SSN_150_LEAD ME ON.jpg

Merit. This image has a lovely feeling. It reminds me very much of a bike ride I did, in what I can only assume was a similar location last year. I like the inclusion of the people in the shot, they add a nice story and help the viewers eye to travel down the path and into the landscape. There is lovely detail and colour in the image and the exposure it very good. A few suggestions to improve the image, would be to rotate it clockwise a few degrees. As it is the image appears to slope downward to the left. I know that the subject is leading lines however I would suggest cropping a bit off the bottom and possibly the top of the image. The bottom of the image does not have a lot of interest, and due to a wide angle lens the path is very wide and dominant in this area. A similar amount could also be cropped from the top of the image, making the image more panoramic and accentuating the countyside better.

OPN_150_WALKWAY.jpg

Merit. This image does have great leading lines. So, I am wondering if it has been named incorrectly and has been placed in the open section accidentally. The lines are very strong and pull the viewers eye straight down to the people in centre of the frame. This is the result of using a wide-angle lens. The exposure is very good with nice shadow detail and very few blown out highlights. My main concern is the angle of the image. For me the image needs to be rotated clockwise to make the timber deck horizontal. Other than this, it a very nice image.

SSN_150_CHEERS MATE .jpg

Merit. I am drawn to the image by the lines of the leg, the lines of the bar, the lines of the bar shelf, the tonality of the froth on the beer and the placement of the beer glass close to the mouth of the man as a dominant element in the image. This all speaks to me of a well thought though composition that makes the “cheers:” element in the image the story. For me, I felt the image was underexposed overall, and would have had more emotional connection with me if the man’s face was brighter. In my opinion, a significant aspect of the story is the expression on the face and its well-weathered look. These facial features seem to me to be an indicator of a well engaged life and I would have enjoyed the image more if more light was on the face. Nicely focused and sharp on the man, and the background remains outside the depth of field selected, which I thought was a good choice for the composition.

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Merit. You have portrayed an interesting controversial topic. The message of the marchers seems clear.. For me the image is a little underexposed where the marchers are . I would have felt a stronger connection had you adopted a different perspective to show how many people were in the march. The bright tones on the left third of the image kept pulling my eye from the marchers. Remember that bright tones attract the viewer’s eye and these brighter tones could have been burned down with a brusch tool or a neutral gradient filter. Overall, I thought this was a well presented story.

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Achieved. The story for me is in the regularity of the pattern in the cone scales from left to right. The uniformity leaves me searching for some feature to hold my attention and stop my eye wandering out of the frame. Try subtlely vignetting the image so that the viewer’s attention is held in the image by a progression from darker at the edge to lighter in the middle.

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.

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Merit. This reminds me of one of those films that mixes cartoon characters with live actors. It’s a simple idea that works well. The photographer has set the camera angle at the eye level of Mr 4, making him the dominate subject. The background has been slightly blurred so we have the environment without it dominating the image. Be careful of bright or vivid colours at the edge of your image, like the bright fluoro green building on the right edge. Its small but it distracts the eye away from the subject. I suggest that if you have the photoshop skills you can selectively change colour, or you could crop the building out, this will move Mr 4 to one side, but the image would not lose its impact.

OPN_150_LIVING THE DREAM.jpg

Merit. The photographer has placed the main subject, the gentleman enjoying his breakfast, to the left so that we can see all the things that make for a relaxed and enjoyable life for him. The exposure is well balanced between the inside and outside scene, not easy on a bright day. The man is looking at the camera engaging the viewer with a cheeky stare. On the right side of the image there is an out of focus brown something and the orange car, these are both distracting, you may consider a crop up to the beer bottle to minimise them, don’t lose the beer bottle, its an important part of the overall story.

SSN_150_CONROYS.jpg

Achieved. I liked the way in which humanity links into this scene through the flock of sheep in the top left, and the road that winds through the lower part of the image. The image suggests to me that our pastoral land and humanity are inexorably linked across all seasons. This stands in contrast to some countries where parts of the land are unusable all year round because of permafrost. I felt the coldness of the river running through the scene, yet at the same time felt this provided connection to the pasture and pastoral life which is always dependent on water. Visually, the scene feels very busy with many divergent elements – the frosty tussock, the frost on the trees, the diversity in shape of the trees, the shapes of the spurs in the background. These differing elements created an imbalance for me and left me unsure about what story is the most important.

OPN_150_CONROYS WEB.jpg

Achieved. My eye is drawn by the lighter tones of the spider’s web to follow the line of the web from the lower left across the image and out of the image to the right. The undulating line across the image created a sense of peacefulness in me. I liked the way the tones of the rock seem to be subdued, as this added to the sense of peacefulness I felt. I found the way my eye seemed to be led out of the right side of the image was a distraction from my enjoyment of the image.

OPN_150_Tunnel Vision.jpg

NOT ACHIEVED. I enjoyed the symmetrical composition of this image which I think it works very well. However I feel that the right side, with the sun falling on the graffiti, is too bright. When we view images our eye goes to one of three things first: the brightest part, a face or some text. I think the clever title gives a clue as to the photographer’s intention – the tunnel, not the graffiti. A good attempt and, if you can go back then I’d suggest going at a different time of day, or an overcast day which would be less contrasty. Using clouds as a big soft box can be very helpful when controlling contrast. You could also walk into the tunnel and focus on the light at the end, for some interesting detail and a different look.

SSN_150_Shard on Aye.jpg

Achieved. Nice straight verticals and horizontals, well done for that. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the detail top right, which provides some context as does the foreground garden and reflections. I like the way the photographer has captured the details in the design, with the emphasis on the grid pattern with its multiples of stacked squares.

SSN_150_Bannockburn Solitude.jpg

Achieved. The symmetric composition works well, highlighting the rhythmic patterns of the rod iron and showcasing the quaint wee church behind. The rolling hills and mountains give us lots to explore. In my opinion, opening up the shadows, on the church and increasing the contrast would strengthen the image. This is a very inviting scene.

OPN_150_Too hard for you, Grandad.jpg

Achieved. The interaction between the grandfather and grandson, cuddled comfortably on the sofa is infectious. I find the skin tones a bit light, particularly on the young boy. Careful about the edges of your image, you’ve cropped off one of the wee boy’s toes. The different patterns and textures throughout give us a lot to explore.

SSN_150_OFF OUR TREE.jpg

Achieved. What a great sign, and how well has the movement been executed? The wording on the sign is in the strongest area of the frame and the movement is sufficient to blur the foliage, but not so much as to make the wording un-readable. An image of simple content which is especially important for a projected one, well exposed and tells its story well.

OPN_150_STEWART ISLAND CHURCH.jpg

Achieved. Good depth of field to keep everything sharp. The rhodo blooms add interest to the green as does the change to darker foliage. The church is a strong focal point and I think could be even more strong with a crop from the right to the little low point in the foliage just before the tall trees. This gives an interesting and containing edge to the right side and places the steeple closer to the right third. Nice exposure.

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Not Achieved. Great attempt but a little too tightly cropped. It needed all of the Remarks at the bottom to anchor the image.

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Not Achieved. Needed either an element to attract the eye or panoramic treatment for impact.