Dog Photo Competition 2 2019 : Results

Judges Comment
This whimsical and fun image is an instant fave, standing out as unique with great framing and leading lines. Nicely done, and congrats! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much Ilona, what a great effort My name is Jarmila and this picture were taken in Belgium with my camera, Canon 5D III, 35mm lense. I saw this special architecture, the lines and the texture and I combine with a friends dog.

Judges Comment
This little dog in this enormous landscape is an instant fave ... marching along the bank with his reflection under a huge sky give the dog a sense of boldness and adventure. Nicely done! ~ illona

Judges Comment
What a wonderful image. The choice to convert to black and white allows us to really focus on dog and his whose 'lines' are far more organic than all of the straight, urban lines surrounding him. I wonder if the image would be even stronger had it been captured a little more to the left ... meaning, the right of the frame would follow the vertical line 1/4 of the way in, and we had more plain wall to the left. But still, a fabulous image! ~ illona

Judges Comment
This is a fabulous portrait of a great setter. The tones are incredible, and while the overall image is simple there are man aspects for the viewer's eye to take in ... the rough stump, the long grasses, the creamy background, and - of course - this gorgeous dog. Nicely done. ~ illona

Judges Comment
This is a wonderful capture showing the intensity and athleticism of this dog. The almost monochromatic tones and the centering of the dog in the span of white allows her to stand out. I personally find the repeated/reflected background somewhat distracting. While the curved branches overhead are a nice touch, because the one side has been flipped and repeated, the perfect symmetry is unnatural and I personal find that my eye goes to the repeated/reflected branches instead of htis incredible dog. Nicely done though! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Oliver Luckert and I'm from Germany. I took this picture in a wood near my hometown in Bavaria. I used the Sony A7 III and the Sony 85 1,8 FE for this picture. The Name of the Dog is Nala… she is a very powerful but lovley American Stafford. In post processing i mirrowed the right trees to the left, and desaturated the Colors.
https://www.oliver-luckert-photography.de/

Judges Comment
What a great capture of this little Vizsla pup ... the clean setting, the grasses reflecting its coat, the raindrops ... all make this image and instant fave. The raised paw gives us that sense of action, and the intense gaze finishes off this fabulous image. Nicely done! ~ illona
Photographers Comment
Dear Ilona, thank you for choosing my photo for Mark of Excellence! I am Coralie Duda from Glauburg near Frankfurt/ Germany. The Viszla puppy called Cortina was a very lovely little puppy. Still very clumsy in his behavior she always had this intense gaze. I'm so happy that the owner didn't stop our shooting because of the rain. The photo was taken with my Canon EOS 5D Mark iii and the Canon 70-200 f 2.8 IS ii.
https://www.coralieduda-fotografie.de

Judges Comment
This is a strong image ... and probably would have been just as strong in color. Whether or not the dog is a pointer, this image gives us the feeling of a working dog in the grasses. Nicely captured. ~ illona
Photographers Comment
My name is Holly Garner-Jackson and I live in the state of Maine. This is my dog Ralph a boxerX that had been dumped and on the run for 3 months before he was caught. We have had him for 9 1/2 years and we recently found this isolated beach with beautiful dune grasses. Ralph is rarely off leash as he had protection issues when we first got him. This beach is the perfect place to give him some freedom as we can see anyone coming for quite a distance. Ralph has a good "stay" and I had my husband move to the other side of this peninsula and call Ralph so that I could get the shot. I did take it in color, but liked the B&W version better. Thanks to the judges. This is very encouraging.

Judges Comment
This is a beautifully captured landscape shot ... the stillness of the water allowing perfect reflections of the trees and the dog. Not always possible, but a lower angle would have given the viewer more of a sense of being on the scene. Nicely seen and framed. ~ illona

Judges Comment
This is a wonderfully captured image ... the misty landscape, the dark shapes of the trees reading as silhouettes, and then the dog standing out amid the long grasses. Nicely done! ~ illona