Cat Photo Competition 3 2015 : Results

Judges Comment
this image was an early favorite ... the deep blacks, the white whites, the soft background and strong framing ... but it was also that expression! it as though we have just intruded upon his private evening, and how dare we?! a beautifully executed image, strong lines, great depth and wonderful storytelling ... nicely done ... congrats! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you very much! The cat's name is Jadey, I adopted her as a kitten from an animal shelter 14 years ago. I took this photo at one of her favourite vantage points just outside my home. The ledge gives her an open view of people and cars passing by, as well as any visiting cat or dog (and the occasional fox and possum). This is her home and her territory but she is very tolerant of dogs because she grew up with a Jack Russell Terrier for a big sister (whose blurry outline you can barely see in the bottom left hand corner of the photo), and she has a complex relationship with other cats in the neighbourhood. The photo was taken with a Sony A7 and Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 lens, attached with a Metabones adapter. The lens was wide open at f/1.1, shutter 1/125, ISO 1250, raw file processed in Lightroom CC. Thank you again!

Judges Comment
what a fabulous image. the glowing light coming through this back alley, the dark shadows, the intersecting lines, and then the fabulous subject staring at the viewer all make for a spectacular image. this image has been expertly seen and managed in post to allow for the cat to truly stand out in this chaos of intersecting lines. my only suggestion would be the ends of the boards, facing us, on the walkway, center in the frame. these three board ends in the center are standing out a little too much and distract somewhat from the cat; if they were darkened, the subject would stand out even more. but nicely done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you! I took this picture during my trip to Norway, Bergen, at Bryggen. Bryggen is on the UNESCO list for World Cultural Heritage sites but this furry friend was almost as interesting for all the people walking there! It was made with Canon 5D mark III and Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art.
alicjazmyslowska.pl

Judges Comment
what a lovely image and subject ... the suggestion of movement is wonderful - the forward step of the front leg and the swish of the tail. the shallow depth of field allows this gorgeous animal to truly stand out ... beautiful bokeh ... beautiful even light and tones, and expert white balance. my only suggestion would be to consider eliminating the post left of center as it does distract somewhat from the subject. nicely done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you, Illona! My name is Denis Malciu and I'm from Romania. Photography is a hobby for me, a day by day one... I practice street photography in combination with fine-art, so I use a compact gear, Sony A7 with Carl Zeiss 35mm f2.8, 55mm f1.8 and Leica 90mm Summarit-M f2.5. I took the photo in Bucharest, on a street with old houses and a lot of cats....But then I saw Lucky for the first time, he walked so aristocratically... After a few pictures (with 55mm at f1.8), me and my girlfriend played with him and we discovered his name on the medallion – Lucky. I edited the image with a film-like filter, VSCO, in ACR (adjusting white balance, tones etc).
www.flickr.com/photos/75495350@N07/

Judges Comment
what a great looking cat and a nicely-executed image. shooting from a low-angle is always a great way to approach pets, putting them up on an elevated level. beautiful management of light and white balance. very nicely done. ~ illona

Judges Comment
there is a truly unique feeling to this immediately compelling image. the wide-angle adds to the story-telling quality of this photo. if not for the splashes of white on the cat's face it might be lost in the jumble of weeds, fencing and clutter in its environment ... i might suggest lightening its right eye to a similar level as the left so that the cat's right side isn't lost in the jumble and allows this animal to stand out. a very intriguing image. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
I am Roman Tripler and live in Hennef, Germany. Thank you for this honor. This picture was taken this summer in Crete, Greece. This young cat was the baby of a whole herd and fascinated me by their colorful coat and different colored eyes. Every cat was aggressive and angry. She was curious and the other cats let me take this picture. Other people in their alley they attacked directly and hard.
www.romantripler.com

Judges Comment
this is such a fun image with the cat's wide-eyed expression, but also a well-executed one. with strong framing and clean lines, the viewer's attention is instantly drawn to the cat's eyes. very nicely done. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you very much for this Mark of Excellence. My name is David Kujas, I shoot only film. This one has been taken with a small point & shoot camera (Olympus Mju II) with Kodak Portra 160 film. This is a typical behaviour of my cat, always wanting to go outside, and the minute she's out wanting to go back inside!
www.jenesuispasphotographe.com

Judges Comment
the receding lines in this image immediately draw the viewer in; the play between complimentary colors of orange on the kitten and the green fence, and the rich tones, definitely work, and the deep shadows and good white balance make this a solid image. nicely done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you for marking my photo as excellence! My name is Yavuz and I am from Turkey but currently working & living in Dubai... The setup, which I really love, is used in taking this photo is: Camera: Canon A-1 Lens: Euro-Optik 135mm f/2.8 Film: Kodak Ektar 100 ---- I did not process my films since there were some places can do for you ;) Regards, Yavuz
www.flickr.com/photos/yavuzkaya/

Judges Comment
this is a fun image ... the low angle allows us to just see the eyes of the kitten peeking over the edge. the shallow depth of field allows the subject to standout, and the rich blacks and contrast stand out. nicely done. ~ illona

Judges Comment
what a lovely image ... simple yet rich in texture and certainly in expression. nicely done. ~ illona

Judges Comment
this silhouette image's beauty lies in its simplicity ... the lovely sunset, and the crisp outline of the alert cat on the roof-line. nicely seen and captured. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you very much for the awards. This photo was taken this summer in Grenoble during the sunset with a Canon 5d mark2 and a 70-300 lens.