C set subject digital

Title

Gr

Comments

Bath time

A

The action of the bird shaking itself while having a bath in a stream or large puddle has been well caught. We see the flying drops of water and the surface disturbance, though the water and movement also make the bird itself rather unclear. The composition tends to centre on the bird, with no overall design that emphasises the water. It could be a good idea, another time, to look for more shape or contextual details that relate to the water being studied. Accepted in C grade.

Blue Lagoon

A

A dark, moody image taken early or late in the day,. Some slight movement of the water surface (from a longer exposure?) gives me a slightly spooky feeling.  I like the contrast range and colour, but feel there is more black foreground than is necessary - the foot of the image could be cropped to emphasise the water more. Accepted.

Colour Shower

H

The shapes and colours make this look exciting and intriguing. The rocky background gives a strong diagonal composition; the falling hazy shower of raindrops attracts the eye to the broken white surface of the pool; the rainbow colours where the sunlight hits the falling haze add drama to both the drops and the rocks behind. Very well seen, and technically well handled. Honours.

Harbour reflections

H

Low, warm sunlight, probably in the evening, makes the boats and their reflections really bright and vivid.  There are lots of details and patterns in the foreground and reflections, set off by the softer tones and shapes of the trees on the hillside beyond.   Very well seen and captured. Honours

Havelock Falls

H

I see a lovely fresh waterfall emptying into a pool surrounded by mossy rocks.  The long exposure turns the water into a soft blur, suggesting a calm atmosphere. The exposure combination of time and aperture feels just right for this image, the focus is spot on, and the line of the water flow creates a nice composition for the eye to follow. Honours.

In Training

M

This tells me a story of a boy and (probably) his grandfather out in a little boat on a sunny day in a protected harbour area. They have life jackets and are sharing the rowing. We don’t need to see their faces, but the turn of their heads shows there is rapport between them. Technically well handled. A strong Merit grade.

Lake Rotoiti

M

Strong shapes and colours make this image feel very dramatic. The exposure, focus and colours are handled well, and the foreground jetty makes a bold central shape. I would prefer to see a bit less of the jetty and more of the water as the set subject. I find I am distracted by the slightly angled bright line of the distant shore, which feels like a horizon that should be straighter.   Merit

Orange Dip

H

The movement of an orange dropped into water has been really well caught – the fruit is sharp and clear while the water has interesting lights and shapes where it has been disturbed. Focus and exposure well handled,  and  a slightly diagonal composition is created. Honours

Patagonian stream

M

The warm colours of this image, in both foreground and background, provide a frame for the rocky stream flowing between them. I get a good sense of depth or distance in the image, and the shutter speed was not too slow, so not all the water is blurred, some of the details remain. Some shadow areas could be lightened a bit, and cropping the top a bit would make the water area more prominent. Merit.

Reflections on a Leiden Canal

M

Beautifully clear reflections of an attractive row of canal-side buildings. Details are handled well in both the lighter and shadier areas. Given that the reflections are symmetrical, I wonder if the photographer considered cropping the right side so that the image would be even more symmetrical without the distracting shapes on that side? Merit

Ripple Effect

M

A subtle image with muted colours and lots of fine detail as my eye wanders around the varied shapes and sizes of ripples. The composition has two diagonal areas of interest: the upper line of the small breaking wave, and the lower area of water that sweeps up from the bottom left corner. Contrasting with those shapes is the promontory of rocks on the left side, providing contrasts of texture and colour.  The photographer might consider darkening the upper edge a bit to frame the image a bit more. Merit.

Water means life.

H

An interesting treatment of the water set subject, this tells the story of a tiger coming to a water hole.  It is subtle rather than dramatic visually, because of the overall colour palette, with the tiger standing out because of its stronger shape and colours. Technically well handled. The water area is not large, but given the context that is realistic, and the tiger and its reflection do take our gaze straight to the pool.    Possibly could tighten by cropping top and bottom a little? Honours

Wild Waves

M

A well titled image, with foreground waves rushing forward and breaking, a hazy background of more stormy waves, and areas of foamy  textures.  The very dark areas add to a sense of drama, but I feel some of the lighter areas are too grey and lack some of the white sparkle I would expect to see.  This may be because the photographer wanted to avoid burnt out highlights? If I turn up the brightness on my monitor I can see the effect I expected, suggesting this is underexposed (most of the other images if viewed at that monitor level would look over-exposed). Accepted.

B set subject digital

After the rain

M

At first I found this image hard to decipher because the contrasty treatment and strong colours seemed to suggest a landscape after a fire rather than rain.  Then I realised it was at a smaller scale and the marks were more likely tracks in mud and the coloured water was reflecting a sunset or sunrise. For me, the various angled lines and areas of texture or colour make this into an abstract image of triangular shapes. Very interesting treatment - Merit

Atrocious driving conditions

A

This rain-battered windscreen tells me a story of difficult conditions for driving. We can only just see some lights and a hint of a white painted line to tell us this is a view of a road and some traffic.   The exposure is appropriate and the focus on the window and the rain marks works well, making the background more abstract.  For me the lower left corner of empty grey adds little to the image – the photographer might consider cropping the left side and foot of the image just a little. Accepted.

Boat emerging from the fog

M

Without the title I might almost have missed noticing the boat!  This composition works very well in showing the contrasts between the big, strong mountains in the background, then the middle and foreground fog, then the little boat just emerging. The large bank of fog does have some detail – it’s not just plain white all over.  The blue tones make this feel chilly, and the high viewpoint is just right to show the whole story. Merit.

Crashing waves

NA

Here I see a story of large waves crashing against  partly hidden rocks at the foot of a cliff.  It looks as though a slowish shutter speed has been used to catch some of the movement of the water, but for me that has softened the flow and spray a bit too much, and ending up with quite smooth shapes.  I feel that a faster speed might have caught more of the crashing effect of the impact with the rocks, and more contrast. The rocky cliff provides a strong backdrop, but much of the smooth water in the foreground is unclear and the overall yellowish colour cast seems odd for this situation.  Not Accepted.

Ethereal Estuary

M

The overall effect of this foggy scene does feel rather otherworldly. This image has a simple composition in three bands across the image – sky, a narrow spit of land with trees, and foreground water, all softened by the foggy atmosphere.  The simplicity is continued in the monochrome (but not black and white)  treatment. A restful image, technically well handled – I can almost feel the soft dampness.  Merit

Foggy Summers Morning

M

This foggy morning has more colour and definition than the previous image, but again tells the story of a calm setting, with details softened in the distance by fog. The blue tones suggest coolness, but the light sky suggests that sun may well burn through later and clear the fog. The receding bridge, providing converging angled lines across the image, makes a pleasing design , suited to the calm colours and mood.  Merit

Last of the autumn leaves

M

I love the dramatic effect of the blackish water with its complex reflections of overhead bare branches, contrasted with the bright colours of the floating leaves. There is no clear design formed by the leaves, so my eye does tend to keep wandering round the image. The central yellow leaf is eye-catching but it looks a bit burnt out and lacking in detail compared with the red-toned leaves. A well seen subject. Merit. 

Molucca Sea

A

Definitely a water subject, though the two central fish, rather than the water, are what first draw the eye.  Exploring the rest of the image I see shoals of much smaller fish and a hint of some seafloor rocks.  The composition focuses, however, on the two central fish and so is not very dynamic. The bright blue water colour surprises me but I don’t know what to expect in the Molucca area, and whether it is realistic. (I remember going by ship to the UK as a child, and the vivid deep blue of the Pacific that I couldn’t match from my paintbox or coloured pencils – but the blue here is brighter and not so dark.) Accepted.

Rarangi Beach

A

Here I see the story of a coast with long rolling surf beating up against the shore, and a piece of driftwood tree in the foreground silhouetted against a breaker. The upper and lower edges of the image, the sky and beach, are well balanced and frame the rest of the image. Only the tree is really sharply focused and a slow shutter speed has blurred some of the movement in the breaker. There is an overall blue cast, with no clear whites in the breaking wave or the foam. That makes for a lack of contrast that might otherwise add some drama to the scene. Accepted.

Salisbury Falls

M

This is a clear, well lit and well focused view of falls over a rocky outcrop with a background of trees and a glimpse of blue sky. The colourstones are warm in the rocks, trees and lower pool, but I wonder if the actual falls would have looked a brighter white – or was the water stained by the ground it was running over? The shutter speed has produced a soft flowing effect in the water, with finely detailed little rivulets. This looks a lovely place to visit, with or without a camera. Merit

Trunk Dunk

A

Just the right title to tell the story of an elephant  seeking some water to convey to its mouth.  There are nice details in the water where it has been disturbed by the trunk, and in the pattern of the foreground reflection of the trunk.  However, the central trunk tends to become the main interest, rather than the actual water. Given the bright conditions and the set subject, I think it is a pity the more distant water with floating bits in it was not better focused. Accepted.

A set subject digital

Breaker

A

I like the drama of freezing the peak of the action as the wave breaks on a rock. The exposure is just right for the breaking wave, but a bit dark in other areas – maybe that could be adjusted a bit in post-processing?  The composition is very central – I wonder if cropping the top and right a bit would put the rock nearer to the thirds, to be a bit more dynamic.   Accepted.

Coastline

A

The photographer has caught a really interesting stretch of coastline with a series of waves approaching the shoreline, seen from a high viewpoint.– I would love to visit it. The rocky promontories and hills getting hazier into the distance give me a strong sense of depth, but the wave area of the image seems surprisingly bright and contrasty in comparison. The sunlight coming from the left does make the white tops brighter and the wave shadows darker, but the contrast feels a bit overdone to me, and the blues may be a little too saturated.  Accepted.

Cooling off

M

An attractive view of a child thoroughly enjoying the spurts of water from a fountain or play area. He is concentrating on the water, not the photographer. The exposure combination of aperture and speed is just right for the skin tones and for stopping the water drops mid-air.  The composition centres around the child’s figure – the photographer might consider cropping some of the dark top border and lightening the remaining shadow area to reduce possible distraction. Merit.

Ebb & Flow

H

The monochrome treatment of this coastal scene produces an almost abstract design that really appeals to me. I like the mysterious feel, but also the way the water movement is captured, with a mix of soft lighter areas and more dynamic darker lines making a frame round three edges. There is a nice range of contrast in the tones of this image. It’s not clear whether the horizon is level but in this image that does not matter too much.  Honours.

Fox Glacier

M

I see a composition of three roughly triangular areas, with some diagonal lines particularly in the mountainside area. The exposure and colour balance feel just right for all the texture details.  (It’s a pity there is not a figure somewhere on the glacier to give a sense of scale but I know you can’t control that!) We are looking at frozen water so this does meet the set subject. Merit.

Glass of Water

NA

I think this image has been well planned to catch the movement of water poured into a glass. The vertical format and monochrome treatment suit the subject.  It is a pity that the depth of focus is so limited and that some details of the glass are not brighter. I can see sharply focused drops of water on the near side of the glass, but even allowing for the effect of movement I feel the flowing water and bubbles below it are not sharp enough.  Probably the low light made it hard to choose a smaller aperture for clearer details. A stronger source of side light from the left might have helped to deal with this.  Not Accepted.

Ice Water Tomb

H

I love the different ice effects that have been caught in this image – the bubbles, the streaky, angled edges – seen against aquamarine water beyond. The title is suggestive – is it a bit of plant or an animal that has been trapped in the ice, just off centre? Or I can just look at it as an abstract pattern of light, colour and shapes.  Honours, for something a bit different.

Just Add Water

M

For me this is an image of contrasts – I see sharp, clearly formed drops and floating bubbles, set in a murky, unfocused backdrop of very slightly rippled dark water.    The monochrome treatment adds to the effect of brightness seen against darkness – quite a moody feel overall.  I wonder if there needs to be quite so much of the background liquid – this might work quite well as a square image, cropping some of the darkest areas each side?   Merit

Lake Wakatipu

M

This is a beautifully lit and composed landscape of shore pebbles, lake, mountains and sky.  Technically very well handled. For a water subject, however, I would like to see more of the lake water, and less of the stony shore and less sky. Merit.

Living Waters

NA

Here I see an almost abstract image of flowing water in a stream or river, with soft drifting lines of movement. Compositionally the unfocused rock in the centre rock really catches my eye, and is a major distraction from the main subject.  I wonder if some of the blurring is not just from a slow shutter speed but also possibly camera movement or lack of focus (which would explain why the static rock is not sharp). Not Accepted.

Nature's Fluvial Kaleidoscope

A

The photographer has caught the effect of sunlight through rippling water onto a base, possibly of sand, making delicate patterns. In this case there is an all-over pattern of small details, which I don’t quite see as ‘kaleidoscopic ‘– it is a  pity there is not some feature in the water that could make a centre of interest. Well seen and well exposed. Accepted.

Reflection

A

This is a very dramatic view of another lake reflection (I think it might be the mirror lakes on the road to Milford?). The strong dark shapes of the flax and the contrasty reflection of the mountains make the lower part of the image very dynamic, but the water is only about one third of the image.  For me, this is a landscape with some striking water in it, not a study of water. It could be worth looking at what happens if you try some cropping? Not Accepted

Rere Falls

A/M

A nicely composed diagonal view of these falls, with distant trees to show the wider setting. I like the shutter speed you have used – it shows the moving flow of the water but does not turn it into a blurred ‘bridal veil’ effect. In a situation like this the photographer has to deal with a shadowed subject and brighter background –I suggest the shadow areas could have been dodged a bit more, the bright sky and tree greenery burned in a bit more, maybe left side cropped a little.   Good Acceptance.

Restless Ocean

H

I love the moody feel of this image’s blurred movement and its muted sunset or dawn colours. I think the title has been well chosen. The blurred movement feels right as this whole  image is quite abstract -  there are no any sharper objects that might intrude and be distracting. The blurring of sea and sky at the horizon makes me think of spray rising from big waves. Honours

River Games

M

These dogs look so happy and engaged, really  enjoying the water. While they are prominent in the image, the subject is still water - the dogs are very wet and the foreground splashing water drops immediately catch my eye. The combination of aperture and speed has been well chosen for this image, but some fine white edges suggest to me that it may have been over-sharpened in post-processing.   Merit.

River wake

H

What a lovely symmetrical design formed by the boat and its wake - and then there is the added surprise that a clown is piloting the boat! The black and white angled shapes in the water are very dynamic. I wonder if the clown might be just a bit brighter and his colours more saturated? A strong Honours.

Shining Sea

A

I did a double-take at first sight of this image, as the shiny wet rocks looked almost like bodies on the sea shore. Then I realised it was just smooth rocks. Because of the colours this feels rather eerie to me. Despite the title, it seems to me most of the seawater is softened by movement, and the shiny part is not water but wet rocks. Placing the shiny rock area less centrally in the image might have created a more dynamic design. Accepted.

Splash

M

The subject here has certainly created a great swirl of water when she flung her head up and over from the water. The action and the length of the water flow are really well caught.  With hindsight it would have been good to soften the focus on the background hotel and straighten its lines so that it would not compete for attention. Exposure and timing spot on.

Sutherland Stream Stepping Stones

A

Low light makes for a moody image, though the late light without sun has led to rather blue tones all through – the photographer might check the white balance if a similar occasion arises.   I like the compositional pattern made by the intersecting lines of the stream and the stepping stones. While there is water here, the main interest seems to be the stones – maybe if the top and left side were cropped we would notice the water more. Accepted

Three States

M

Lovely colours and details in all parts of this image – I like the way the title makes all parts of the image contribute to the idea of water as liquid, ice and water vapour. Exposure and focus all handled well.  The central placement of the ice makes it the focus of attention, enhanced by the wave lines leading up to it.  A less formal design might put the ice nearer the thirds by cropping a bit off the foot and the left side of the image?

Tranquillity

A

Here I see calm water with a small surface ripple and reflections of tree trunks and leaves. Exposure and focus are suitable, but I am not sure about the title – the many small parts in the image make it feel rather busy to me, rather than restful or tranquil. Accepted

Up the Creek With a Paddle

M

The raft caught poised above a steep drop in a turbulent stream makes a dramatic subject. The focus and exposure feel just right, but I wonder if the top  edge might be cropped a bit to emphasise the precarious position even more? While the boat is the first thing to catch my eye, there is also interesting detail in the water (and that fills most of the frame). It feels quirky that the person looks so calm and inactive at this moment!

Water Drops

H

Beautiful colours, contrast, details and design in this image. An unusual view of what water can do - I admire the photographer’s ability to envisage what will happen when, and be able to capture this view.  Honours for the vision and for capturing this so effectively. This is my choice for Digital Image of the month

Water everywhere...

M

This tells me a story of calm after a storm. The flood waters sit there, not yet draining away, reflecting the overcast sky above. The image is quiet rather than dramatic.  The fence lines, possibly bordering a road, and the power lines tell us of important rural services that can be affected by floods and storms.  A very telling image, technically well handled. Merit

Waterlogged

NA

What strikes me most here is the dramatic sky - it is only after I search through the darker lower part of the image that I see the water-logged tree debris that the title refers to.  I feel that as a study of water the image needs the sea to be a larger component. The lower left corner has some lovely light on the water, but on the right side the details get lost in darkness unless I brighten my monitor much more than for the other images submitted.  I suggest the photographer looks at the proportions of water in the composition, and plays round with brightness and dodging a bit. Not Accepted.

West Coast waves

A

I really like the wide panorama view, because it does justice to the sequence of waves running across the image.  I am not sure, though, that monochrome and low contrast treatment do justice to the potential drama in this scene. I would like to see some areas of black and white to bring out more details and emphasise how dynamic the scene is. I do like the feel of this image, but it’s not strong enough visually for more than an Acceptance.

C open digital

Sounds Silhouette

M

The shapes and tones of this image give a lovely peaceful feeling. The layers of silhouetted horizons have been well seen and the dark headland and bright building (a lighthouse?) provide a focal point of interest. I think a slightly greater contrast range, with some crisper whites and light greys, would add to the effect of this image. Merit for a C grade entry.

B open digital

Spoonbill feeding

A

The side view of the bird and side lighting on the scene show the subject and its natural setting very clearly. The contrasty lighting also makes for some strong shadows, however, which you might try reducing in post-processing. The main subject and surrounds are clearly focused, but I find the upper unfocused area rather distracting, and the photographer might like to crop that. Accepted.

A open digital

Bunny-tail grasses at Sunset

M

What a really sunny feeling this image gives. The back-lit bunny tails look as though they are dancing in the light. An interesting composition, with the skyline balanced either side of the sunrays, then a slightly diagonal line formed by the drift of the seed heads. Well exposed and focused – an effective image. Merit.

Crinoline Footbridge

M

I see intriguing patterns of light and shade in the water, with the bridge details and the reflections. The shape does not quite suggest a crinoline to me, but the scene was worth photographing for the graphic effect, which the monochrome treatment enhances. Focus and contrast range well handled. Merit.

Miss Cora Mae

H

This really is an eye-catching image! The high key lighting, soft tonal range, and sharp focus on the eyes all work well for this lovely portrait of a young child. The direct gaze and happy expression reflect good rapport with the photographer. The out-of-focus background, and square format frame the subject well.  Honours.

Smoking Skies

M

This image gives me an amazing sense of distance, with so many lines of overlapping and receding hill crests. The title is well chosen for the haziness in the atmosphere, which the monochrome treatment enhances. As the main subject is the light on the hills, I find the foreground rocky outcrop rather distracting because it is so much stronger in shapes and contrast – it competes and almost turns this into an image of two halves. Merit.

Sunset Queenstown

A

I see a very linear design, with the row of trees and row of sunlit mountain tops running right across the image. I assume that the photographer included the moon to add to the sense of evening time, but without that the image could be cropped well down from the top to make a long panorama. I found I had to brighten the monitor beyond what I used for the other images to see more light on the peaks, so maybe this was under-exposed a bit. Accepted.