In the Autumn Digital Image Competition – images with a theme of ‘Curves’ two entries per member were permitted. As per the previous season’s similar competitions, certificates were awarded for 1st place (Gold), 2nd place (Silver), 3rd place (Bronze), Highly Commended and for Commended images.
There were 45 images in the competition.
Looping for curves
In between the vintage military aircraft displaying at Old Warden we had a displays from this glider. This display in particular was spectacular with smoke from the wingtips against a clear blue sky.
Judge’s comments
…the plane here, because you have [probably] used a very fast shutter speed, is pretty much motionless but you can clearly tell that it is not – because of the trails that it is
… it is the trails it is leaving that are giving the curves which to me means that this is meeting the criteria and it is curves
… I rather like the simplicity of this, you have got the completely blue sky background, you have got the plane, I think rather well positioned in the frame, and you have got these trails
… the trails give curves , I think that this is great, I like the way the way [the trails] come out of the bottom left land corner, I think that works quite well
… so this is another hold
Curves in the road
When we were last on the Mach Loop on the last day while we waited for planes I took this image of the road below.
Judge’s comments
…This is a fairly strait forward mono conversion, there is a reasonable tone range going on but you have not done much to accentuate the drama in the way that sometimes a mono conversion can do
… so what is it a picture of? Yes, it is curves in the road , there are also quite a lot of fields, trees and because it is mono it is harder to identify what the trees are
.. and you have got some of the classic elements of a good photograph, you have got a lead in line going all the way through the picture and out of the top corner, you have carefully positioned those things at the corners
… ultimately, I am not sure for me this is working as well as in mono as it might have done in colour, or maybe it would be more dramatic on a conversion
… it does tick some of the boxes, high technical competency,
… I do not find it particularly exciting , once one has gone up the leading line I am not sure where the eyes are going to fall in this picture
… so slightly reluctantly , because I can see there’ a lot to admire in it, I am not going to hold it back
The result
There were 17 images held back for review by the judge, after another pass just 8 remained. From these ‘Looping for curves’ was awarded second place for Silver.
Judge’s final comments
… I love the simplicity of this one , it is attractively done
… it is not my usual sort of material and I have to say I think this has been excellently carried out … the plane I think is well placed in the picture, the trails are just working beautifully and going down to that bottom left hand corner
… I think is all very nicely done, so this is my Silver
The original images
‘Looping for curves’:
ISO 100 f/9.0 1/800 sec and 145 mm focal length
‘Curves in the road’:
The camera was set up for shooting fast jets that might appear at any moment hence these settings:
ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/2,000sec and 300mm focal length