Dog Photo Competition 5 2013 : Results

  • Judges Comment
  • this image was an instant fave from the the start. for white on white, it shows good exposure, and perfect focus ... and the capture itself is truly unique with the oncoming dog centered as it is. such a simple yet strong image that just exudes "dog". bravo! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • wow!!!! I woke up this morning and saw that I won, what a great way to start the day!!! Thank you so much for choosing mine out of so many amazing dog photos! This shot was taken in Edmonton last winter. Walter was jumping for a snowball and Rupert was running towards us to join in the fun. It was a perfect moment to capture! They are the best of friends and I love taking photos of them while they play. There is nothing better than capturing dog joy! I took this with my Canon T3i with a 50mm 1.8 and converted it to b&w in lightroom. Thanks again!
  • 500px.com/wallyandroops
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • what a fabulous image. i love the wide-angle, the incredible tones, the play of light and shadow, the wonderful textures ... everything works together to make this a truly unique image and an instant fave. as i've mentioned in the previous Mark of Excellence photo, this was an nearly impossible competition to judge! ...and the top five are ALL TOP winners as far as i'm concerned. thanks for sharing! ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • gosh what a fabulous and fun image. i'd love to see this in color, although it works wonderfully in black-and-white. the only downfall in this image is, of course, the building on the left, the harsh line of the flat roof acting as a strong distraction. i'm almost wondering if the building could be eliminated through some creative editing. but the pure joy and life in this image is the most captivating ... the dramatic skies, the leaves, the onlooking dog, and of course, the little airborne athlete. bravo! as i've mentioned in the previous Mark of Excellence photo, this was an nearly impossible competition to judge! ...and the top five are ALL TOP winners as far as i'm concerned. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • The idea for this image was fairly straight forward. We took the dogs for a walk and we were kicking leaves into the air for them to catch. I wanted to see how high I could get one of them to jump, so off camera my sister threw leaves into the frame. This was the result. What I really like about it is that the other dog watching is his mum and it looks as though he is trying to show off. It was not a sunny day and so I had to put the ISO up to keep the shutter speed fast. Camera used was a panasonic GF1 and lens was the 14mm f2.5. For post-processing, I did some level adjustments and removed some distractions from the frame (e.g., cable lines).
  • www.flickr.com/photos/garrethtigwell/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • silhouette photos have to be truly outstanding in order to stand out from the myriad of silhouette-sunset photos already shot. THIS one definitely stands out. beautifully seen, captured and managed in post, wonderfully framed, this image is an instant fave. as i've mentioned in the previous Mark of Excellence photo, this was an nearly impossible competition to judge! ...and the top five are ALL TOP winners as far as i'm concerned. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Lion King is the name of this picture :) And honestly I have to say that I am really glad that you pick this one. It is really nice to see my pictures with Mark of Excelence and even more is to see other pictures from Czech photographers with this badge. Taken during one of my photo workshops in Prague. D700 + fisheye lens. If you want to see more of my work, just visit my FB or 500px .)
  • www.facebook.com/reportaznifoto
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • i love EVERYTHING about this image, and i would love to assign "top prize" to the top five images in this competition ... such amazing images, all of them! the light in this image is divine ... moreso, the depth of the shadow is absolutely glorious. the clean line of door's window frame, the soft lines of the rug, and then the texture of the terrier's hair offer such lovely and opposing textures. beautiful tones and white balance. i absolutely adore this image. an instant favorite. thank you for sharing! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • A big thank you for this 5th place Mark of Excellence. I would not have wanted to be the judge in this category because of all the fantastic entries. Congratulations to everyone and especially to the winner who caught my eye the first time I saw the photograph. Remley is our Norwich Terrier, she was on the lookout for the "evil squirrels" that lurk in the backyard. This is my 2nd Mark of Excellence, I am Claudia Robinson of Charleston, South Carolina and I shot this with my Fuji x100.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • what an absolutely stellar image ... not only is it expertly captured and managed in post, with lovely bokeh and framing, but the framing of the scruffy head peeking over the fence is classic. I might try to clone out the tops of the two taller wooden posts in order to clean up this image a bit, but otherwise a lovely image. thanks for sharing! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Hello, thank you very much for choosing my photo! This picture was taken during the summer season in pets hotel where I worked for a while. The doggy is enjoying the pool water. And my name is Kristyna, I am originally from Czech republic but currently living close to NY. It is my pleasure to be in top ten with another great photographers. Just to inform you - at least 5 pictures in this Top ten was taken by CZECH photographers! WE ROCK ;) Feel free to visit my FB fun page ;)
  • www.facebook.com/BrownLeopardPhotography
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • what a beautiful image. lovely depth of field and tack-sharp focus, beautiful light and white balance, and lovely tones. nicely done. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Hello to everybody! This picture was taken in Prague (Czech Republic, Europe) with Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon EF 70-200 2.8 L USM Lens. If somebody is more interested in my work, here is a link on my Facebook page. Thank you for your time!
  • www.facebook.com/annaphoto.cz
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this image has so much going on, and - as such - has the viewer coming back again and again to view the various element, from the startled face of the lead dog, the old bench seat and tattered arm chair, the other dogs clambering out of the house, the surrounding courtyard, the brickwork and old door and window frame. it's a very story-telling photo with a real 'film' feel to it. nicely captured and handled. thanks for sharing. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • the extreme low angle of this image invites the viewer immediately into it. The dark tones and heavy dramatic editing give it a feel of a bitter cold fall evening, and puts us right in the scene. nicely executed. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • This is Rico, the dog of our neighbor who really jumps in every puddle, so it's not hard to find him in the wet element. I held the camera (Panasonic GF-3, 14mm) just above the puddle, waiting for the right moment to take the picture. Many thanks!
  • www.rainersteinke.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • i love the stark simplicity of this image -- the receding lines of the tracks and the dog -- as well as the depth of shadow and clean highlights. this image has a real 'film' feel to it. a very interesting and memorable image. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thanks for the kind words and Mark of Excellence. This was shot on real film, Tri-X, in a Leica M3 using a 90mm lens wide open at 2.8. It helped to get a really good drum scan and this is pretty much straight out of the scanner with very little tweaking in Photoshop. One of the last pictures of our family dog before she passed away recently.
  • louiefavorite.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • the color management, depth of field and textures in this image are utterly glorious. absolutely beautifully captured and expertly managed in post. an instant fave. well done! ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • My cute little monster .) It is really nice to see my pictures with Mark of Excelence and even more is to see other pictures from Czech photographers with this badge. Taken somewhere in the middle of nowhere ;-) taken by Nikon D700 + 70-200/2.8 If you want to see more of my work, just visit my FB or 500px .)
  • www.facebook.com/reportaznifoto
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this image is an instant favorite. the incredible and contrasting textures of the leaves, wet snout, lips and whiskers, and the lovely earthy tones, lead the eye throughout the image. rich shadows and skilled color management make this top image. nicely done. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Wow, what a honor! Thank you! My name is Jayme Dukart and this photo was taken on my property in a small town that is SE of Portland, Oregon. I was raking leaves with the "help" of my two dogs and I noticed how dry and crisp all the leaves were (uncommon in rainy Oregon) and thought we needed a break from the work to play in the leaves with my camera. Thankfully one of my pups has a great "stay" and I was able to pile all the leaves up, over and around her without her moving. I took this image with my Canon 5D Mark II, the image was then edited in LR3 in increase contrast, saturation and clarity. Thank you again for the Mark of Excellence.
  • www.forthelovepetphotography.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this fabulous location is not wasted with this skillfully and beautifully executed image. lovely tones and depth of field, and the centered subject with the receding tree line and haunting branches make this an instantly memorable image. nicely done! ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • besides a lovely conversion and a beautifully framed image, the capture of this gangly dog in its almost humorous gait is an instant fave. the juxtaposition of the dark brindle dog and the bright pigeons in the background, the play of light vs. black make this a strong image. wonderfully seen and captured. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this is such a touching and intimate image, and the depth and richness of the black-and-white conversion make it stand out. beautifully captured and executed. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this image is an instant fave. the ripple of water over the terrier's nose as he moves through the water, the excitement and drive exhibited in his hard gaze, and the bubbles left in his wake as he moves towards the ball leave us with such a sense of action and intensity that is SO "dog". wonderfully captured and framed. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • i have to admit, perhaps i'm a little biased towards the subject of this little scruffy dog, but the low angle, the lovely bokeh, the captured expression of this adorable subject looking back over his shoulder, make for an absolutely lovely image. nicely done. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this is a lovely bright image and being shot so low at the dog's level adds to the instant connection with the image and its subject. great management of white balance. nicely done. ~ illona
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • this is a beautifully captured image which is so quintessential dog -- park, natural landscape, trees, squirrels (no doubt!), and dog. lovely conversion with deep shadows. nicely shot and framed. ~ illona
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you very much, Illona. Yes, there were squirrels, otherwise he would probably not be looking up. The photo was taken in Central Park with a Panasonic GX-1 and the Olympus 45mm lens.