Landscape Photo Competition 4 2012 : Results
- Competition Winner : First Prize
- $1,209.00
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- This is beautiful. I can’t stop looking repeatedly at it and it grows on me more each time. It looks like a surrealist’s winking eye and it has been teasing me for that top spot. There is such power in these shapes and I love the water which just wants to gush out from between the rocks in the middle. The sea holds a wonderful movement , as do the clouds - and the wet sand is just so wet. I love the water lines on the beach which lead into the distant right and the small, freckle like, dark rock on the left which accentuates the flow of the water. Black and white can be so perfect, a rare photo can become a whole story, and here is a real example of that. A truly stunning photograph.
- Photographers Comment
- Thank you for recognizing my photo with the Mark of Excellence Award! My name is Pam Fletcher and I live in Montana. This photo was taken on the southern Oregon coast, near Bandon, not long after sunrise. This was shot with a Pentax K-7 camera with a Sigma 10-20mm lens at 10mm with a 6-stop ND filter. It is a single exposure. Post processing was done in Lightroom 3 and Silver Efex Pro. You can see more of my work at: www.500px.com/pamfletcher
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- This is a beautifully exposed shot with lovely contrast and warm tones. The wind waves of the sand lead the eye up to the skyline transforming this detail of a sand dune into an attractive, artistic composition. There is a great division between the sky and the sand and lovely use of empty space. I love it and this almost made the top spot. A definite favourite.
- Photographers Comment
- I am so honored to have my photo "Dune Wreath" named a Mark of Excellence winner, as it is one of my own personal favorites in my collection! My name is Kimberly Herold and I live in Navarre, FL. This shot was taken close to home along the beautiful Gulf Islands National Seashore. I used my Nikon D80 with a Nikkor 18-200 lens at 26mm, F 13, 1/400 with Hoya CP filter, supported on a Manfrotto tripod. Thank you for your consideration and affirmation of my work!
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- Another overcast shot with plenty drama. The black and white works well and the slow shutter speed brings lovely movement to the water and clouds, creating a soft swirling effect which contrasts nicely with the rocky coast. The composition is strong, dividing the picture into three balanced parts of sand, sea and sky. It is a lovely moody photo and pleasing to the eye. Great effort, well done!
- Photographers Comment
- Thank you for recognizing my photo with the Mark of Excellence Award! My name is Pam Fletcher and I live in Montana. This photo is probably my favorite from our vacation on the southern Oregon coast. This was shot during a moody late afternoon with a Pentax K-7 camera with a Sigma 10-20mm lens at 17mm with a 6-stop ND filter. It is a single exposure. Post processing was done in Lightroom 3 and Silver Efex Pro. You can see more of my work at http://500px.com/pamfletcher
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- Such strong composition here, boosted by a very contrasted black and white finish. It is a great shot, the wave lines in the sand have been beautifully captured to draw us towards the distant figures by the sea and give a vast scale to this beach scene. Very well done.
- Photographers Comment
- Thank you so much for recognizing my photo in this contest. It is much appreciated. I took this last year on a beach in Oregon. I was so intrigued by the massive wave lines. The two people and their dog were coming down the beach, I waited hoping they would move into the choice spot for the shot. My name is Cindy and I do love freezing these moments in time.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- This looks like a doctored photograph made up of two separate files, (please correct me if I am wrong) but it has been very tastefully done with the crown of flowers honouring this amazing tortured tree. The harsh, contrasted light gives strength to the ground and bounces nicely with the softer tones of the sky. The frame is bold, the tree in the center, a technique which is sometimes difficult, but has worked well here. It is an interesting subject and you have done well finding it, the two distant trees adding to the composition. Maybe a softer, more subtle post processing would have been better here but I admire your approach. Well done!
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- This is a lovely portrait format seascape. The swirling waves are so real and lively and I can feel the maritime air. Beautiful tonal range and nice soft sunlight. This is a well executed shot and firm contender for this competition. It is just missing a little of the “wow” factor for it to be a winner. Great effort.
- Photographers Comment
- Location: Sachuest Point, RI. I love this rocky coast it never disappoints, I shot this with a Canon G9. The soft overcast sky, colors and scale of the rocks really intrigued me. Post processing was in Lightroom3 to darken the sky, clean up the artifacts from the inferior lens and enhance the colors just a bit. This shot is one of my favorites, my answer to those who say "you must really have a nice camera" (an obvious pet peeve of mine) Thx - Patty Norris - Windswept Creations MA
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- A stunning foggy morning in the park atmosphere. This is a wonderful photograph, well taken and processed with strong graphic appeal and a rare light. I love the contrast and shadows and the disappearing view. The “nature” here is just too man-made for this to get a higher place.
- Photographers Comment
- My name is Carlie Hensley I took this photo in October of 2010 at Harris River front Park in Huntington,Wv. It was so foggy that morning that I could barely see in front of me. My favorite kind of morning :) These kind of mornings are the reason I get up early to go out with my camera. I am honored that you have chosen my picture for this award. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Carlie
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- Well done for this graphic view of the famous Death Valley moving stones. The texture of the stones and the hard baked ground remind us that the two are part of the same. The converging tracks lead the eye back to the cracked foreground stone and seem to contradict the idea that these stones are moved by wind… Perhaps another photo in some years time will show a cross where the two stones continue their separate paths. You have chosen a foreground focus whereas a deeper depth of field might have added strength to this otherwise lovely shot. Well done!
- Photographers Comment
- I captured this in Death Valley National Park. I spent the better part of the day looking for a composition that was going to be different. After several hours of hunting I found this rock, which had stopped in the trail of the rock in the background. I liked how the two paths created the V that opened up into the rest of the scene, I knew I had a winner. Nikkor 18-70mm lens set at 18mm, Nikon D7000. I then combined 2 different files in PS5 to create this HDR image. Dustin Penman
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- There is so much right about this photograph, the composition is strong with the surf leading us to the towering bridge. The combined rocks and iron structure portray man’s never ending attempts at taming nature and bring a story to this image. However over saturation has given an unnatural, false colour balance. Shame for this otherwise clever shot.
- Photographers Comment
- I captured this image at Marshall beach. When I saw this rock I knew I wanted a wave to lead the viewers eye from the bottom of the frame to the rock and finally the bridge. BINGO! I used a 18-70mm lens and my trusty Nikon D7000. Processed it in PS5. I agree the image is a bit over saturated but My wife saw this as I was working on it and loved it, so I kept it on her request. God Bless Dustin Penman
This photo was taken at Alpe di Siusi in the Italian Dolomites during a photo workshop that I led with 8 photographers. The camera is Canon 1Ds mkIII and the lens Canon 24-70 f/2.8L. No filters used and the post processing was done in Lightroom 4 from a single exposure. My name is Hans Kruse and I organize photo workshops in Italy.
You can visit my homepage here: www.hanskrusephotography.com