Child Photo Competition 2013 No 6 : Results

Competition Winner : First Prize
$756.00 plus a Leica C worth $700

Judges Comment
This photo stands out from the others! It is not a situation that happened by accident but I love the idea behind it. It is an extraordinary frame for this little boy. The colors and the contrasts are striking! Perfect and unusually arranged but it does not seem artificial to me. Funny but also a bit sad, because of his facial expression. Small details make this photo unique and adorable!
Photographers Comment
I'm enthusiastic to win a first prize with this photo! The child is my son and the location was the "Luna-park" boss hut near the beach, during a summer holiday. I saw this "fantastic" window and asked to my son to go into the hut. The rest... happened :) Thanks to I SHOT IT and to the judge for appreciating my shot and for this opportunity!
www.francescofratto.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Congratulation to this wonderful image! Poetic and touching! The composition is great and it is technical well executed. I also like the soft tones of this picture!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Whow!! This photo is really great! First it confused me a bit. You need your time to understand what happens in this picture. It is one of those photos you can look at again and again for some time. It never gets boring. A real creative idea together with fancy luminous colors!
Photographers Comment
My name is Kathleen Wilke, I have been doing photography of all kinds, but underwater is my favorite. I use a NikonD700, with an Aquatica underwater housing, only natural light, and shoot in various pools in Dallas, Texas. I am very honored to be given this award! Thank you!
photographystudiok.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A moment full of silence! It touched me from the first moment I looked at it. You can't see al lot from her face but the most important is the expression of her eyes that tells a whole story to me!
Photographers Comment
So honored to receive this prize in this competition. My name is Kyo Chen from Taiwan. This photo was taken in Havana, capital of Cuba, and I used a Canon Pro1 to take this photo. It was the afternoon of rainy day, I walked through Habana Vieja with my friend. There were loblollies and disrepair houses everywhere, seemed to have kinda helpless. There was an entry of a building, blue and long iron fence, where a little girl with wavy hair sat alone. And in this space which was filled with gray color set off the little girl. A girl who has big eyes with determination passed me on some kind of power, we were totally conquered by her eyes and gazed at her for a long while…
www.facebook.com/TheLovelyWorld

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
ohhh, these eyes and the expression on his face! In German you would call him a "Lausbub" (a little rascal). A good portrait should transfer emotions and reflect the character and thats what is does! I like his cheeky facial expression and also the way you cropped it.
Photographers Comment
Thank you Lisa for the Mark of Excellence award, and your kind comments. My name is James Markus of James Markus Photography, and Photomatter.com. The photo was taken near a lake as we waited for the fireworks to begin on July 4th. Kids love fireworks, and I believe it is that excitement that has transformed his face. Anyone is welcome to check out my galleries where there are prints, products, and RF/RM licenses for sale.
markus.photoshelter.com/

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A lovely moment with a sensitive feeling for the right moments. Congratulation to this beautiful touching image!
Photographers Comment
Hi, I am Petar Sabol from Croatia. I made this shot at home at birthday of my niece and her little friend. The moment only lasted for a second, but i just did it in the right time. I was using Sony a550 with 85mm Carl Zeiss lens at F2.2 and ISO200. Shutter speed was 1/640. Converted to black and white.
www.sharpeyephoto.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This intense glance of this little boy gets straight under my skin. He puts his hands defensively in front of his face. You captured a strong moment combined with a great composition.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
I love the way you captured the light. You made a shiny and natural portrait of a child. Well done!
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much. This is Brooklyn, the lively 2 year old of a friend. We just took her to an interesting place with natural light from the back and side - and turned her loose to be herself. I love trying to capture the "true" kid. Thanks again, it's an honor.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A great and outstanding composition. You changed a "common playground situation" into an interesting photo!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This close-up portrait catches with strong contrasts, great colors and it is also well focused. I like the way the colors fits together. The red cap and the hair…the contrast with the background…. You captured a great moment! Love it!!
Photographers Comment
The story behind the photo... My wife and I manage a large horse ranch. I came in for lunch one spring day. It was raw outside, cold with some sunshine every now and again. She sat with me as I hastily wolfed down a sandwich... she said, "Mommy's riding "Grace" ( a favorite horse of my daughters) I said, "yes she is". "I love Mommy and Grace Daddy". I turned to see her like this looking out the window at her mother and that horse... and an instant master piece was created for me. Darn near bring tears to my eye's. Either that or my allergy's are acting up. I grabbed the closest camera I could find. This was shot with my back up camera's back up. A D90 and the kit lens that came with it. It all came together in an instant.
/www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Horst-Photography-LLC/635398506506575

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Oh…where is the child? Here it is!!! Great timing, wonderful photo! This little girl searches for the comfort of her mother. It transports a special feeling when you look at it. I also like the composition and the different kind of the structures from their clothes together with the background…..well done!
Photographers Comment
Thank you very much. Picture is from gybsies vilage Rudnany, on east of Slovakia. Nikon F5,35/2 time 1/15s.
www.rastoblasko.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A fabulous shot that is technically well executed! Two children in action. A perfect moment together with a stunning background! Congratulations!!
Photographers Comment
i am glad to have two photos here, thank you. :) My lovely daughter with his friend . Vacation in Italy, close Venecia. Fuji xe-1, fujinon 18/2, convert in silvereffex Thank you again:)
rastoblasko.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A quite simple portrait of a little boy that does not stand out because of technical details. But I cannot help but smile! It reminds me a bit of a portrait of a little delinquent a short time before he gets house arrest.
Photographers Comment
Danny Duran - Los Angeles, CA - Art Director. This photo encapsulates the serendipitous nature of candid photography. We were simply hanging out and playing in the living room. He stopped for a moment... maybe to taunt me? maybe waiting for me to act? *Snap. This type of subtle facial expression is so difficult to capture on film, yet glances like these are essential to understanding the full picture of a child's personality. The photo was taken with a Sony A7, Zeiss 50/1.5 C Sonnar, adapted with the Novoflex M to E. Processed in Lightroom 5. Indoors - RAW - f1.5 - 1/160s - ISO 3200
flic.kr/s/aHsjRA6ttV

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A great photo caught in the right moment! Perfect timing and well executed! The composition also works! A picture that transfers a lot of fun and action! Also a beautiful harmony between light and shadow. Absolutely great!!
Photographers Comment
Thank you for selecting my photo as one of the finalists. I took this photo of my wonderful nephew with my RICOH GR *. He and his younger brother are both outstanding athletes with massive amounts of energy. I don't get to see them often, but when I do I love hanging out with them and capturing moments like this. *(Exif data: f1.9, 1/2000, ISO 200,-0.3 exp, no flash)
gretchen.be

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
The taste of snow….You took a nice and warming picture on a cold winter day! I love the tones and technical it is perfect!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
What happened? Toy car accident? I think he needs some help to solve this problem, like a bug that can't turn around when it falls on his back. I think that is a funny idea that is excellently executed! Together with this background, it is a perfect frame for this scene!
Photographers Comment
I would like to thank the judges for their comments. I am very honoured to receive this Mark of Excellence. This lighthearted portrait captures my son as he sits aboard is rocket just moments before it launches into space. The picture was taken with a Leica M8 using a Leica 28mm f/2.8 ASPH lens. Processing was in Lightroom 5 and Analog Efex Pro.
www.andrewlance.com/

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This photo gets the caption "Melancholia" from me. When I've seen it for the first time it immediately reminded me of a picture from a famous artist called Gottfried Helnwein. He paints, inter alia, very special large-sized portraits of children. They really look like photos and transfer a lot of emotions….like your picture does! The way you used the light is fabulous! Love it!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
I've chosen this photo because it transports a lot of natural and honest emotions to me. It is perfect in focus and it is well executed. A nice and spontaneous snapshot of two children who really seem to have great fun!
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much. I am so excited and honored to receive a Mark of Excellence. I am the proud mother of these two children in this photo.This photo was taken last spring when my kids decided to take a break after riding their bikes. I thought they looked so cute in their helmets with their bikes pile up behind them. I asked them to smile for a picture and instead my son tackled my daughter to avoid the camera. These two siblings have a one of a kind relationship. They are inseparable and have so much fun together. As you can see my daughter is absorbing the moment of her brother’s embrace and my son is getting pleasure of taking her down, making her laugh, and thinking he’s ruining the picture. It all ended in fun and I got my picture. Canon 7D 70-200 f/2.8 1/250s ISO 400.
www.facebook.com/coberlyphotography?ref=br_rs

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A good and creative idea that stands out! It is not that easy to shoot such a picture. You did it in a great way! Go on like that!

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A great closeup portrait that is reduced to the essential! It is perfectly in focus, the contrasts of the cap, the small details like the snowflakes on his lashes and the blurry white background. Altogether a great picture!
Photographers Comment
Thank you! I am honored and excited to have earned this award! My name is Sumiko Miller and am an elementary school teacher and amatuer photographer in Westford, Massachusetts. Last summer I upgraded to a Nikon D5300 (from a D40) and am still exploring and experimenting with all the great new features. This photograph was taken on an extremely cold day in New Hampshire as my three children, two dogs and I hiked up Mt. Willard to view Crawford Notch from the summit. The air temperature, which was about 5 degrees F, was so cold that our eyelashes frosted up almost immediately. My son, Noah, already has beautiful eys and an intense gaze, but the addition of snow crystals on his long eyelashes, combined with the vibrant red of his hat and deep green of his irises, made this photo a mesmerizing image! Because the lighting was perfect that cold overcast day and it was in perfect focus, very little post-processing was needed. Thank you again!