Amateur Photographer Forum competition results for June 2013 round - Seeing Double/Reflections

Forum competition results for June 2013 round – Seeing Double/Reflections

Photography is in itself a means to see double. We see the scene, capture it through our camera and then look back at that very same scene on our computer screen or print. Photography reflects reality back at itself. With that in mind we wanted you to explore the ways in which we can capture the themes of seeing double and reflections.

Reflections are a popular theme in photography. We can find them everywhere. We can use to create abstract images or employ them as a means to create a clever visual pun. On another level capturing ‘the double’ can create a sense of unease and the uncanny.
Here we’ll take a look at some of the best entries from this round and reveal the top three images we received.

Some standout images include Adrian Sadlier’s ‘Different Viewpoint’. As I’m sure you’ll all know by now, Adrian is a forum member and regular APOY entrant who has shown time and again that he has an intriguing and distinctly photographic way of seeing the world. This image is another captivating addition to his body of work. I love the colours. It’s a beautiful and expressionistic photograph.

Another image I like comes from MartyG. His composite shot ‘Asynchronous’ (at least I hope it’s a composite shot) is a nice demonstration of how photography can warp reality. It’s also pretty much the same thing I see in my own head every Sunday morning when the previous night’s indulgences render me incapacitated.

Finally, lfc1892’s shot ‘Silhouette’ not only makes excellent use of the reflective floor but also shows a thoroughly creative use of light and architecture. I could go on and on about the rest of our shortlist but let’s move on and take a look at our top three.

The winner of the Forum monthly photo competition will receive a National Geographic Earth Explorer NG2346 Midi Messenger Bag. It’s an everyday, functional shoulder bag that holds all your personal gear along with a tablet, camera or camcorder and associated accessories worth £79.95 provided by Manfrotto. Runners-up will each receive an ‘Amateur Photographer Loves My Pictures’ mug.

3rd Place
Yebisu – Rice Seedling Reflection

We’ve seen a lot of Yebisu’s images in previous months. His shots have always caused me to stop and take the time to study the ways in which he has created an absorbing atmosphere through a single frame. Here Yebisu has once again created an image that has held my eye. It’s an alluring image and also one that subtly addresses the theme set for this round. Sometimes the simplest scenes we happen across in the every day make for the most beautiful images. Often we can miss the wonder right under our noses. Yebisu shows that perhaps we should be paying a little more attention.

2nd Place
miked – Danse Macabre (All Smoke and Mirrors)

Photography is a magic medium. I don’t think I’m alone in still finding myself in a state of wonder every time I see an image that takes my breath away. Part of my brain still refuses to accept that photography is a real thing. It doesn’t matter how much I understand the process. It’s still magic. But, of course, we all know it’s smoke and mirrors.

This image from Miked works on so many levels. Smoke isn’t the easiest thing to shoot. It isn’t just a matter of lighting some incense and firing the shutter. It requires the perfect background, the right light and a great deal of patience. By employing this technique Miked has created his own odd version of the Rorschach test. What do you see? What I like about this shot and others like it is that it is a one-off. The shape of the smoke is absolutely unique to this moment. It really is a magical thing.

1st Place
Serge1975 – Cheers!

I’m a man afflicted with a great deal of guilt. I’m a tricenarian. I was born in the 80s. It’s a period that delivered countless horrors on the world – Kajagoogoo, Sting’s solo career, Thatcher. The list is endless. Despite my young age at the time I still feel I could have done more. But the 80s did give me a handful of things that I can’t help but value. One of those things is nostalgia.

This image from Serge1975 has a particular aesthetic about it that takes me back to my childhood and causes me to recall the kind of imagery that would adorn album covers and emanate from the television screen. I’d see countless images like this as my grubby little hands thumbed through the magazines laying around our living room.

Beyond my own personal experiences I just think this is a really great shot. Serge1975 has clearly thought about what he wanted to achieve here. The slashes of coloured light in the background are a more than appealing element. They are a perfect complement to the shape and composition of the glasses in the foreground. It’s an image of depth and intrigue. It’s difficult not to be slightly mesmerised by the interaction of the light and water in the glasses. The light almost seems to break apart and swim around like beautiful, alien bacteria. This is a clear winner for me. Well done Serge1975.