Container Contest
1st Place - Linda Turnbull
Container Contest
2nd Place - Diane Escalante
Container Contest
3rd Place - Linda Turnbull
View of a Garden
1st Place - Linda Turnbull
This image surprised me by how dynamic and interesting it is: it isn’t easy to have pictures of “just” foliage without a main subject to anchor the shot, but the photographer has done a splendid job of composing the all the elements beautifully so that the entire frame is the subject. The V-shape at the bottom gives a solid base that leads upwards, the ferns and hostas point in from the edges, and splashes of white and red create points of interest throughout. The light is even but not flat, so that we appreciate the textures in the leaves and the way they interlace in this very lush garden.
View of a Garden
2nd Place - Diane Escalante
A very intimate and inviting view of this garden. The path that starts in the bottom corner of the frame is well placed and takes the viewer inwards through a beautiful array of heights, shapes and textures. The dark, shadowy tree at the top helps to enhance the intimate feel as well. Exposure is very good, revealing lots of the details even in the shadow areas without having any blown highlights. A nicely composed image!
View of a Garden
3rd Place - Jacqueline Shephard
This image of a beautiful water feature is very inviting, with subtle but pleasing colour variations all through the frame. The photographer did well to place the two large rocks in the bottom right corner, and to include the window of what appears to be a garden shed in the top left to provide some visual anchors to the composition. The image could be even stronger if the corner of the house at the far left were excluded and if the overexposed structure in the top middle were toned down: they both draw the eye away somewhat from the tranquil setting. Nonetheless, this is a very pleasing image of a lovely garden area.
Garden Design
1st Place - Louise Melville
Garden Design
1st Place - Linda Turnbull
Garden Design
3rd Place - Linda Turnbull
Visitors in the Garden
1st Place - Diane Escalante
This is a very engaging image with a strong colour palette and good balance to the composition. The red of the ladybug is rich and vibrant, and stands out beautifully from the bright greens and muted browns in the rest of the frame. Clarity is excellent, and the depth of field draws the viewer into the image and keeps the scene from feeling flat. I also like the way the background follows a gradient through to black, adding to the dynamic flow of the piece. The only technical note I can make is that the blown white reflections are a slight distraction, but short of using large diffusers to soften the sunlight there often isn’t really an easy way to avoid this in outdoor photography. This is a solid, high impact image. Well done!
Visitors in the Garden
2nd Place - Linda Turnbull
The detail and light control in this image are impressive, and the composition feels well balanced and interesting. The photographer has left some room at the bottom to reveal the stems and leaves which “makes sense” to the viewer, and having the main subject to one side and above centre was a good choice. The bottle fly is tack sharp in clarity so that we can appreciate the minute structures, and I find that the green and red being echoed in the flowers is a subtle but important feature.
Visitors in the Garden
3rd Place - Diane Escalante
This image of a hawk settled firmly on a wicker chair is so incongruous, and I think that is a large part of its attraction. The exposure is spot on throughout the frame, and the sharp focus on the bird itself is exactly right. The eyes are always a very important feature in live subjects, and this “pose” gives good emphasis to the eye and we’re left wondering what he’s looking at with such intensity. The inclusion of the flowers at the top of the frame helps to balance the composition, and the fallen petals on the wicker are a lucky and effective feature.
Garden Colour - White
1st Place - Lesia Gojda
A splendid image of a fascinating flower: the details are sharp where they should be, and the depth of field does a nice job of separating the main subject from the support cast of blooms in the background. Whites are not easy to photograph well, keeping detail while still showing a brightness that is expected, but this was done well here. The darkened background further emphasizes the depth to this image, almost giving a 3D feel to it. Well done!
Garden Colour - White
2nd Place - Diane Escalante
These two hanging blossoms are beautiful in their simple details and soft textures. The light inside the blossom has a gentle glow to it and is a very strong feature of this image. I like the transition of the background from muted colours down to black as it gives a dynamic flow to the frame. I think a slight shift in the composition could make this shot even stronger: excluding the partial bud at the very top left corner, and placing the blooms a little higher in the frame so that they have some room beneath them would focus and balance the subject just a bit better. Certainly a very strong photo as it is, however.
Garden Colour - White
3rd Place - Lesia Gojda
This beautiful pair of blossoms is well presented. The exposure is very good, revealing all the subtle textures in the petals and creating good depth as we travel inwards to the yellow/green glow of the centres. The petals look like fine white linen. The simple composition is well chosen; the way each blossom faces into opposite corners creates all the dynamic flow that is needed.