We are happy to announce the winner of our May photo contest – “Faces of the World!”
Our monthly photo competition has a $250 prize for the overall winner and another “People’s Choice Award” of $100 in store credit which is done by community members voting on the images during the month of submission.
So let’s get onto the overall winner for the month of May! (A bit of a delay this month due to the judge being sick!)
Overall Winner – Faces of the World
A Passing Glimpse by Patrick Weir
This one was a standout for me. I just love the juxtaposition of the elegance of Gillian Anderson and Viola Davis contrasted with the day-to-day mundane expression of the passenger (not to mention the plain mundanity of the scene of somebody catching a bus). The fact that they appear to be looking at the same subject matter just adds to that effect of two different worlds and perspectives expressed simply through faces.
I think the choice of rendering this in black and white was also excellent as it focused the theme of the photo on that juxtaposition. In this case, I think color could have distracted from that story element of the image.
This is one of those potential images that will present itself in the moment but the photographer has to have the presence of mind, not to mention the commensurate skill, to capture the moment before it disappears. I think Patrick grabbed a classic shot here And for me, it was a clear winner in May’s photo contest.
Runners Up – Faces of the World
Man and Beast by Rose Marie
This is a really well done environmental portrait that I think ticks a lot of the boxes for both the theme of the competition as well as the type of image.
As the old say goes if you want better photos stand in front of more interesting stuff and that is exactly what Rose Marie has demonstrated.
The brightness of the cow’s face draws the eye of the viewer initially then delivers it straight to its master where the contrast of his hair and skin really makes him stand out. The depth of field manages to keep both of them in focus while separating them from the background. There is still enough detail on the two faces to really bring out the wrinkles which really helps with the story of this image.
As we see so often with black and white images the aesthetic is really suited to that choice.
Dance in Sheesh Mahal (Crystal Palace) by kaleem s
Kaleem has been submitting some wonderful photos to our monthly photography competition for the last few months and he is starting to break into the upper echelons.
The first thing you notice about this image is the gorgeous lighting and how the bright costumes help draw the eye straight to the dancers standing in that light. The combination of brightness with those colors is a classic way for photographers to draw the eye to the center of interest in a photograph and I think Kaleem has done that almost perfectly.
Combined with the fact that the subject matter is just something you don’t expect to see too often then I think this is another case of standing in front of interesting stuff. I love that he has maintained enough detail in the background to give context to the dancer’s location and chosen not to throw it into blur or darkness.
People’s Choice Award Winner
As mentioned above, the monthly roundup also comes with a People’s Choice Award winner who can spend $100 in the Light Stalking store on courses, Blueprints, Drills etc.
This is the second month that Frogdaily has won the People’s Choice Award
“Spare Change Please” – Taken in Greece of small boy playing the accordion for spare change.
Congratulations, Frogdaily!
Next Steps!
Now it’s time to throw your own hat in the ring. There has never been a better time as we are only just starting to get this monthly contest idea cemented into our culture here at Light Stalking meaning that the chances of a prize are the best they will ever be.
So take a look at the contest here and submit your entries!
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