Nicky Nunn from Enfield in north London is the winner of our black & white round of APOY 2015. Nicky takes home a Sigma dp3 Quattro camera and LVF-01 LCD viewfinder.
For the new dp3 Quattro, Sigma has redesigned every aspect of the camera, including the sensor, engine, lens and body. While retaining its textural expression, the updated Foveon direct image sensor produces images that are colourful, rich, deep and faithful. Unique among image sensors, the Foveon is similar to traditional colour film in that its multiple layers capture all the information that visible light transmits. Along with Sigma’s proprietary image-processing technology, this sensor produces incredible resolution, precise gradation, strong colour with realism and a 3D feel.
Sigma dp3 Quattro
The camera body offers a balanced shape, layout and weight distribution. Its robust specification allows the photographer to concentrate fully on photography itself and use the camera’s potential to produce outstanding images.
The dp3 Quattro comprises a fast 50mm f/2.8 (75mm equivalent) mid-telephoto lens. It’s a simple but powerful lens and sensor combination that delivers medium-format-level image quality.
Sigma LVF-01 LCD Viewfinder
Almost all other image sensors are mosaic sensors, which use an array of red, green and blue colour filters in a single horizontal plane to capture colour information. Each pixel is assigned only one of the three colours, so it cannot capture all three at once. In contrast, the Foveon direct image sensor captures colour vertically, recording hue, value and chroma accurately and completely for each pixel. The dp3 Quattro also features the newly developed TRUE (Three-layer Responsive Ultimate Engine) III.
By attaching the LVF-01 to the LCD display of the dp3 Quattro, the LCD viewfinder cuts off outside light. It magnifies the LCD display 2.5x and allows you to easily check focusing. That’s a total prize value of £1,079.99.
1st Nicky Nunn, London 50pts
1st Nicky Nunn, London 50pts
Canon EOS 650D, 18-35mm, 200secs at f/1.8
We had some amazing images for the final round of APOY 2015, Shades of Grey. The black & white rounds have always been popular with readers and, perhaps with the exception of abstract rounds, consistently have the strongest entries. Nicky Nunn has taken first place with this fantastic shot taken ringside at a boxing match. This is the perfect scene for black & white. The lighting in particular lends itself to the removal of colour tones as it allows our eye to wander around the scene, taking in the atmosphere. Also of note is the gaze of the boxer. Is he looking at us or the ring girl?
2nd Aaron Bennett, Hampshire 49pts
2nd Aaron Bennett, Hampshire 49pts
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 50mm, 1/2,500sec at f/1.4, ISO 250
‘Take away the colour and you can see the true meaning of an image,’ says Aaron of this shot. He could be right. This is a strikingly beautiful portrait and it’s worth paying attention to its tonal range. There’s a deliberate washed-out quality to it, which adds much to its impact.
3rd Graeme Heckels, Thailand 48pts
3rd Graeme Heckels, Thailand 48pts
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6, 100mm, 1/500sec at f/3.5, ISO 160
This picture was taken in Hôi An, Vietnam. Graeme found a vantage point from a bridge and looked down to where a traditional fisherman searched his giant net for his catch at sunrise. It’s an exceptional shot that revels in the abstract and allows the reader to do the work. As a visual bonus, the textures of the net interplay with the light giving us a beautiful scene.
Here are the Top 50 entries for : APOY 2015 Round 8: Shades of Grey
| 1 Nicky Nunn 50pts 2 Aaron Bennett 49pts 3 Graeme Heckels 48pts 4 Roger Evans 47pts 5 Jay Heiser 46pts 6 Sebastian Butynski 45pts 7 Ian Cook 44pts 8 Shamil Khairov 43pts 9 Paul Cooper 42pts 10 Nick Hughes 41pts 11 Richard Craze 40pts 12 Paula Cooper 39pts 13 Penny Halsall 38pts 14 David Queenan 37pts 15 Adele Spencer 36pts 16 Mike Martin 35pts 17 Adam Stephenson 34pts 18 Jason Gilchrist 33pts 19 Adam Lack 32pts 20 Rob Deyes 31pts 21 Graham Borthwick 30pts 22 Eric Begbie 29pts 23 Chris Evans 28pts 24 Elisa Bortolotti 27pts 25 Tom Birtchnell 26pts |
26 Dave Sharpe 25pts 27 George Digalakis 24pts 28 Rhodri Williams 23pts 29 Luke Moseley 22pts 30 Peter Murrell 21pts 31 Mary Patrick 20pts 32 Dusica Paripovic 19pts 33 Tomer Eliash 18pts 34 Andrew Lashley 17pts 35 Bettina Nagy-Czirok 16pts 36 Iatrou Manos 15pts 37 Jim Methven 14pts 38 John Ray 13pts 39 Paul Scott 12pts 40 Charlie Jobson 11pts 41 Jelizaveta Cepaitiene 10pts 42 Jean Jameson 9pts 43 Paul Rose 8pts 44 Arno Fliri 7pts 45 David Lewis 6pts 46 David Scrivener 5pts 47 Hayri Kodal 4pts 48 Andrew Fusek Peters 3pts 49 John Robinson 2pts 50 Bertrand Chombart 1pt |
See the winning entries in the APOY 2015 Gallery
The 2015 Leaderboard
It’s the final round, so we can reveal that Lee Acaster has taken first place overall. It was a close call, as Chris Evans is just three points behind in second place. Penny Halsall is in third place, with Tomer Eliash and David Queenan taking fourth and fifth respectively.
| Position | Name | Points |
| 1 | Lee Acaster | 185pts |
| 2 | Chris Evans | 182pts |
| 3 | Penny Halsall | 177pts |
| 4 | Tomer Eliash | 162pts |
| 5 | David Queenan | 153pts |
| 6 | Aaron Bennett | 146pts |
| 7 | Graham Borthwick | 144pts |
| 8 | Matt Parry | 138pts |
| 9 | Adele Spencer | 136pts |
| 10 | Mark Cornick | 126pts |
See the results for each round
- Night Life – Low light photography Results
- Going Abstract – Abstract images Results
- The Wider Perspective – Create wide angle Results
- In Focus – Shallow depth of field Results
- Up Close – Macro (insects/flowers/plants) Results
- On the Street – Street photography Results
- Lay of the Land – Landscapes and cityscapes Results
- Shades of Grey – Black & White Results
