JULY 2024 | Interclub | Essendon vs Rosanna Results

Total: ECC 370 | RPC 376 (Winner) – Prints: ECC 122 | RPC 130 – EDIs: ECC 248 | RPC 246

Congratulations Rosanna Photo Club

ROSANNA PC AND ESSENDON CC INTERCLUB 2024

DIGITALS

TITLE	SCORE	SCORE	MAKER	CLUB
	RPC	ECC
Alpine Glow	12		Jane Barnes	Rosanna
Amongst the Trees	12		Ray Bradford	Rosanna
Behind the Times		12	Jennifer Swanton	Essendon
Blue and Gold		15	Carmen Caruana	Essendon
Boy on the Beach		10	Sue Newton	Essendon
Butterfly Effect		15	Carmen Caruana	Essendon
Cadillac Cove at Bore Beach		13	Robert Schirato	Essendon
Cool Ray Bans	12		Glen Hand	Rosanna
Dazzling Dahlia		12	Jennifer Swanton	Essendon
Faces of the Good Shepherd		12	Levin Barrett	Essendon
Flamenco	10		Frank Ma	Rosanna
Gate Way to Time		12	Toni Mason	Essendon
Heron	12		Jenny Kaiser	Rosanna
High Tide	9		Malcolm Vickers	Rosanna
Hopetoun Falls	11		Robert Page	Rosanna
KC33		11	Kevin Phelan	Essendon
Kimberley Dust	11		Jenny Kaiser	Rosanna
Lake Mulwala		12	Monica Bonici	Essendon
Lennox		15	John Sparrey	Essendon
Lost in Thought	15		Frank Ma	Rosanna
Lotus After the Rain	12		Gerry Gore	Rosanna
Morocco High Atlas	10		Cheryl Davis	Rosanna
Orange and Blue	15		Clive Watt	Rosanna
Peaceful		13	Kevin Phelan	Essendon
Pink Beauty	14		Sue Thompson	Rosanna
Rainbow Bee-eater About to Land		13	Neil Anderton	Essendon
Reflection Hour	13		Rainer Reinbold	Rosanna
Rock Trails		11	Levin Barrett	Essendon
Sacred Kingfisher with Skink		15	Neil Anderton	Essendon
Sky's the Limit		11	Scott Emanuelsson	Essendon
STOP!	13		Jan Burt	Rosanna
The Lion of Singapore		10	Anis Chemali	Essendon
Times Square New York	13		Liz Watt	Rosanna
Torquay Groynes at Sunrise		15	Robert Schirato	Essendon
Undulations	11		Jane Barnes	Rosanna
What Big Eyes You Have	15		Geoff Kaiser	Rosanna
Where Are You Mum?	12		Sue Thompson	Rosanna
Whistling Kite Fishing	14		Julie Marshall	Rosanna
Whiteout at the Beach		9	Sue Newton	Essendon
Woman in White		12	Monica Bonici	Essendon


Total	246	248


PRINTS

TITLE	SCORE	SCORE	MAKER	CLUB
	RPC	ECC
Coffee Anyone?		13	Sue Newton	Essendon
Cross Over		12	Paul Scicluna	Essendon
Dawn Mist	14		Jan Burt	Rosanna
Day's End, Lake Eppalock	12		Rosemary Oldis	Rosanna
Done Working		10	Clem de Silva	Essendon
End of a Day		14	Carmen Caruana	Essendon
Inside the Perricotta Shed		13	Kevin Phelan	Essendon
I've Got My Eyes on You		11	Clem de Silva	Essendon
Kingly Style	15		Frank Ma	Rosanna
Miniature Coloured Carla	15		Samad Mahkri	Rosanna
Misplaced		15	Carmen Caruana	Essendon
On the Lookout	12		Sue Thompson	Rosanna
On the Road to Milford Sound		11	Robert Schirato	Essendon
Pink Cockatoo		13	Neil Anderton	Essendon
Ray Ban in Blue	11		Cheryl Davis	Rosanna
Rock Wallaby Arkaroola	15		Joan Muller	Rosanna
Snowgum	14		John Hardiman	Rosanna
The Green Room	11		Rainer Reinbold	Rosanna
To the Valley Below		10	Kevin Phelan	Essendon
Venice Dawn	11		Jenny Kaiser	Rosanna



Total	130	122

Best Images

Title	Award		Maker	Club


Kingly Style	Best Overall Print for the Interclub		Frank Ma	RPC

What Big Eyes You Have	Best Overall Digital for the Interclub		Geoff Kaiser	RPC

	All images were awarded a score of 15

Kingly Style	Best RPC Print		Frank Ma	RPC
Miniature Coloured Carla			Samad Mahkri	RPC
Rock Wallaby Arkaroola			Joan Muller	RPC

Misplaced	Best ECC Print		Carmen Caruana	ECC

What Big Eyes You Have	Best RPC Digital		Geoff Kaiser	RPC
Lost in Thought			Frank Ma	RPC
Orange and Blue			Clive Watt	RPC

Blue and Gold	Best ECC Digital		Carmen Caruana	ECC
Butterfly Effect			Carmen Caruana	ECC
Lennox			John Sparrey	ECC
Sacred Kingfisher with Skink			Neil Anderton	ECC
Torquay Groynes at Sunrise			Robert Schirato	ECC

	DIGITALS

No.	Title	Score	Comments
1	Alpine Glow	12	This is so pretty. It has a gentle, peaceful atmosphere which comes from the pastel colours in the sky. The muted colours in those banks of clouds are quite romantic, in their way. This sky is contrasted with the rugged, jagged cliff face which has striking shapes. The few trees on the sky line give softness to those cliffs. This is a lovely image but I would have added some mid-tone contrast to those hills (clarity in Lightroom.) to crisp it up a bit but that may reduce the feel of softness of this image.
2	Amongst the Trees	12	This is a really beautiful tree and everything you have included in the background is just right, supportive of the scene without intruding. I would have added a slight vignette so that there was no light to draw your eye such as the top left corner. It is a tiny bit soft.
3	Behind the Times	12	How did you get this shot? A quick eye that noticed the man up there or was it staged? It doesn’t matter either way as it is a unique, alternate depiction of that saying ‘Behind the times’. The stroke around the border gives it a polished look and I think choosing the pale, dusty yellow adds something special. If it were in black and white it would lose its warmth. I think the warmth of the colouring is a good foil for the severity of the silhouette. I am surprised that the two hands on the clock face are not sharp while everything else is. I don’t know why.
4	Blue and Gold	15	This is a stunning architectural shot with its complex lines and shapes. When you look into it in detail there are so many geometrical shapes in those vertical lines, all different sizes. The vibrant colour and light are essential to the image’s impact. The next comment is not a criticism but is a rule for you to be aware of in future. When taking any shot that has a horizon line (here the stepped rich mustard horizontal band that crosses the image) subliminally the viewer likes to see that one third up from the bottom. Rules can be broken but that is what humans subconsciously prefer as the normal placement. Here you could have added a bit more of the building on the bottom but as I said, that is the normal rule and all rules can be effectively broken.
5	Boy on the Beach	10	That thick dark hair falling over the boy’s face gives an air of intrigue. What is he feeling? The body stance looks a little dejected, as if he is no longer having fun, but who knows? He draws the eye with his colourful clothes and bucket, in contrast to the expanse of grey of the sea and sky. His knee and leg are not crisp which is a shame.
6	Butterfly Effect	15	Shapes, lines, dramatic contrast, geometric patterns, excellent precision of placement of all the elements. Well done. I am not sure why you gave it that name? Nor am I sure how you got that oval above the spoons. Was it a mirror above?
7	Cadillac Cove at Bore Beach	13	You have certainly captured the swirling energy of the water as it boils between these rocks. The sky has detail in it and excellent light and shade to depict the outlines of the rocks. A nitpicking comment is that the rock self on the bottom right is a bit large in the frame. I dodged and burned it to add interest there.
8	Cool Ray Bans	12	They do look like ray bans too. It is sharp, well placed on a diagonal and the green of its body is eye catching. I would have darkened the top boards so as to show off the wings and to make it fit with the dark of the bottom boards. Do this with a graduated filter.
9	Dazzling Dahlia	12	The blurred background still allows the green of its setting to be discerned and I love the way you have made the little bud on the side stand out, captured by light. I dropped the highlights down just a bit to stop the top petals of the dahlia being a bit washed out.
10	Faces of the Good Shepherd	12	That sky is amazing, the way all the clouds swoop in towards the church, drawing the eye to the lovely stone building. You are quite right to show two sides of a building, as it is a more dynamic presentation. Here the soft grasses lead in from left and right. Lovely light too. If this were my image, I would have taken it from further back, allowing more of the surrounding environment to show, as the church itself, to my eye, is too large in the frame. Try leaving more in the sides and foreground so that the church is smaller and see what you think. You can only do this if there was more space in the surrounds in the original, which you have cut down.
11	Flamenco	10	The red works so well against the black background and the upflung arms and kicked out feet capture the sense of movement and energy. The lighting on their faces is excellent. The skill here in showing their skirts, feet and arms in motion while their faces are sharp is excellent. While I appreciate the twirling skirts I find the hands are a bit too blurred to look natural. Blur is a great friend of the photo artist but can be bad if it is too strong. You have to get just the right amount to be believable.
12	Gate Way to Time	12	A romantic, picture postcard type of shot. The arch frames the shot and the building which the eye is drawn to along that cobble stone path is a strong vertical. The stepped fence works well, and the stormy clouds are beautiful. There is a hint of haloing round the edge of the trees, the arch and the tower so watch out for that. It is usually caused by over sharpening. It is hardly noticeable but it is there. In a club competition I would ignore that but you are competing with the best of the best here so everything is considered.
13	Heron	12	That wing spread is stunning, with the spear shaped beak and neck implying a powerful descent, and those little claw feet are a great element. You have captured a sense of speed and power here.
14	High Tide	9	I found this image fascinating. Those of you who are concrete or literal thinkers will assume the story is that the chair was left there by its owner who forgot that the tide would come in and surround it with water. But if you are a person who thinks more weirdly, with say, a more Monty Python style of fantasy, even surrealism, you could imagine the chair is watching the boat in the distance. Is the chair cross that it cannot see the boat clearly? Would the image work better if a person was sitting on the chair? No, the chair itself is looking at the vast nearly empty, calm sea. The sky and the patch of light on the water are lovely. The use of negative space is done well here as it conveys the sense of stillness. However, I would have really liked to see the boat more clearly.
15	Hopetoun Falls	11	This shot of the milked water is beautifully framed with the green ferns on the right and multiple shaped rocks in the foreground. However, to my eye, this attractive scene would have been better shot from further away as the fall of water is too dominant in the frame and it is not particularly visually interesting. Standing further back would put more of the environment into the image and decrease the fall’s dominance. Another comment to make about milking water is that it works when the water is slow moving or still but water that is falling, or rushing rapidly looks psychologically wrong if it is milky. Just to let you know this may be an impact on the viewer.
16	KC33	11	As a black and white shot, you have some lovely rich darks through to eye catching light tones, contrast being so essential in a monotone image. The reflections in the water add interest, as do the ripples in gradations of grey. I took a tiny bit of the glare off the side of the boat as it was nearly blown out and to my eye, was a bit too eye catching. I did it by reducing the white point, just a bit. It is good that the boat is on a slight diagonal.
17	Kimberley Dust	11	The folds of the hills weaving one behind the other are attractive here, with the front hill being a leading line from high on the right down through the image to the left. The dust softens the whole but I tried using a bit of mid tone contrast (or the clarity slider) to crisp up the image while still implying the dust was enveloping all the shapes. Try it and see if you like it too. The dull cloudless sky is a sky that no photographer wants, so you have rightly kept it to a minimum. But being light, it has a tendency to take the viewer’s eye up there and then out of the frame. Try a graduated filter to darken it just a little.
18	Lake Mulwala	12	You are right to make this into a panorama. The sky is gorgeous, the reflections of the sky and dead trees form an interesting middle ground, and there is a gentle curve in the foreground with the beautifully lit logs to form interest there. It is a personal reaction to this image, on my part, but I feel it is a little oversaturated. I dropped the vibrance down which made it subtler, but very, very beautiful. Try it and see what you think. You may well prefer rich colours but I feel they are a bit unbelievable.
19	Lennox	15	Outstanding eye contact with the camera here. The colours are all muted, which suits this blond headed little boy. The huge eyes and the questioning, open eyed wonder of his expression is great. Beautifully lit. A nit-picking point. Those huge blue eyes don’t suit the pale green of the rest of the image. I added a tint of magenta, just a bit, to create a harmony of colour throughout.
20	Lost in Thought	15	This is beautifully shot, beautifully lit. He is looking towards the photographer but past him/her which is in keeping with the title. The moulding on his skin is beautifully done and the whole image is pin sharp. The next point is not a criticism but advice for future shots. The eyes are better placed on the top third line as this is subliminally where the viewer expects to see them. This image could be cropped to achieve that, but it really is not necessary here. Just be aware that that is the preferred placement for viewers. Another suggestion, not a criticism, is experiment with split toning in work that would otherwise be a monotone. If you do the shadows and the highlights in different tiny, tiny amounts of colour it adds an elegance which is hard to spot except for the person who knows about split toning.
21	Lotus After the Rain	12	Beautiful placement, background excellent, and the rain drops are a magic touch. Overall, I think it a little dull so I gave it a boost by increasing the white point and the whole image popped. You don’t have to place the stem at the bottom left but that is the usual position as here in the West, we read an image from the left to the right and from bottom to top. It is usually a more dynamic position for the stem and flower head.
22	Morocco High Atlas	10	This is almost like a dot-point painting. The blue snaking line across the foreground compliments the yellows and browns. The balloon is a wonderful, symmetrical shape in contrast to the scattered bushes. I would have liked to see the balloon more off to the right, rather than nearly centred and it could be sharper.
23	Orange and Blue	15	There has been a lot of thought gone into making the colours juxtapose one with the other. The richness and vibrancy of the colour make it work so well. Being about inanimate objects, its impact comes from the simple stark shapes, symmetrical colours, sense of balance and beautiful lighting. I am curious about the wiggle in the line from top to middle in the central glass which is not in the bowl of the glass below but is in the stem. Presumably it is refraction.
24	Peaceful	13	Well named as this is such a peaceful shot, which is usually the feeling that you get with mist. The reflections in the yellow muddy pool of water are lovely and go well with green grass of the foreground. The viewer’s eye can wend up through the trees in a very pleasant way. A nit-picking point: I unlocked the shadows just a bit to show a little more detail on the trunks on the right. Sharp, well exposed.
25	Pink Beauty	14	Indeed it IS a pink beauty and centrally placed in nearly a square format, with a non-intrusive background. The centre of the flower is sharp and all the colours are rich and complimentary. I did a little tweaking to this one. I bumped up the white point which showed a little detail in the white parts of the petals and it also gave the whole image a boost of light.
26	Rainbow Bee-eater About to Land	13	Aren’t the colours on this bird pretty? They are rich and vibrant. The spread of wings like a bow shape are also wonderful. I dropped the highlight slider down a little and decreased the white point to ‘sharpen’ the feathers in the bird’s body. Try cropping it to a square and see if you like that more?
27	Reflection Hour	13	I did my usual fiddle with all the settings to see if I could make some useful suggestions but came up with nothing. Everything is exactly as it should be for this calm, peaceful, warm shot. The exposure is just right, not too dark and not too light, the spit of land on the left has a gentle, but strong C curve and gradations in its tones. This C curve is repeated behind that first one. The striped orange lines in the water add interest there. The figure is well placed on a third line. Well done. It has excellent contrasts throughout.
28	Rock Trails	11	A clever name and I really like the light thrown onto the rocks from the right. The rocks have pleasing differences in size and shapes, the small tumble of stones at their base forming a contrast. The light trails are stunning in their multiple swirls all collapsing in to a dark centre, and they are very bright and colourful. However, in my opinion you have two subjects here, rather than the rocks forming the setting. They both demand the viewer’s attention. I feel one should be made secondary to the other and this is usually done via light or even blurring but the latter wouldn’t work here. You would have to make one duller than the other.
29	Sacred Kingfisher with Skink	15	What a delight to get this shot with the skink in the Kingfisher’s mouth. The branch for it to stand on sweeps up from bottom right up and through the foreground to the left and there is a well blurred background. Most of all the light on its head, beak, eye and top of the branch bring this image to life. I like the stripe around the frame. A beautiful shot.
30	Sky's the Limit	11	This landscape reveals the huge open spaces of the country and the figure looking out at it tells the story of the image. The rock in the middle distance is an interesting shape and there is just enough cloud to stop the sky from being boring and flat. The bottom third of the image is the same as the middle distance so if you ask yourself, is that negative space adding to the story or an eye sore? I think it adds to the story of this land being huge and empty and it could be lonely too. There is lovely light on these rocks.
31	STOP!	13	The scooter has indeed stopped so it is a visual joke. A lovely, elegant streetscape. The red of the bike links with the red stop sign, and the background is interesting but not intrusive. And the lines of the buildings are straight too. This is an example of the rule of big/little. An attractive capture.
32	The Lion of Singapore	10	This iconic lion is dramatically captured as it shoots out its strong spout of water, beautifully lit, sharp and well placed to catch the viewer’s eye. While the shapes of the buildings give context, the bridge and all the well-lit elements in the lower middle ground are, to my eye, distracting because they are ‘busy.’ I wonder if you had shot this magnificent fountain from another angle, would you have been able to simplify some of the background? To minimise the fact that the background rivals the lion, here in this shot, reduce the mid-tone-contrast as that has a blurring effect. That keeps the lion the dominant subject.
33	Times Square New York	13	Body advertising in keeping with the story line of the TV show – amazing! It makes for an interesting shot. A very apt choice to do it in black and white as there is sufficient whites and blacks to stop it being flat. The strong vignette at the edges, with the spotlight effect on these women is in keeping with their dramatic appearance. A terrific shot and it works so much more dramatically to have that background, rather than a plain one.
34	Torquay Groynes at Sunrise	15	This is a classic seascape with the pier on a diagonal leading in from the right. The clouds are fantastic and there is such energy and a sense of movement in the water surging up onto the rocks in the foreground. The light is wonderful. Great shot.
35	Undulations	11	This is a very unusual image because it is about the soft light falling on the folds of hills, as the title says. The house on the top of the hill is more an added contrasting element. The image is not about that house. This style of house is a photographers’ iconic shot in Tuscany and there must be many thousands of shots of it, or similar, but it takes a different eye to see that there is an image in the light falling on those hills. So it is an image of big/little, of complex short sharp lines and shapes versus soft, large flowing lines. You have placed the house well, on a third line, and done well to minimize what could be a boring sky. Half the image is negative space and negative space can be used to convey the idea of the image or negative space is a mistake. Here it conveys space and solitude, quietness and peace. Speaking personally, I would crop a lot of that bottom half off and you would still get the effect but that is a personal preference.
36	What Big Eyes You Have	15	Indeed, they are huge. It is sharp where it needs to be sharp, namely its face and front legs, and there is excellent detail here. You have rightly blurred the background. I would, if this were mine, have cropped some of the top off, which would make this insect more ‘in your face’. You have put it in a square frame which is right but could chop the top down and still keep the square.
37	Where Are You Mum?	12	All small creatures tug at the heart strings of humans and you have certainly achieved that here. The background tones in well and is not distracting. I like the way the lighter column in the background frames the bird’s darker head as that shows it off better. The wings are fluttering but the head, beak and breast show the tiny bird’s details. Catchlight in the eye too. Personally, I would have cropped some of the post off to make the bird larger in the frame and therefore more dominant in its background but that is a personal choice.
38	Whistling Kite Fishing	14	These birds are powerful indeed when you see their strong wings outspread, beak and claws ready to pounce on prey. A great placement of it in the frame and the reflection works well too.
39	Whiteout at the Beach	9	The viewer can feel the chill in the air. The figure of the girl leads up into the image and her board draws the eye down to the foreground. An alternate presentation of this photo would be to crop a big chunk of the top off, and turn it into a panorama. To my eye, it would still convey the same feeling, but perhaps cropping all that expanse of white out might reduce the impact of the whiteout. Try it and see what you think. I tried reducing the highlights to see if that brought more detail into the middle ground and the sky but the image pixilated so I am wondering if you have cropped it down a lot.
40	Woman in White	12	There is a lot to look at here but it is not busy, I think because of the very strong structure of the building, both the wide lines and the dark surrounds. It forms a relief for the eye from seeing the reflections in the glass. What good fortune to see the woman in what is a universal pose these days, ear pressed to her mobile phone.


	PRINTS

No.	Title	Score	Comments
1	Coffee Anyone?	13	This is intriguing. How did you get that coffee pot to be suspended mid-air? I can’t see where you attached it to a line and if you did not, how did you get it to pour if you shot it straight on. None of which matters as it creates an interesting puzzle. The coffee in the glass and the beans are beautifully lit. I think the silver is not really sharp which is a pity. But an impactful shot, nevertheless.
2	Cross Over	12	This is an image of geometric shapes in architecture and is impactful because of the number of repeated shapes throughout. The crossover is placed well so that the buildings frame it. It is stark and impactful. Sky tended to confuse me as to how come it is at the bottom too, until I realised you were standing under the cross over and shooting up. I would experiment too, with a graduated filter to darken the lighter part of the building as its tone merges a bit in with the sky.
3	Dawn Mist	14	This is a soft, romantic, peaceful image in muted colours and paper chosen to enhance that feeling. The sky is lovely. The curve of the hill arches up and through the image, the square of the building softened by the trees. Mist always has, to my eye, a gentle, calming impact but I think here, there is a little too much mist which strips out the detail. The light is just right.
4	Day's End, Lake Eppalock	12	The sky reflecting a warm wash of colour, reflected in the water, gives a warm, rich feel to this scene. The dead trees, although in twos, really form three sets and their reflections in the ripples works well. A dark image but evocative of the darkness that is to come. I don’t think it is necessary to offset these trees. You could, if you want to, remove some of the space on the right so the trees are more centred.
5	Done Working	10	Seeing these old pieces of equipment from bygone days is a great subject for photography. You have the circle as a repeat motif, with the metal hoops against the tree trunk, the marvellous wheel itself with its axel contrasted with the oblong block of wood and the anvil shape. The colour is rich and vibrant. To my eye, the tone of this image is too rich, but that is a personal reaction. Tone refers to the lightness or darkness of colours used, which can help to create a sense of depth or distance but here I think it conveys a mood or an emotion of harmony, of pleasure. The light throws the attention onto the centre of the image where the wheel is. The problem I have here though is that the anvil is not captured at the right perspective. It is angled up in the air rather than being on a flat plain. I guess this is due to your wide angled lens. It is nice to see these old implements.
6	End of a Day	14	There are three rules broken here. To increase dynamism, it is usually advisable to take a road, path, laneway, from one side or the other, and the other rule is to put the subject off to one side, usually on a third line and preferably having the figure coming towards the viewer. This image goes to prove that rules are guides only and can be broken. I think the central focus works here because the building forms a frame and is more or less symmetrical. So the tired workman should walk straight up the middle because of the symmetrical framing. He is beautifully lit, there is detail in the shadows. In fact there is detail everywhere you look, which allows the viewer to explore the whole image. But most of all, it conveys the tiredness of this man at the end of his working day. It is quite empathic, with his stooped gait. It is quite contrasty but that adds a sense of drama to the shot. Too some, it might be a touch too contrasty.
7	Inside the Perricotta Shed	13	Symmetrically presented to lead the eye through the image to the gates and light at the end. There is a good range of darks through to lights here and every part of the image has detail to explore. The fact that there is nothing in that wide floor space gives an air of emptiness, and now the enormous work in this shed yearly has long gone. A small detail. Lighten the dark patch mid-bottom towards the right.
8	I've Got My Eyes on You	11	What a penetrating stare although he is not looking at the photographer but at someone out of the frame. This animal is beautifully placed in the image, with its curved body being a leading line. Its head is off to the side. The only suggestion I would make is the green leaves right corner could be taken out as it is a minor distraction right at the point where the viewer is looking at the animal’s eyes. Beautifully sharp.
9	Kingly Style	15	He is looking over to the right, into the distance, lost in thought. The light on his face and head is great. I think he looks serious, slightly displeased – it is a wonderful expression you have caught here.
10	Miniature Coloured Carla	15	Exquisite detail in this flower. The dew drops and frost on the inner petal, the veins so well lit, all stand out starkly against the black background. There are C curves and S curves repeated throughout. A stunning image.
11	Misplaced	15	What an eye to see that tree as making a statement in a high, dominant architectural structure. Vertical lines imply power and this image oozes power. The way the well-lit lines radiate outward, makes the sense of power almost overwhelming. And atop, is a dead tree or perhaps a tree waiting for spring to come. It is such a contrast in many ways. One natural, one man made, one small, one huge, one insignificant in this environment, misplaced as the title says, the other signifying man’s skill with construction. I wondered whether it might work better by cropping some of the bottom off, to see if it had the same impact. It didn’t. That is the test of negative space. Does negative space help tell the story or is it a distraction?
12	On the Lookout	12	This bird, unlike the cockatoo, looks more annoyed at being photographed than startled. It has a catchlight in its eye and lighting on its head, beak and chest. I think the richness of the flowers are not a distraction because the bird is so dark in contrast, but the fact that some are blurred while others nearby are sharper is distracting. I would crop a bit off the top of the image.
13	On the Road to Milford Sound	11	The light on the snow depicts all its many shapes and there are wisps of clouds to make the sky interesting. The snow is blown out and not as sharp as it could be which is a shame. The usual advice judges give for images where reflections are a main feature is to darken the reflections and blur them just a little, to distinguish the real from the reflection. I would have darkened the reflected mountains with a graduated filter from the bottom. There is a very powerful curved shape going right across the image from left to right which is like an arrow head and that is quite impactful.
14	Pink Cockatoo	13	The colours and detail in this bird’s feathers, that magnificent comb with its beautiful fan shape, the catch light in its eye, are all marvellous. You have not blurred the leaves in the background but they form a contrast to the cockatoo, being quite different in colour. Usually, speckled light popping through the gaps in the leaves is a distraction but here they are not because they are mainly down in the bottom corner where they don’t intrude. I love the bird’s expression. It looks surprised at having its photo taken, and a bit wary. “What are you doing? What are you up to?” The cockatoo’s eye and beak are not as sharp as other parts of the image so there is a depth of field issue here. Otherwise a lovely image.
15	Ray Ban in Blue	11	Is that the Holi festival in India? I have a picture of me like that. It is a wonder he can see anything. He is obviously having a lot of fun. Interestingly you have shot up at him, which makes him more dominant than the photographer, gives him status or power in the portrait. You have rightly blurred out the woman on the left and the rest of the background but darken her too. It would be good to learn how to remove her altogether.
16	Rock Wallaby Arkaroola	15	A lovely presentation with matte paper. The animal is really cute, and sharp and is turned towards the photographer. It is on a beautifully curved log, colour co-ordinated with its background and the log. The gentle C curve of its body and the curve of the log, is a repeat motif. Nicely lit. Beautifully cropped.
17	Snowgum	14	It is nice to see textured, matte paper which adds to a soft, dreamy feel to the sky. The sky has so much detail in it, it is really pretty, in contrast to the dark foreground, so you have an effect of light and dark here. The twisted trunks of the snow gums are visually impactful. I experimented with lightening the foreground but that changed the entire mood of the image. Dark as it is, it has a foreboding, sadder feel to it which I like more than the foreground being lighter. Lighter, it is less impactful because more ‘typical’ of a landscape image.
18	The Green Room	11	A very odd name for this magnificent tumble of green and gold water. I find this image does not tell its story clearly as the water just stops in the bottom right corner in a way that doesn’t make sense to my eye. The little bit of shoreline gives an environment or an explanation as to what we are seeing but I would leave that out, crop the image just to the wave itself. That turns it into a stunning abstract. Here you have tried to give it a setting but you don’t need to. That little bit on the bottom right is a distraction from the magnificent shapes, colours and textures of that wave.
19	To the Valley Below	10	I can see why you wanted to photograph this lush valley backed by blue hills. The road snaking through it in jig jags gives the eye somewhere to focus. However, I think the foreground is not doing the rest of the image justice. The normal advice with a road is to stand on one side or the other so that it is a more dynamic shape but here the road curves to the right so perhaps it might have been better to shoot from in front of the road. As it is, that wide patch of dirt, though a contrast to the green of the fields, is too light and therefore an eye magnet. Try darkening it with a graduated filter.
20	Venice Dawn	11	you have chosen the time of dawn which is still quite dark, the equivalent of the blue hour at night, I suppose. The building shapes are pin sharp against the sky, the whole image is sharp in fact, and the water has that unexpected V shape in it caused by the wake of the motorboat. To my eye, I would have increased the exposure (or used the shadow slider) just a bit so that we could see more clearly the details in the facades of these famous buildings. That would change its atmosphere so you might prefer it exactly as it is. The other suggestion I have to make is to take the vibrancy out of the lights on the right. They are a bit of an eye magnet. I did it with a radial filter around them.