Premium Photo Competition 2013 Q1 : Results

Competition Winner : First Prize
$3,485.00 plus a Leica X2 Camera worth approximately $2000.00

Judges Comment
This image beams of something special. The light, composition, color and a touch of the unexplained are in tune and are lined up. Thank you for submitting such a powerful photograph that has so many aligned elements. That is what makes it the winner of this I SHOT IT competition.
Photographers Comment
Hi, my name is Suryo Ongkowidjaja from Surabaya-Indonesia. I took this picture during my photographic tour with my other 19 Indonesian friends at the end of January 2013 in Bagan - Myanmar. I can not re-call the name of this sacred Pagoda, but maybe you can ask the tour guide or local people, which Pagoda has the big statue of sleeping Budha in Bagan - Myanmar. I was using Olympus OMD EM 5 with Olympus Zuiko Lens 17mm f1.8. Post processing was done in my tablet using NIK Software Snapseed and Pixl Express. Thank you.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a happening street photo, with a story unfolding, and a few other stories in the background. Well executed technically and an image you can look on again and again.
Photographers Comment
Sant Jordi is among the most important festivities in Catalunya, Spain. People choose to offer their beloved ones either a book, or a rose. This young man chose the rose for his lover, who obviously was kind of late for the date. I took several pictures at a very short distance, but he did not see me at all, even when he looked in my direction. Taken with a Leica M9P and a 40mm Summicron in Barcelona, April 2012
www.fernandodefrance.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
With qualities of aesthetics, composition and light almost as a great painting. We like this photo a lot and the fact that the action is directed towards the viewer. Well done.
Photographers Comment
Thank you ISI. It's nice to be noticed. For the shot I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time when a mob of 3000 ewes was being moved to fresh pasture in Otago, New Zealand, Canon 450D, 17-85lens, 1/13 @ 320, ISO200, 61mm.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This mysterious and intriguing photo is almost filmic. A story is unfolding and we are viewing from a distance. A very interesting photo with many possible ways of usage.
Photographers Comment
This photo was taken on one of the hottest days of the year 2011 on a North Sea beach in Holland. A natural phenomenon called "Sea Fog" (or Fret or Haar) occurred: Warm air travels over cold sea and lets go of the moisture it contains. Acute fog forms. It's impressive! The temperature dropped 10 degrees in a few seconds and visibility went from 'infinite' to 'as above'. There were many children playing in the shallow waters left on the beach by the retracting tides. The fog made them run, scream and act theatrical. I kneeled down just above the level of the water and took this and several other pictures which you can see on my website (below). I'm very proud this photograph was selected. It was in an exposition I did last year, because it is my favorite. It's timeless, placeless and still, although I was there, makes me wonder just what is going on here. Mysterious is the right word. Gilean Nolst Trenité. Canon 7D, 100-400mm @115mm, 1/500sec, f/10, ISO 100
www.gileanphotography.com/fog/

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a photo, which goes right under your skin. It goes beyond a picture - it goes deep and gives an insight and understanding of the subject. Professional in its execution, a B&W tonality which almost seems colorful. Wonderful!
Photographers Comment
Hello, my name is Mundo Buentello and I am from Harlingen, Texas. I am photography student and will soon be finishing my degree. This image is part of a larger body of work in where I spent a few days visiting the homeless shelter and the cafeteria for people in need. As I was walking around the shelter, most of the people had gone to the showers and when I got to the side with the bunk beds I saw him there by himself playing the guitar. The camera I used was a Leica M9 with the Carl Zeiss Sonnar 1,5/50. Edited through Lightroom and Photoshop CS5.
mundobuentello.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a bright, happy and colorful photo that we really love to look at. Very well done and executed.
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for the "Mark of excellence" My name is Jeff Tinard from Paris, this photo was taken in Colombo (Sri Lanka) during my last holidays in february 2013. The name of this public square is Galle Face Green just near Galle Face Hotel, a really nice spot to see the sunset! My camera is a Nikon FM2 with Nikkor Lens 50 mm F1.4 and I don't use post-processing, never. Thanks again for the "Mark of excellence" ;-)

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A well-chosen spot in the sun, far away from civilization. A private moment ... captured for the world by the photographer. Strong and simple composition that tell the whole story.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
The photographer being the voyeur in this photo shows clearly. A truly silent and observing image. We, the judges wonder, if there is a ceiling fan somewhere installed?

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This image captures our interest. Apart from the striking colors it makes you trying to figure out which parts of the image are where and what is reflections.
Photographers Comment
This photo was taken in Oslo, Norway (my home town) in 2002 with my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot G2. The photo is taken into the window of a wig-shop, but on this day there were no wigs on the model-heads. I visited the site about a week later but then there were wigs on the heads, creating a very different and not so interesting look. The window also reflected some buildings at a higher ground, and by working with the angle I managed to place the heads at a position where it seems like they are looking out from above/inside the buildings. The original title I gave it was "Wiches of Enerhaugen" (Enerhaugen beeing the site where the buildings are situated). I don´t remember that much about the post-processing but other than the usual stuff like levels, contrast and saturation there is probably a bit of "Diffuse glow" in there which I think works quite well for it. Thanks for the "Mark of excellence". Very inspiring! :-) Regards Ragnar Westad
ragnarwestad.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This image give us the impression, that we have to go low on the ground as well. Without actual noise, you feel like covering up your ears and eyes. What a breathtaking image this is.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Maybe posed, maybe just caught in the right moment. Technically this is well executed and tell a cute story. Well done.
Photographers Comment
I'm Debbie Kindig from Alton, IL around the St. Louis area. I've been in graphics for 37 years, keeping up with all the technological advancements. I got into photography about 5 years ago and it is now my passion. I love creating art in yet another form. I work at the Dental School here in Alton, and while walking between buildings, I saw a grandfather pulling these two little darlings. I asked if I could take their pictures, and of course, he was more than willing. I used my Pentax K-x, F4.0, ISO 200, 1/800. I decreased the saturation a bit and added a brown photo filter to give it more of an old time look.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Intriguing and not totally sure what's happening here. What's the role of the photographer? Might be a friend or a lover? And what is it with that tattoo?
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the mark of excellence, I'm very honoured. We had the guest bed up next to my turntables - I tool advantage of the situation to realise the "bedroom dj" idea I had in my head for a while. It's a self portrait with timer - took me a while to get the focus right. I took it with my canon 5d ii and a zeiss planar 50mm. Got the tattoo in 2001...
www.lottelove.de

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Here we seem to have a lonely person. Only her shadow is close to the two teddy bears. Great light and atmosphere with beautiful composition. Is this lady waiting for someone? Lovely indeed ....
Photographers Comment
Title: Living looking at a ruin. Place: Palacio Pereira, Santiago, Chile. Year: 2009 Camera: Nikon D80 Lens: 16-85mm 3.5 - 5.6 The story behind this photo is quite interesting as the image it self... I was taking photographs to the old building that appears behind the window and suddenly a lady came to me asking why I was doing those photos... I told her that I was documenting old buildings of Santiago so she told me that she lived in an apartment just in front of that building so she invited me to go in to take some pictures. The rest was pure magic and lovely inspiration.
www.raimundolagos.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A charming man and a single lady? We don't know, the possibilities are many, but the photo is very interesting. Well captured.
Photographers Comment
Thanks a lot for this Mark of Excellence, I was really thrilled when I had the news! I’m Vincent Gussemburger, from Paris (France). This picture was taken in Camogli (Italia), a beautiful little town on the Mediterranean Sea, near Genova. These two persons were part of larger group of fishermen, who were working on their nets, while cracking jokes between them, and chatting with women who were playing cards. I remember being mesmerized by these peoples, by their realness, their ruggedness. I stood near them, for 15-20 minutes, unable to understand more than 3 words that they were saying, but enjoying this moment nonetheless. And when I felt that the time was right, I took a couple of pictures. This one was taken with a Panasonic GX1 and a 20mm lens.
cargocollective.com/vincentgussemburger

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Well executed, well composed, the right use of light and colors. This image works.
Photographers Comment
My name is Stephane Taco and I live in Martinique. "Rain Lover" Olympus OMD EM5 with the Magical Zuiko 150 f/2 SHG.
www.stephanetaco.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A frozen moment of a summer day with a lot of people unknowingly making up a moment to remember. Very strong and simple composition. Very well done.
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the Mark of Excellence. I'm Winston Luhur from Jakarta, Indonesia, currently studying in Los Angeles. I got into photography in ninth grade and have been loving it ever since. This photo was taken in Santa Monica in July 2011, on one of my last days in LA. It was quite cloudy and I like how the clouds and the sea seem to almost blend in B&W. Taken with a Canon 5D Mark II and a 24-70mm lens at 43mm.
flickr.com/photos/winluhur

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Technically very well executed, an involving composition. A great landscape photo.
Photographers Comment
Thank you ! - Feel free to ask.... Verian
www.facebook.com/Verian.Mancina.Photography

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
The colors and all make this a fun photo where there might be a deeper and more serious history behind. You can see it either way, and it works with the composition and the movement of the subject.