OPA_080_Waipapa Point Lighthouse.jpg

SSA_080_Remarkables Peak Sunrise.jpg

SSA_080_Forlorn

HONOURS The author has projected his or her own style onto this image. The initial portrait has been competently acquired. The hair, dress and backdrop all complement the end result. The layers containing scratches and other textures seem appropriate [and yet others word pay a price to have those things removed from old photographs!] I think the girl’s expression does evoke a feeling of pity and sadness yet the pose is very appealing. I am a little distracted by the edge detail and wonder if this was less prevalent on the right a better outcome would be achieved. Nevertheless, this image scores an Honours.

UNNAMED

MERIT - There is a strong artistic presentation to the pose created by the author within this frame. Because of the angle of the capture, I sense a feeling of fear or anger coming from the model. The monochrome treatment works well and there is a good range of tones. The whole image is rather soft and to a degree this effect works well. However, I believe that if sharpness had been retained around the eyes the image would have taken on a more pleasing effect, if not a more sinister look. This, I believe, is one of those images which when shown against a black background may benefit from a very thin boarder to delineate the edge of the image.

MY MONA LISA

MERIT - A lovely face made strong within the image by the diagonal presentation. I enjoy the filter/gauze which adds atmosphere and mystery. Would the photographer consider just a tiny bit less filter to enable a little more of the face to come through? I find the present setting puts up too much of a barrier. But a creative decision has been made and I respect that. The negative space of the hair does draw us in to the detail of the face. Nicely done .

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.

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.

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.

STREET FOOD MYNAMAR

ACCEPTED - Looks yummy. I like the light falling onto the lady and her food. I would suggest to the photographer to perhaps darken the background so that the face on the left hand side and the man is less visible.

I CAN SEE YOU

ACCEPTED - Quite a scary looking eye. It was a little pixelated on my screen however it is still a strong image.

IN FULL BLOOM by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE: ACCEPTED I like the simple complementary composition of this image. The green background highlights the red of the tulips and the one sharp tulip that is in the light, helps create, for me, a feeling of balance and flow. My eyes have somewhere to rest. In my view, the blur needs more of the aesthetic quality I mentioned, to have great bokeh. In my opinion this is a well composed Image.

SPRING LILIES by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - ACCEPTANCE I look at this image and think turbulence and wind. The author has used an artistic approach to photograph the subject. I think the first frame works well with the lilies leaning into the image, the middle frame I feel is just a little too busy, the third frame I would have liked to have seen the stalks of the lilies to echo the other two frames and unfortunately some of the lilies are leaning out of the image and are very close to the edge. I think the author has had a good attempt but I feel it is not a strong image.

BREAKFAST PREP AT MONASTERY by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT The composition of the image is very effective in telling the story of preparing breakfast. Good black & white image with no distractions. The young boy in the background is pin sharp. The author has captured a good atmosphere in the image with all the smoke and steam. There is some loss of detail on the left of the image that could be brought back in post processing. I find the large pot in the front of the image too large and dominating. I think if the author had stepped back a few paces and taken the image it would be a much stronger image.

RED RAG TO A BULL by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT Now I have got rid of the one on my back, let me dispatch the red rag! Great action, multiple stories in progression – man falling, what is the bull going to do next (no prizes for guessing) and then the look on the faces of the men in the background. I love the layering and how each layer reinforces that the end of this story is not going to be good for some. I do not like this activity so my sympathies are with the bull and I am egging him on! The image is well composed, I might advocate for more space on LHS so bull can kick out. Timing is all important with these images. I am interested in how the man can be falling but the bull looks almost static but I assume his flick is complete and he is moving onto phase 2 – dispatch the red rag. Interesting image!

DRAGONFLY PLAYTIME by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT Playtime indeed! This is a stunning image of these insects. We see real action, colours are vibrant, detail is beautifully sharp. Lighting is fabulous and your exposure is almost spot on – slight blowout of the highlight on the insect on LHS. Very well done.

YAMA YANTRA JANTAR MANTAR PARK DELHI by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT Beautiful Black and white image! I love the textures, shapes and lines. I feel the image is a bit too busy. I think you could have 3 images instead of one. Perhaps triptic is a way to go. I would use left hand side panel and rotate it 90 deg clockwise. I love the depth created by leading lines together with tonal contrast.

FISHING ON MANDALAY LAKE by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT I like the effect and the black and white treatment. I feel the composition will be more dynamic if the bout will have more oblique position (see attached) This looks more dramatic.

THALASSARCHE by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT What a magnificent bird the Bullers Albatross is. This is well focused in flight showing me the detail of its markings and colours especially under its wings. You have positioned this well with the mollymawk flying from the left into the frame. A good effort.

MISTY MORNING ON OKARITO LAGOON by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - ACCEPTANCE This is certainly a misty morning giving it a moody affect. The various green colours and reflections are pleasant to see and give serenity to this image. If there was a focal point of interest eg a white heron it would have scored higher.

PEEK-A-BOO by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS A well executed double expose that superimposes the face on the hands. The eyes are dominent and holds the viewers attention.

DOUBLE TAKE by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS Good use of a double exposure technic to create a dream like portrait of a young girl. The viewer is drawn to the eyes and the soft lighting give a gentle feeling to the image. Presenting the image in Black & White is a good choice.

TIMELESS LOVE by Rowena Richards

GRADE - NOT ACCEPTED Obviously, a lot of thought has gone into this image, but I’m not convinced that I’m looking at shadows (other than that any photograph is, in some way a shadow). I’m going to “kick for touch” and not make an award, so that you can use it in a different class.

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.

DARE TO DREAM by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS The tonal range in this image is great and the lighter skin tones of the face draw you straight to her expression. The darker areas around the edges contain the image nicely while the placement of her arm and hand form a strong triangular composition that allows you to explore the image while always returning to the face.

PIGEON MANIA by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS What a wonderful subject for use of a slow shutter speed. The effect from a combination of deliberate movement by the photographer and the movement of the birds has created an amazing image full of interest. The framing of the shot with the tree is the perfect touch.

MANIOTOTO REFLECTIONS by MANIOTOTO REFLECTIONS

GRADE - MERIT The misty dullness hanging in the hilltops makes me feel the cold, damp conditions which are evident. The image is roughly divided into two parts and one tends to concentrate on the upper half rather than the reflections. By adjusting the composition in post production or moving the camera angle downwards, I feel more emphasis could have been placed on the reflection. Otherwise, a lovely landscape image.

RODEO MADNESS by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS A great action shot. Very photo journalistic. For some reason I feel sorry for the steer. His eye seems to show just how frightened or angry he is. The fast shutter speed has stopped the action and made for a good image. Everyone in the image is looking towards the focal point. And one of the ranch hands appears to be recording his own image on an iPhone. Composition is excellent.

YANGON LOCAL by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT To me this tells a straight forward, accurate story of a timeless scene. I like the way you have caught the cigarette smoke and the side light that accentuates the wear on this woman’s face. I find the bright light on the wall draws my eye away from her face and think that the lack of engagement with your subject leads me to feel a bit observational rather than engaged.

NYAUNG SHWE CANAL MYANMAR by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT What a burst of colour here. Is this over saturated? To me your choice of shutter speed has created a feeling of quite frenetic movement amidst a riot of local colour. I feel the crop has left the boat quite constrained in terms of room to move in to. I find your point of focus interesting – and empty. To me it tells a story of the boatman rushing to find a fare.

SHWEDAGON PAGODA YANGON by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - ACCEPTANCE This image is very creative for a Novice worker. I like the concept but unfortunately there is so many components of the image that the intent of it is lost on me. Surely there was enough interest In a single pagoda without the use of the multiple exposures. Keep to the old KISS principle “Keep It Simple Son”

ABANDONED by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT And has been for some time. Great subject. I think though that you could have done more with it. Some creative angle or viewpoint would have lifted it up to the next level. Good colours and sharpness.

DANCING WITH THE DRAGONS by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT What a novel idea. For me the mirror image does not work as both sides are competing for attention. I also find it a bit over processed and would like to see the dust/flour blurred out a bit to give it a bit more movement.

REFLECTIONS by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - ACCEPTANCE The colours and patterns of this subtle abstract are easy on the eye, and pleasant to look at, but after a short while, the novelty wears off for the lack of a strong focal point. This is one with lots of potential – it already has the artistic and creative touch. With a little more thought about the composition, I can see this image reaching new heights.

ALL FOGGED UP by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT A sort of ‘abstract’ appeal about this portrait. The facial features (and especially the eyes), are strongly depicted, and the model’s stark expression with direct eye-contact, adds to the allure of it. Unfortunately, I think the ‘fogging’ of the mouth downwards, makes the lady look like she has a beard, which to a certain extent, takes away some of the effect. However, it is an “intensely” interesting portrait, with strong creative influences.

VIVID FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - ACCEPTANCE This is an interesting wider view with pleasing colour contrast. The inclusion of the spectators suggests this is a special event rather than a daily occurrence. Some cropping off the top and right would improve the composition while a small darkening of the mid tones in the top left quadrant, and of the highlight tones at centre, would remove some of the present looseness.

CLOSE CALL by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - ACCEPTANCE This is an intriguing if rather odd rodeo shot. The dusty background of spectators gives a sense of place which is good. However, the fast shutter speed has rather frozen the dust around the bull which almost looks like a carcass in its strangely prone state. If cropped to include just the cowboy and the front half of the bull, you could entitle it “Stabbed in the Back”!

ONCE PROUD by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT I think this is a great old vehicle for the subject. Another judge might be different but I feel the detail extraction is over-done, I think it has lots its reality and sharpness at the expense of the detail. Or perhaps you could have taken it further and made it solarised or something wacky. It is a good composition and a pleasant image.

VIVID AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT Isn’t this an amazing festival. It is very difficult to add that extra to this image to make it your own work a supposed to a record shot of what you saw. This is a great family album image – is it an Honours image? No, but I like the star burst and the reflection. If you had taken this just after dusk the sky would have been an indigo instead of black – then maybe an honours

CLOSE CALL by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - HONOURS Sure is. A great rodeo shot. Great action, and tells a lot about rodeo, without many of the distractions, which often clutter these shots. I love the absolute 'unconcernedness" but passive interest of the viewers in the background. The salivating intent bull, The actions of what I think is the decoy runner, attracting the bull away from a lost rider, is great excitement. It takes a lot of courage, to be placed in that situation, of escaping an intent bull.

OTEMATATA MILKY WAY by ROWENA RICHARDS

GRADE - MERIT I think this was a very well chosen subject matter, to contrast against the beauty of 'space' I enjoy particularly the rest for the eyes on the constellation just above centre left which I believe is an area that takes in Antares (the heart of scorpio) and is called Rho Ophiuchi. The eerieness of the old building could be further enhanced by cloning out some of the highlit vegetation at the lower right corner. A lovely image.