Massive thanks to our judge, Jen Fawkes.
BIO:
I am a club photographer in Melbourne, with a special interest in photojournalism, documentary photography and street photography. I am the author of 2 courses and an educator with the Photographic Society of America, teaching both Image Evaluation and Image Critique. I’m soon to have an Advanced photojournalism course online as well. I run 2 special interest groups with our camera club (Street photography and Portfolios) as well as our beginner education. As I am now retired, I love to travel and also I do a little international judging.
| C GRADE | |||
| Bridge of Remembrance | This is a lovely location that has the potential to tell a strong story. Your monochrome conversion is strong and your settings appear to be suitable. What is missing for me is the ‘story’. What I see is a beautiful arch (urban architecture) with a nice reflection, and a couple of people who appear unrelated to the story of the arch both with heads in mobile phones. Think about how you could make a street scene like this more interesting – perhaps a child playing in the water, a group of tourists looking up at the arch, people running in the rain. Each of these value adds to a story about people. Sometimes you can find a great location and you just have to wait until someone interesting walks into the frame, or something interesting happens. | No award | |
| Taking a Punt on this one | Wayne Allott | A strong candid image that will bring back memories for many people. I really like that you have captured the boat and people in the frame with no other elements to distract. I also really like the effect on the water. While the image generates a feeling of calm for me, it’s a pity that you didn’t have at least one of the people facing the camera to reveal the emotion of being on the boat. Don’t be frightened to call out, or wave so that you get some engagement with your subjects. | Accepted |
| Street Vendor | Glenis Everts | This is a cracker of a scene for street photography and it works well in many ways. You have a standout subject with both the bike and the man next to the bike, and you are telling a story about the location and event the subject is found in. What hasn’t worked is that the subject is not the sharpest part of the image, and the image is sharper behind the subject. What this suggests is that your focus point (the little green square on the focus grid) was not on the subject. Ask someone to show you how to reframe your image (that is to put the main subject on the green square, half press the shutter and then compose your image) so that you can really nail the focus of your image. You certainly have a good eye for subject matter and I’ve given you bonus points for that. | Accepted |
| Street Ghosts | I can see what you are trying to do here, and the concept is great – a slower shutter speed will create movement and energy in an image. You have chosen a great location for a street image as fairs and markets can be full of interesting people who generally are OK with having their photo taken. What doesn’t work for me is that I feel your shutter speed is too slow and your white ‘ghost’ is just that – a white blob in the scene. Because it is the brightest part of the image, this is where the viewer’s eye will go. Your monochrome conversion is also well done and I can see you have filled the frame so that there is minimal dead space in the sky and that wall. I would keep practicing with your slower speeds until the shape and detail in your subjects is more obvious. | No award | |
| A good cheese takes time | Wayne Allott | This is a wonderful street image. Taken from a higher elevation I can see contrast between the bustle of the market visitors, and the quiet of a customer pondering her choices. You have picked a great location, a very different angle (perspective) and good choices for both camera settings and processing. The challenge for you might be how to take this image to the next level, and I think this might be about the art of ‘seeing’ what is in front of you. Perhaps if you got lower we could see all of that sign for chicken eggs, and did you also need the bakery items if your story is about cheese (as per the title)? Can you see the distractingly bright area to the top left? While you might not have control over any of these suggestions, the ability to see what is in front of you is a real skill, and too often we are caught inside our heads worrying about camera settings or being excited about where we are. Well done for thinking outside the square to achieve this image. | Honours |
| Sidewalk | This is a classis street scene with tall buildings and a large depth of field to demonstrate city life. What’s missing for me here is the street story. With people in the distance displaying ‘daily’ behaviour does not invite the viewer to stay in the image. The scene and the location is excellent for street photography, now just wait until something or someone interesting or unusual to complete the story. I know that many people are uncomfortable shooting strangers in public, but be brave, wait until they are closer. The worst that can happen is that they say NO, or ask what you are doing. | No award | |
| Walk On By | Dave Hart | This is a lovely street image that’s been well composed, giving us a peek through the arch into the story. There is a lot here that has worked well, the man with the disability next to that signage, his pose, the direction of his gaze and the empty, lonely street. I like that you have made the other figures blurred with a slow shutter speed. I would have liked to see these closer to the man, perhaps 3 seconds earlier and against the brighter background nearer the dark corner. That way we get a stronger feeling of the man being ignored. I believe the mono conversion is done well and an excellent choice to enable us to focus on the story. | Honours |
| Mum is my Hero | When I first looked at this image I couldn’t work out the story you wanted to tell, so I had to rely on the title to know this. In most advanced photo competitions, the title is not made visible to the judges, so if they need the title to understand the image, your image would not be successful. Now I see that the story is about the mother/ child in the middle of the frame, so this tells me you have too much included and a focus on the mother/ child would have much more impact. Be careful with bold signage (especially when its not sharp) as the viewers eye will be drawn to this and away from the subjects. So for me, the image needs to be cropped to capture the mother/ child and the delight on the child’s face. I’m also guessing you were drawn to that delightful snowy background, and this could actually become a second image so you could position yourself and wait until something intersting happens in front of it. (think person with a dog, or a pram, a couple kissing) | No award | |
| Colourful Characters | Monita Baird | This is a wonderful street image in so many ways. You have found a delightful character with a crazy expresssion, but have also included a good amount of detail in the story behind the man. Keeping it color was a great choice as the colors of the balloons add to the fun and joy in the image. Your choice of aperture tells me about the location, and being slightly blurred makes your subject stand out more. Some might say that the woman walking away might be a problem, but in street/ photojournalism, the story is more important and I don’t consider here distracting. I do hope you spent some time with this character, perhaps including some children in the image to complete the story. | Honours |
| Hereford Street | I’d like you to think about street photographer as about capturing moments, that are interesting, unusual and that generate emotion. This is a strong mono image (although I do find the foreground a bit dark) but the story is telling us about a very ordinary moment, a cyclist walking by (I can see that he is not riding). While blurred figure does add to the image I would like to see more to the story. | No award | |
| Light at the end of the alley | I get excited when I see street images like this as laneways can be dark and difficult to capture. When I looked closer I am wondering what your processing did to the image as there seems to be a double exposure with a square in the bottom not matching the lines from the top. I’m not sure if this was deliberate but it doesn’t work for me. What you do have is a terrific location that has good light seeping in from the back, the single character in silhouette adds to the story here (we might call that a ‘cookie’, or something extra in the image), and your settings are well chosen. If the effect was deliberate, I would suggest you keep working on this, but make the effect more obvious so that we know this was what you intended to do. | No award | |
| protest | Kath Cosgrove | I love a good protest march, and we have a Palestine protest happening every week in Melbourne. There is a lot of good things happening in this image – the story is strong and we know what they are protesting about, there is a crowd that gives good energy and suggests anger. A couple of suggestions – try to find a single protester in the crowd that becomes your main subject, and if possible try to get some eye contact (and if they are angry, yelling or fists in the air, the better). Make sure you don’t cut off your main signage, so in this case you might take the image just a bit wider to include the whole of the Gaza sign. Don’t be frightened to use shallower depths of field to isolate your main subject from the rest of the crowd, but do make sure you have fast enough shutter speeds to really make the image sharp where you want it to be. There are a lot of protest march images in international competitions, these hints will make your image stand out from the rest. | Accepted |
| Walking the dogs | Linda Ritchie | This is a classic street photography image, where you find a great background and wait until a suitable subject walks into the frame. I really like that the figures in the background seem alert and present to woman walking her dogs, yet she is lost in the world of the mobile phone. You have captured her position well with good space to move into and she has not obscured the picture behind here. Nice choice of settings and nice processing as well. Well spotted and well done. | Honours |
| Art Centre Pick Up | There is a nice story here about the older styles of tram, and you have captured this from a different angle down low, (which is a good thing). Your choice of settings is good as I can see the background is slightly blurred and the face of the tram is nice and sharp. I would like to see the passenger be more obvious as well as the driver, as the story is as much about them as it is about the tram. In addition there is a slight blue cast across the image, so be careful with your processing until the colors look ‘natural’. A crop from the left might also remove that bold post and keep the viewer in the story. | No award | |
| young patriot | Kath Cosgrove | I’m assuming that the photogapher who took the protest march was the same one here, and what I see is the start of a portfolio of images about this protest march. As a Human Interest image, this is wonderful, you have a strong subject, and the story is strong as I can see flags, palestine colors and his scarf. His face is a little soft and I would suggest you be careful about too much processing of subjects for a street/ pj themed competition. Photojournalism is all about ‘reality’ and very few of us have such perfect skin. | Honours |
| Street Cheese | I can see that there are 2 images about cheese and I am assuming they are from the same person. As a stand alone image, this one is not as strong as the other as I feel like I am missing something. I want to know more about the worker, and the environment he is in, what happens to the cheese (to be honest I first thought this was bread, which might suggest the story is not as strong as you wanted.) However, as part of a collection of images this is a strong addition to a small portfolio, as a close up within a series will always make the whole story stronger. Technically this is a good image, the cheese in the middle is the obvious subject, it stands out against the backgound and the blurred effect is nice. (in true PJ competition you would not be allowed to deliberately blur or darken the background to make the subject stand out.) | No award | |
| B GRADE | |||
| Only in NZ | Peter O’Dea | A great subject for a street image, and yes, this would not be something you would see everyday. There is a lovely story here that I would like to know more about. I do feel that this has been cropped to tightly and some extra breathing space around the edges would also give more information the location or perhaps the purpose of the horse and cart. I do find this image not particularly sharp, so think about ensuring your shutter speed is fast enough to hand hold, and make sure your focus point is on the spot you want the sharpest. | Accepted |
| I needed this | Jenny Leadbetter | A picture after my own heart – a good coffee while people watching. I might normally say that this is an image of ordinary people doing ordinary things, but you have done this one well by making the man in the front the main subject, and the direction he is looking at makes me want to know more. I note that he is not looking at a mobile phone – that’s a bonus. I might suggest you straighten up your lines and perhaps crop a bit from the left to make the focus of the image the walkway and the people in it. | Accepted |
| Mean streets of Goon | I’ve looked at this image long and hard, and I have to say I love it, BUT, I am judging a street photography competition not an open color. Street photography is reality based, which means that the scene needs to look as natural as possible. I am aware that unlimited editing is allowed in this competition, but the definition supplied to me states that heavy editing is not a usual part of this genre. The image, without the filter (omni, PS? ) and in black and white would be a fabulous street image, with some great subjects in what looks like a night out on the town. | No award | |
| Dohertys | Rose Kerin | This is a wonderful street image and I just love the story – a haircut and a whisky (you don’t see that in women’s salons). Your composition is great with the barber central, but balanced by the man waiting outside. I do feel that you have oversatuated the image and the yellows and oranges are just a bit heavy. It doesn’t look like late afternoon light, so it doesn’t look quite natural. Just ease off the sliders a bit. Street photography is about story-telling, so look for the story and make them as natural as you can. | Honours |
| Autumn stroll | Peter Wright | A lovely peaceful image taken in beautiful light, with gorgeous autumn colors. Your subjects are well framed by the trees and the image creates a mood of calm. The blacks of the trees at the front are very heavy and this could be cropped down to reduce this, while still framing your subjects. A nice choice of settings, but a focus of slightly in front of your subjects would make the black trees at the front a bit sharper. Well spotted. | Accepted |
| Coffee and a chat | Arthur Linnell | This is a terrific street image of something that could be quite ‘ordinary’ (as in a couple having lunch) into something special by the environment that supports the story. I like the fact you have cropped to a square, and left a lot of headroom, that tells me the environment is as important as the interation between the people. The image is nice and sharp, the light is nice with no heavy shadows, and the colors appear very natural. Well spotted and well executed. I’m sure this couple would love a copy. | Honours |
| princess carriage | This is the kind of subject that works very well in street photography – something unusual found in the street. You have a great location, with those cartoon characters along the road, and your front on was a good idea. The next step for you is to think about your composition, and what you have presented suggests that the horse is going to step outside the image quite soon. It might be better to step in front of the horse so that its heading directly for you, or add more space to the left so that the horse has room to move into. In addition, I find your image quite underexposed and it feels like you have been a bit heavy handed on the saturation slider. All easily fixed with a bit of post production practice. | No award | |
| Katoitoi | Rose Kerin | This is a lighthearted and fun image, that tells me a story about our daily need for coffee, and the people that feed this addiction. The lighting is nice here, giving a very different feel to the image and I’m guessing this has more to do with the lighting and wall color, than any post production. To me the image is a little busy, and the man on the right has a strange expression but I do undertstand that sometimes you have to shoot first and then ask later. I’m pleased you took the risk to take this, and maybe next time think about where you might stand, what angle you might take this to get more of the people and less of the coffee cups. I hope you enjoyed the coffee as well. | Accepted |
| Whoopee, snow | It must have snowed over your way, as there several images of children in the snow displaying the joy of the event. This one is perhaps not as strong as the others and some things you might want to consider – firstly the child is dressed in black, which doesn’t have the same impact of colorful clothing in a fun occasion. It also means that the face of the child is overly bright. Secondly your child is just not sharp, yet the boots in the background are. This suggests you might not be familiar with your focus spot (the little green box on the back of the camera.) It might be worth asking someone to show you how to move this around, or learn to reframe so that the main subject – the child’s face, is the sharpest point in the image. You have captured a lovely moment with an excellent story, just work a bit on your camera skills. | No award | |
| Mum’s gone Shopping | Its always a joy to see a child reading a book, and not having their heads buried in a mobile phone. I did enjoy the story you were trying to show me here, but there is no evidence that this is taken in a shopping centre, rather it could be anywhere. It might have been worth to have taken this a bit wider, to show the environment it was taken in, as well as from down lower, to the level of the child with evidence of the ‘shopping’ in the background. I believe the story would then be much stronger with a small child lost in a book while the bigger world continues around him. | No award | |
| smile | Brian Edmunds | I really enjoyed this street image, and I am going to assume that the background was foggy, and not altered to appear so. While you seem to have broken a few rules, I believe you have done this well. I see a leading line of the pavement taking me to the girls and the story of the girls taking a selfie, keeps me in the picture. the girls are well separated from the background (good choice of camera settings), they are nice and sharp, and even though it appears quite cold, the mood of the image is lighthearted and warm. It is OK to break rules, it might not always work, but this one has. Well done. | Accepted |
| Regent Street, Christchurch | I like your thinking for this image with a divided image that shows the over and under street scene separated by the diagonal line. However, street photography is a reality-based genre, and so asks for minimal processing with a focus on ‘story’. I can see you have applied a filter or come creative processing to the image. While I really like the effect, to me it doesn’t fit the brief. | No award | |
| A GRADE | |||
| Transporting the Transport | I think you have a good story here that demonstrates some of the difficulties that cyclists might have in the big city. The leading lines and the camera settings are all strong, but, to me, the image is quite underexposed. However, just seeing the back of someone takes away the emotion that might be found in a story. If this was taken from the top of the stairs (complete with leading lines going down), and we could see the struggle the cyclist was experiencing, then you would have a much stronger image. | No award | |
| The Pedestrian | This is a beautiful and very clever portrait, and one that would do very well in a mono and/or portrait themed section. But I am judging a street photography competition and for me the story is just the portrait. Street photography is about documenting places, people and things in relation to how we live and behave in the world. Good luck with this one in a different themed section. | No award | |
| It’s snowing | Karina Templeton | This is a lovely image of wonder and delight in a child in the snow. I’m glad you left it in color as it’s the orange of the vest that draws the viewers eye into the image. Given that there are several images on the same theme, a judge might start to compare, giving the image that has the most impact for him/ her, the higher scores. This really highlights the important of originality in competitions, finding something that sets your image apart from other images that might be similar. It might also suggest that you shouldn’t put similar images into the same competition, as one will always outdo the other. However, the emotion and nostalgia you have created makes it worth a few extra points. | Accepted |
| Game Play Decisions | I believe this image is taken in Melbourne, outside the State Library, where 2 big chess boards are set up. Its a great story for a street image, with people playing, watching and passing by. The problem for me in this image is your light, so I see your game is in shade but my eye is drawn away by the bright sunlight in the background. Unless you are chasing shadows, or reflection, or shafts of light, a lot of street photography will work better in shaded conditions so that we can have more details about the story being told. This image also looks a bit over-sharpened as evidenced by the white halo around your main subject. | No award | |
| Homeless | Eunice Belk | I imagine that this image might generate a bit of discussion, given the vulnerability of the person begging. The law states that images like this are permissable, as is all photography in public spaces. Its up to us as photographers to treat subjects like this with dignity, and I think you have done this well. I like his position in the frame, and the fact we can’t see his eyes. What does bother me is the woman in pink, and this might suggest a mono conversion to stop us looking away from the main subject. In addition, if this woman were a few meters forward, then your story becomes stronger and becomes as story about the invisibility of homelessness. | Accepted |
| Bags | Allan McGregor | This is a classic way to approach street photography, to find a good background and wait until someone walks into it. While the woman is not particularly sharp, and there is some dead, unnecessary space to the left, I’ve given you some bonus points for a couple of reasons – mostly that you have captured her so that her lighter hair stands out from the dark patch in the background, and the upside down “V” of her legs – the preferred way to capture people walking. This gives the feeling of being rushed in a busy life and not looking at the lure of a holiday. | Accepted |
| Resilience Amid Urban Chaos | Amy Boyce | I agree that this is a story about resilience, and daily life in another culture. The main subject is obvious, both in the color of her dress and her prominence in the image, and also the fact that she is the sharpest part of the image. You might note that she is looking out of the iamge, to something we cannot see and waiting a few seconds for her to look foward might help. To me, this image is very busy and I will suggest you think about how you could simplify this and still tell the story you want. Maybe a crop from the left, or maybe a slightly different perspective to get her in a different position. In addition, you might consider a portfolio around the theme of resilience, using several images from the same scene or area. | Accepted |
| Bengalura Street | John Cosgrove | This is a very strong street portrait, that has generated a bit of sadness in me. I wonder what this lad’s future looks like. I like his gaze that allows me to interpret his feelings. In addition, I like the way you have included the background to tell us about his environment. Be careful to not overdo the sharpness (especially in his eyes). Street photography is a reality based genre, so making someone look overly sharp takes away the naturalness of the image. | Accepted |
| Caught in the storm | Alan McDougall | This is a wonderful example of how a street image can generate emotion and feeling in the viewer. I look at this image and I feel wet and cold – and I know these girls will be very wet. While I might feel sorry for the girls, I might also be amused, they might be laughing at the craziness of being out in the pouring rain. Well done for seeing this as a potential street image, While it’s quite a simple story, there is so much to be be felt. The execution is excellent as well, the girls have space to walk into, the colors in the image match the story and I can see enough of the location but its not distracting. | Honours |
| Which Balloon | Allan McGregor | This is a wonderful street image and I really can’t fault any aspect of it. The connection between the man and the child is lovely, the subjects are sharp and stand out from the background, we have enough information to see the location and the bright pop of color really focuses us on the story. I would be a little careful using bright stroke lines and they don’t serve much purpose unless you have a very dark image and you want to tell the judge where the edge of the frame is. | Honours |
| Snow Fun | A really fun scene that elicits a lot of joy and will probably bring back a few memories. What a difficult image to capture given the broad dynamic range between the white snow and the darker features in the image. Given that it wasn’t a bright sunny day, you have managed to get some details in the snow but the risk of the snow being ‘too white’ will always be a problem. The mono was a good choice to add to the ‘coldness’ of the image. You could perhaps simplify the image and focus on a smaller number of people so that we can be clear who you want as the main subject in your image. | No award | |
| The eyes have it ! | This looks like a fun place to explore in a really interesting location. It took me a while to work out your title given that the image is so busy, and it’s complicated by the hard shadows and dappled light. This image looks like a quick snap and run – and I would encourage you to take your time, engage with the people, get a little closer and take a few pictures from different angles. | No award | |
| Having a Laugh | John Cosgrove | Another great example where the concept of emotion in street photography is so important. We cannot help but laugh with this couple and the girl in the background. I can see this is a real event, perhaps a car show of some sort, so these are participants were just having fun. In photojournalism we talk about ‘real’ people, in a ‘real’ events taken in ‘real’ time. This means that the image is natural, it has not been staged and what is happening is genuine. Well done for capturing a moment of joy. | Accepted |
| Five | I struggled a bit with this image, and I believe that what you have portrayed is what many people believe street photography is about – random images of people in the street. I’m sorry if I appear a little harsh here, to but me street photogaphy is all about story, emotion, unusual or interesting things that happen on the street. A story can be anything from a shaft of light to children dancing. What I see here is 5 people all walking away from the camera on a dreary day in the city. What I can see is that you have excellent camera skills, and the ability to compose a scene well – while I do find the image underexposed, your processing is also excellent. Not everyone enjoys street photography, it can feel intrusive, and photogaphers can feel exposed. However, if you build confidence and be brave you will find wonderful stories in every corner of your city. | No award | |
| Waiting for Dad | Eunice Belk | This is just a wonderful image that has captured my heart. What a beautiful, and very obedient, subject. He’s full of character and grubbiness and, for me, there is a whole story here about a little boy’s experience of this show. I could say that big yellow bag is distracting, but I won’t, as you have captured a beautiful moment, it’s well taken, well composed, with good information in the background that supports the story. Well spotted and executed. | Honours |
| Cool Cat Fashion | Cathy Price | This is a very traditional street photogaphy image where you have found something of interest (the cat model) and created a whole story around this. I commend the low angle you have taken this and to include the other items adds to the story. In general, images of people taking photographs does not generate interest among judges, however in this image the connection between the cat and the photographer is quite unusual and makes a nice addition. There is a little problem in your leading line taking the viewer away from the main subjects, and a step or two to the right might have made this less problematic. I think your mono conversion here is excellent, but I would also be curious to see this in color. | Honours |
| Trunk call ! | Your title is very funny, and I expected to see telephone wires coming from the trees. I love the idea you have here, but the light has certainly let you down, with hard shadows, and your subject is lost in all that dappled light. For me there is a another story happening in the background with art or craft on display and the potential for some intersting characters. | No award | |
| Patiently waiting | Sue Titmuss | I really enjoyed his image of the patient dog waiting for his owner. You have captured the subject well, he is nice and sharp and stands out from the background. I like the addition of the trolley that points us back to the dog. I can see more of the story in the background, but I had to look hard for it and would love to see the man reading with a bit more clarity as he is not as obvious, but I consider an essential part of the story. (even if he is not the owner). Well spotted and well executed. | Accepted |
| Patterns | This is another beautiful monochrome image that has been well taken and processed that I feel would do very well in a monochrome competition. As a street image I am very divided – The emphasis in the image is on the art elements – the shapes, curves, patterns and contrasts which is why it is a strong mono. As a street image, I can see 3 figures, but I can’t see any connection between them or the environment they are in. So while I think this is a powerful image, for me it doesn’t quite fit the brief. | No award | |
| Scooting Fast the Cross | What a fantastic location to sit and wait for something interesting to happen which is why your idea of the scooter man is a good one. Unfortunately, by blurring the rider he now becomes lost in the background which is both sharp and busy, and pulls the viewers eye away from the main subject. I can see you have tried to frame the subject which is a good idea but I would move in a little closer and wait for a subject with bright clothing to really stand out against that background. | No award | |
| Fruit and Veg | Sandra McCoy | Another strong cultural street image, and one that would do well in a travel themed section. Its bright, colorful, sharp and interesting, especially the motor bike truck. There is not a lot of emotion generated by the image (perhaps curiosity from a viewers unfamilar with the culture) which is lacking in the image for me. The image is well taken, the colors appear natural and your choice of angle and camera settings appear good. | Accepted |
| Background Music | I like what you are trying to do here, and, to me, the story is about the invisibility of street performers in the bustle of the city. I feel that you have given too much image space to the people passing, and not quite captured the moment to see the whole face of the lad playing his violin. Although you have done well to capture his face. I will also suggest that your shutter speed was just a little too slow to capture sharpness in your subject which would make him stand out even more. I do note the bright green jacket in the background, and this might also suggest that monochrome might work for this image. Perhaps try a little crop from the left and a bit of selective sharpening to the musician to see if this makes the player more prominent in the image. | No award | |
| Tram through the gate | I’m a little unclear what is the story you are trying to tell here – is it about the vintage tram, or perhaps about the driver of the tram. As an urban scene, it’s a great subject, but this has been complicated by the hard light and the heavy shadows that makes images like this difficult. Technically your choices appear good, the tram is sharp and central, and it’s nicely framed. Perhaps you could follow the tram, trying to get a different angle, or an interesting story about the driver or the passengers. | No award | |
| Fresh Spinach? | Sandra McCoy | Some might suggest that the addition of a foreign culture gives street photography an advantage, but in reality the same rules apply – it’s about looking for interesting or unusual people or activities that will arouse curiosity in the viewer. In this image my curiosity is aroused, mostly since you have a clear central figure surrounded by his vegetables, against a background of poverty – and a motorcycle. Its the contrast here that has captured my attention. While the figure on the left adds interest, it is actually surplus to the story. The mood of the image is sombre adding to the feeling of a hard life. This is well spotted and well executed. | Honours |
| Early Responsibility A Glimpse into Daily Life in | In a Human Interest section of a photojournalism competition this image would do very well. In a street photography section, less so. This is not because I don’t see a ‘street’, but because this appears more of a group portrait. The children are georgeous, there is no doubt, and as a portrait this is a very strong image, with interesting subjects, lovely sharp faces and a non-distracting background. However, the children are not involved in any activity, rather they are just looking straight into the camera. | No award | |
| Her buddies | Colleen Linnell | This is a strong street image, and one that has been taken with both respect and skill. I like that you have filled the frame with your subjects, yet there is enough information that tells us about location and lifestyle. I would like a little more space to the right and the top, but that would be personal choice. I also like her expression, to me of love for her pets which conveys emotion in the image. The dog staring at the photographer is the cookie in the image. Your camera settings are great and the subject and the colors stand out from the background. | Honours |
| Lets do the Fandango | A nice story for a street image, and photographing buskers can be a great way to gain confidence in shooting in publics places. The problem for me in this image is the light, which is harsh and has created shadoes across the faces of both of your subjects. This leaves me being drawn to the brighter areas of the image – the white board, his bright hat and that red dress. Unless the light is an important part of the story, try to avoid it so that you get more detail in the subjects. | No award | |
| Fun in the Snow | Colleen Linnell | I just love the joy on the little girls face, and you have captured a wonderful moment, that will make every viewer smile. Good street photography will do just that – generatate emotion in the viewer, gives the viewers memories and invites them to stay with the image just a little longer. Her red dress makes her stand out as the main subject, there is enough in the image to support the story, (the snow, the shop, the parent). Well spotted and very well executed. | Honours |
| Bird Watching | Robyn Carter | You can just see the thoughts that are running through the minds of these lads and this helps us imagine a good story – were they ignored by the girls? This is a good example where you don’t need to have the face in the image as the story would not be the same if they were looking at the camera. Its a great location, and the composition (leading line) is excellent. This is also a good example of how we see far more detail in our subjects when they are not standing in the sun. For me it’s a little over-processed for a street image but that’s personal choice and I believe it would also do very well in a monochrome competition. | Honours |
| Riding the lines | A strong candid portrait that shows great engagement with your subject. He is well seperated from the background, which does appear to have some deliberate blurring (I accept I could be wrong here). I’m a little unclear about the story you wanted to tell, is it about the gentleman, or the fact that he is on the tram tracks. Giving that riding a bike along the street might be considered a normal everyday activity, to me this gives me less impact than some others in the group. | No award | |
| Colourful Characters | Monita Baird | Best C Grade/Champion | |
| Dohertys | Rose Kerin | Best B Grade | |
| Waiting for Dad | Eunice Belk | Best A Grade |