So here we go again. Whilst you are enjoying a fine day with temperatures in the high teens Centigrade, (or us oldies say, “the mid to high sixties”), I’m gazing out on gloomy skies, a chilly breeze and intermittent fairly heavy showers while my dog is pestering me to take him for a walk.
The subject is “People” and this is a fairly sizeable entry – nine in beginners, thirteen in intermediate and a whopping thirty-three in advanced. The human face and form is probably my favourite subject and it’s the genre I learned most of all from my father, aided by the fact that he was a professional ballroom dancer and I trained to a high standard in both tap and ballet. Immediate impressions again show generally a high standard of work, and again there are a few outstanding submissions. Once again I am taking the images in order of title and I’ll then pick out my highlight image(s) from each group. And again I am checking the White Balance setting on all images for which it was available. So, here we go …
Beginners:
Three shots from a DSLR and the rest from smartphone cameras
Birthday Girl Jim Cawkwell This is rather sweet, well exposed, a hint of warmth within the room against the bluer exterior and the only distraction, perhaps, is the champagne bottle which dominates the foreground a bit too much and if moved to the edge would have helped a bit. I was surprised to see the same place mats as we have at home. Despite the bottle a very good start to the Beginners group. Well executed, especially the light balance.
Day Trippers Judith Court A well exposed record shot whose only downside is the lack of a “point of interest” other than the boat itself. It might have benefited from a hint of “flood fill” in PSP / Photoshop to make the foreground “pop” a bit more. Cropping out the bins bottom right to give a more “letter-box shape might have helped. Fundamentally, a nice shot, but doesn’t quite tick my boxes.
I’m in charge of the Barbi Jim Cawkwell One of the disadvantages of this image is that the exact centre of the photo is on the wall at the back of the image and, although it is difficult to be certain, it appears that the auto-focus has picked that up sadly, throwing most of the essential parts of the image nearer the camera just a fraction out of focus. Zoom in close and you can see it’s all a little soft. To overcome the problem focus first on the man’s face, hold the focus and move the camera before pressing the shutter all the way down. The subject matter, for all that, is interesting, the man’s eyes draw you to him and the food on the left provides a secondary point of interest. Nice shot … shame about the auto-focus.
Relaxing Sunday Judith Court Like the picture with the boat this lacks a well defined point of interest aimed at the competition subject. For all that the exposure is spot on especially in the sky. The people are there, yes, but I just wanted more. Great shame.
Spot the Ball Judith Court Now don’t laugh … please … but I actually shoot football for the Arabic-speaking world’s largest spot the-ball website, so seeing this title somewhat amused me. Accurate exposure for the backlighting with ample detail in the subjects and their kit. The players are totally unaware of the photographer … which, to be fair, they should be … and this image captures movement, action and competition very well indeed. I do like this … a lot.
Thorn Between Two Roses Jim Cawkwell A simple group photo taken, it appears, somewhat on the fly. Exposure is excellent and I’m only distracted by the top of the glass in the foreground
Handling It Ash Nagrani 3rd Place Winner Commended Edit Pic The shadows cast by a peaked cap never make life easy, but kudos to the photographer here as there is still just a tiny hint of detail in the left eye and its surrounds. The fact that the subject is offset to the left of centre of the image just a little makes for better composition rather than putting him dead centre and overall I really like this image. My edit with the fill light:
Edit by Barney Douglas
Jandia with Girish and Kashish Ash Nagrani Joint 1st Place Winner Highly Commended This is one of those photos that, despite the lack of the front of face and eyes, really captures the interest of the viewer. The well-defined physique is captured pretty well spot on. I really like this image. Well done!
Romeo and Juliet Joint 1st Place Ash Nagrani Winner Highly Commended Pretty well flawless composition despite the slight error on the verticals, and one of those images where cropping would not have improved it one iota. The glimpse from the man is captured perfectly and the woman’s depth of concentration on the conversation is palpable. A cracker!
Intermediate:
Once again I’m looking for a higher standard than beginners. I’ve mentioned white balance previously, but only one of these images has used specific control. I will let you know which when I get to it. No EXIF data available on six of the fourteen images.
A Smile Can Light Up Your Day Rita Garvey Commended This is unusual, shot with a smartphone and with a fairly high ASA rating indicating that the lighting was limited. This image almost gives the impression of being a painting and whilst the high ASA does produce a degree of softness in its own right, I do like this image. Good start.
Cheeky Chops Gwynn A delightful photo of two gorgeous kids, and cheeky … definitely, yes … especially the one on the right. However this photo may be adored by the children’s parents and grandparents, but as a competition shot it doesn’t make the grade, in particular because of the harsh flash shadow. A treasured memory, yes, but not a competition shot.
Festival Dancers Andy Ogdon Highly Commended Great record shot of two revellers at a music festival. Framing and focus are right on the nail and the background is beautifully soft. For the perfectionists the image is 1/320 sec and f6.3, 100 ASA.
Getting Ready Gwynn Having recently been shooting stills on the sidelines whilst BBC South Today sports presenter Lewis Coombes was briefing players and managerial staff last Thursday at Littlehampton Town FC before a live broadcast preceding the club’s semi-final appearance in the FA Vase, this image resonates with the care and control the crew put in place for just such a situation. Difficult image to capture because of the pool in the way and I wonder if cropping the woman on the left out of the shot might have improved it. Exposure is on the nail although a wider aperture of perhaps f3.5 (against this shot’s f8) might have softened the background a little. Still a very good record shot. And I must get one of those monopods.
Gotchya Gwynn Edit Pic Same photographer and camera as above (I think) and as it stands again a good record shot. Again the tight aperture at f14 has allowed the background to remain in focus and also forced an ASA increase to 400 and a shutter speed of 1/200 second. A wider aperture of f4.5 / f5 would give a decrease in the ASA or a shorter shutter speed (or both) and get the background out of focus too. I would also have cropped a bit and added a small edit to remove the remains of the handrail the lower right. My very quick edit:
Edit By Barney Douglas
Having a Snooze Keith Dawson Caught on the fly, I think, or a very well posed image to give that impression. The wide aperture suggests limited room to get back from the subject which is presumably why the feet are out of shot. Lowering the camera a fraction to do that would have helped (as there is spare space at the top of the image), and an even better shot would have been achieved by taking perhaps one step to the left and kneeling. Exposure, however, is right on point.
Koko Keith Dawson Commended Considering that this was shot under very poor light at 6400 ASA, just 1/160 sec, f5.6 on a 150mm lens this image has come out very well indeed. Not perfect, and I could be really niggly about several elements, but overall I think a “very well done” is due to the photographer on this image. Zooming in, despite the inevitable grain, there’s detail in the beard and even the tattoo partially covered by the right sleeve of the jacket.
P.A.R.T.Y. Andy Ogdon Commended Impactful image shot close in to the subjects on an 18mm lens conveying exuberance and an immense amount of fun. Framing is about as good as it comes for a shot taken, as this is, in that split-second. I really like this.
Sup Fiona Pring Highly Commended Sports activity is always a case of getting the timing right as much is the exposure and this is very close to perfect. Composition, framing, colour and contrast all combine very well indeed to put this amongst the contenders. Great image!
Watching the Band Keith Dawson Edit Pic Again, someone unaware of the camera and concentrating on something else. This for me does not work quite so well as the camera’s viewpoint is level with the man’s chin when the better image would have been with the camera level with the man’s sternum. I can’t alter the height of the lens, but I can show the better crop, removing the distraction of the people rear left. For all that, well exposed by the same photographer as the image, Koko, and again at a very high ASA. My crop:
Edit by Barney Douglas
Sunset Stroll Fiona Pring 3rd Place Winner I wish I could have been given the full size image of this shot as I would have loved to have got into the detail. However I only receive a reduced sized set so I must judge this as it is. I love the symmetry of the hands and feet (on the right as viewed), and sparkle of light off the droplets of water as well as an overall feeling of comforting contentment in the image. The low angle and the reflections of the bodies in the water in the foreground against the brighter sky all add to a really well observed image. Great shot! This would have been Commended in the Advanced group
Biker Fiona Pring 2nd Place Winner Nothing to criticise in this beautifully exposed and captured image. Great shot! In the mix! This would have been Commended in the Advanced Group
Waiting for the Whistle Andy Ogdon 1st Place Winner You think you’ve seen all the contenders and then this one comes along and smacks you right in the eye. Everything is spot on – verticals of the frame, the detail in the skin and the clothing, the posture, the framing, the idle concentration on something distant, expression … just a wonderful image. This would have been a contender for the top three in the Advanced group and would definitely have received a Highly Commended with Special Mention there
Experienced:
As before, at this level I should see at least a third of photos worthy of a Licentiate-ship panel at the RPS. Once again a very good set with an above average set of contenders
Ballerina Paul Armitage Commended I will start by reminding you, as mentioned at the start, that I trained as a dancer as a young man and although I majored on tap dancing I did train in ballet to a very high standard, not least because my mother was a founder member, in 1930, and later a Life Fellow of the British Ballet Organization. However, be assured that, whilst I know what the dancers in this section should be doing, I will judge those photos solely on the photographer’s skill. Well exposed natural light shot using 1600 ASA to get the shutter speed just within hand held range. A fractionally lower viewpoint would have improved this by hiding much of the skirting board behind the line of the tutu. Having said that it works very well as it stands.
Balls & Cobbles John Verlander In terms of exposure pretty well spot on. The wall of the first floor of the house in the distance is not burnt out by the sun while the shadow areas, mainly foreground right, are well balanced. As it stands it’s a good record shot. Something to consider next time is to kneel over by the colourful items for sale on the left, keep them in focus and get the people behind into the background by using a wider f stop (although I will mention that this is one image without any EXIF data).
Beer O’Clock Lee Mullins Very well exposed and the colours are excellent, and the focus right on target. There’s a hint of flash shadow beneath the arm of the man on the right but that does not detract.
Bell Tower Snappers Helen Shot with a Canon Powershot bridge camera with an amazingly wide angle setting which surprisingly does not detract at all from the image. Plenty of detail in the shadow areas while the sea in the background is well exposed. I’m going to be picky and say you should have straightened the horizon at this standard, but that apart there is virtually nothing to criticise except perhaps the lack of a single point of interest.
Best Friends Helen Flawless exposure and colour on a well observed shot caught just at the right moment, with still some detail in the heavier shadow areas. Very nice image.
Brits Abroad Keith Vincent Shot at just 1/50 second suggesting the light levels were not as good as the finished image suggests this is as near a prime focus lens setting as you will get. The verticals of the fence posts are pretty well spot on and it’s somewhat saddening to see the black plastic bin liner, not a criticism of the photographer at all, but of society’s reliance of such materials. The glance of the man to his left draws the eye of the viewer and overall gives a pretty good point of interest.
Calm Under Pressure Colin B Highly Commended Wonderfully accurate nighttime shot with flawless focus and superbly accurate colour rendition. What a shame I have absolutely no EXIF data on this one. Very impressive indeed.
Contemplating Keith Vincent Commended Executed pretty well to perfection, the monochrome does not detract and if anything enhances the image. The positioning of both observers’ bodies, feet and legs adds something to the whole composition, while the verticals of the picture frames are spot on. Love it!
Cool Drinks Duncan Gray Another shot where the subject is clearly unaware of the photographer. Taken on a Fuji compact camera with which I am not familiar this is perfectly exposed. Could it have been better? Well the only thing that could have improved it is knowing what had caught the woman’s attention. As it stands a very good image.
Downpour Carol Sheridan Clever use of torrential rain and with the focus apparently being on the edge of the canopy the subjects are all thrown out of focus to good effect. Verticals are spot on. Interesting image and very different from the norm.
Fire Department Outing Lee Mullins Beautiful colour saturation in an image packed with interest. Fun photo perfectly exposed and with just one flaw … the missing hand of the man at the back of the vehicle. Had that been there this would have been worthy of consideration.
Frontrunner Carol Sheridan EDIT PIC The title, I think, is the giveaway. Take a look at the shot and ask yourself what is drawing the spectators’ eyes. It’s not, quite certainly, the horses coming over the hurdle in the background. So I have to guess that there is a horse out of shot … the frontrunner. Clever title, although very fractionally (and I’m talking no more than a third of a stop), overexposed.I tried adjusting brightness down a fraction and contrast up slightly more, and then tweaked in a hint of added vibrancy and this was the result:
Edit By Barney Douglas
Get the Picture Alan Hillman Highly Commended With Special Mention A neat and very well captured image on a Sony compact camera. This might look simple at first sight, but there’s a lot to take in. Framing is flawless, exposure is spot on, rule of thirds is almost as close as it could be, the horizon (the bottom line of the clouds) is horizontal, and that little flare of refraction through the atmosphere on the upper right just makes this a real front runner. Excellent.
Golden Girls John Verlander Rather a sweet image of two little girls doing what little girls love to do. No EXIF data so I don’t know even the camera make. The slightly odd thing for me is that there appears to have been flash used, because of the reflection on the background, but there is no flash shadow … anywhere. Exposure is close to perfect and the expressions say it all. Very nice image.
Hair Rising Paul Armitage Commended Accurately exposed and well captured exposure of a studio image, where subject movement is encapsulated well. Shot on a Canon 5D full frame at 1/125 sec, 200 ASA at f5.6. White balance is set to auto when it should be set to flash. There is a studio flash option on the camera and you should have used it. The reason is simple. Look at the variance of the reflective colour surfaces, especially in the dress and the exposed areas of the skin. If the subject were to face the camera the amount of red in the shot would increase by about 30%. But the camera sensor doesn’t see red; it takes an overall view. In auto white balance it takes an average. There would more red, so the image result would be compensated but oddly it will be the background colour that will shift most because the background predominates. It’s similar when I shoot football. In good daylight I set the white balance on each of my cameras to manual 5600K so the shift in colour rendition is pretty well stopped. That way all the grass stays the same colour throughout the match.I’m guessing this is a small studio as the focal length is only 45mm, the equivalent of 31mm on a crop frame camera. Could you have got back from the subject, and if so I wish you had. For a full length shot 80mm is ideally your minimum target on a full frame body and 50mm on a crop frame to avoid the slight tapering of the legs here. I mentioned on an earlier image that it’s worth kneeling, or just use a bar stool with hydraulic height adjustment; (a lot more comfortable and it makes a great prop). OK, technical guide over! I do like this image and for all my comments this comes out very well..
Homeward Alan Sheridan The silhouettes on the skyline in this monochrome image work really well and you get a great feeling that everyone is ready to rest after a good hike. A tiny crop or use of the makeover tool would have taken that smidgeon of the higher tree foliage out of the image. As it stands it’s very nice. That adjustment would have lifted it a level.
Hopeful John Verlander Unusual monochrome offering when such images normally come in colour. The effect is very good. Focus on the main subject and those around her is on the nail and the band comfortably becomes part of the softer background. Very nice indeed.
I’ve Just Eaten the Last Rolo Paul Armitage Shot with a Sony camera unfamiliar to me, I find this image fascinating as I am not certain whether it is staged or spontaneous. Either way it works very well. The smirk on the man’s face and the dismissive look on the woman’s are both subtle and just portray the right message. I’m not concerned by the man on the right, foreground, as it enhances the belief this was shot on the fly. Muted colours, well exposed. Very nice indeed.
In The Frame Alan Hillman Highly Commended Beautifully observed and perfectly framed image, the warm colours in the clouds and the perfect horizon add to what is already a very good shot. Simple, subtle, minimalistic. Excellent capture. Well done.
Katerina and Tree Wendy Kerr Starting with the focus I can’t fault it, especially the detail in the bark of the tree. The light is clearly muted and softened by the clouds. Focal length shows the camera is perhaps a little too close to the subject and a couple of steps back would have improved the shape of the the face. I see White Balance is set at manual but if Microsoft Windows (10) Explorer has one fault it doesn’t list Kelvin value and I would have liked to know the setting. Possibly a hint too warm and a tiny fraction too dark in the shadows, but I am really nit-picking there. Very good portrait.
Katerina Dancing Wendy Kerr Commended Of the shots of this dancer this is definitely one of my two favourites. Captured at the moment of execution I wonder how many attempts it took. A photographer friend of mine, Andy Owen, recently did a complex multiple exposure of model Elle Farran on pointe and he said of that, “The technical side of getting the settings correct meant that Elle had to repeat her dance movements time and time again. She has the patience of a saint. She duly proved excellent at the repeatability and accuracy of the dance steps required.” And this is just such a situation. Well done Katerina and well done to the photographer. Excellent image.
Katerina Loving Life Wendy KerrHighly Commended If the previous image was very good, then this steps it up a couple of notches. Flawless exposure, framing and expression. Definitely in the mix.
Now Pay Attention Lee Mullins Excellent eye contact between the subjects and the image was captured just at the right moment to tell the story. Despite the shaded alleyway the exposure as right on the money.
Partners Carol Sheridan Highly Commended Always a great subject and much more difficult to get right than you might think. This is beautifully shot and definitely in the mix. Well done!
Reader Alan Sheridan Highly commended With Special Mention Pretty well perfect image. The photographer here has thought of everything and got all of it right. There is so much to see, so much to take in, yet at the same time the eye is drawn back repeatedly to the main subject. Serious contender.
Sunday Coffee Helen Shot on a compact camera with auto white balance, that setting has let you down a little. This could have been lifted in Photoshop as the lighting overall comes over a little flat. Not sure if you’ve played with an underexposed image and tried to pull it back but my efforts to edit some life into it didn’t produce the result I sought. Shame as it would have been a good record shot.
Team Orkney Duncan Gray Highly Commended With Special Mention Lovely colourful, impactful team celebration with the eyes merging on their point of interest to give the viewer two. Congratulations to Orkney and well done to the photographer too. Great shot.
The Experience Alan Hillman Same camera, and (I presume) photographer as In the Frame. I can see what you are trying to do, and I like the concept. The colours and the letterbox shape give a surreal effect. This is almost a Marmite shot. From one point of view it feels almost like a work of art worthy of its place on the wall, whilst from the other to some people it would feel uncomfortable. I am erring towards the work of art.
Tiny People Duncan Gray When I first flipped through the complete set this caught my eye, not least because it was, at first glance, uncertain whether these people were real or toy models. They are, of course, real and the idea is great. The execution, especially the excessive use of the soften tool to create bokeh, has detracted from what started as a good image. Great shame. Worth another edit (hoping, of course, that you still have the original).
Walker Alan Sheridan The gift of solitude in quiet countryside makes this a very good image. Minute hint of burn-out on the left hand side of his hat, but not a problem. Very nice indeed.
Catch It Colin B 3rd Place Winner
The intense concentration, the timing of the shot capturing the face perfectly between the hands make this an admirable third place. The framing of the face in the hands, pretty well impossible to stage, is very impressive with the photographer’s position and timing spot on. Bokeh works perfectly. Nothing to criticise in this image.
Rockin’ It Colin B 2nd Place Winner
This gets a thoroughly deserved second place on the detail in the skin and the microphone along with the overall total accuracy of the image Another cracker that’s up with the leading contenders. The detail on the face, the microphone, even the tiny specks of dust on the t-shirt come together to make this an admirable portrait. Thank you.
Three’s A Crowd Keith Vincent 1st Place Winner
It’s the expression as much as the shot itself, and the innocence and concentration expressed in the eyes of a beautiful young woman, along with the flawless capture of the image itself that allows this image to take first place. That girl’s face is so photogenic and with the depth of field at f3.2 both the woman and, to a slightly lesser extent, the man are starting slip out of focal range making this a superb piece of work concentrating the eye on the subject. Exposure, colour and detail are night on perfect.
As in previous competitions, I have judged I have brought together those under consideration for the places in the Advanced group, and here they are for this competition:
Once again an extremely good shortlist. You’ve raised your game and the standard once again is really high. As I mentioned last time if you had a different judge on a different day any of my top images could be in contention.
And finally, something I would like to add to what I mentioned last time.
I am still shooting regularly for two of my biggest clients – spot-the-ball football, and travel and tourism work. In addition, my application to become a regular photographer for Metart is still progressing but has had to take a slight back seat as I am moving to live in France, in Haute-Vienne about 40 minutes south of Limoges near the medieval town of St-Yrieix-la-Perche. Getting everything ready is pretty well a full-time job in itself. Scheduled completion dates are, in the UK, 1 July, and in France, 8 July.
Hopefully, by 2023 we’ll have a holiday home too, most likely at Port Vendres on the Mediterranean coast, not far from the Spanish border and with the Pyrenees in the background, and that will be offered at discounted rates to photographers and models booking directly with us rather than through Airbnb during the off season. With that I will also be running small group courses in both Port Vendres and St-Yrieix-la-Perche for photographers and will be looking to work with local holiday homeowners to get preferential rates for those attending. Barney Douglas
