Judge: Marie Bilodeau
Minimalism is a very subjective concept in the art and photography world. Less is Best and even reduce it more.
Minimalism is a very subjective concept in the art and photography world. Less is Best and even reduce it more. Keep it simple but that doesnt mean Keep it boring. A style or technique that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.
Minimalist photography 4-tips to-keep it simple (Digital Photography School)
Open
Set Subject
C GRADE - SET
Ballooning Honours
I would love to be in that balloon looking at that beautiful amber sky. This silhouette works well as a minimalistic image. The colours, composition and limited elements ticks all the boxes. Congratulations!
Calm Honours
This image is tranquil and serene, making me feel relaxed. My eye is lead from the left hand corner over the calm, still waters to the opening between the hills. What a great journey.
chapelle de st. Antoine de Musculdy Pays Basque France Merit The Church, perched on the grassy verge against the fluffy white clouds is very inviting. For a stronger composition I would suggest a crop off the left, putting the church on the third. Try it and see if you like it.
desert shadow Accepted
For me the Camel takes pride in place in this image. It shows how important he is. I like the way the silhouette stands out against the different shades of grass. Even if you are taking shots of silhouettes, it is important to get them pin sharp. Great try at capturing something different.
Dripping drop Not Accepted
Seeing a landscape in the reflection of this image makes me smile. It was such a nice surprise. The idea and creativity was great but I see the photographer met with a couple of challenges. For a more dynamic image I would have had the branch coming in at more of a diagonal. Also, judging from the noise I would suggest lighting the scene up a bit if possible. Great try.
Egg & Forks Reflection Honours
This image has a beautiful symmetric composition. Everything is sharp. I love the reflection. Fantastic job.
Fiery night Not Accepted
The diagonal pathway through the image is very strong. I find my eye is lead in and out with not a lot to see along the way. Check the edges of your image. The little line at the bottom does not seem to add to the story. Enjoyed the subtle blues and pinks.
Floating Accepted
I feel relaxed looking at the jetty floating aimlessly in the middle of the water. In my opinion a little contrast in post production is needed to lift the image. Also, be careful to get the horizon straight. Looks like a nice place to visit.
Follow the light Merit
Follow the light is a simple but very effective image especially for the minimalistic category. I love the concept, composition and execution. What would elevate it to the next level would be some post production. Taking away some of the scratches and dots, particularly in the main bulb. Great seeing.
Fresh Succulent Merit
The graphic nature of this image really works with its bold elements and colours. The succulent and pot are sharp. I love the interesting shadows in the image. There is a bit of ghosting on the right edge of the pot that could be handled in post production. Good work.
George Merit
George is very much engaged with his eyes focussed on the photographer. He is very sharp against the blue background. I like his placement in the frame. The background is a bit noisy. George is a beautiful model.
Heading out of Town Honours
Wispy clouds chasing the sun while the lone truck heads on an adventure. Great composition. It's simple but tells a story with the trees and houses on the shore being great supporting elements. There's a very nice feel to this image.
Monastery door Merit
The textured , ornate door knocker contrasts nicely against the smooth wooden door. Having the door ajar gives us a peek into the monastery adding to the story. To take this image to another level I would suggest having the edge of the door parallel to the border. The slight vignette works well to keep my eye in the picture.
Warbirds Accepted
The blue sky shows off the planes wonderfully. To add more excitement to the image it would be great to see a bit of motion blur to suggest movement. I imagine this was an exciting event to attend.
Wet wash day Merit Looks like the wash came off the line just in time. The composition and balance of the clothes pegs works well. To elevate this image I would suggest a bit more light on the pegs.
C GRADE - OPEN
March of the mushrooms Not Accepted
You would have had to get pretty low to capture these wee soldiers. I see so many lovely shots in this scene. As the photographer you have the power to direct what you want your audience to focus on. Find one thing that first attracted here. Then make sure it is in focus and in a key position . Love the way the mushrooms stand out from the dark background.
The happy couple Accepted
Paradise Ducks are always seen in pairs, grazing near pastures. The females head is a bit overexposed, as are the white feathers in the male. The exposure in the rest of the image is good. Would like to see sharpness in the bird's eye. Thank you for the great story.
B GRADE - SET
Contemplation Honours
This image is simple but it speaks volumes. A great place to gather ones thoughts, a jetty in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful image, typifies minimalism. BEST DIGITAL IMAGE
Follow Me Merit
This image tells me of somebody alone on the beach, the first one there. Who's following him? Where is he going? What is he going to do when he gets there. This image is so simple but powerful. Love the light.
Heritage Apple Merit
This luscious red apple stands out nicely against the black background. It very sharp. I feel like I could touch it. Well done.
Lots of Sea No Fish Merit
Many fishermen could relate to this story. Sometimes I feel they just go fishing to enjoy the company of a mate. If they catch a fish, it's a bonus. The colours are beautiful and tranquil. The composition is spot on. Careful about spots on your sensor. This is a great story.
Pylons Honours
These pylons lead us right into the heart of this moody image. It's a great example of minimalism. Congratulations
River Sand Patterns Merit
The abstract nature of this image is great as is the different tones and textures. Work well as a minimalistic image.
Singular Merit
The rugged black crater is a good contrast against the milky white water. It works well as a monochrome.
Stock Ticker Not Accepted
The coloured lights show up nicely against the black background. I have difficulty determining where the focal point is. My eye goes from the top to the bottom searching.
The End Merit
This building motif is simple but decorative. Great in monochrome. Nicely balanced composition. Well done.
The Skylark Accepted
I like the position of the Skylark in the frame. It looks good on the moody background. Watch your exposure as some of the birds feathers are over exposed. Great capturing the bird in motion.
B GRADE - OPEN
A seat in the Mood Room Merit
Great perspective, colours and lighting. Seat looks good with a black backdrop. Well seen.
The Dunnock. Merit
The dunnock and barbedwire stand out nicely from the blurred background. Works very well as a monochrome image.
A GRADE - SET
All Alone Accepted
The limited elements here make it a good image for minimalism with the panoramic format giving us the feeling of isolation. There is some ghosting around the top of the kite. The diagonal line works well. Capturing the surfer moving would have added more drama to the shot.
Bunny Tails Honours
This image ticks all the boxes for me. The composition, rim lighting and sheer simplicity works. The wee water droplet and ribbons on the stem provide lovely, subtle detail. Well done.
Dawn Merit
I get a great sense of the sunrise reflecting on the water with this image. The colour lovely and the light sublime. Well done.
Drought Prayer Flags Honours
Good title. These prayer flags have seen better days. I love the graphic elements in this image. The diagonal lines, blue sky and wispy clouds all work. Well seen.
Fairy Drops Merit
The subtle blue and pink are delicate and gorgeous. The composition works with the droplets gently holding court in the left hand corner. The main droplet is not sharp. A great image and a pleasure to view.
Flagon Merit
The flagon against a black background works well as a low key image. The lighting is good, however, I feel a little more is needed particularly on the left hand side. Good job.
Gentle Eye Honours
There is incredible detail in this eye. It even has a reflection to explore. The image is sharp, composition is good. Well done.
Going Solo Merit
The surfer seems to be in complete control of his board. Like the composition and negative space. Good motion in the image.
Lamp Merit
The beauty is in the simplicity of this image. It's very graphic with limited colour palette and elements. Well seen.
Light Tree Merit
This infrared shot works well as a minimalistic image. Your eye is immediately drawn to the bright tree. Love the negative space. Good job trying something different.
Lone Tree Merit
The fence takes our eye right to the tree, sitting on a third of the image. We then proceed up to the horizon line and the moody blue sky. Lovely colours.
Lonely tree Not Accepted
This is a very peaceful image with the wispy white cloud over the rolling hillside. I'm having difficulty determining the focal point of the image. My eye goes directly to the cloud above and just stays there. Try various crops to determine a better composition.
Not that tree Honours
The composition here is superb. I would feel more comfortable if the image were reversed (as we read from left to right) but this creates tension and it really works.
Onion Orchid Flower stalk Accepted
The blurred background makes the orchid stand out. Careful with you exposure as some of the buds are over exposed and have lost detail. Try eleminating the brown stock and recomposing the image. And see what you think.
Reeds and ripples Not Accepted
In my opinion this image would have been a lot more successful in the open category. There is way too much detail and contrast here to be minimalistic.
Silence of the Stones Merit
I love the title. The colours and composition are spot on. There appears to be green and red fringing on the two left hand rocks. Post production could eliminate these.
Spiderling on wet leaf Honours
The green leaf really stands out against the black background. The spiderling seems in the midst of taking a giant step, perhaps to get a drink of water. I enjoyed this image. It's very graphic.
Strassenlicht Accepted
This image is sharp. The lamp stands out against the negative space. In my opinion there is too much texture and detail in this image for it to be successful in the minimalistic set subject.
TeaCup Accepted
The white tea cup on the white cloth is an ideal subject for a high key, minimalistic image. There seems to be a lot of noise throughout. Possibly more light would have helped.
The Brothers - Cook Strait Not Accepted
To me this image would have scored higher in the open category. This image has too much detail to for a minimalistic image.
The Face in the Rock Honours
The gradation of oranges and yellow against the deep blue sea is really beautiful. The face in the rock tells a story or at least makes us think about one. Love the white waves in the water. Great job.
Winter Wonderland Accepted
I feel very cold looking at this image. It's very sharp and you controlled the exposure well. To take this to another level as a minimalistic image I would suggest limiting the elements to simplify the scene.
A GRADE - OPEN
Caring hands Honours
Who could resist this sweet, soft kitten. The monochrome treatment works well bringing out lovely detail. The diagonal line of the hands make for an ideal composition. Sweetness personified. Well done!
me and Great Grandma Merit
Spending time with Great Grandma is very special. The bond they have is very clear. This image works very well as a monochrome with the different lines and textures. Careful with your exposure as the little girl's hair is a bit overexposed. Great story.
Reward Accepted
I suspect after a rigorous workout this New Zealand falcon deserves a treat. Love the details in his feathers. His eye is sharp. His foot is overexposed and as a result lacks detail and colour. It's nice to see these birds close up.
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