March 2021 Smartphone Image Competition

This is the last of four individual digital image competitions that replace the Club’s Print League. This round continues to be open but entries are restricted to photographs taken on a smartphone or tablet. As in the earlier rounds  up to two entries were allowed.

Certificates were be awarded for 1st place (Gold), 2nd place (Silver), 3rd place (Bronze), two Highly Commended and two Commended.

Dawn through the trees

Judge’s comments
I have a great admiration for people who do dawn, I am not a morning person, to get up and to do this would have been really difficult I’d have to be promised a really good picture, guaranteed before I’d do it – so well done to you

This is a strong image, as when you look at it the way you shoot into the sun but it works, almost blown out right in the centre where the sun goes but you know you have contained that remarkably well

I love the fact that you have got the straight tree down with the shadow leaning or coming out towards us, a very good vantage point.

Would I [have] wanted this in colour? I don’t think so particularly because the composition and its strength is in its texture and the form. You’ve got those trees which are dominant and dark and standing out against the light itself

I would suggest that when you do this again , when you get up early on another morning, that you get much much lower down , at least on your knees and preferably right [down] on your tummy so that you’ve got a really low angle . I know that getting down isn’t the problem that it is getting up that is the issue – so [do] get lower down, you’ve got this straight angle going through, we are reluctant to do that as photographers but it really can help.

Yes it is a very strong black and white graphic representation of bright sun [and] stark shadows so please can we keep that one back.

Watching phone checking through the window

Judge’s comments
Yes as photographers we spend a lot of time looking through windows, and phones are just everywhere aren’t they? Everyone is on their phones. How did we manage before? …

So here you are looking at reflections, reverse reflections, Indiana Cafe, as a teacher I got very good at reading upside down and back to front.

It is in a sort of street, these two characters, how could you not photograph them , I’d have done exactly the same, I don’t know where you are but it could be anywhere even with the French names you could be anywhere

Detail in the background which is not distracting, two strong characters back to back and not taking any notice of each other and only a couple of feet apart, no more than that, bright lights which is a shame in the background but lights are bright, a bit of a chair [there] maybe, a strong composition with that pole right down the middle dividing the two ladies, that says something doesn’t it?

The result

Only ‘Dawn through the trees’ was held back.

Judge’s comments
Commended …Dawn through the trees … the texture and the way you’ve used the light and dark very successfully and the shadows really make it.

So well done for that.

The original images

‘Dawn through the trees’:
This image was taken in Crowthorne on my iPhone 12Plus next the Heathlake.

‘Watching phone checking through the window’:
This images was taken using my iPhone on my first evening in Paris as I waited in the cafe for my meal to be delivered.