A huge thanks to our judge, Penny Nicholls.
| C GRADE | |||
| Feather Dreams | Love the experimental and artistic interpretation of an ordinary object. Perhaps a little less white but that’s just an opinion. Very sharp and detailed. | Monita Baird | Accepted |
| GoldenNewBrightonSunrise | Lovely peaceful photo. This is a great photo of the iconic pier which is photographed a lot. But this is a really nice one. The person sitting in the foreground adds interest and gives the image context. I enjoyed this but I feel to bring this to the next level perhaps a different angle. | Hayden McCoy | Accepted |
| Atlantic Sunset | Beautiful sunset with the colours well exposed. This image would be improved with the horizon straightened. I would like to see more input from the photographer like a more interesting angle to make it a competition winner. | Glenis Everts | Accepted |
| Walterlogged | This image needs a bit of work on the presentation it’s all a package deal for competition. This image just needs more emotion, engagement and direction for a portrait. Perhaps a bit more contrast and grungy finish to enhance. However the tight crop works well. | No award | |
| Gulls | These are 2 classic characters and well spotted. To bring this shot up to competition level there needs to be some separation from the birds and the background and shot using a smaller depth of field to creat the birds in focus and the birds as the background is competing instead of complimenting. | No award | |
| Rock overhang | This image is a bit oversaturated and so much going on it’s quite confusing to the eye. I think it would respond to softer light conditions and a pint of focus for the eyes to rest on. I think the details in the rocks are interesting perhaps with softer lighting and focus on that as the main focus. | No award | |
| The Quince | Lovely use of colours the background complementary to the subject. The detail of the leaf adds interest. I would like the background a little less saturated to make the quince stand out more. | Linda Ritchie | Accepted |
| Geometric Designs | Well seen love the creative angles to bring it to the next level. It would look good in a very contrasty black and white. It’s a good travel photo and would make a nice art print. It just needs a bit more for competition maybe more contrast. | No award | |
| Starboard | The more I looked at this image the more I like it. It’s a quiet photo that is beautifully lit and is simple and graphic with the hard lines against the softness of the background. | Wayne Allott | Accepted |
| Lake Paringa | A well put together image, lovely composition. However it’s just a bit flat on the light and the bush is a but dark and my eye is drawn to the light area above. Just a bit more light to make it pop. | No award | |
| SI Robin | The little robin is sharp and beautifully lit. He is looking into the negative space. I think the white on the outer edge would work better if it was a bit darker. Your eye goes to the white and it distracts from the robin. However it is beautiful and colours work together well. | Linda Ritchie | Honours |
| Tram Ride | Well seen and interesting. It’s a nice record shot. But I think its just needs a bit more interest. Some interaction perhaps between people and a story to make me wonder about the people’s lives. Perhaps consider more interesting angles as well. However it’s a good well taken photo just needs a bit more. | No award | |
| Mist on the West Coast | Great moody shot. The lighting is flat and bleak and it really suits the image. The composition is nice I like the cropping and this silhouette look of the trees. | Diane McGregor | Accepted |
| Old Man Nor’west | The clouds are beautiful and the way the cloud formation curves with the hill really works well. I enjoy the moodiness of this image. | Lynley Sollitt | Accepted |
| Relics | Great photo I like the subjects and their connection with the photographer. I think the inclusion of the number plate is clever. Good exposure and good composition. I would love a grungy filter and this would bring it to the next level. | Paul Dolheguy | Accepted |
| Peaceful reflections | I like the originality of this image it’s great to see a more adventurous angle. I would like to have seen more detail in the trees. This image would look better if it was less contrasty and I actually quite like it as a portrait orientation. | No award | |
| Meercat – Orana Park | Very nice very sharp I would like to see this image cropped from the left. However the meerkat himself is well lit and great detail. I like his angle and expression. Just be really careful when editing maybe some feathering. | No award | |
| duck | Chrome is particularly difficult to photograph well and this image is lovely and sharp with no blown out highlights. The cropping is good with the negative space on the side of the duck leaning into it. I would like a bit more creative input. Perhaps a different angle. | No award | |
| Lone Gum | The way the tree is illuminated really takes your eye and there is so much detail in the trunk. The white of the tree compliments the stars and the slight detail in the foreground just all works beautifully together. The tree is placed on the thirds and it just all works. | Trenna Francis | Honours |
| Aurora Australis Leithfield Beach | Well captured, excellent lighting, sharp and good foreground. I think we see a lot of images like this I would like to perhaps see it taken from more of an original angle or just something to make it unique. However in saying that the image is very competent and well put together | Trenna Francis | Honours |
| poppy | Beautiful rich colours, the centre is sharrp with a lot of great detail and well lit. But for this image I feel the petal in the foreground should be sharp as well. However the lighting is well done and is a striking image. | Kath Cosgrove | Accepted |
| B GRADE | |||
| Times up | Great subject matter and well cropped. The exposure is also great. However the subject is not enough it needs to have more creative input. A different angle, maybe a more grungy filter, the details enhanced in the sky. | No award | |
| Restaurant Lights | Well seen … congratulations on seeing a great angle and a photo where others may not. I would crop or darken the light blue area I find it distracting. This would give the lights more impact. It’s well exposed and executed. | Peter O’Dea | Accepted |
| Tekapo Aurora | A photo with big impact and the church is well lit. I like the angle. The detail of the tussocks is beautiful and well done. Nicely cropped. | Peter Wright | Honours |
| Fun in the Mud | Fun photo and well caught. Would be improved with a good crop bringing more focus to your girl a bit more expression in her face would be great for a winning shot. | No award | |
| Dreaming of Summer | The colour are beautiful …the details are very good. The vignette brings the eyes into the image and gives it a polished and professional finish. I find the white highlight on the left and right distracting …and perhaps darken the light patches for more impact. | Danielle Armstrong | Accepted |
| Line dancing | This needs a bit more work, the background is competing with the subject matter. Try focussing on the ducks and having the background out of focus. Experiment with your aperture and focal length to make your subjects stand out. | No award | |
| Reflections in a Glass | Lovely detailed photo. I would like the top cropped because it’s so densely black with no detail. I would crop it down to remove the triangle at the side for more impact. | Cliff Boddy | Accepted |
| Sunrise | Nice photo with potential. It really needs to be straightened up and I would like to see a flare or burst in the sun. I would like to also see a bit more colour and detail in the sky. | No award | |
| Twizel hoar frost | Lovely colours soft and moody almost monochromatic but just enough. I find the foreground tussock overpowers the beauty of the trees. It’s so brightly lit compared to the rest of the image. But the trees and reflections are where the real beauty is. | Peter Wright | Accepted |
| Lights | Pretty lights and well exposed. But just not enough creative input from the photographer and again if you’re photographing an object make it unique by adding your own creativity. | No award | |
| Franz Josef Glacier | The lighting on the mountains is good but the actual glacier is in the shade. So the focus is moved from the glacier to the top of the image. This image would be improved for competition level by having the focus on the main event well lit. cropping the right hand side as it doesn’t add anything. | No award | |
| Kaikoura Peninsular | The desaturated sky doesn’t seem to match the rest of the image. The lighting is flat and needs to be taken in the golden hour for a successful landscape photo. I think the crop is nice and flattering the image. | No award | |
| The Gladstone Gang | Beautiful example of my favourite rim lighting. The bokeh effect is complimentary to the image. I would like to see the claws of the birds on the fence … there are quite a lot of editing areas that need attention like the fence and just needs tidying up. | No award | |
| New day, New Brighton Christchurch | Nice use of the silhouette style with lots of impact. I find the purple lights distracting might be worth removing them. This is a nice photo and a good creative photo. | Brian Edmunds | Accepted |
| A GRADE | |||
| Ghosted | Very nice image and I like the ghosting concept but it’s just not impactful enough. A bit more colour other than so much flat blue would help I think the amount of blue water without much detail is too much. | No award | |
| Sparky | Very sweet image and beautifully printed. The details are sharp and well exposed. I would like a little less black behind the pup with the negative space in front. Sparky is very engaging and a very skillful image. | Kristal Merry | Accepted |
| Finale group fly | Well seen, nicely composed but I’d like to see this in some way creative …it is a good documentary shot and it’s nicely done but lacks the extra wow factor. More detail in the aircraft would improve this it’s a good record shot. | No award | |
| Best friends | Lovely connection between horse and man. It’s a kind and sensitive photo. This would look good with a tight crop bringing all the focus onto the connection …I like the corrugated iron but would like less. I would like the area between the horse and the man lightened slightly. | Sue Titmuss | Accepted |
| A Pandemonium of Keas | The keas are bright and well caught but because the background is so over saturated you lose the keas. This image would be improved with less saturation on the background and softer …make those keas stand out. | No award | |
| Spoonbills in flight | Very Monet, beautiful soft merge of colours at the top looks like a painting. The spoonbills pop on the background and I love the way they are all in sync. This is a beautiful tranquil image. | Amy Boyce | Honours |
| Rufous Tail Hummingbirds | Lovely composition, lovely angles, well lit and it all works well. However some of the editing needs a bit of attention on the left hand bottom wings. Enlarge your image and just fix these pixels and it will bring this image to the next level. | No award | |
| F-16 Flare drop | Enjoyable image..there is more detail in the aircraft and more dramatic. Well framed and good fast shutter speed. | David Bayley | Accepted |
| Sea-renity | The setting is nice but the pose looks a little awkward. There really needs to be lighting in the face for a successful portrait. Her arm is lit more than her face and it should be the other way round. | No award | |
| The Old Miner | I would like a little more light on his fave and the colour over his face is a little distracting. I like the way his hat merges slowly into the background it’s a great character image. I just would like a bit more light on his face and grunged up a bit. Perhaps a crop on the left. | Robyn Carter | Accepted |
| Foot Traffic | Interesting concept but I feel that there is no organization to the image and my eyes feel like there is nowhere to rest. I think this could be improved with maybe sort of design or symmetry to give a sense of purpose. But I admire the effort to bring something different to the competition. | No award | |
| Fireworks | Love the colours and drama..I think the fireworks are brilliantly shot. I would however crop the black foreground out of this image as it isn’t needed the fireworks and reflections are enough for a beautiful impactful image. | Rosie Coster | Accepted |
| Blue and Yellow Macaw | This image has lovely colours and the composition works well. However it is taken through the enclosure and I find that a distraction. | No award | |
| The Mall | Like this image and its bright colours and clever use of blur. I think the pop of colour with the tartan shirt adds an anchor and a purpose to this photo and adds interest. I like the use of the primary colour palette. | Eunice Belk | Accepted |
| Pose-ition | This image is just strong enough for this competition. The girls pose in the legs and torso is nice but her expression is blank. She needs more direction. You want the photo to engage. I advise getting hair and make up done play some music, and show her images of what you want. Introduce some angles | No award | |
| Out of the Fire | Lovely use of shutter speed to make something simple into an arty photo. I actually like it cropped with less fire to focus on the blurred sparks and more graphic and abstract. | Mike Gauland | Accepted |
| Born to Dance | The movement in the ruffles is beautiful and very well done. It’s expressive, soft and she is posing head to toe. The photographer has shown direction and intent of how they want this image to be. The cropping and use of negative space works well. I would like a more dramatic stance on her feet. | Colleen Linnell | Accepted |
| This is my best side | This is a nice photo of a kingfisher. However it’s nice but not amazing for this competition. The cropping is well done and the colours are nice but I feel I would like more for a competition piece for A grade. | No award | |
| Rare storm clouds, Death Valley | Good capture of the clouds with leading lines coming in from the left hand side and the cloud formation following the angle of the mountain. It’s a pretty image but to take it to the next level I feel I just want more. Maybe something in the foreground to add interest. | Pol Syrett | Accepted |
| Hydrangea | This image is nice but just a little ordinary. I would like to see more light on the main event which is the flower my eyes are drawn to the brightness if the out of focus glass. | No award | |
| Milford Sound Waterfall | This image is pleasant but is lacking in creativity either in lighting or angles to make it unique. The beauty is in the water, the spray and the rocks that area is lovely and well exposed. I would crop out the sea and sky. | No award | |
| Late Summer | I enjoyed this tranquil image. The complimentary colours work well and I love the details in the grass. I would consider when using overlays to go easy on them where they are obvious. I would lessen the overlay in the sky it’s distracting. The grass however and the lead in fence works well. | Eunice Belk | Accepted |
| Kelso Dunes | Complimentary colours work well. I feel this image would respond to some creative input from the photographer…maybe shooting from a lower angle just to make it a stand out. | No award | |
| Pigeon | The colours and attention to detail are beautiful. The way this image is lit focusses on exactly where the eyes should go his face and chest are bright taking your eyes straight there. The backround muted, dark, still with detail to give the image context. It all just works so well. He’s perfect. | Rosie Coster | Honours |
| Angel Kitten | Cute kitten pic, lovely expression. I feel the misty finish is a little overdone and takes your eyes away from the main point of interest. The string white in the left take your eyes off puss. | No award | |
| Maori maiden composite | Very nice I enjoyed this image. But I would love more expression in her face. Dramatic image but a little sleepy in expression. I would like her a bit more fierce. A bit more attention to the hair for a concept photo. | Trevor White (LPSNZ) | Accepted |
| Diamond Beach Iceland | Absolutely beautiful, incredible lighting and detail. I love the way the blues and turquoises work together. My eyes are immediately drawn to the turquoise and the soft blue just brings your eyes in. A beautiful mix of soft and sharp. Beautiful editing. | Sandra McCoy | Honours |
| Feeling the Groove | Loving the concept and the creativity of the photographer. I love seeing images that are so much more than a classic portait especially for a creative musician. However the overlay should be erased over the subjects face or at least lightened. | Cathy Price | Accepted |
| Kotare keeping an eye on the Prize | Entertaining image the kingfisher is pin sharp and beautiful but the fish is very out of focus. This image would be improved by getting the fish and sharp as the bird. The muted background is complimentary to the colours but just not technically there. | No award | |
| Vintage fest | The primary colours are just so impactful..it’s fun and vibrant and just makes you feel good..your model is beautifully presented..hair, make up, styling, her positioning…the vibrant colours match her personality. And the preparation, planning and concept all just combines for high fashion image. | Sarah Perrins | Honours |
| gottcha | A great image, love the expression, pin sharp and really well captured. Tells a story and is full of passion and emotion. A really good sports PJ photo that grabs your attention, brilliant timing and perfect technical execution. | John Cosgrove | Honours |
| Picnic in an enchanted place | This is a vibrant image but just a little too vibrant I feel that the image is just too over saturated. The details in the black have been lost and look very heavy. There is a blue tinge. An alternative would be to use less contrast and use a softer warm tone. | No award | |
| Natures Jewel | Beautiful image love the negative space with the kingfisher looking into it. The colours are soft and compliment the subject and he pops. The clipping around the top of the head is slightly imperfect and only noticeable at 200 I would feather this a little more. However this is beautifully done. | Amy Boyce | Honours |
| Marist Player | A great record shot but it just lacks the energy needed for a competition photo. There needs to be some passion and excitement for sports PJ to engage with the viewer..perhaps you could add interest with some panning or slow shutter speed to add interest. | No award | |
| New Brighton display | The fireworks are excellent, vibrant pin sharp and technically very well done. I think that the excess black area should be cropped as it adds nothing to the photo. Keep it simple and it’s all about that big drama and the reflection. I’d crop this one. | No award | |
| eagle eye | Lovely detail in the feathers and the whites are crisp and no blowouts. He has a regal stance and is brutally handsome. Good use on the negative space in front of him. | John Cosgrove | Accepted |
| Approaching Storm | Beautiful image soft lighting from start to finish great detail in the wave crests and the rocks. Every inch of this image is perfectly lit. The vignette is unnoticeable you just find your eyes traveling where they need to be. I would have liked the foreground wave to also be sharp. | Allan McGregor | Accepted |
| Southern Bell Frog | The frog is nice and vibrant but there is just too much black with no detail as it surround. Unfortunately the black is just too heavy and we lose a significant chunk of the frogs bottom third. It would be nice to include a bit of environment even if it was darkened and/ or blurred. | No award | |
| Rain Funnel Maniototo | This is an uncomfortable crop. The cloud is impressive but it’s a nice record shot of a weather event but needs a bit more creative input. | No award | |
| Great Concentration | Very nice record shot it’s well captured and good depth of field. It does lack expression, excitement and drama needed for a good sports PJ but is a great record photo for family or friends. | No award | |
| Dobby | Dobby is beautiful in detail and the bright yellow background is a great choice for impact and to compliment Dobby. He is pin sharp and is full of character head tilted and connection with the photographer is great. Lovely decor image and a good quality print. The space around him is just enough. | Kristal Merry | Accepted |
| Reflections in a Reflection | I like the concept and it originality. I feel like the window is taking me out of the photo. I think I would like the lines removed from the sky and you could try reversing the image so the window leads into the image | Cheryl Muirson | Accepted |
| Pukaki Dawn | Beautiful image and well seen. Everywhere is touched with beautiful lighting even the foreground is softly touched by the light. The photographer has used the lighting to take your eyes where they need to go. | Allan McGregor | Honours |
| Lone Gum | Best C Grade | Trenna Francis | |
| Tekapo Aurora | Best B Grade | Peter Wright | |
| Pigeon | Best A Grade, Champion | Rosie Coster |