Black-And-White Photo Competition 2 2013 : Results

  • Judges Comment
  • The I-SHOT-IT competition does not allow the judges to know anything about the submitted images other than what can be seen in the actual image. So even more interesting is this image, just by its qualities it acts as a symphony for the eye. It has so many layers of action going on. This is an immediately impressive technically performed image that comes across as genuinely made with the camera in a very unusual moment. We love the layers of information, the questions it arises. This image is a piece of art.
  • Photographers Comment
  • The photo, taken on September 17, 2010, shows US Army soldiers huddled around a Navy EOD officer who was badly injured after stepping on a land mine, thirty feet in front of me while on patrol in Kunduz, Afghanistan. They are shielding him from the rotor wash of a medivac helicopter landing nearby to take him for medical treatment. This was part of a year-long project documenting an entire wartime deployment. I’m so grateful this photo was chosen. It was one of my toughest days as a photographer and it is one of my favorite images. There are very few photos you make in your lifetime that you never really get tired of - this is one of them for me. Thank you. Damon Winter
  • www.damonwinter.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • <p>This image has a very unique atmosphere to it. You want to be part of it, but at the same time you are happy not to be in their location. It looks rough, cold ... and cozy at the same time.</p> <p>The observer feels the bitter coldness from the outside, as well the people freezing inside. How the light shows the men's profiles is just superbly captured.</p>
  • Photographers Comment
  • First of all thanks for ``Mark Of Excellence`` I was very impressed of your comments ! My name is Korhan_(korn) . This picture, Istanbul/Sirkeci , was taken in the waiting room on the train station. This photo a section of their life``they are slogger-heavy workers``... Nikon D300__200mm f/5.6__iso 800 Congratulations also Damon Winter. Photo just brilliant... [email protected]
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • In many ways this is a unusual and strong image you don't see every day. Very private and very public at the same time. It shows passion and love, which survives age ...
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thanks a lot for the "Mark of Excellence" ! This picture was taken in St. Georg, a historic district of Hamburg, Germany, near the river Alster. The old couple, still in love with each other, took a short rest on the somewhat warren out marble stairs of a formerly very elegant building. As the jury said a "very public and very private" sitution at the same time and I hope a promise to all that love may last as I felt when I took this picture. Kodak Tri-X @ ISO 400, scanned on Hasselblad Flextight X5. Holger Ehlert, Hamburg - Digital Media, non-professional photographer. You may order a print of the picture by followig the link below.
  • e-produktion.de/award.htm
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A well captured and composed image of something you don't see every day. Every time we look at it, we are intrigued by it's different viewpoint and fairy tale look.
  • Photographers Comment
  • My name is Daniel Osterkamp from Germany. This picture was taken in my early amateur career of photography in Myanmar. The place is called Kakku and the area comprises of thousands of stupas building the shape of bhuddas footprint if viewed from the air (unfortunately no airplane available ;-)). The gardener was working and I was lying on the ground for about 20 minutes until she stopped laughing at me trying to get this shot. Congrats to the winner and I hope I will score better because I really would like to get hold of the camera to focus more on B&W. if you want to follow: https://www.facebook.com/fotografie.osterkamp or my homepage link below.
  • fotografie.danielosterkamp.de
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The technical qualities of this image are enough to make us interested to learn more. The composition and story-telling is strong and directs the viewer to see what the photographer intended.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Firstly, I’d like to say thank you for selecting my photograph to be mentioned as part of your Black & White Competition. My name is Nic Chung and I am a full-time wedding photographer based in Malaysia. I also have a passion in the photojournalism style of photography. I took this photograph in my hometown in Sabah, Malaysia. A strong fire had burned down the whole village and the moment I stepped onto the scene, I saw the boy, holding a bucket, walking through the scrap of his house in between the house's columns. This photo was taken with a Panasonic GF1 camera with a 20mm f1.7 lens and post processed in Adobe Lightroom 4 + Silver Efex Pro 2 for black & white and dodge and burn tool in Adobe Photoshop. Please feel free to check out my Facebook Fan Page for my wedding photography. www.facebook.com/NicChungPhotography
  • www.nicchung.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Cute, dramatic and well-composed image with many dramatic and symbolic elements. The viewers attention is kept on the flying boy, thanks to the excellent composition and the fact that everybody in the image is looking at him.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thanks for this ! My name is Jean-Marc Ferriere . I'm a cinematographer based in Brazil. This photo was shot at Praia do Forte, Bahia, Brazil with a M8 and Summilux 35 pre asph then post processed on Photoshop & Silver Efex.
  • www.flickriver.com/photos/talegal/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is a very strong image with too much editing work done on the eyes. It is a shame, as it is an excellent and very strong image in so many ways without additional help. Strong enough to get a Mark of Excellence despite the editing.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Great Photos Everyone! What an honor to be among your ranks. I'm Red Morgan... Live in West Palm Beach, Florida. I shot this photo on assignment for the Miami Herald many years ago. I wanted to do a swimming class for young children but from a unique view. I decided the best view would be from under the water while the children learned. ALL of the kids kept their eyes open while underwater. It really suprised me. Shot with a Nikon F & 24mm lens in a Ikelite UW housing on Tri-X film. Scanned the negative with a Nikon Coolscan 4000. Red Morgan
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The atmosphere in this image is striking, a backstory stretching from long before the photo was taken, and yet contains a story yet untold. Very simple visual language, strong disposition and well executed with a few, simple elements.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Stephan Mazurek is a photographer, cinematographer, director and documentary filmmaker. This shot was taken in Şirince , Turkey in July of 2012. Canon 5D Mark 2, 24-70mm. Silver Efex Pro2.
  • www.hombremitkamera.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A broad and wide view on a bridge and a city. When was the last time you saw a bridge photo that didn't try to show the whole bridge? Yet it communicates San Francisco very clearly, in a way we find aesthetic, attractive and that we keep looking for details. A classic capture.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you I-SHOT-IT Team and jurors for taking the time and words to judge my work. It is an honor to be selected, I really appreciate the "Mark of Excellence"! My name is Dirk Nerling, I live in Germany. The photo was taken in February 2005 visiting SF on a business trip. We booked a flight above the SF bay with a seaplane, starting below the Bay Bridge. I used a Canon EOS20D with Tamron 28-75 at F8, ISO100 1/400 and 28mm. The picture was post processed with Lightroom and NIK Silver Efex.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This image has very few elements, yet is has a very strong atmosphere. It is well seen, well executed, and also well done that the photographer recognized that it was a great photo.
  • Photographers Comment
  • By Paul Huntley - I created this picture at Dove Lake, in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Austalia. I had been looking forward to hiking the week-long Overland Track which begins at Dove Lake, for many years. I created this picture on the day prior to setting off. I've tried to capture the mood of that dark and rainy day, a prelude of what was to come. I used my Leica M9 with 35mm summicron lens handheld to create it. In post production I converted it to monochrome, added vignetting and dodged and burned various areas. I finally added plenty of grain to better reflect the mood of the place. I also like that fact that you can only just see the boatshed.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is cute, dramatic and fairytale in one image. This is how school should be. A positive image.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Many thanks to the infectiously enthusiastic Steve Huff for the heads-up, and congratulations to winning New York Times photographer Damon Winter. This photograph of a girl proudly showing off her shoes. was taken in Zimbabwe, a country rich in resources, with a starving population and a well-fed leadership. The people, and these children, were some of the kindest, most gentle I have ever met. I hate to think what has become of them. Chev Wilkinson
  • www.chevwilkinson.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A unusual angle on war photography. The priest getting ready for the religious part of the war. The tonality, the timing, the viewpoint from a hidden camera ... the clear setting of the beginning of a story that the viewer must finish with his or hers imagination.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • We welcome a series of interesting portraits in this round of I SHOT IT. This one has the quality of showing the personality very strong and directly without any filter or any suggested meaning from the photographer. Simply a view into another person. Great!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Child bride, Amhara, Ethiopia Leica M9 75mm Lightroom 4 Philip Davies
  • www.signsofafrica.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • An untraditional portrait that we find amongst the strongest we have seen for a while. Few elements makes it strong and mysterious, telling a story about a person without showing his face.
  • Photographers Comment
  • 75-year old Gezahegne Yalew was sitting in his home, a thatched mud house in the remote mountains of Northern Wollo, Ethiopia - quietly telling the story of how he survived the hard famine 30 years ago (some might remember Live Aid, Bob Geldorf. That famine...) Still struggling every day though he manages with little. I used the ambient light coming in from the doorway. No reflector. I used an old 50mm f 1.4 Nikon lens which I bought in the late 70's on a borrowed Nikon D7000. Everything set to manual. Post processed in Lightroom/Silver Efex pro. Peter Høvring, photographer and journalist, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • hovering.dk
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • <p>Obama may have lost some of his glow since he campaigned for Yes We Can, but this photograph has a lot of very strong visual layers both in what is shown and what you as the viewer put into it. The fact that it is a portrait of a well known person has to play into the way it is viewed, also by us as judges. On one hand it speaks against it, on the other hand it makes it interesting. In short, had it been anybody else, it would work differently.</p> <p>Technically it is perfect, the tonality, capturing the rain in motion and backlit, the closeness to the subject, the framing and the moment of an expression that could be seen as pain, a pause or simply trying to avoid the rain.</p>
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A very close portrait that might have had the help from studio lighting or available light. Whatever the tools were, it works. Straight forward personality close up. It makes you look, study, and feel, trying to understand.
  • Photographers Comment
  • hi im Dennis, wedding and portrait photographer in Winnipeg. this was shot with the Sony RX1 which was loaned to me by a Sony Rep as I was doing a comparison with my digital medium format Hasselblad which you can see the review on my website. This was edited in lightroom just reduced the saturation added some contrast and increased the blacks. this shot was lit with two hot lights shot at 1/80th f2 ISO500. have a great day! thank you for the nice comment Judge i will be back with a better photo =)
  • dsapong.tumblr.com/REVIEWS
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Great style and a portrait 'in motion' that might be one of the best of the person. Simple and informal, yet very formal and iconic. Who wants to be photographed in a studio if you can get a photo like this by simply sitting down for a moment?
  • Photographers Comment
  • This portrait of legendary Magnum Photos photographer René Burri was taken at The Photographers' Gallery in London, during a book signing and ahead of his talk. I asked René for permission and shot three frames on my Leica M9-P and Leica 35mm Summilux ASPH FLE. The image was then processed in Aperture and Nik Software Silver Efex Pro 2. Edmond Terakopian, London, 2013.
  • www.terakopian.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • <p>A great capture of one of the greatest conflict photographers of our time, Jan Grarup.</p> <p>Very well executed and focused on the important. Having the photographer's camera in the frame just makes it better and tattoos on the photographer, as well as on the man on the screen.</p>
  • Photographers Comment
  • This image was taken at one of Jan Grarups workshops. Whenever I enter a room I am looking where the light is and trying to think about what may happen... hoping that I might be able to make a good image. This time I got lucky. Jan was showing some of his work as I and the other photographers, mostly with journalistic backgrounds, listened intently... I had seen the Leica hanging... knew Jan had tatoos himself, so as soon as images of the soldiers with tatoos were being shown I knew I had a good chance... Nikon D800. Zeiss Distagon 25mm f5.6 1/125s ISO400. No smart processing... just simple and straight, everything was set on manual... is there anything else ? Thanks to the Judges, Birgit & Thorsten... So many great images in this competition...
  • www.mikecdevlin.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • We like the atmosphere and tonality in this image, the almost golden skin of the boy in this intimately composed black and white photo.
  • Photographers Comment
  • First of all, congratulations to the winner and all other excellent photographers who were given Marks of Excellence. My name is Andrey Volkov, and I am an amateur photographer living in Ghent, Belgium. This image was taken at Thiksey Monastery in the remote region of Ladakh in Northern India. I had to get up at 4 am in order to get to the monastery on time to attend the morning ceremony, during which the resident monks were praying and having their first meal. These young monks were sitting behind their elderly peers next to an open door. At some point, the first rays of sun entered the room and illuminated the monks' faces. At that point, I knew that this image was the best reward I could have for getting up so early, in addition to soaking up the utterly serene and relaxed atmosphere of that ancient place. The photo was taken with Canon 5D Mark III camera with Canon EF 70-200 f/4 L IS lens and converted to B&W using the NIK Silver Efex Photoshop plug-in.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is an iconic photo and just to strong to be ignored. An unreal scenery of past events that seem to have turned into an everyday view. This is a truly beautiful, strange and unique photo.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is very close to be a perfect photo in our opinion. It has simplicity and atmosphere, plus a playful use of black and white and patterns.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is a very strong balance on the tones of black and white to show aesthetics and beauty. A daring use of composition. Great use of light to make it sparkling and alive. Few elements that create an impressive effect.
  • Photographers Comment
  • My name is Allen Bourgeois and the photograph was taken in Oak Park, Illinois. I shot it with a Leica M Monochrom and a 35mm Summilux FLE lens. Theres not a lot of post processing done but I did do some work in CS4 like levels to adjust contrast. Thanks so much to the judges for the Mark of Excellence Award.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This photo drags us into it. The more we look, the more we discover. We feel part of it, yet viewers of an interesting scenery we don't quite know what or where it is.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This photo has so many things right that we really like it. The atmosphere really comes across and the boy in the front with the book is so strong a personality that the background simply stays the background.
  • Photographers Comment
  • The photo was taken in a monastery in Yangon, Myanmar last year using my Leica M9 and 35mm Summilux lens. Lightroom and Silver Efex pro2 were used in post processing. Many thanks to the judges for the Mark of Excellence - I am truly delighted! My congratulations to the winner Damon Winter and fellow Mark of Excellence recipients! Brendan Williams. Ireland.
  • brendanwilliamsphotography.com