Black-And-White Photo Competition 4 2013 : Results

  • Judges Comment
  • This feel good image gets you lost in it, with many stories happening on from the far horizon to the immediate story of four friends walking on the beach. It could be any beach in the world. We like the way the image pulls you in and keeps you captivated, it creates emotion and interest every time you look. It contains a variety of dark black silhouettes to blown out light. This is the winning picture of the I SHOT IT black & white competition for 4th quarter 2013. Congratulations!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Firstly, thank you very much to the judges for selecting my photo as the winner of this photo competition. I am very honored. My name is Andrew Lance, and I am an avid photographer based in Canberra, Australia. This picture was taken on Legian beach, Bali, Indonesia, using a Leica M8 camera with a Leica 28mm f2.8 Elmarit-M Asph lens. Processing was done in Lightroom 4 and Silver Efex Pro 2.
  • www.andrewlance.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This image made an impression on us. In small it looks like a furious ocean, but when you look at it in larger version, you see that it is a mine of some sort. It could be diamonds or other natural resources, it could be a rescue mission or it could be anywhere in the world made to explore. Well composed with dramatic use of tones.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you! Actually the picture was taken in Yunnan China. The men in the picture are in the process of removing rocks to widen an existing road in a gorge. I took the picture with a Nikon Fm3a on Kodak 400Tmax. Kind regards Jeroen (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
  • jeroenstaats.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This photograph has beautiful tones and a story to tell, even though there are no people in it. When you look beyond the beautiful composition and tones you will notice a mysterious landscape in the horizon. Very nice work!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Wow...very honoured. Congratulations to all the participants including the winning image. Well done. This was taken in Schwangau, Bavaria. I had gone down the street to buy some milk for breakfast and noticed the fog had rolled in. I went home, grabbed my camera and this was one of the images I created. It was taken using a Leica MM and 50mm Summilux ASPH. This image can be purchased as print through www.stephenbartelsgallery.com
  • flickr.com/andygemmell
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A confident, well dressed man and his hurried shadow, going somewhere fast. A very elegant composition and use of both movement and light. It all comes together.
  • Photographers Comment
  • To the Judges. Thank you for taking the time to review all of the entries for this competition. Looking at the winner and the selection of images selected as marks of distinction, I feel honored to be one of the images selected. This photo was taken in Venice, very early in the morning. I saw this man walking and needed to follow his stride to the point where i captured this image. I used a leica M9 with a 35mm Sumicron. ISO 160, F3.4 @ 180th Second.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Great atmosphere and composition of a quiet corner of the world with kids joyfully playing. It has a classic feel.The light, cropping and balance make it really work, big time.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Simply cute image with few elements and good use of light and composition shows true joy in the next generation. Perfect timing.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Wow, what an honor. I can't believe I was so close to winning! This was actually taken the morning of my wedding this past summer. I had gotten an old '57 DS M3 as a present (my first rangefinder) and was taking pictures of some of my family. This is my Pops and one of my nieces - he is taking care of some of his grandfather duties. Shot with Tri-X and the Zeiss ZM 50 1.5.
  • jkjod.wordpress.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A tender moment captured from outside the people, but at the same time showing how they might feel: Intimately secluded in each others dancing embrace.
  • Photographers Comment
  • This image was shot at one of my very first weddings. Every time I look at this couple I desperately want to know their story! Shot by Right Start Photography with a Canon 5D Mark III and 24-70L f/2.8 II
  • rightstartphotography.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Fantastic photograph that shows how selfies are taking over the world. Standing next to a great piece of design, what more natural than pointing the camera at your self? Love it.
  • Photographers Comment
  • I was about to photograph Zaha Hadid’s Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion against the Hong Kong skyline when a man walked across and proceeded to take a selfie. Luckily I was ready to capture the serendipitous moment.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Very effective image that directs the viewer to the hands ready to hit. The rest of the story you as the viewer get to make yourself, and that is the elegant part of it. Great tones, crop and composition. Good storytelling!
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Almost *too* perfect. The balance of things in this image is well seen and even better captured. So many things in balance, with beautiful depth of tones. Well done.
  • Photographers Comment
  • I very much appreciate the Mark of Excellence. This photo was shot during a December weekend in Berlin. The weather was awful with strong winds, snow and rain. Looking out from the window of the hotel I could see the snow making a nice graphic effect. Then I waited for people crossing this park close to Spittelmarkt. Leica M Monochrom, Summicron 35/2.0 (asph). Post processed with LR5 and Silver Efex 2. //Bengt Kallenberg, living in Gustavsberg, close to Stockholm, Sweden
  • www.kallenbergphoto.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is an image we immediatly liked, and the more we played with the shadows and the alignment of the wheels and the reflected metal in the road, the more fun we had viewing it. Simple and great.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you judges for the Mark of Excellence award. I got up very early one morning while on vacation in Key West and I saw this bicycle built for two heading my way. The sun hadn't been up long so the back light was raking across the scene. I then noticed the two sewer covers and I hoped that the bike wouldn't change course. Just waited for the bike to get to the right spot where the elements all came together. Thanks again, Allen Bourgeois
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Interesting perspective and amazing well-controlled tones and light. A different photo from a reality far from most people's daily lives, yet an everyday sight for others.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • We really like this image for its simplicity and charm. The cropping captures the story and the moment. You imagine the elation of playing in water and discovering the consequences right after. Technically very well performed as well.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The dedication captured in this relatively simple image is mind-blowing. As simple as that.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much for your recognition, which I greatly value. I'm Jim Grover, live in London, and am 'a passionate amateur'! This was taken in an outdoor boxing club in Bukom, in Accra, Ghana; I built a week-end of street photography around a business trip there and knew there were several such boxing clubs. Mostly I shot the boxers in colour (you can see them on my flickr site), but the fading light and tones suggested B&W for this intense lone boxer who was 'winding down'! This was taken with a Leica Monochrom with a 35mm f1.4 lens; ISO 1000; 1/500; probably around f4. Processed in Aperture and then Silver Efex. Thank you again...and many congratulations to all those recognized.
  • www.flickr.com/photos/93264954@N07/sets
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The atmosphere in this photograph is so strong that it appealed to us immediately. You want to see more and figure it out. There are many haunting elements that we keep discovering in it, and we like it.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Christian Friedländer, Doppelgänger.
  • shadesoflaks.tumblr.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • So many details packed in a frame in a very simple and well-aligned way. It's the way the photographer is able to show us it all in one frame that really impresses us.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A nice well-ordered image that uses stringent composition and tight control of the image language, plus tones to capture a moment of time. Well done!
  • Photographers Comment
  • First, I feel honored the judges selected one of my pictures for an "Excellence" award in this fiece black and White competion! My name is Mark Seawell and I'm an American living in Germany close to Ramstein. This picture was taken with my Panasonic G1, my first Micro Four Thirds camera . It was taken on the outskirts of a small town called Steinwenden about 10 minutes from Ramstein Air Force base where I work. As is often the case here, the mist was heavy and provided a wonderful opportunity to capture something unique. I used Adobe Lightroom Ver 3 and Niks Silver Efex pro for my post processing.
  • msphotoworld.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Cinematic and intense. Hate, admiration, love? We don't know, but it's mesmerizing to look at.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Life is an illusion and it never seems to be what it really is.....You would be amazed if you would knew the real story of this two people, just let me say never judge a book by its cover. This picture is taken at a gay wedding this summer with a Leica Monochrom. Thank you for your mark of excellence, I appreciate it very much. Maurice Warniers, Belgium.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This seems a historic moment that is captured, and it makes us wonder what the circumstances are. We find that we like to look at it to try to understand and make more of it, but as a landscape with a zig-zag it is also a pretty nice sight. Well done!
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A television presenter about to tell the viewers a story? A method actor at work, or an adventurer making a self portrait? We don't know, and that is interesting.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A goal reached in unfamiliar locations. Great composition, use of light and tones. The image captures at the same time the achievement of the men, and the beauty sweeping around them. It shows more of the story than just them.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Well seen and well executed image that shows architecture and design in the best possible light. It's almost an abstract painting. Well done!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you for having the honour of being among the runner-up's! My name is Michael Rommel from Germany and I took this picture in Spain at the entrance of one of the excellent art galleries of Madrid with a Fuji x100s camera, hand-held at 1/60s at f/3.6, ISO800. I was fascinated by the stainless steel wall coverings and experimented with three different angles, but felt, this one was the strongest, having the focus on the handrail and leading the eye into the picture to the complex array of triangles and other geometric shapes of the staircase. The picture was converted from RAW into Black & White in Lightroom and had very little postprocessing done to it.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • An amazing nice still life as it is lived far away from everything. You can almost feel the air, hear the wind and soak in the silence. Very good capture without adding or removing anything.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much for the award, I feel honored that you noticed my picture! My name is Mariann Nikolaisen, and I'm a hobby photographer living in Norway. This picture is taken far up north in my country, on the beautiful islands of Lofoten. It's shot in the evening, just as some rainy weather came along. It was very much a matter of being at the right place at the right time with my Canon EOS 400D.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The tones of this image are very appealing, even in it's chaotic fury. The balance and the center of attention; the eye looking at you as a viewer, all flow perfectly.
  • Photographers Comment
  • East Africa's Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra and antelope has continued for centuries, despite the challenges of disease, climate changes and increasing pressures from local communities and tourism developments. On the day we were leaving, a different search strategy put us on high and scrub-covered banks. The animals were taken by the unfamiliar currents of deep water and struggled to get close to the far bank. There were few rocks on which to land and the initial orderly progression soon became a desperate struggle of clamboring over and pushing down on the animals closer to the bank. The river became a cauldron of struggling and dying animals; the cries and moans and the desperate looks were indeed a portrait of hell on earth. After 20 minutes, the main herd retreated from the crossing, but hundreds of drowned wildebeest floated downstream to the waiting crocodiles and vultures. My name is Karen Lunney and this shot was taken with a Leica M240 with a 1995 R 80-200mm lens.
  • karenlunneyphoto.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A dramatic image of modern civilization somewhere. It's packed, it's violent, it's noisy, and at the same time in the middle of it all. Love it.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you for choosing my photo as Excellent, I was using Medium Format camera Mamiya 7II 6x7 with Kodak TriX 400, the photo has two elements the tree and the horse, the surprise is the elements are not close to each other as shown in the photo, they are opposite each other, I make them close by double exposure, I took the shot to the tree first then the horse, also because the weather was mist that day, that's why this gave it a dramatic feeling. Thank you
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Lovely capture of alovely subject, made a little more exotic and interesting than it would have been in any other location. Good idea well performed.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you for giving my photo a “Mark of Excellence” recognition. I am Adolfo Villegas Jr., a photography hobbyist. This photo was taken here in Doha Qatar, a Middle Eastern country, where skies are always clear and almost always with a scorching sunlight. The idea was to cover the model with a patterned drape and let the patterned shadows creep in. Behind the subject was the clear sky and a little bit to the right was the sun; at camera left was a reflector. Shot with a Leica M9P with 50mm Summicron Rigid Version II. Thanks. Adolf
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Timing is essential in portraits, and this image is an example of capturing the person in the exact right moment. A sweet melancholy and dreamlike expression enhance the images overall appeal. Good use of location, reflections, light and framing at the same time!
  • Photographers Comment
  • This is a picture of an artist friend. I see now that the window reflections evoke her inner world of dreamy abstraction. Shot on Kodak Tri-X film. More of my work can be seen at the link below.
  • www.etsy.com/shop/TedZepPhotography
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Very nice composition, using available light and available life. The photographer saw the opportunity, waited until all elements were in place, then froze it. Good job!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you for selecting my photo for this award! It is very encouraging for me. My name is Patrick Tan and based in Singapore. This photo was taken in Geneva during my holiday in Dec. Beautiful sunny winter day with lots of light and shadows cast. I was walking towards the underpass, saw light coming through and had a picture in mind. Two gentlemen were walking by and I heard a cyclist coming from behind. I waited for all three subjects coming into the frame and took a photo. It all happened very quickly in split seconds. I am glad it turned out well. When I looked at the photo afterwards, it gave me a feeling that I am actually there again and feeling the warmth from the sun as I walk through the underpass. Thank you! Patrick
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The larger this image gets, the more it elevates from just a cute photo of a dog to an aesthetic experience of a majestic beast in well crafted black & white photography.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Good capture with several layers of history around the two main characters. Humorous and charming!
  • Photographers Comment
  • I want to thank the judges for this Mark of Excellence Award. I received another in this same contest (photo #596). I saw this man coming up the street towards me carrying this beautiful little girl like she was sack of grain or something similar. They walked by and as they did I notices the words and the shapes in the background and thought it might make an interesting photograph. Thank you, Allen Bourgeois
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Very punk rock or revolutionary. Bold and artistic, a strong image. Love it!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Filipe N Marques Shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota Camera: Nikon D200 Lens: AF Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4 Black and White conversion in Photoshop CS4
  • www.fnmphoto.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Interesting and soft capture of a woman who reads with her fingers. It seems a very private moment. We keep returning to it to understand more.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • If you have kids that don't always like to take a shower, this image shows a possible way to make them interested. Nice capture of something that must be an experience of a lifetime.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you for the mention. I am P V Subramanian from India. This picture was taken in Kabini in India. The elephant belongs to the resort we were staying in and obliges the tourists wanting to take a shower. I shot this with a Canon 50mm 1.4 USM and a 30D. I was shooting against the sun and thought it would be best to underexpose and get the silhouette of the figures with the water droplets
  • www.ilikeitwideopen.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Everyone who has been to the Apple Store has seen something like this, and it also exists in other places. But how to make sense of it and communicate the fact that you see all this activity and play with light and shadow? In this image it is done very strict and interesting with as few elements as possible.