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A day on the river

To me the story here is one of having a fun day on the water.  There are some nice reflections, the processing and the exposure are both well done, however the composition has let this image down in my opinion as the main point of the story – the two boats, are too close to the right hand side, my eye is taken out of the frame and the foreground and the fair bank are too dominant.  I think a closer crop to reduce these would help focus my eye on the main point of interest.

Bakers Hands

This tells me all I need to know about the job at hand, the whole focus and the story is held on the baker’s hands, but there’s so much to see in this image.  I really like that I don’t see the face of the baker and the light is beautiful – this would make an amazing print.

Fungi Family

The story here for me is not just about the fungi family which has been well captured in beautiful defused light, but also about the surroundings of the forest in which it is found.  For me this means I lose focus on the subject so to achieve this a closer crop by removing the left hand side as the green of the fern draws my eye and it’s not blurred enough to remove detail.  By also cropping vertically to have the line from the trunk below the fungi draw my eye up to the main focus would really make the image for me.

Gas Leak

The story here is one of mother earths power and how as humans we are so small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  There’s a great use of comparison between the size of the crater and the size of the people along the far ridge.  Well captured and processed  

Man's best Friend

A great relationship between the man and his dog.  There’s a lovely interaction between the two in the image and a feeling of power over the dog as the dog’s face is not fully seen and the angle the image has been taken.  The detail in the animals coat has been well captured and processed.  I like how the two have their arms (paws) wrapped around each other showing that strong bond.  There are one or two distractions in the background which could easily be removed in post processing

Olde World whites bay

There’s some nice detail within this scene, the curve of the bay takes my eye into the scene to the rocky background just below the horizon and then into the dense forest.  In my opinion the sky is a little blown out and could be cropped to run along the far mountains as there’s little interest above and leaves on the left hand side also draw my eye.  I like the use of the sepia processing

Untitled

There’s such a feeling of power and strength in this image.  The focus of the eyes leaves me in no doubt as to the interest of this bird.  The eyes are beautifully framed by the detail of the feathers and the natural V formed by the ears and the beak.  My eye is drawn to the crystal clear orange globes – they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and this image has really captured that – well done

First Snow in the Pisa range

A simple image with a strong narrative, almost monochrome in the processing.  The repeating triangles of the hills seem to be reflected in the plants as they disappear into the background giving the image a feeling of peace and desolation.

Stafford Point

A beautiful place which I could image flying over and enjoying the view from the aircraft window as I land in Wellington.  The image offers that 100% pure image of NZ, the curve of the foreground takes my eye into the frame and then along the mountain range along the rear of the image.  There’s interest in the sky and the clouds are reflected in the sea.  The boat is a little too small to offer scale and could be a distraction otherwise a nice image

Colour Explosion

To me the story here is using the petals of this flower to try and portray that of a firework but the photographer has not quite hit the mark.  In my opinion the close crop is a distraction and the brief has not really been achieved.  There is a limited colour palate.  A tighter crop of the lower left hand side corner would have given a beautiful abstract – maximised the colour range and left me questioning the origin of the source of colour

Colouring the Cube

A simple but effective image which demonstrates the primary colours and strong geometric shapes and the photographers ability to use post processing tools.  In my opinion this is not really an explosion of colour as only the primary ones are considered and shown.

Fashion Statement

Wow – now this is an explosion – from the dark centre all the way to the very edges of the frame.  The image is a real kaleidoscope of colour and texture.  There’s so much detail within the image that my eye continues to explore looking for details, try to understand what it is.  Well processed and exposed with no strong highlights 

Fibre Optics

Another great image which reminds me of a rainbow where every range of colour is beautifully captured.  The wool looks like the rays of light as they pass through a prism – being separated into the colour spectrum – Well done, a great image that has bee well seen, captured and processed 

Gloriosa Lily

The thing that strikes me most about this image is the strong diagonal line that the flowers produce from the top left to the bottom right.  There has been good use of a shallow depth of field however for me there are a number of distractions – the shadows in the background and the tight crop of both the first and third flowers as they enter and exit the frame.  The colour palate is only limited to 3 main primary colours, red, green and yellow.  The central flower would work well on its own

In your face abstract

Another great example of how an image fits the project brief.  There’s an absolute riot of colour that explodes across my screen.  I like how the colours blend and clash with each other giving depth to the image.  It makes me think of a forest fire that’s out of control.  Great image.

Naturally Vivid

This image tells us all we need to know about the like of a poppy.  We see the different stages of maturity and all the details from buds through to full bloom.  We also get to see the environment.  Great lighting and contrast of red flowers against a dark green background.  The flowers almost explode on the screen

Pastorale

Beautiful portrait of this confident young lady.  There’s great engagement.  The soft even tones of the pasture really bring out the colour of her dress.  Nice position within the frame with no distractions.

Real Fruit

A great concept of a well lit and exposed table top study.  I like the contrast between the colours and the orange really explodes from the screen, however from a compositional perspective I find the lower left corner distracting and draws my eye and the crop doesn’t really work for me.  In my opinion this could either include the whole of the basket or a closer crop to make the image more abstract and focus my eye of the colour rather than the objects themselves 

Refraction

This reminds me of one of those large seed heads from South Africa.  It’s a simple, elegant image that fulfils the project brief.  I like how the colours seem to shoot from the central head and you have managed to capture the whole rainbow of colours.  In my opinion the circle within a circle would work well in a square format frame – worth a try

Smashed

To me the story is one of the incredible amounts of waste we produce as humans.  There’s a nice use of the solid hard lines to form blocks of colour which gives the impression of an ever growing wall that one day will fall and cover us all.  A very powerful narrative here. The image has been well processed with lots of detail making my eye roam around looking for more images within the patterns of the blocks.

The red container

A simple image of repeating squares and blocks, a good concept, however for me there are a number of distractions.  The sky I don’t believe adds value to the image and the processing is a little over done.  My eye is drawn to the grey fence on the right hand side and the messy wall along the lower edge.

Viking Fire

There’s a real feeling of warmth from this image and you managed to capture and create a feeling of strength and power.  There’s lots of detail within the background and that’s where my eye is drawn and held.  The horizontal line through the frame divides the image in two which I find distracting and the Viking in my opinion would work better if placed further into the frame as the crop is tight into the right hand corner.

Viridescence

I really like the concept of this image, the strong glow of the lighthouse in the darkness of the night.  The light and the reflection has been well positioned on the left hand side third and my eye is drawn directly to the point of interest, however the crop is a little tight on the lower edge where the reflection has been beautifully captured in the stillness of the sea but it runs out of the frame and takes my eye away from the image.  There’s a lot of negative space about the lighthouse which adds no value and could be cropped which would also results in a higher horizon line.  There is a strong burnt out light at the base of the lighthouse which is also distracting

Wineglass

Such simplicity and power in the symmetry of this image.  There’s no fancy trimmings just 4 glasses each with a primary colour.  I like how the pencil just peeks from the top edge and almost bleeds into the glass, giving the impression of a pipette from a chemistry set at school.  There’s a lovely sense of movement in the reflections.  The image has been beautifully processed and constructed – well done  

Angry Crayfish

There is a good sense of humour seen in this very angry looking character.  The diagonal lines of the decking really focus my eye.  The grey tone makes the red of the shell feel almost 3D.  There’s great depth to the image and there is amazing detail in the head and body.  The positioning of the legs and claws help to draw my attention to the two eyes and the centre of the image.  For me the crop is a little tight and the legs are cutting into the frame

Autumn in the Vines

Beautiful image telling the story of life amongst the vines following the gapes being picked.  There is a great expression on the sheep’s face, almost as he’s been caught red handed.  I like how the vines frame the 3 sheep and lead me into the background and the hills at the rear.  Lovely soft light which make the leave glow.  There might be a little burn out at the end of the row of vines which could easily be corrected – well seen

Bottoms

This fungi reminds me of the big wheel at the fairground.  Beautiful detail within the gills of the fungi and the light helps to emphases the colours within the fungi.  In my opinion there are a couple of things that have let this image down – the green colouring in the background from the grass draws my eye and the fact that stem of the fungi is not sharp, otherwise a nice image

Chrysanthemum

A great concept and the image remind me of childhood and helping my grandparents with their favourite flower – they grew them for competitions.  They always look like thousands of hands reaching up to the sky. In assuming the additional colour has been applied post possessing which has been very well achieved in order to fit the brief.  Good composition.

Clowns

The colours really sing in this image.  They attract me immediately.  Great placement of the two clowns on the thirds.  There’s so much detail that holds my eye in this image.

Farm Building

A simple image of a barn in the late afternoon sunlight.  The path is well positioned from the lower left corner which takes me into the frame along the lower edge of the barn.  My eye wonders around the structure, wanting to know what’s going on.  The barn doesn’t seem to be in focus which is disappointing.  I like the use of negative space in the foreground and the green of the grass really helps to bring out the red of the barn.

Jackson Bay

There’s a real feeling of a family summer holiday about this image.  Nice splashes of colour from the red and the blue of the planters which help to frame the mountains in the background, which are a little small and distant for my liking.  The foreground is a little messy and distracting and the lines which cross the image take my eye out of the frame, but overall a great summer image.

New Brighton Sunset

A very simple image with a very strong narrative.  The hard straight lines of the bridge take me to the horizon line forming a triangle with the reflection from the top right and bottom corner of the frame.  The sea is still and there are some beautiful shadows details on the bridge.  A lovely image, well captured and processed show casing man in the environment.

Pop Art

A great example of taking one simple image, applying and using post processing skills to create an almost Andy Warhol image.  The image is clean and effective 

Sea Colour

I get a lovely sense of peace and quiet from this image.  I can see myself sitting in a boat just letting myself drift.  There are some lovely colours in the sea and in my opinion the sky is not really that interesting.  This would work well as an abstract.

Starburst

The story her for me is bonfire night and the thousands of tiny lights exploding in the night sky.  This macro has been well captured and the lighting is quite beautiful.  I think the repeating circles has been well presented in the square format

Tekaha Sunset

A beautiful scene in which the mood of the sunset has been created by contrast of textures and light.  The use of the low horizon line maximises the impact of the sky.  For me the mood of the image is hot and this could also work well as either a vertical or horizontal image

A colourful bush surprise

Wow there would be no missing this property on any bush walk.  The house has been well contrasted and framed by the green of the bush which really helps to make the colours pop from the frame.  Being able to look into the windows really makes me want to know more about who lives here.  For me there is little detail in the sky so that could be removed by cropping to really bring my eye to the main focus

Autumn Night

The story here for me is one of deserted city, there’s a feeling of loneliness and cold, created from the near monotone nature of the lighting.  I like how the road takes me into the scene and then left to explore and ask questions about who lives there, or what’s happened to everyone.  You have managed to capture the street lights without burnout and I like the star burst effect.  Maybe a little too much night sky that has no interest.  The trees have an almost ghost like appearance.

Cactus Dahlia

To me the colours really sing in this image and the project brief has been nailed.  Lovely placement just off centre.  The light is beautiful and really brings out the colours of this Dahlia – Well done

Pink

A nice concept with a beautiful contrast of colours with the pink against the green however execution has not quite been achieved.  The main subject is too closely cropped on the LHS as you lose part of the flower and the flowers in the background on the RHS are too dominant and distracting.  Cropping the pink on the RHS would help focus my eye on the main subject as there is some beautiful detail in the flowers and the raindrops.  Including the stems would help to give a leading line to the subject 

Sage Colour

I can understand the aim of this image however there are a number of issues, the first being the flower is not in focus, for me there is an alternative image in this scene that can be found in the back ground of the image to the right – there’s a beautiful abstract with some lovely warm tones.  If the photographer what’s me to look at the flower and the rain drops then the crop should not be so tight and focus should be sharp.

Thom

A very sombre thought provoking portrait of this young man.  Beautiful lighting to compliment what appears to be very angry person.  There’s detail in all aspects of this image from the light just catching his hair to the markings on his arms.  There’s great engagement between subject and photographer and the use of B&W adds to the mood of this powerful image.  I find the background a little distracting but otherwise a great image.

Crossings

What a beautiful scene of this bridge crossing.  There’s lovely detail within the water of the reflections and you have managed to obtain a lovely balance of soft milky water and reflections of plants and bridge.  Lots of detail in the sky and foreground which holds my view within the frame.  Its well processed and printed.  In my opinion I would have like a slightly higher elevation so the mountains in the background weren’t cut through.

Shorn

A lovely concept and image of these old clippers.  There’s such a contrast between the hard clippers and the softness of the wool.  They look they are sinking.  Lovely detail within the wool with the use of beautiful lighting.  In my opinion I would have cropped the top RH corner as it draws my eye and the lower edge and for me the story is all in the clippers and the wool.

Rim Lit Ridges

A simple image demonstrating repeating layers across the land.  The evening light has been used to full advantage here  and my eye travels from the lower edge through the frame to the background.  The image has been well captured and processed.  The only small distraction is the tree on the lower edge.

Storsandnes

A beautiful place that I could image sitting and watching the storm approach.  There is so much detail in this image from the moody sky to the setting sun.  You have managed to beautifully freeze the water but somehow there’s movement and power in the sky.  The foreground frames the image and takes my eye into the frame to the mountains.  It is well captured, processed and printed.

Marokapa Falls

Theres a great feeling of power from this waterfall and the scene has been well captured so that there are no strong high lights, burnout and just the right amount of shutter speed to demonstrate movement in the water. The printing has also been well done.  For me the thing that lets this print down is the composition.  The central placement doesn’t work for me and the large patch of green on the LHS draws and holds my eye when I should be looking at the main focus of the print.

Under the Stars

A great concept and use of long exposure to show the stars trails and the using the house to demonstrate size has been well captured.  The use of light painting has been well achieved and I like the use of the square format.  The print, capture and exposure has been well done.  This image really makes us feel very small in the grand scheme of things
Colour Blocks

A simple and elegant image and print.  I like how the lines from the buildings take my eye into the scene and to the sky.  Theres a great feeling of power from these structures.  The repeating patterns of the square windows and lines adds to the strength of this print.  Nicely seen contrast of colours that have been well processed and captured.

Rainbow Skifield

To this is a perfect monochrome print that just adds to mood of the image.  The line of the ski lift takes me into the scene and then into the snow covered mountains and then I follow the path down again.  There’s lovely detail and the print has been well produced.  The figures seem sad to me and theres a feeling of cold and a storm coming from the appearance of the sky.  A lovely print – well done

Light the night

A nice concept showing a range of colour and sparks giving an overall feeling of warmth, however there are a few things that in my opinion are distracting.  Nothing is sharp, not sure if this was the intension but then nothing is completely abstract.  The crop at the  top of the frame is a little too tight for my liking and the foreground object seems to be floating which makes me question how?

Results (pdf)

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