First Place: Gemma Carly Pepper, Conwy, Wales
Title:“Into the Soul”
What Ralph and Chris had to say: This picture is a fantastic example of what a good portrait should be. It is so much more than a mere likeness of the sitter. A tilted head and direct eye contact immediately pull the viewer into the picture and make it hard to let go and explore the rest of the picture. The viewer definitely feels a certain command to look. On the other hand, a soft smile, partially hidden by pulled-up clothing, leaves no doubt about the pleasant personality of the model while adding a bit of mystery. This is an image to be proud of!

Second Place: Michelle Lorenzen-Hunter, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Title: “Saving the Bird”
What Ralph and Chris had to say: This picture has it all. A great composition gives the picture stability through an interesting viewpoint onto the weathered hands. I like how the thumbs lead into the picture but miss the center of interest just by a hair, forcing my eyes back up again to focus on the bird. At that point, stability turns into security and creates an interesting contrast to the animal in need. The viewing experience finishes with a warm feeling about a happy end. In a way, it’s a portrait without a face. Hands say so much about a person. Great shot!

Third Place: Gurjant singh Sekhon, Maharashtra, India
Title: “What do you think When you are looking at me? Look at my soul within… Look Closer … see me!!”

First Place: Candace Moore, Houston, Texas, USA
Title: “Untitled”
What The Shutter Sisters had to say: This shot evokes strong emotion through honest expression, tone and mood. The perspective is compelling and draws in the viewer with it’s visual interest and the intimacy of the subject matter and context.

Second Place: Theo Spek, Aerdenhout, Bloemendaal, Netherlands
Title: “Birds of a Feather”
What The Shutter Sisters had to say: This shot is a classic example of perfect timing. The subject matter is unique in its cute and clever interpretation of the theme. That the babies and flanked by the parents makes for a humorous and relatable depiction of family.

Third Place: Jeffrey Gregor, Troy, New York, USA
Title: “In my Daughter’s eye!”

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First Place: Paul Cohn, Chennai, India
Title: “Underpass”
What Richard had to say: This photograph is surrounded by a dark sense of mystery. What appears to be a young woman in dark clothes is ascending a stairway. The girl was carefully photographed when her feet were astride, suggesting movement. A beam of light partially illuminates the stairway and wall, casting a detached shadow of the girl and her wind-blown neckpiece. The black curved area at the right provides an ominous frame. A textured gray and white wall shares the same contour as the black curved wall. In the white area of the wall one can notice a competition, called “contour rivalry,” for dominance. This activates that area and the mystery. The various tonalities, textures and geometry add to an interesting composition. As the young woman walks confidently up the stairs one might ponder who she is, where she came from and where she is going. All these factors adding to the unknown. Engaging in a photograph such as this can stimulate the mind and imagination. The photograph with its dark and black tones works well in conveying a feeling of mystery and possible danger. In color, it would not have the same effect.

Second Place: Tamas Kooning Lansbergen
Title: “Autumn Fruit”
What Richard had to say: Still life in paintings has a very long history. This beautifully balanced photograph takes on a lovely painterly look. The composition is impeccable. The brightly lit grouping of figs atop the bucket provides a near triangular shape. The three figs overflowing and resting on the table suggests abundance (objects in odd number such as three and five are more interesting than even numbers). The fig leaves in the foreground add color and meaning. A quiet textured bluish-gray background helps draw attention to the colorful figs and leaves. The space (interval) between the large circular cover resting against the wall and the bulbous shape bottle is very important. If the interval were not there and the objects were touching, or too far apart, something would be lost. Although part of the bottle is cropped and rests outside the frame we automatically see it as complete thanks to our ability to form closure on incomplete familiar objects. Still life photography provides an excellent opportunity for studying and arranging lighting and composition, as we see here.

Third Place: Kingsley Scott,  Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK
Title: “My Best Man Framed”

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First Place: Elena Stavrev, Sofia, Bulgaria
Title: “Most Asian Neighborhoods Are Also Markets”

What Sue had to say: It gives the feel of a neighborhood. The photographer caught a decisive moment with the interplay between the people pictured in the shot. The composition was very good and the photographic interpretation worked well on this piece.

Second Place: Saro Nadjarian, Lefkosia, Cyprus
Title: “Lacoste”

What Sue had to say: It has a gritty, real feel that is quite evocative. The viewer can picture themselves walking into this neighborhood with caution. The low point of view was well done.

Third Place: Albena Velikova Markova, Varna, Bulgaria
Title: “Girl’s Play”

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First Place: Carlos J. Miranda, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Title: Open Doors

Second Place: Rebecca Prowlus, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA
Title: The Driveby Apparition

Third Place: Jonathan Pearson, London, UK
Title: Brixton, London

Lance Says: The two images I chose for first and second place couldn’t be more different, and that diversity was reflected in all of the best images submitted for the Night Photography contest. In addition to the things common to all great photographs- Strong composition and technical execution, the best night photographs usually have a strong sense of atmosphere and mystery. Interesting lighting, whether it be natural, or artificial, existing or added are generally a strong component of an image’s success. There were about a dozen images that clearly stood apart from the pack, and any one of them could have been a winner. A few that stand out in my mind are, Ghost Train, Burnett River Bridge, Santa Fee Apartment, Abandoned Columns, No Turning Back, and Chromatism. These images all exemplify the things I look for in Night Photographs.

The first place image, Open Doors, exemplifies all of those traits. The image is complex, but well organized, and easy to read. There is a strong sense of depth and movement, emphasized not only by the combined indoor and outdoor scenes, but by the mixed lighting sources that cause the interior and exterior to have different colors. Every element of the composition is carefully placed. There is a quality to this image that reminds me of the work of the early twentieth century photographers Carlos and Miguel Vargas from Peru, two pioneering brothers who advanced night photography techniques with their sophisticated lighting.

Second place winner Drive By Apparition is more subtle and mysterious. Dark and moody, the movement suggested by blur and diagonal lines are complemented by the contrasting warm and cool colors of the image. It’s not often that precise timing is critical in a night photograph, but the position of the headlight trails in the image is essential to the composition, and it’s a big part of why this image works so well. Had the photograph been a fraction of a second earlier, the trails would have started outside the frame, and the image wouldn’t be nearly as strong. There is very little detail in the image, and it’s full of deep, dark shadows, but the message is clearly conveyed none the less.

It was a pleasure judging this competition and viewing so many great images. Thank you for the opportunity.

Lance