OPN_126_A CHEEKY KEA.jpg

HONOURS -- Wow this is a stunning setting. The Kea is sharp and has good feather and eye detail. The photo was taken in very bright light so the rock is over exposed. Had you been there in early morning light this would be an Honours in any grade however a very good effort in Novice.

OPN_111_PINK DAHLIA.jpg

HONOURS -- Beautiful bokeh in this image. I like the fact you have shot the flower from behind. The pink and the green are fighting for supremecy? Maybe a tonal change of the greens to a warmer hue would soften the green and make the flower the hero of the story.

OPA_080_Waipapa Point Lighthouse.jpg

HONOURS -- I love creating multiple exposures. This works well. The wave lower left is a tad bright/white but otherwise it works. The people are subtle. I like the colour palette – Good work.

OPA_026_Easy Rider.jpg

HONOURS -- I love these little Grebes that carry their chicks like this. A lovely reflection and well placed in the frame.

SSN_123_Mermaids hideaway.jpg

HONOURS -- I’d definitely live here if I were a mermaid. You have captured the falls beautifully . Good selection of speed to blur the water. Do experiment with different speeds for different effects. You have nearly lost the water detail but in novice this is very good work. H

SSB_118_A misty morning.jpg

HONOURS -- WOW..this has the wow factor. Right time of day with the morning mist. Good composition and It makes me want to be there.

SSA_080_Remarkables Peak Sunrise.jpg

HONOURS -- WOW!! Dramatic image .Love the monochrome. Love the composition. Well done.

SSA_027_MISTY MORN.jpg

HONOURS -- This is ethereal and peaceful. I love the colour palette. This is a clever composition, the pole on the left and the smaller boat on the right support the central yacht very well. The central horizon works in this instance which is why we need to learn the rules then break them with panache! It hasn’t been over saturated or processed and is refreshingly honest.

DREAMING BIG

HONOURS - I do feel as if I am in a great place to dream! Congratulations on excellent composition which leads us strongly to the figure at the end of the wharf and then on to the lake and mountains. I enjoy the cracks and grain in the timbers of the wharf floor. Perhaps a little less exposure applied to the middle floor would provide more detail. Because of the smooth nature of the water I feel that you may have used a relatively long exposure. If so congratulations on a nice effect. A lovely classic scene with just a little over exposure through the centre. Well done.

WAKATIPU STORM

HONOURS - Congratulations for making this nice composition which utilises the power of the triangle to good effect. My eye is drawn to the dark clouds of the storm which are framed by the line of contrast and the sloping hills. You have done well to capture the bands of rain (or sunlight shafts?) and to retain detail in most of the cloud and in much of the darker tone below. The area that I find distracting is the light on the lake in the bottom third. This appears to be blown out. A raw image exposing more towards the highlights and then adjusted in post-processing may well help in this regard. I enjoy the way the lake gives context without overpowering the composition.

RODEO MAYHEM

HONOURS - I feel a lot of sympathy for this beast. The photographer has certainly caught the action in a skilful manner and treating the hangers-on as part of the spectacle has created an engaging image. There is detail in the highlights as well as in most of the blacks. The animal’s face is the focus of attention and the highlight in its eye is a nice touch An extremely well executed and effective image.

RED CHAIR

HONOURS - Wow this image grabbed my attention. Its composition and stark simplicity make an effective piece of art. The cracks in the concrete help to provide depth and context. A great image to display in large format!

MAGNOLIA

HONOURS - Such a lovely soft image. Strong composition which draws the eye in and around. In my opinion the lack of critical focus is an advantage and adds to the ethereal nature of the image. I enjoy the pastel colour palette which helps to draw my attention to the centre of the flower. I do find the yellow at lower left to be distracting and I wonder of the photographer would consider changing the colour to the greyish-green of the top left. A beautiful creative shot.

RIVER OF GOLD

HONOURS - Just one suggestion, I’d crop off, or tone down, the light streaks at the top right – otherwise it’s dynamic, colourful, and pin sharp – very creative title, which adds to the overall mood of the image.

RODEO COWBOY

HONOURS - The figure itself is pin sharp, making it stand out against a slightly blurred background – if it were mine, I’d subdue that white triangle at the top edge, and maybe the washed out area on the sheepskin – terrific lighting shows every crease in his trousers, but all the detail remains, with no heavy shadows – he is on a strong third, making for a very balanced composition.

RAINDROP LINEUP

HONOURS - This is not the easiest picture to take, but you have done very well – you’ve kept it simple and used a good plain background – the one really sharp drop is plumb on a third – the object from which the drops are hanging is simple and grey rather than white – it’s also on a slight slope, adding some movement – terrific image.

SCENTED ROWS

HONOURS - The high horizon emphasises the drama of the glorious rows of colour – I appreciate the only large strip of grass visible between the rows, curls around on the third – the sky could be a bit more dynamic – the lavender is so sharp one can nearly smell it – excellent work – keep going this way, and you’ll be an A Grader before you know it.

THREE BROOM PODS IN A ROW

HONOURS - Glorious lighting, which shows not only the seeds inside the pods, but also those fine hairs – the colour is superb and the background is wonderfully blurred – I like the diagonal of the stem, coming as it does from right in the corner.

CAMEL RIDE, NUBRA VALLEY, INDIA

HONOURS - Magnificent – every line leads to the bright structure on the left, even the camels – I’d change only one thing, if it were mine – I’d crop off at least half the very dark foreground – I think that would be more balanced.

CAPTIVATING INDIA

HONOURS - Good title for this image. It is captivating. India is such a colourful country and it would have been lost if this image was presented in B&W. The photographer have done really well in also capturing the beautiful design of this magnificent building.

REFLECTING ON LIFE, SINGAPORE

HONOURS - Fun and playful. You did well seeing this from afar.

DRIP DRIP DRIP

HONOURS - A stunning image of this amazing bird. Well done!

REFLECTION IN NYHAVIN COPENHAGEN

HONOURS - Congrats for seeing this reflection and capturing it. It is almost like a water colour painting. Well done.

A TOUCH OF RENAISSANCE

HONOURS - Beautiful treatment used to capture this flower. I think it has been done very well in its simplicity and framing.

BARREL RACING by SUZY WALKER

GRADE - HONOURS Barrel racing is about acceleration and cornering. This has captured the cornering bit as well as the beauty and strength of the horse as it pushes to the limit. A viewpoint that showed the face of either horse or rider would have been great, but not possible here. In spite of that, what you have caught gets an Honours.

DUSTY RIDE IN BAGAN by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS Lovely backlighting gives this a very romantic feel, even though there is no sign of romance. A great feeling of warmth and depth.

ALIEN ENGINEER by MARTIN KOHN

GRADE - HONOURS A delightful piece of applied imagination, transforming a very real and solid rock formation into something totally “other worldly”. Every element has been well thought out and executed.

AFTER THE RAIN by SUZY WALKER

GRADE - HONOURS Simple, stark, to my eye well light to provide texture and accentuate the structure of the rose. I think this is an interesting (typically colourful) subject for monochrome treatment.

HAPPY EXPECTANCY by MARKETA STRACHOVA

GRADE - HONOURS I really enjoy the pure honesty of this image. It is conveyed to me by the joy on the woman’s face and what I read as the pride and apprehension on the face of her partner. I find the pale vignette works in this case to concentrate my eye on that lovely belly and their faces. One suggestion only – to move her arm down a fraction.

REFLECTING AT THE BAR by MARY HINSEN

GRADE - HONOURS Suggestive and presented with class. The symmetry and depersonalisation intrigue me. I feel the B&W range is handled with care (with distinction between the whites in the wine label, top and garment for example).

BLACK BIRD by SAM EVANS

GRADE - HONOURS To me, negative space is a creative tool. I think you have used it cleverly in this image. In combination with the silhouette this image poses lots of questions to me – more about photographer choices than the subject, which I enjoy. It has made the elements of interest stand out. Break the rules.

STRIPED DELIGHT by GILL KINGSTON

GRADE - HONOURS I think this is a great subject for B&W because it accentuates the visual disturbance of straight lines. Compositionally I feel the DOF concentrates the viewer on the action and keeps me focused on that reflection.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD by VAL POHIO

GRADE - HONOURS I really enjoyed the numerous facets of almost voyeurism in this image that - to me – come together nicely to tell a discreetly observed slice of life. To me the facets – inside the café and the reflections in the glass – work because of the glance from the woman on the right. That engages me as does the fortuitous striped glove on her companion’s arm. Well seen, intriguing.

ANGEL TO BE by MARKETA STRACHOVA

GRADE - HONOURS I really enjoyed the sentiment of this image. I like the fact that the mother-to-be is mid step as – to me – that enhances the story of her journey that may not have been so well conveyed had she been statically posed. I also enjoy the brightness of the back ground which I feels give an ethereal feel to the outcome.

TESSA by KIMBERLEY HIBBS

GRADE - HONOURS Restful, languid and natural are the three descriptors that came immediately to mind about Tessa. Compositionally I like the visual interest that the slight diagonal of her pose, complimented by the background shapes gives the viewer. My only suggestion is to crop slightly more on the RH side to remove the distraction which is the slice of bright light towards the top of the image.

THREE FORKS by TONI CALDWELL

GRADE - HONOURS Cleverly done, with form, shape and shadow creating an abstract story that intrigues my eye. Have you tried this in B&W? I think it would have been an ideal image for this month’s set subject if you had.

UNTITLED by CATHERINE ANSELL

GRADE - HONOURS Now this one for a Novice is really well done. I think you have captured the essence of the situation perfectly. Exposure is great, and the background suitably sharp. My only comment re the composure would have been to wait till the Gondolier looked up and made him more lifelike. For a Novice this is tops.

SPIRALING by CHESTER ROSIE

GRADE - HONOURS This is an exciting image of the sky divers. And for a junior worker very good. I like the colour and the contrasts included. You have captured the action magnificently. My only suggestion would be to try the unsharp Mask in the 20.50. 0 setting as it will certainly boost the contrast dramatically.

FROZEN IN TIME by MARY HINSEN

GRADE - HONOURS This is certainly a creative interpretation of a portrait (Well is it really a portrait?). I certainly like the creativity that went into this image. The title certainly suits the image and I found myself coming back to it again and again trying to make my mind up about it. I really only have one criticism of the image and that is the darker brown around the eyes on the left hand model. Just distracts it slightly. I find myself in two minds about the image but decided that in B Grade I will give this

GHOST BUS by GILL KINGSTON

GRADE - HONOURS This is a very creative image, movement, Static, Colour it is all there. I have to say that this image sets a very high standard for the images I am considering this month. I could not think of any improvements or alternatives. Well done.