City Competition 4 2017 - all cities! : Results

  • Competition Winner : First Prize
  • $708.00
  • Judges Comment
  • Congratulations to the photographer of the winning image! This photo provides a window into life not commonly presented, and also is superbly composed and executed. There are many different layers to the composition that contribute to the image and stir thought and feelings. Divided by visual elements down the middle, the adults are kept on the left and children on the right. The adults all face away from the pig (presumably just killed) and their faces can’t be seen in contrast with the children’s. The pig grounds or pins the composition but in a visually energetic way because the blue color vibrates with the pink and the angle of the pig is the same as the angle in the window grate – so the eye does move away (like the adults) but is continually pulled back. Some relief is found with the children temporarily but her gaze brings the viewers eye back once again. The round umbrella like shape the head positions make provides a sort of subconscious comfort. There are no superfluous objects in this image – every element contributes to the whole. Very well seen and captured!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Great news! Thanks for saying such kind words! This photo was taken in Camagüey Cuba in April of 2016 during the historic visit of Obama to the island. This was a quinceñera party. The poor pig was dragged out of his happy family life and killed. I believe this was taken with a Fuji x100T. I'm a photojournalist living and working in Latin America. Please visit my site at www.scottbrennanphoto.com and my instagram @scottbrennanphoto
  • scottbrennanphoto.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • If it were not for the reflections one could almost believe this was a collage. The strong contrast, angles and repeating patterns are mesmerizing. Nicely framed and executed!
  • Photographers Comment
  • My name is Harry Ho and I am from Hong Kong. This photo was taken in a shopping mall located on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong with a Leica X2 camera. I converted the image into B&W by Snapseed. I like the surreal and chaotic situation created by the escalators and their reflections in such a small space. This image also creates an impression of people getting lost in their daily lives, particularly for those living in a hectic city like Hong Kong. It makes one of my favourite photos taken this year. Finally, I would like to thank you the judges for giving me this award and everyone for liking this image.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The use of single point perspective (where all lines converge to the center) can make for some very interesting images and alternatively also some very dull ones - almost scientific innature. In this case the image works very well. The crosswalk stripes are echoed in the elements of both buildings which create a triangular cycle of eye movement which avoids the viewer being trapped at the center. Good work in the framing and great timing to catch the woman crossing exactly at the right point.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much for the mark and for your comments!! I was wandering Merida and started framing this shot. As soon as I put the camera to my eye I saw the woman crossing and knew it was time to press the shutter. It was far underexposed but I’m glad I didn’t hesitate! Taken on a Fuji X-T1 with the Fuji 23mm f/1.4.
  • jpopphoton.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Night shots have been quite fashionable and consequently it takes a really well executed and composed one to stand above which this one does. The use of the light traces as compositional elements which interplay with the architecture makes this image stronger. This image is also well framed and executed. Nice work!
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Congratulations on this nicely organized and technically well executed image with clean lines! Compositionally this image succeeds because of the color relationships and repeating bright areas between the trucks and building, but also because the grouping of 3 above 2 which doesn’t allow the image to become static.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This cityscape has an undulating reverberating quality to it that makes it come alive and transcend the captured quality of some photos. Black and white was a good choice for this image.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Matera, Italy Fujifilm X-T2, 16-55mm, Panorama of 3 photos, Black and White with Lightroom I was captivated by the vast, dramatic cityscape of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site, so me and my wife decided to hike to higher ground to take in the city’s natural and architectural beauty. I turned it to black and white to bring out the composition’s unique texture and shadows. The whole thing cinched together like a dream, It’s a magic place.
  • www.streetfauna.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Sometimes less is more. The austere empty space of this image helps the viewer’s imagination and also to create more visceral feelings of the birds in their flight. Interposing the round platform with birds over the building develops the emotions of portend.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Aligning the people with the striations of light cutting across the image works well compositionally here since the viewer’s eye can make the trip with the direction of the light and then back across. The bus and building help the composition in a secondary way but don’t take away the focus. Nice!
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Very clean and simplified images work on the viewer in abstract and subconscious levels. Without any other objects to distract the image can become stronger.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is a very energetic composition with the action on opposing diagonals, but it succeeds primarily because the figure and shapes in the billboard behind him relates visually to the compass shape in the foreground on lower right side. Great idea!