Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) - hand in April 14th

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Award

C GRADE – SET SUBJECT

c-d-e

Lovely example of ICM and you’ve picked a great subject.  Have you thought about giving this image a square crop to improve the composition and concentrating on the keys C,D and E as per your title?  In my view the image could be lightened in post-production as it is a little dark. Lightening will also bring out more detail in the shadows of the black keys.

Acceptance

Candle light

Good attempt at In Camera Movement.  (ICM) It has a lovely abstract feel.  In my view, you could try and strengthen the composition with a crop so the candle is not so central. The flame at the top of the image is overexposed.  This is quite hard to get right, as when you expose for the brightest part, the rest can be quite dark.  However by reducing your exposure compensation by a half to 1 stop, then lifting the shadows in post-production, you can control these brighter areas much better.

Acceptance

Check-mate

Another good attempt of ICM.  The background is nicely muted and the chess pieces stand out well.  In my opinion, you could have pushed this a bit further giving it more movement to really play with the shapes and lights and darks. As it is, I feel it’s more like that the image has been accidently moved, rather than purposefully moved.  Beware the highlights – there’s a small bright spot on the King piece at the bottom. This could be removed in post-production

Acceptance

Enchanted woods

Beautiful complementary colours with the yellow and green and the lighting has been handled well with no blown out whites.  Composition is strong with the main trunk on the first 3rd of the image. In my view you could have pushed this image a little further with a bit more movement, so keep on practising.

Merit

Garden ICM Flowers

I feel like I’m looking at a monet painting as the effect you’ve achieved here is lovely. Beautiful complementary colours and the lighting is well handled.  I really like how you’ve framed the image with the greener background, which gives it a nice strong composition around the blue flowers.

Merit

Resting Biker

I like the way C grade is really exploring the different techniques of ICM.  The biker and bike is quite central, but in this case it works. To strengthen the composition, have you thought about a square crop?  In my view a little bit of lightening and upping the contrast a little in post-production would give this image more strength.

Acceptance.

Shards

Good attempt. You’ve moved your zoom lens around to create a feeling that the tree is coming forward.  Having the ‘burst’ coming from the top third strengthens the composition.  I feel that overall the image is too contrasty between the darks of the trunk/ferns and the overblown whites of the sky. Try doing this again early morning or late evening when the light is not so harsh.

No Award

Spin-me

This is a lovely image. The boy is nice and sharp and well focussed and the lighting has been handled very well. He’s quite central, and in this case it works really well giving a strong composition.  The movement in the background makes me feel he’s on some sort of spinning playground equipment.  This is an example of a well thought out ICM, because the camera is spinning at the same rate as the equipment. But the camera is still moving!

Honours

Stormy Sunset

Great example of ICM. Lighting is excellent and there are strong contrasts in the water.  You have used a strong panoramic composition to tell your story.  This image works even though the story is not on the 3rd, because the eye is drawn through the composition to the centre with the change of light and colour.  It has a real depth.

Honours

Sunrise Across The Lake

Stunning example of ICM. Lighting has been handled well, and the colours are beautiful. Even though the horizon is in the middle, the golden part of the water is on the 3rd which breaks the central horizon and still makes this image work. Watch that horizon that is not straight. It’s very important to have straight horizons and it’s easy to fix in post-production.   The darks on the right complement the light colours on the left so it flows well.   This is an image that A grade can aspire to!

Honours

Best in Grade

Sunrise across the lake

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Award

C GRADE – OPEN

March of Progress

I always complain that these pylons are often put in places that have the most wonderful landscapes to photograph and that I’m sure the power companies set out to ruin it for us on purpose!!  However, this photographer has looked past this and created a story with them as the main subject.  Well done!   Your composition is strong with the main pylon on the 3rd, and the leading lines to the pylons in the distance. Your eye is taken to them via the power lines.  In my view the image is a little contrasty.  Try lightening the shadows in post-production to bring out the detail in the bushes and lower third.  There’s a dust spot to the right of the pylon.  Unfortunately once seen you can’t unsee. These are easily fixed in post-production.

Acceptance

Silvereye in Autumn

Lovely image and you’ve caught the raindrops and droplets on the leaves making it interesting for the viewer.  The top branch frames the silvereye perfectly.  In my opinion you could strengthen the composition by cropping the right hand side after the end of the branch that frames the bird.  Watch those highlights at the top of the image. Bright patches draw your eye away from the main subject, so I would either tone this down in post-production, and if it’s not a nature image, would try cloning it out completely.  The Story has been told with with the lovely autumnal colours and lovely lighting on the Silvereye

Merit

Silvereye Monochromatic

This image has an artistic feel to it with the starkness of the branches against the cloudy sky.  Lighting has been handled well, and the composition is strong with the lines of the branches leading to the silvereye.  I feel the image could be improved by lightening the image an also upping the contrast in post-production.  By bringing the silvereye into your title, you’re making the silvereye the main focus of your image, however, in this image, I feel the bird is there to give a focal point, and to provide balance.  Somewhere for your eyes to rest.  The bird is not in focus, try increasing your f-stop and make sure you’re using a tripod.

Acceptance

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Award

B GRADE – SET SUBJECT

Cool Water

Lovely ICM with beautiful colours throughout. Lighting has been handled well and you have a strong panoramic format.  In my view, your eyes follow the sandbar of this image and then this leads you out of the image. There needs to be some other focal point to keep your eye in the image.  Try upping the contrast to bring out more definition to further enhance this lovely image.

Merit

Fuschia Fandango

Good attempt of ICM. Lovely lighting and colour. In my view, the camera movement doesn’t go far enough. Try pushing it a bit further to bring in more creativity with the movement.

No Award

The World Revolves around Yachting

This is an example where a filter has been applied to the image in post-production rather than in camera as per the brief.   In my view the boat is too central in the image, it would be much better placed on the right third giving the yacht an area to move into.  You’ve missed the top of the mast, which cuts off the boat and makes the image seem incomplete.

No Award

Warp Speed

Ah – the beautiful Wither Hills – a scene I do miss.  Lovely leading lines into the hills from the vineyards, and the burst from the clouds giving it balance. Complementary colours and the lighting and shadows are well handled.  A small tweak in post -production to up the lighting  and contrast slightly would make this image stand out more.  But it’s a lovely Marlborough scene and good ICM

Merit

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Award

B GRADE – OPEN

Lazy Sunday Morning

Good choice of black and white for this street scene.  By getting rid of colour, you are removing distractions while you tell your story. In my view the story of the lazy Sunday morning revolves around the couple having coffee and the dog yawning. Do the Shoppers add to the story? Try cropping out the shoppers and hone in on the subject and you’ll have a really strong composition.  I also feel the white square patch on the wall on the right is distracting. Try cloning that out or toning it down in post –production as my eye keeps  heading there. Love the dog!

Acceptance

Windswept Hillside

Lovely lighting on the windswept hillsides, you’ve handled this well.  In my view this image has no real focal point apart for the dark tree in the upper right which isn’t part of the windswept hillside.  The lines of the grasses take you up to the top of the image though, where there is nothing, so once there, I go to the tree.  At the bottom left there is a dark area that adds nothing to the image.  You could try two things… Either try cropping into a panoramic format above that dark space, and lightening the background. Or your story is all about the grass blowing in the wind, so I wonder if Less would be More?  A crop leaving the grass and patterns?  Or just leave out the distracting background.

No Award

Best in Grade

Cool Water

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Award

A GRADE – SET SUBJECT

Alien Profiles

This certainly looks like alien faces profiled by light on a dark background. In my view there is no real focal point and the last profile leads you out of the image with no return. Have you thought about cloning out the last bright lights, and also removing that first yellow line to strengthen to the composition?

Acceptance

Autumn Breeze

Beautiful colours with the Reds and golds and the lighting has been well handled. Nice contrasts between the light and darks.  I’ve talked about focal points before, and to me this is another example where your eye needs something to rest on so you’re not taken out of the image. 

Acceptance

Common Raven

This is an image that has been panned along the bird in flight, keeping the bird eye and beak in sharp focus and the background showing movement. Beautiful colours and the movement in the wings are lovely.  Good catchlight in the birds eye. Composition is strong and you have left room for the bird to fly into.

Honours

Cotton-Tail

 Lovely muted colours and movement suggesting that they’re swaying in the breeze. Well handled lighting. The image makes me feel like I’m actually there and I can imagine the breeze on my face. 

Honours

Evening in the Park

Lovely ICM movement on the trees. It actually looks like two movements – up and down on the trunks and grass, and side and down on the leaves, which gives the viewer a feeling that it that the evening may not have been completely still.  Composition is strong with the closest tree on the right 3rd . This image works because of the light and dark flowing through the image. Often things we cannot see, but imagine, can make an image stronger

Honours

Give it a Whirl

Nice bright colours, with good lighting.  I feel that the image could be pushed a bit further to further enhance the creativity with movement. The eye goes straight to the stationary flower and stays there on the still sharp stamen. In this case for an ICM image it’s too sharp, and doesn’t allow your eyes to explore the rest of the image.

No Award

High Tide

Stunning ICM  Clever movement going in this image, with the sand going one way, the sea going in two ways, and then the sky and horizon flatter. Composition is strong and lighting well handled. Try upping the contrast slightly and a tiny bit of lightening in post -production.

Honours

Into the Woods

Great ICM. The lighting is wonderful with the silvery light on the tree trunks. Lovely lighting on the grass. Good composition with the main truck on the 1st third. Stunning

Honours

Not Monet

Well handled, lovely colours and it is very monet looking without being a monet!  The focal point here is the lighter yellow flowers that my eye is lead up to by the movement.  The image has a calming feel to it, it makes me feel very relaxed and I like the soft pinks leading up to the soft oranges.  The combination of colours and placement within the composition is very strong.

Honours

Rarangi Beach

Another scene I miss! This is beautifully handled with a nice movement but still allowing the viewer to know where it is.  The surf on the sand leads your eye up the beach then over to the hills, then back to the wave which has been nicely timed – all contributing to a very strong composition.  Lighting is well handled.

Honours

Strawberry Swirl

Good lighting and colour.  The composition in my view is too central.My eye gets stuck on the black point just below centre, then doesn’t go anywhere else Try cropping it with the main swirl on the bottom third, which would give the image more interest.

No Award

Team-work

Interesting ICM with the horses. Great composition and the ICM certainly gives the feel that the horses are working the fields.  In my view there are a few places where the highlights are blown out – the right horses face, and the knee on the left horses, and ankle part on the right.  You could try toning this down in post-production or cloning in from another different area.  There is some sort of lighter area round the back of the right horse. I suspect this could be caused by pushing contrast or over sharpening in post-production. Having a bit more space above the horses would also strengthhen the composition.

Acceptance

Turbulent Waters

The water has beautiful colour and leads your eye to the turbulent white water. The background is lovely with the same shape as the white water giving it depth.  Lighting is excellent with no blown out whites which is often hard to do in seascapes like this. 

Honours

Wine Country

To me, this looks more like a double exposure than ICM with the receding hills (3) in the background.  Beautiful lighting and autumn colours in the vines. In my view the grass foreground could be cropped in half to strengthen the composition as this negative space adds nothing to the overall image. Overall though, the image works well. However as it’s no ICM, I’ve given this No Award so you may use it again

No Award

Towards the Old Shed

Colours, composition and lighting all work on this image making it interesting to view.  The shed and tree are the focal points. Your eye goes through the field then back around the beach ending up on the tree and then the shed. In my view, this image is part ICM and part composite image. The shed and the tree are completely stationary and in focus with no movement. The rules for the set subject were in camera movement. In another competition I would have awarded this an Honours, so I’m going to give it No Award so you may use it again!

No Award

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Award

A GRADE – OPEN

Kotuku Flying

Great capture of the Kotuku flying in the rain! Lovely sharp focus and with lots of detail on the feathers and feet. Nice dark background that makes the bird stand out.  In my view, the lighting on the right wing is blown out and you’ve lost feather detail there. Bringing down the highlights in post production may correct this. Strong composition

Merit.

Best in Grade

High tide