Amateur Photographer Magazine

Amateur Photographer monthly forum competition results for May 2009

Monday 8th June 2009

Damien Demolder

I though that this month's theme was deceptively awkward. When you think about 'looking through' plenty of things spring to mind – it's easy. But when you actually go out to shoot something making a good picture is less than straightforward. Unless you happen to get lucky while out and about with your camera (the one that's always in your pocket) this is the kind of theme that needs a little helping along with a set-up situation. Some times I'm glad I only have to do the judging.

There's a great collection of images again this month, though a less wide range of interpretations than usual. The quality is still very high, so well done to everyone that entered.



Just to remind you, the forum competition is kindly sponsored by Nikon. The top prize each month is the delightful Nikon Coolpix S560 10MP compact camera. Our second and third prize-winners get an 'Amateur Photographer Loves My Pictures' mug.



The shortlist contains some really first rate images, and selecting the final three was harder than ever. There are quite a few pictures that could have made third place, including Fen's 'Framed', rzewus' 'From the washing machine', Nibblewood's 'Cellotape', alexcretu's 'Smoking', PhilW's 'Georgia' and FujiSigmaNolta's 'No Way Out'. A shot worth a mention is ChrisByrne's 'Wind Power' – it's a great picture, but slightly too off-theme.

So, on to the winners.

Third place: Maris for The Green Room



What an amazing view of a cheese grater! Maris has managed to create a brilliant abstract photo that is only remains confusing for only a few seconds. The colouring is wonderful, and the angle of the light perfectly demonstrated what the inside of the contraption is like. The mystery is in those double doors at the end of the corridor. Maris is new to the forum, but entered last month's competition too. I'll be expecting even grater things in June.

Second place: Turbulentwheat, for Through The Catflap



Cute creatures never provide insurance in photo competitions, but this dog has such an expression it was impossible to pass it by. TW has obviously set the shot up, unless she sat waiting all day for the right moment, and the forethought has paid off. It's a great illustration of the Looking Through theme, and done with some style. It's funny, surprising and very well taken.

First place: 4BIKER2, for Pub Lunch



This month's winning shot is one of those images that stands out the moment your eyes first land on it. The lighting is wonderful; picking out the man's face against that deep shaded background. The exposure is perfect too, with the brightness levels beyond the window allowing enough detail without being distracting. I love the backlit glass, the suspended fork, the sidelit railings and the way the light streaks up the subject's arm so it appears to twist out of nowhere. The toning sets it all off brilliantly too. It really is an excellent shot, that proves it's worth carrying a camera all the time (now tell me it was posed!). Well done Nigel, I think this is first class photography.

Thanks once more to everyone that entered this month. As usual the standards are very high, and you should all be very pleased with the images you have submitted. I know that for many people taking pictures is about self-satisfaction, but exhibition and peer critique is important if you want to improve or simply get a feel for whether anyone else likes what you are doing. I was amazed that hardly any of the forum competition regulars entered the EISA Maestro competition, and few send work in to the magazine for our gallery section (How to submit to Amateur Photographer's Gallery). The quality of the photography in here is exceptional and I really do think you should all be making more of what you do. I'm certain there are photographers here that could win that EISA professional DSLR, and I know there are plenty who could be having their work published in the world's best selling weekly photographic magazine. I urge you all to do more with your pictures.

Until next month –

Damien

I hope you can all find the time to enter the June round too.

Click the links to see all the Amateur Photographer forum photographic competition entries for May and here to read the May forum photographic competition discussion thread

This is where you'll find all the rest of the year's Amateur Photographer forum photographic competitions and discussion threads.

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