“Pot Shiner, Chennai, India”

Guest Judge: Michael Freeman

Winner: Brian Jolley, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

What Michael had to say: I’ve selected “Pot Shiner, Chennai, India” for its documentary clarity as a street portrait. Composition and presentation are satisfyingly confident, and it tells its story economically and without unnecessary sentiment.

Prize: Brian will receive Michael Freeman’s Digital Photography Reference System and a copy of The Photographer’s Eye, Michael Freeman’s Perfect Exposure, The Art of Printing Photographs on Your Epson Printer, and The Photographer’s Eye Field Guide all by Michael Freeman.

First Place: Sheila Haddad, Heppenheim, Germany
Title: “Ebbing Tide”

Second Place: Philip Bird, East Grinstead, West Sussex, UK
Title: “Stormy Weather”

Third Place: Candace Moore, Houston, Texas, USA
Title: “Soak”

Guest Judge: Martin Edge

What Martin had to say: “I looked at all of the entries in some detail and was looking for an all encompassing feeling of the comp title ‘Water’. So often I was distracted by other elements but these two stood out again and again as I cycled through the pages at least 10 times over.”

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First Place: Emirhan Karamuk, Istanbul, Turkey
Title: “The Door”

Second Place: Anthony Tancredi, Rochedale South, Australia
Title: “Sea of Creation”

Third Place: Glorianne Cassar, Siggiewi, Malta
Title: “Intelligence”

Honorable Mention: Johannes Maurits, Lauredo, Texas, USA
Title: “Pozo Del Gavilan”

Guest Judge: Ctein

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Our apologies to everyone who entered the April contest for the long delay in announcing the winners. Our guest judge, Philip Andrews, has been hard at work on several new books but had still hoped to judge. He didn’t want to make anyone wait any longer, however, so we were lucky to have the Focal Photography Editorial Team step in on his behalf!

First Place: Valentijn  van der Sloot
Title: Lone Walker

Second Place: Popescu Cezar, Romania
Title: Thunder Clouds

Third Place: Donna Marchessault,  South Windsor, Connecticut, USA
Title: Ice Fishing in the Fog

First Place: Sam Bienstock, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Title: “On a Train”

What David had to say: For me, street photography is about capturing unposed, fleeting moments in public places. This picture nicely captures a child’s spontaneous joy and has been shot in the challenging environment of a crowded and dimly-lit subway train.

Second Place: Dipak Dey
Title: “Fear Game”

What David had to say: I like the shapes that the childrens’ shadows make on the material and the expression on the face of the child being held up. He’s taking part in a game, but he’s not sure how to react. Those two bold red stripes, plus the line of shadow-figures, make a great composition.

Third Place: Manoj Kayastha,  Bihar, India
Title: “Child’s Adventure”

Guest Judges: David Clark, author of Photography in 100 Words
Theme: Street Photography

First Place: Jelena Blagojevic, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Title: “Hard Life”

What Steven and Paul had to say: This a wonderful dramatic portrait. Nice use of light to bring out the texture in the face. Both the cropping and negative space are very effective.

Second Place: Brian Jolley, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Title: “Pot Shiner, Chennai, India”

What Steven and Paul had to say: We like how the subject connects with the viewer in this one. The composition and the ambient light are excellent. What works well in this environmental portrait is the use of the diptych to “tell a story” about this woman.

Third Place: Ioannis Papadakis, Belgium
Title: “A Rajastani Portrait”

Guest Judges: Steven Biver and Paul Fuqua

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First Prize: Jeff McCrum
New York, New York, USA
Title: “Bow Bridge”

Second Prize: Maria Capilupi
Niagra Falls, New York, USA
Title: “Five Degrees Fahrenheit”

Third Prize: Catherine Isaacson
Richboro, Pennsylvania, USA
Title: “Chin’s Frizbee Catch in the Snow”

Guest Judge: John & Barbara Gerlach

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First Prize: Andrey Antov
Hamden, Connecticut, USA
Title: “Dream Life”

Second Prize: Emma Leech
Smarden, Kent, UK
Title: “Blue Flower”

Third Prize: Elizabeth Parker
Title: “The Eye”

Guest Judge: Martin Addison

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First Prize: Regina Gunawan Lee
Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
Title: “Glittering Stars”

Second Prize: James Wicker
Hainesport, New Jersey, USA
Title: “Clifton Mill Water Wheel”

Third Prize (Tie): Becky Workman
St. George, Utah, USA
Title: “Beautiful Yellowstone National Park”

Third Prize (Tie): Robyn Aber
San Francisco, California, USA
Title: “A Surreal Winter Wonderland”

Guest Judges: David Nightingale

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First Prize: Valerie Brabb McAninch
Springfield, Ohio, USA
Title: “Alaska Gloaming”

Second Prize: Bruce Miller
Van Nuys, California, USA
Title: “God’s Light”

Third Prize: David Bull
Lauderhill, Florida, USA
Title: “Secret Garden”

Guest Judges: John & Barbara Gerlach

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