Horse Photo Competition 6 2017 : Results

  • Competition Winner : First Prize
  • $618.00
  • Judges Comment
  • The soft, dusky tones of this image gives the viewer a sense of calm, and the relaxed gait of this beautiful horse with its flowing mane and windswept tail give us a sense of peace. I would love to see some brighter whites on this image to accentuate the soft light striking the horse's face, shoulder and back, but it is truly a wonderfully memorable image. Nicely done, and congrats! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you Ilona and Team this is an honor to be chosen and to receive this recognition. 
My Name is Nicole M. Nelson, this was taken in the desert of Utah, a thunderstorm was rolling in and the herd started walking off, this Wild Mustang band stallion 
was waiting on his colt and filly who had fallen behind. The wind kinda picked up and he was just about to go and get his offspring. 
I shot this with Nikon D7100, Nikkor 70-200mm 2.8 post processed it in Photoshop
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is such a wonderfully framed image ... both the camera's framing and the framing of the trees around this young painted horse. The choice to convert to black and white in rich shadows and bright whites allows for this strong framing to truly stand out ... and the curve of the horses's neck echoing the curve of the branches above him, make it instantly memorable. Nicely done! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you Ilona for your kind words and the Mark of Excellence! This competition always challenges and inspires me to do something different in equine photography apart from my clients sessions. My name is Anna Panke from Cologne, Germany and like most of the time I worked here with my Canon EOS 5DIII and the EF 70-200mm 2.8L I lens. I used Lightroom and Photoshop to edit and converted it to black and white to give the lines and forms more space in this photograph.
  • instagram.com/annapanke
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is such a powerful image ... the stark almost barren landscape allows for the distant horse to really stand out ... the ripples in the sand seem to draw the viewer's eye in from the bottom of the frame to this calm, distant horse. Nicely done. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The simplicity of this image makes it such an instant favorite. The shallow depth of field allows for this little pony to stand out among the twisted branches of the backdrop. The fine detail of the pony's coat, mane and face, as well as the perfect lighting on him, allow him to pop from the landscape, and his quiet but alert expression gives the viewer a sense of peace. Wonderfully captured, framed and managed in post. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • What a fantastic and fun image. The horse's expression and the toss of its incredible mane are simply stunning, made even more memorable by the brilliant landscape. Wonderfully captured and managed in post production. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much, Ilona, for your kind words and of course for your choice as Mark of excellence! Indeed, this photo session was a lot of fun! The wonderful Einir modeled in Iceland in the perfect location Raudholar - which inspires me a lot, because of the mixture of raw lava cliffs and fairylike flower fields. I took the picture with my Nikon D4 and a Nikkor 70-200 2.8 lense - during post processing I got rid of all the yellow in the picture and took care that Einir looks the best!
  • www.ponyliebe-fotografie.de
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is a magical capture of a stunning foal galloping in what appears to be twilight. The intimacy of the image with the dark tones, and early morning twilight glow, along with the perfectly captured gait of this foal, make this image an instant favorite. Nicely captured and managed in post! ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is such a simple yet intimate image ... the blur of foreground brush gives the viewer the sense of voyeurism, of sneaking up on this peaceful moment of a horse in its pasture. Wonderfully captured and converted to black and white. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much for this Mark of Excellence! It always feels like such an honor to be recognized around such amazing work! This shot was a planned shot that took about 6 months to actually get due to time and location of the subject. This was taken just outside of my hometown in Texas on a cold foggy morning. This was taken with my trusty Canon t3i with a Canon 50mm 1.8 lens through the vines around the fence. Very excited about this image! And thank you so much for the kind words...
  • www.jwzystudios.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This image is immediately captivating because of the stunning subject ... the stallion's gait and the flowing mane and tail, the strong neck and conformation, allow the viewer to actually feel the power in this animal. Great capture! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much! I am very honored. Really appreciate it. I used a canon 7dm2 with a 70-200ml F2.8 lens. My Name is Lena Meder and the photo shows the incredible PRE stallion Edil.
  • lenameder-fotografie.de
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The soft, mistiness of this image allows the viewer's focus to land firmly on this alert horse's face and eye. The subtle tones give us a sense of a quiet early morning, leaving us to wonder what the horse's focus is on. Wonderfully captured and managed in post. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much for the Mark of Excellence. I am an amateur photographer from Port Elizabeth, South Africa and I have only recently decided to focus my art on horses (my other passion ;)). This photo was taken on an overcast day on a farm in the Eastern Cape just after a small cattle drive. I used a Fujifil X-T2 with 90mm f2 prime lense and the made a slighly tighter crop and layered the photo for additional mist.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This fabulous closeup provides the viewer with an intimate look at this horse. The choice to convert it to black and white allows for the lines to truly stand out ... the incredible curve of the neck, the round jawline, the ripple of muscle ... Beautifully captured and presented. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much for this recognition! To be included with all these beautiful images is an honor. This picture came about during a visit to the Clark's Elioak Farm in Ellicot City, Maryland. My son and I were enjoying the animals when I saw a pair of horses huddled together. They were being harassed by flies and looked totally miserable. This one looked at me with almost comical resignation. I did the basic conversion to black and white in Lightroom, then dodged, burned, and adjusted the levels in Photoshop. I cropped in to fill the frame to emphasis its beautiful musculature and that one, soulful eye. For the technicals - Nikon 7100, 24-70mm 2/8f lens, 1/800 sec at f/13, 50mm zoomed in. Thank you again!
  • www.enelaycreative.com