Linda Bellingham: First Place Choice: “NYC Breakfast” by Eden Potter

What Linda had to say: It was nice of the photographer to mention that Starbucks made the food; however, the composition of elements in the image is perfect! And, the natural lighting is spectacular.

Jean Ann Bybee: First Place Choice: “Macaroons” by J. Annie Wang, New York City, New York, USA

What Jean Ann had to say: Simple, beautifully lit, colorful. Shows a good eye

Brad G. Rogers: First Place Choice: “Ribbon Candy” by Jamie Lynn Rice, Oracle, Arizona, USA

What Brad had to say: Simple, which is often the best approach. Colorful, which catches the eye. It was fun and struck an emotion which is what everybody is trying to obtain.

Third Place Winner: “Cherry Tomatoes” by Alex Papas

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First Place: Anthony Hopkins, Moreton Morrell, England
Title: Whitby Beach Huts

What Steven and Paul  had to say: We particularly like the careful use of the reflective sunset/sunrise. Our only suggestion would be to crop a little off the right edge of the image. Otherwise we feel it’s a great photographic example of the subliminal effect of the early morning/evening light. They don’t call these the “golden hours” for nothing.

Second Place: Gemma Carly Pepper,  Conwy, North Wales, Great Britain
Title: Hope

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First Place: Tomas Castelazo, Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico
Title: Old lady in San Miguel, Mexico

What Haje had to say: In the winning photo, we get a cornucopia of awesome: the strong and bold colours catch the viewers eye, and create a great negative space for the main subject of the image: The woman, bent over, taking a rest from her walk. The contrast between the colourfulness and the relative lack of colour, and between the solid door and unyielding wall, is a great effect in this image. Way to make a photograph tell a story – great work!

Second Place: Richard Dodge, Holtsville, New York, USA
Title: Radiant

What Haje had to say: I love this photo for its playfulness and for the connection we have with the model. The beautiful light in her face, contrasting with the crisp blue sky, the splashes of colour from her sleeves and gloves, combined with the natural elements (the wooden table and the straws of grass in the background) make this come together great. THe expression on her face is priceless, natural, and unforced – it’s one of those photos that simply makes me happy to look at – what more could you want from a portrait?!

Third Place: Mardoni Luy, Davao City, Philippines
Title: Half Naked and the Rosary

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First Place: Rachel Goble Carey, Rachel Carey Photography, Bay Area, California, USA

Title: Learning

What LaNola had to say: I just kept coming back to this photograph.  This image is a simple window into the complexities of childhood.  I love the soft pallet, the layering, expression, focus, and composition.  I don’t need to know the story of this photograph to know that there is one.  There is truly nothing predictable or kitsch about this shot and that is what makes it great; it’s just an authentic moment captured.

Second Place (#1): Todd Birdsong, Paducah, Kentucky, USA

Title: May in Grass

What LaNola had to say: I love how the photographer described this capture as an “in-between moment.”  Life is made of these types of moments and I think that is why a whisper from these moments always catches our attention as viewers, they are just so familiar, yet often over looked.  I love the pure blacks and the glowing whites that both frame and compose this child.

Second Place (#2): Stuart Rome, StuartRome.com, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Title: Sarah and Gabbie

What LaNola had to say: I know that the photographer is close because of the wide-angle nature of the lens.  I appreciate a photographer that can get this close and still find an image that does not distract from the fluidity of the moment between the girls (no pun intended).  Adolescence can be a difficult subject matter but it provides a rewarding last glimpse of childhood before it disappears.  Another thing I love is the vibrance of the colors and the separation of the children from the background (which appears to be a masterful use of fill flash).  Well done!

Third Place: Alexandra Grebenyuk, Sherborn, Massachusetts, USA

Title: Who Needs Toys?

LaNola’s Honorable Mention: Manahi Taber-Kewene, New York, New York

Title: Grandpa Magic

LaNola’s Honorable Mention: Barbara Corvino, Italy

Title: Vertical

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First Place: Phil Tooze, Riot Photography, Heanor, Derbyshire, U.K.
Title: True Believers
  

Second Place: Pepa Niebla, Chingford, London, U.K.
Title: It’s Real

Third Place: Anne Izabel Le Clainche, Plaisir, France
Title: Seabreeze of Happiness

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Second Place: Leslie Granda-Hill, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
Title: The Hotel
What Corey had to say: Simplicity is key here, the dominating lines are cleanly arranged, creating a strong foundation. What makes this image stand out are the people, giving a sense of scale. The people also offer a sense of motion in contrast to the static building. Great timing capturing them with their legs and arms outstretched.

Third Place: Heather Tiffany, Aurora, Illinois, USA
Title: Sunset Through a Child’s Eyes

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Second Place: Carlyn Porter, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Title: Ride
What Peter had to say: Interesting viewpoint, rich color. Placement of the shoes makes them strong focal points in an otherwise monochrome setting in shades of green. Leaving the subject’s identity just outside the frame turns the image from a portrait to an air of mystery. It involves the viewer to figure out what’s going on here. The result is an intriguing scenario with much for the eye to explore. Nicely done.

Third Place: Sawsan Hafiz
Title: Spirit of Light
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Second Place: Natalie Field, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Title: Hoiden

Third Place: Ryan Roake, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Title: Hoiden

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First Place: Heide Hoffman, Paremata/Wellington, New Zealand
Title: My World Through Broken Glass
What Carl had to say: While there were many great photos included in the April entries, this image offered a unique perspective on the landscape that I haven’t seen before. In addition it has a wonderful balance of details, colors, lines, and contrasts that draw my eye all around the image, with just the right amount of softness in the background to really set off the sharp edges of the broken glass. Nice ‘backyard’ by the way!

Second Place: Volker Birke, Wunstorf, Germany
Title: Gateway into another Dimension
What Carl had to say: This image captures the power of the landscape with only a few lines, details and color tones. The exposure helps simplify the composition to the essentials needed to communicate the power of this  spectacular landscape. It’s a great example of how opposing contrasts draw your eye into an image, while additional lines, details, and more subtle contrasts, carry your eye throughout the rest of the image.

Third Place: Giannis Maleoglou, Thessaloniki, Greece
Title: Calm Lake

Honorable Mention: Moe Chen, Scarborough, Maine, USA
Title: Nubble Lighthouse
What Carl had to say:
In addition to the pleasing compositional balance in this image, I especially liked the effect of the long exposure on the sky and water. An image like this generally only comes from a lot of planning and experimenting as well as perhaps a little luck on the length of the exposure. Thinking about how this image was created helps open up additional ways to experiment with light on the landscape.

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Second Place:  Shelley Johnson
Title: “Dancing Inferno”
What David had to say: I love the raw energy of this shot and you can almost feel the heat coming off that flame. I also like the contrast of the complex, dancing patterns of the fire against the linearity of the background. A  wonderful composition.

Third Place: Jill Odice, J Odice Photography, Littlerock, California, USA
Title: “Rare Snowfall in the Mojave Desert”

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