Later we often find that what we thought was a life under control was just an illusion and turns out to me no more than a shadowy part of the whole of our life. For me this is wonderful symbolic story.

OPA_140_Somewhere near Paradise.jpg

Honours. I feel calmed by this image. It is soft and dreamlike, but don’t be fooled. I think there has been some serious thought put into the construction of this image. Often the horizon through the centre is frowned upon, and on the line of thirds is preferred, but here, it works because the image is so well balanced. The dark hills on each side balance each other. The darker foreground repeating and reflecting the shape of the light sky works well. Imagine a crop from the bottom, to remove the dark foreground area, a very different image, and not as successful as this is. Great work, by a photographer who knows the rules and when to break them.

SSB_021_DO THESE STAIRS GO UP.jpg

Honours. Effective use of black and white to simplify the image. I enjoyed the way the diagonal line of the stairs help to lead my eye to the brightest part of the image on the left. Well balanced, well exposed and super simple. There is nothing in this image which doesn’t need to be there, including colour. I also enjoyed the slightly smudgy look which contrasts well with the hardness of the stairs. Congratulations.

SSA_012_#21 SHINJUKU.jpg

Honours. At first viewing I thought this was a mirror shot, but a careful look revealed that it is not. The optical trick, of the reflection of the steps in the glass each side to make the steps look wider and accentuate the perspective, is clever. Well done for leaving this in colour. In my opinion, some images just look better in colour and I think this is one of them. The focus point, on the hand rails at the top, is excellent to draw the eye up. Well captured details, (love the skylight and beams), the colour, shapes and patterns and the composition of the image – congratulations.

OPN_149_Karearea.jpg

Honours.

OPN_135_HAPPY WIFE HAPPY LIFE.jpg

Honours.

OPA_071_WAFTING IN THE BREEZE.jpg

Honours.

OPA_027_BLUE SPRING.jpg

Honours.

SSN_149_Leathercraft.jpg

Honours.

SSN_144_morning tea bliss.jpg

Honours.

SSA_140_Der Bücherwurm (Bookworm).jpg

Honours.

SSB_021_YESTERDAYS HOLIDAY.jpg

Honours. Great title, telling a strong story. The panoramic format works at featuring the three structures. Lots of wonderful textures to explore. Excellent tonal range. Good Job.

SSA_140_The power of water.jpg

Honours. I can almost feel the surge of the water bashing the rock face. There is vivid contrast between the white wave and the black rock. The rock and water resemble a huge wave. Everything is sharp. The exposure and depth of field is perfect. Excellent image!

SSA_080_Done for the Day.jpg

Honours. Here is an excellent example of environmental portraiture. A shearer, still holding his hand-piece, is finished shearing for the day. His face shows relief and a bit of exhaustion. Great story. Beautiful image.

SSA_012_AKAROA LIGHTHOUSE.jpg

Honours. The contrast of the lighthouse and the rockface peering through the darkness works well. I love the detail. Everything from the wee wooden fence to the jagged rock, is sharp. There is a great story here but also a bit of mystery,

OPN_149_hostile hoiho.jpg

Honours. What a magnificent action shot. Two Yellow-eyed penguins in hot dispute. Everything is spot on. Congratulations on a great shot of one of the rarest penguins in the world. This is National Geographic standard.

OPA_134_BRIDGET.jpg

Honours. Bridget has a steely, confident gaze that seems to looks right through you. The portrait speaks volumes with its tight crop and limited colour palette. I would suggest lightening up the eyes a tiny bit. This would bring the image to life. Still superb.

OPA_097_WAKATIPU HAZE.jpg

Honours. This is a glorious landscape. I love everything about it. Its softness is sublime. Just one look at it would make me relax. Beautiful!

OPA_012_SUNLIGHT ON FOUNTAIN.jpg

Honours. Brilliant capture. I love the way the sun-rays illuminate the water droplets adding life to the image. The canopy of green frames the fountain and it stands out wonderfully against the black background. Fantastic.