Class Exercise A
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Task:
- Browse through the photography competition links
- Select one winner and state briefly his/her winning strategies
- If you were one of the judge, which picture will you select as an overall winner
- Give your judge’s comment to defend your chosen winning photograph
Judge's Choice
In the early morning, fishermen clean their nets by Erhai Lake
Johan Ensing (Driehuis, Netherlands)
Photographed October 2008, Yunnan, China
The above photograph is the overall winner for the Smithsonian Magazine 6th Annual Photography Contest. Photograher Johan Ensing deserves his win as this spur of the moment shot captures its subjects and ambient perfectly. On first look, it feels like a painting, mainly due to its nice blend of colours and textures. Also, the tree in the middle of the photograph attempts to split the image into 2 scenes. On the right, a woman weaving fishing nets and on its left, a fisherman on his boat. Both scenes capture the morning sunlight brilliantly and the way its glides along the tree branches and fishing nets does gives the photo a surreal look - which adds to its painting-like impression.
Technically, it is a challenging photograph to take as it encompasses several elements in it. I like that the only thing in clear focus is the woman and her fishing nets in the right foreground. And on the left, only the figure of the fisherman and his boat shows. The less you can clearly see, the more your brain has to invent. I like the clutter, how it puts you into a story. The dark, empty shadows on the fisherman contrasted by the lively sunlight and the branches on the tree, it makes me feel as if I'm coming in from a dark, cold night to a warm sunny morning. To improve,perspective should be used to focus the eye, accentuate a feature, or correct a flaw. In this photo, it feels too flat and presents itself as too surreal. Aside for its unreal presentation, the photograph does elude the essence of storytelling.
Personal Choice
A starfish greets the sun after a hurricane
Brandon Pendred (Spartanburg, SC)
Photographed October 2006, Kiawah Island, SC
The above photography would be my personal choice for overall winner for the Smithsonian Magazine 6th Annual Photography Contest. In his photograph, photographer Brandon Pendred, tires to highlight the the moment lived, rather than the sense of its loss, and to capture the emotions and impressions of that moment. Photographing the dying starfish at the peak of its beauty, his image also evoke a certain poignancy relating to the transient yet cyclical nature of life. The way this photogaph extrudes the essence of living life, makes it a deserving winner.
On the technical front, this well-composed photography is simple and clear with only 2 subjects - the starfish and its beach background. The real purpose of this photograph is to capture is ambient light, and the image achieves that well with its cloudy sunset. The Highlights and Shadows involved in the main focal region is perfectly balanced and gives the subjects adequate detail. There is little flaw in Pendred's photograph and perhaps the only way he could've improve it is to maybe try out different angles and capture part of the sea. More importantly, this photo tells its story well and I get a sense of warmth and loneliness while looking at it.
Perfection.
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