A massive thankyou to our judge Kevin Clarke.
| C GRADE | |||
| SI Dressage Championship | Danielle Armstrong | Nice and sharp and technically well done. To improve the story being told try a different angle. People take pictures photographers create images. | Accepted |
| Saturday Ritual! | Nice and sharp but i cant find anything to get into this image as the subject is facing away and its more of an environmental portrait than a PJ image. | No award | |
| Polo Rangiora | Danielle Armstrong | beautiful light and colour and two beautiful horses and their riders well captured. If only the ball was in the shot and there was more action rather than them just | Accepted |
| Soapy Slide Fun! Mud, Sweat & Tears Run | Wendy Pope | Were you the one’s laughing at me getting covered in muddy foam ??? A good attempt but the face is where it needs to be sharp and this is not but I’d suggest that you’ve cropped in on this. When the subject is coming straight on like this you need a very high shutter speed and an open aperture to get it right. Also don’t rely on the camera picking the right spot to focus on…you have to choose based on the action. | Accepted |
| B GRADE | |||
| On top of the Wave | Your timing is very good to get surf ski balancing on the wave however the subject is too small in the overall image and also facing away from the viewer. This seldom works well as viewers like to see a face wherever possible to connect with the subject. Crop in as close as possible to simplify the image. | No award | |
| Cup o tea, and a slice o cake. | I like the idea and the framing however technically the image isnt sharp. I’d be interested to know how old the shot is as the magenta caste is highly unusual. | No award | |
| all ready for next day | Brian Edmunds | I’m not certain that this fits into the PJ category however i may be reading it wrong. A good sharp image but as an image it’s not that exciting so try to create interest by using different angles and get closer to the trucks and lower down..give the viewer something they wouldn’t see normally. | Accepted |
| Hands off | Jenny Leadbetter | Good effort at a rugby shot that could be improved by waiting a second or two to get in more of the action. Perhaps straighten that horizon too. | Accepted |
| I jumped higher | Brian Edmunds | Close up line out action well captured . Nice and sharp. | Accepted |
| It’s mine | Good effort but really needs to be sharper. I’d suggest increasing that shutter speed to at least 1/800 of a second when doing sports like rugby or football. | No award | |
| And the band played on | Arthur Linnell | It’s a commonality with Pj and street photography that ther eis a tendency to get caught up in the subject without checking the periphery for distractions. The band her eis well captured however our little friend in the high viz jacket holding up the iphone is very annoying and with experience you would either ask him to move (which he will do) or you move positions to take him out of the shot. Framing the shot is just as important as getting the settings right. | Accepted |
| Unveiling of the Otira tunnel plaque | Arthur Linnell | A good well balanced news shot perfect for the local rag. Does the job its intended so good job. | Accepted |
| Mud Sweat& Tears Run and FUN | Lyonne Van Robinson | Very nice and they made good subjects across the whole of MST where my company are the official photographers. Framing is important and cropping in closer would have made this a stronger image. Make the frame fit the photo not the photo fit the frame. | Accepted |
| Bloody Good Fun Mud Run | Peter O’Dea | Sharp and well exposed action shot with the right focus point but too far away to have drama and excitement which shots like this really need to stand out more. Get rid of the bales to the left and crop in close to the subject …again making that frame fit the photo. Don’t be afraid to change the angle on the frame too as shots like this are perfect for adding drama by changing the image horizon. | Accepted |
| HoHoHo…Merry Christmas!! | I understand this image perfectly but the subject of the image needs to be sharp and here it is softer than the focus point which appears to be on the same line as the specsavers sign … or maybe its the whole image that has been enlarged and cropped making it too soft. Or maybe I need to go to Specsavers myself. YOu need to choose the focus point and not rely on the camera getting it right for you …it won’t | No award | |
| A GRADE | |||
| It’s been a hard day | Nicely composed however I found the historic images holds the viewer’s interest more than the lady. I’d suggest keeping it simple and cropping out these images so the story is stronger and is more aligned to the title. I find it hard to see how this fits into the PJ category …think newspaper photos and ask yourself would the local paper print this? | No award | |
| Floral arrangement | I found this image to be off balance with the viewer’s eye going to the interaction between the boy and the girl. The mass of red is a distraction and the lack of a face for this character undermines the storyline. | No award | |
| Rain doesn’t stop play | Rosie Coster | Shooting in the rain is never easy and I’m pleased that your subject is sharp and there is still movement in the rain falling. I have two suggestions to improve this image and that would be crop in closer to remove the scoreboard. The eye always goes to the writing first in an image, and also crop in on the right to remove the edge of that green sign. Simplifying the story is always the best option with photojournalism…i.e. remove anything that distracts from the subject. | Accepted |
| Meeting up | Allan McGregor | Street photography at its best …a human moment, not posed, not planned, just seen and captured however does it fit into the PJ category? regrettably not. | Accepted |
| Loop the Loop | Robyn Young | Red on blue is wonderful and the swirls of smoke add to the image here but I want to get closer and even allowing for negative space, the blue in the left corner is too heavy. Zoom in on the red and make it stronger. | Accepted |
| Grit & determination | Sue Titmuss | Good shot into the heart of the action. Sharp, well exposed and well captured. Well done. | Accepted |
| Thrills and Spills | Surf lifesaving can deliver spectacular action but you do have to fill the frame with that action. I think you’ve missed the boat here and the better action was before this moment. Also make the frame fit the image not the other way around. | No award | |
| Flying tackle | Sue Titmuss | Good bit of action captured well and pin sharp. from an editorial viewpoint never shoot from behind the action as it closes off the viewer. Even though your title is apt people want to see the ball in ball sports…celebration shots are the exception of course. | Accepted |
| Flying High | The most important piece of advice i give to my sports students is that if movement is involved then you have to show that movement. Freezing the action at 1/2000 of a second doesn’t do this. Those wheels are spinning so learn to shoot this at 1/200 of a second so it is more realistic. Imagine all those helicopter shots taken at high speed…they really look like they’ve been painted on the sky…this is the same. Also the sharpening or clarity is very heavy and detracts from the image. | No award | |
| Need for Speed | Marilyn Holgate | A very good panning shot that works well with movement in the wheels and background and the body pin sharp almost. If you’ve done this in camera very well done and if its photo shopped very well done too. | Honours |
| Unsung Heros at work | Michael Molloy | My first impression was that you were too wide and the action was in there by the accident but the more i look the more I enjoy that you’ve let the viewer continue the story with the disappearing ambulance. Well done. | Accepted |
| Standing Ovation | Simply put this image is too far from the action and the disconcerting angled buildings “the horizon” is not straight but the most important aspect is that you haven’t filled the frame with the action. | No award | |
| Look Mum! | Cathy Price | Now this works well and no movement in the tires is required because there is no movement. Very sharp and well captured and the only suggestion I have would be to try a more dynamic angle i.e. from very low down. | Accepted |
| Colourful Fun | Sharp and well captured but there is not enough separation between the subject and the background to elevate this from picture to image. Take control of the scene either by moving the subject (not always possible) or moving your position and create the shot rather than just taking it. As the french say we should “fait le photo” which translates to make the photo. | No award | |
| Snow Row | I found this image to be very messy and it looks over sharpened. The eye bounces around from the skier in the water to the little boy and the faces in the crowd, hunting for a strong story to latch onto but failing. Crop the crowd out and focus on the action. That is your story after all. Also don’t over sharpen or be too heavy with shadow/highlight tools on water spray as it really shows up badly. | No award | |
| A Dusty Ride | Eunice Belk | Step one capture the shot step two create the image. If the dog’s expression on the right was the reason for capturing this then eliminate everything else. Cropping close but leaving part of the truck and the road would still tell the same story but much stronger and still retain the essential elements. | Accepted |
| African Cultural Embrace-A Joyful Welcome | Amy Boyce | A well captured travel shot. Nice faces that make you want to smile with them so it works well. They’ve done their job being great subjects so now its your turn to make the most of the image. Crop in and get rid of the sky in the top right . A tight landscape frame will accentuate the group’s journey and the dirt track. Always make the frame fit the photo not the photo fit the frame. | Accepted |
| Dramatic Lights | Ross Lawler | Well exposed night shot. Good enough for an acceptance but could have been more if the angle wasn’t so normal. Get out of your comfort zone and change the camera position thereby adding drama to the shot you take. That cube is the natural focus so get in closer either by cropping or by moving loser if you can. Elevate your image by doing something different. | Accepted |
| Can I go home please | Colleen Linnell | Well captured and framed with the strong diagonals working well. I’m not sure if the story you are trying to tell is strong enough to compete with the message on the sign and sometimes it’s better to stick with the generic subject rather than hunt inside the image for the more obscure one. Keep it simple and don’t make the viewer work too hard to understand what’s happening in the image. | Accepted |
| Mt Isobel Challenge | Eunice Belk | Kudos for getting up the hill to get this shot which shows the climb and the number of participants involved however, the natural focus point for the eye is not always in the centre as you have it here. Putting the focus point on the leader of the group to the right would have elevated the image and give a stronger flow. | Accepted |
| Sliding into the winners circle | Karina Templeton | Nice and sharp with action well stopped. Depth of Field is often forgotten in the excitement of the action but its just as important as the shutter speed here. The rider sits well back on the horse and is not always on the same focus range as the horse’s head. Both need to be in focus for these shots to work well. Joe public doesn’t care but as the photographer you should as it would also have elevated the shot into honours. | Accepted |
| He ain’t heavy | Timing is everything. In photography as in comedy. You’ve see the image so now wait until the distracting man has passed and get a better shot. Never accept what is simply there. Try for the very best shot of the subject you can get and if it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work. | No award | |
| Ready to Lift | Nathan Green | Lots going on in this image but it tells the story enough to be acceptable and give information to the viewer without exciting them or being dramatic. | Accepted |
| Unstoppable | Karina Templeton | A very good action shot sharp and telling a great story well. A David and Goliath shot that everyone can relate too. Low angle for drama, good depth of field to capture the action and the group. Well done. | Honours |
| Mascots Time Out | Rosie Coster | Simple and effective and the effect on the viewer is immediate. Is it PJ? Who cares. Yes and No but it tells a great story so for me it is. Only comment I would make is that again you need to make that framing fit the photo. This is currently unbalanced so don’t be afraid to remove anything that isn’t required to tell your story. | Honours |
| Cafe in the air | Nathan Green | Good use of the lower angle and timing to get the ebst dramatic image of the subject that clearly shows the story line. The only comment I would make is that to emphasise the story of the cafe being lifted into the air would be to do this as a vertical image. Well captured. | Accepted |
| Light Festival Jamming | Amy Boyce | Very good. Focus point where it should be and no distractions on the story being told. Simple and effective. | Accepted |
| Webers Circus- Clown Performance | David Bayley | As in comedy timing is everything and here it’s perfect. Slight tweeks such as straightening that line of flooring in the background would enhance it but that’s being fussy. Well done. | Accepted |
| Sheaf toss | Sarah Perrins | Good action image of the sheaf toss….. well exposed but looks either over sharpened or cropped in too closely giving you that “false” looking separation between the subject and the background. Softening those edges a tad would improve it or don’t crop in too much. It’s still a decent PJ shot though so well done. | Accepted |
| Ahoy there! | What a cute photo of a lovely wee dog but I don’t see how this is PJ sorry. | No award | |
| Webers Circus- Hula Hoop | With photojournalism, when people are involved, it is always far better to include the face of the subject as this allows the viewer to connect to your subject. The eye here tends to bounce back and forward between the two support actors and not on the Hula Hooper. Timing is everything so wait until you get the best possible moment that will elevate this from a simple grab shot to a great image. | No award | |
| Caber toss | Sarah Perrins | Great facial expression , great action, very good separation of the subject from the background. Well done. Only comment I’d make is be careful not to lose the definition in the sky and maybe bringing the detail back in this area with PS or LR would improve the image. | Accepted |
| Polo Rangiora | Danielle Armstrong | Best C Grade | |
| Mud Sweat& Tears Run and FUN | Lyonne Van Robinson | Best B Grade | |
| Need for Speed | Marilyn Holgate | Best A Grade/Champion |
