Dog Photo Competition 1 2015 : Results

Competition Winner : First Prize
$327.60 plus a Leica C worth $700

Judges Comment
Fabulous! What DOESN'T work about this image? What a wonderful landscape shot ... the long shadows, the intricate patterns in the sand, the trail of footprints leading to the dog, the texture of the large rock and the smattering of clouds on the horizon ... everything keeps us moving through this image to take it all in. If i would change anything about this image, it would only be the darker sky at the horizon on the far left, as i find my eye drawn to it, when i should be staying more to the right third of the frame with the true subject of this near-perfect image. Nicely seen and wonderfully captured. Bravo! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
This photograph was captured on Bandon Beach during a road trip along the Oregon Coast. My dog (and muse) Delilah, loves the ocean. We live in Los Angeles and the dog-friendly beaches here are few and far between, and also very crowded. I think she was just as taken aback by the open space and sheer beauty of Oregon as I was. I could have watched her chase the birds all day. As the sun began to set, her long shadow and the exquisite simplicity of the scene called my name. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III, this was shot at 24mm, f/8, 1/125 second and processed in Lightroom. To win first prize and also receive a Mark of Excellence is an incredible honor. I think Delilah and I will celebrate with a steak dinner. ;-) Thank you!
sallyannfield.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This image was an instant fave. The golden light and warm tones, the long, soft shadows across the path, and the gorgeous depth of field all work together to make this a brilliantly managed image. I do find the flare at the bottom of the frame a little distracting, and think that the image would benefit from a slight crop at the bottom. There is also a long branch reaching down and appears to curve in the left frame (it could be a branch + a weed together) ... although the top of the branch with the few leaves adds depth to the image, the bottom of the branch with the perceived curve is somewhat distracting from the true hero of this image -- the adorable little dog walking away, but still paying attention to us with his flipped back ears. Just an all-around wonderful capture. Nicely done! ~ illona

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Fabulous, fabulous image! So clean and strong. Beautiful conversion with bright whites and bold blacks; wonderful textures, and a strong leading line. Shot from behind, this image leads the viewer's eyes from the sweet little Boston, along that railing to the distant buildings, but always back to the little terrier. Expertly seen, captured, and managed in post. Well done! An instant fave. ~ illona

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This photo is fabulous. The muted tones accentuate the fog and allow the dog to stand out, and the choice to convert it to black and white lets the subject work with the muted, white landscape instead of stand out too much with its colors. The only thing I'd change is to attempt to remove the power lines, especially in the top left corner to lessen the weight there along with the trees and allow the full attention to remain on this wonderful dog. Nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the beautiful award. I am very happy that you chose my photo. My name is Lukáš and I am from Czech Republic. This one was taken in Hrušovany u Brna, Czech with a Nikod D700 + Nikkor 80-200 f/2,8.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is such a beautiful image ... the soft almost monotone colors, the fun expression on this lovely dog's face, the light snowfall, and the perfect depth of field. Nicely captured and handled in post. ~ illona

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
What a fabulous and fun image. Beautiful shallow depth of field which allows the subject to leap out of the frame; gorgeous light and soft, warm tones, and focus where it needs to be. Perfectly captured and expertly handled in post. Well done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for the Mark of Excellence, absolute honor among all this talent here. My name is Pavlina and this is my rescued dog. This was in Florida fields at sunset time. I shot this with Canon 85mm f/1.8 lens. I didn't expect to get action shots, so I didn't have any other lenses with me. This was fun, you can tell my pup loves to run. In post processing not much was done, it is all natural light at sunset. Thank you again, true honor.
www.pavlinasanborn.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
What an intriguing image! The deep shadows and the low, almost mysterious, source of light, instantly draws the viewer in, and the dog's stare, of course, is nearly hypnotic. I do find the flare of light in the top left corner to be a little distracting, with the viewer's eye being drawn to it almost as much as the dog. I wonder if the overall image would be stronger if it were eliminated? Otherwise, i think this is a truly unique and intriguing image. Nicely done. ~ illona

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
What a beautiful image. The soft glow and the golden tones, the soft bokeh, and the perfect framing of this image make it one that keeps the viewer coming back for more ... the eye going from the sweet pup, to the sparkles of light, the flashes of red leaves, the soft light, the tree bark, the light , the texture of the snow ... everything just works. Nicely done both in camera and out! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you. My name is Peter and I live in Slovakia. I shot it with Sony A7, Helios 85mm f1,5 M42
https://atrejatrej.wix.com/petersarek

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a stunning image of an absolute gorgeous dog. The use of complimentary colors -- the red-orange against the green-blue -- is so classic, simple and effective. The shallow depth of field allows the dog to stand out from what looks like an old wooden building, making it the perfect backdrop for this beautiful animal. Wonderfully seen and captured. Bravo ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Charlene and I shoot this photo in Bibertal (Gießen), Germany . This image was taken in the afternoon hours; luckily the sun came out again for few moments. Just in time to make this photo shooting of this beautiful and cuddly dog, called Whindy. It was taken with my new lens Zuicko Pro 2,8 40-150mm on my Olympus OMD E-M5 with 1/400 sec, f3,5, ISO 200, and post-processed with Lightroom. Thank you very much for this award.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
The tones and variety of textures and shapes in this image keeps the viewer's eye roaming endlessly throughout, and looking for more adventure. The choice to use vignetting to put more light and emphasis on the dog as the subject allows the viewer to see him first amongst the many other competing elements. Nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for the Mark of Excellence, I'm very honoured. The more so as even two of my photos were awarded :) This one was taken in New Hampshire, USA with a Leica M(240) + 50mm f0.95 Noctilux. Markus Wieser
markuswieser.net

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a wonderful black and white image, boasting strong whites and deep blacks. Great contrast and bold lines, and of course a wonderful calm subject matter. Nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for the Mark of Excellence, I'm very honoured. The more so as even two of my photos were awarded :) This one was taken in Salzburg, Austria with a Leica M(240) + 50mm f0.95 Noctilux. Markus Wieser
markuswieser.net

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
The soft, muted tones and minimal quality of this image make it truly stand out. Beautiful lines and tones. Wonderfully seen and presented. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
The winter light that illuminates my bedroom is so soft and pretty. I call this one "Squirrel Huntress." My dog (and muse) Delilah will lay there for hours waiting patiently for the squirrels to come and play in the trees. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III, this was shot at 45mm, f/4, 1/125 second and processed in Lightroom. Thank you!
sallyannfield.com