Cat Photo Competition 6 2014 : Results
- Competition Winner : First Prize
- $291.60 plus a Leica C worth $700
- Judges Comment
- what a wonderfully executed and managed image. finding focus through the blossoms and branches is not always easy, but it has been achieved in this image, and the beautiful surrounding glow makes this image absolutely magical. the only distraction in this image is whatever lies beneath the cat's right eye; it's difficult to see what it is, but it draws as much attention as the cat's left eye, yet it is not an eye. i think a little creative editing could help this, and - as such - firmly plant the viewer's focus on the left eye, making it an even stronger image. either way, this image is fabulous. nicely done and congrats! ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- Momo came to live with me as a four week old ball of fluff that still needed bottle feeding, after my brother found him on site between two containers with no mommy or other babies. I was meant to just foster him, find him a new forever home, but he stole my heart when I needed a companion. He was my perfect photographic subject in first year, and he continues to be, always complacent when he has lenses aimed at him. When I made the choice to come and live in the UK, I just couldn't think of anyone I truly felt would love my fat grey cat the way I do...So I started the process and paper work, as well as the flight payments. My domestic short-haired grey cat, that costs more than a pedigree Russian Blue (which he resembles), is now safe and sound and settled in well to his new UK home...where he continues to be my fluffy muse and companion. Thank you so much Illona for your positive critism and thank you i SHOT it for the opportunity!
- www.helloshannonlee.com
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- what a lovely image ... beautiful framing, and wonderful conversion with deep shadows and strong contrast. the falling snow offers movement and whimsy, and the cat's distant gaze makes us wonder what' has caught his attention off-frame. nicely done. ~ illona
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- i tried to put my bias aside ... my complete adoration for sphinx and rexes ... and look at this image from a purely photographic perspective. it's tough though since these wrinkly models are just so adorable! regardless, this image is exquisite ... beautiful depth of field, rich tones, and deep shadows. very nicely done. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- Thank you for the Mark of Excellence, what a surprise! My name ist Ulrike Treude, and I live in Germany. I also love sphinx and rexes, but I don´t have cats. These are the kitten of a friend, and I shot this photo with a Canon 5D Mark III and a Sigma 85mm.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- the soft, blended tones of this image are exquisite ... how the cat seems one with this luxurious chair, his fixed stare, the wrap of his tail ... all make for a lovely image. nicely done. ~ illona
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- the framing of this image is wonderful, with the black cat down in the left corner and ample negative space. the only detriment is the excess of distractions on the wall surrounding him. i can't help wondering if a little creative editing to clean up at least some of these distracting elements on the wall might make this image even stronger ... allowing not just the cat to stand out, but also the little birds which are the focus of his attention. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- My name is Wu Wen-Po. I am a photographer from Taiwan. This image is taken with Noctilux 1.0 on M9 and is processed by Silver Efex Pro2. Thanks for Illona's comments. ^_^
- flickr.com/#/photos/thiobacillus2009/
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- what a great shot ... this is SO 'cat' ... always peeking around corners. wonderful focus where it needs to be. very nicely captured. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- Thanks for the Mark of Excellence! My name is Pierre Aden, from Frankfurt, Germany. Wanda is a very curious cat so there are lots of opportunities to create nice pictures of her. On this photo she was in my bathroom and waited for me to enter the room. I played a litte hide and seek with her to get her attention. I used an Olympus PEN E-P5 with the M.Zuiko 45mm lens. This is my favorite combination for pictures of indoor cats. Post processing was done in Photoshop using the Topaz Labs b&w filters. More of my cat pictures includung some advice for good cat photos are available on my blog: http://ultraweit-verwinkelt.de/how-to-capture-cat-personality/
- ultraweit-verwinkelt.net
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- what a fun, expressive shot ... made all the stronger by the shallow depth of field allow the viewer to really focus on this fabulous cat's face. nicely done. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- Thank you so much for the mark of excellence, Illona! My name is Rike Bayer, I'm from Germany and I took this photo last year in Spain. There are many cats in the neighbourhood and most of them are rather shy but that one cat was very curious about what I was doing. She was walking on a wall towards me when she shook her head and I managed to take this fun picture. I love the expression - it reminds me of the movie character Puss in Boots :-) Nikon D300s, Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm 1:2,8G ED VR II
- www.facebook.com/SternsekundenFotografie
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- the strength in this image lies not just in its composition, but also in the rich depth of shadows with the skillful black-and-white conversion. beautiful textures and contrasts, and of course, a rather adorable subject. nicely handled. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- I am Sabine Leifels from Detmold in Germany. The photo is made by a Nikon D5000 . The cats's name is Feffy, who found a nice place to take a napp on the steps. Thank you so much for the Mark of Exelence.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- the framing and composition of this image are outstanding, and the conversion to black-and-white is skillfully done with rich, deep blacks and clean highlights. very nicely seen and executed. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- I am Sabine Leifels from Detmold in Germany, The picture is made by a Nikon D5000. Tiny cat Oskar is watching the world outside, enjoying this nice windowplace. Many, many thanks Illona and Judges for the two Marks of Exelence. I am very happy.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- this image is a terrific capture between frosty branches, which truly places the inquisitive cat in its environment ... while its intense stare draws us in. nicely done. ~ illona
- Photographers Comment
- Thank you so much for the award and nice comment! My name is Petra van der Luer and this photo was shot in my hometown Zeewolde in the netherlands. It was an instant shot, the cat jumped on the fence, I grabbed the camera, checked settings and shot through a window that was in a state that proved that I'd rather shoot pictures than clean house:-) Perhaps now I'll see the importance of keeping them clean:-) The end of a lens is as close as I can be to a cat, terribly allergic as I am, alas.