May 1, 2012

We celebrate the second anniversary of Reader SunShots with a look back at some of our favorite winning images with critiques by director of photography Robert Hamilton and senior photo editor Jerry Jackson.

: Spring: “Meadowlark Gardens Mill” by Kevin Moore — Our first SunShots winner was Kevin Moore aka “crabsandbeer.” He has become a regular contributor and has had 10 images as winners or runners up. “Well, this is the first one out of the chute. I was hoping that someone would truly be innovative and go beyond the obvious with the category of “Spring,” something other than cute kids, animals and flowers. With that being said, I must say I was impressed by the overall quality of the images, if not the imagination. Moore’s shot is from the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens of what appears to be weeping cherry trees next to a bed of daffodils. This image takes advantage of color with the deep greens of the daffodils making the yellow flowers pop for the viewer. But, to be quite honest, what I really love about the picture is how the sinewy black truck and branches the contrast with all that color in the image. It takes what could have been a routine symmetrical composition and takes it to another level.”

: Faces: “Bubble Face” by Raquel Bowley — Raquel photographed her daughter Olivia Bowley with a Canon Rebel XTi camera. “The youthful exuberance and energy exhibited in this picture made the image stand out from the pack. Whether by luck or good timing, the framing of Olivia’s eye through one of the bubbles, also adds to the photograph.”

: Animal Kingdom: “Red Fox” by Terry Reber — Terry captured this fox at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge using a Canon EOS Rebel Xsi with a 70-300 telephoto lens. “There were a lot of fantastic wildlife images to choose from in this week’s contest. I ultimately chose photos that I would like to have taken myself. Capturing images of animals in the wild often requires a lot of patience and a bit of luck. The image is well composed with just enough of the natural environment showing.”

: Birds of a Feather: “Screech Owl In Spring” by Donna Stupski — Donna visited the Carrie Murphy Nature Center in Baltimore City for her picture titled “Screech Owl In Spring.” “There were a lot of extremely good pictures in this category. One of the best we’ve had to date. I could have selected any one of a dozen images as the winner. Stupski’s photo of this screech owl stood out for several reasons. The photographer’s use of selective focus separated the raptor from the background. Plus, the flowers provided for a serene setting. Finally, the muted light actually worked in the photographer’s favor allowing the textures and colors of the owl to take center stage.”

: Travel: “The Heart of Antelope Canyon” by David Rothenberg — David photographed “The Heart of Antelope Canyon” while on vacation with his family in Arizona. “There were some outstanding photos in this category but David’s photo was a clear winner. He was very smart in his approach to photographing such a magnificent wonder of nature. He took the picture during a time when the light was optimum and without a flash. This maximized the natural light, which brought out the wonderful texture of the cave walls. Finally, he used a tripod, which was very smart. This assured that the image would be in focus, and he would be able to make big beautiful prints of his work.”

: Red: “Billy Leroy” by Sandra Nicht — Sandra photographed antique and prop store owner Billy Leroy and his dog sitting on a couch on the sidewalk in New York City. “There were a lot of great photos this week. I chose this one because the red couch is as much a character in this photo as Billy and his dog. Sandra did a nice job composing the photo so the main subjects stand out against what looks to be a cluttered background.”

: Textures: “Dandelion” by Alex Belousov — Alex took this picture in his backyard following a rain storm. The picture was shot with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F717 digital camera. “We had a lot of interesting and unique pictures in this category. The winner took a creative approach to capturing the texture of the dandelion with the use of the rain drops. The photographer’s efforts to go exploring for pictures just after the rain paid off with a wonderful image.”

: Water: “Big Slips” by Jason A. Knauer — Jason photographed his son Elijah Knauer on a waterslide during Memorial Day weekend. “I was looking for photos where water was the star but there was an additional element to elevate the photo. Jason was very successful with his photo of his son on the waterslide. He took this picture with what he described as his beat up old Canon EOS 20D, which he carries everywhere, but as you can see it still takes great pictures. Jason used just the right amount of flash to help freeze the water mid action without blowing out the main subject matter, his son, who has a great expression that makes this photo a winner.”

: Spooky: “Haunted House?” by John Jake Jakubik — Jake shot “Haunted House?” with his Canon 20D modified to shoot color infrared. “Coming from a journalistic background, I don’t ordinarily care too much for over manipulated images. I tend to be more of a purist. But, considering the nature of our category this week, this photograph was right on the money. Obviously, the photographer is extremely good at crafting an interesting image through the use of software. But, the composition and use of the subject matter were also well executed.”

: On the Road: “Grizzly on the Go” by Leslie B. Picker — Leslie photographed “Grizzly on the Go” with a Nikon Coolpix P80 on Dempster Highway in the Yukon. “This is a scene you don’t see every day. The photographer grabbed a shot of this bear after it climbed onto the road before meandering into a meadow. I like the composition of the photograph, but the real lesson to be learned, is always be ready to be lucky. This photographer was and got a truly unique picture.”

: Making Music: “Starting Early with Making Music” by Jean Wimmer — Jean actually won twice with this image of her two-year-old grandson playing the piano. “Generally, I’m not a big fan of silhouette photos. They tend to be overdone and I feel there are better ways to approach a subject that elicit more emotion. However, in this case, I feel the photographer was successful in using the backlight to isolate the subject and capture a very touching moment. There’s seems to be a universal attraction between children and pianos.”

: Fall Colors: “Gourds and Pumpkins” by Kevin Moore — Kevin found this colorful collection of “Gourds and Pumpkins” at Longwood Gardens. “When I settled on this category I expected to get a lot of the typical pretty tree pictures. But what I was looking for was someone who took the less obvious route but was still able to have the picture say fall colors. This photographer did this very successfully. Though he didn’t have to do anything very creative with the composition, he was smart enough to spot a good picture.”

: All Creatures… : “Ticked-off Cardinal” by Kevin Moore — Kevin took this picture titled “Ticked-off Cardinal” last winter with a Canon EOS 50D. “Moore’s photo could have easily been a contender for next week’s category “Seeing Red,” with a double meaning as this cardinal looks like one angry bird. I love the humor of this photo. The focus is tack sharp and the photographer did a great job exposing the bird and letting the background go white. Most cameras would tend to turn this into a silhouette.”

: All Creatures…: “A Dog’s Best Friend, a Fire Hydrant” by Bill Hughes — Bill was a runner-up for his picture titled “A Dog’s Best Friend, a Fire Hydrant.” Hughes took this picture with a Nikon D40 during Artscape when he found the lucky dog getting a drink from a leaking hydrant. “Photographing animals acting naturally is often hard to do whether you are in the wild or photographing a pet. Hughes was in the right place and had his camera ready for the unexpected.”

: Urban Decay: “Barber’s Chair” by John Jake Jakubik — Jake photographed “Barber’s Chair” at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia with a Canon 7D DSLR camera. “The photographer did a marvelous job of taking advantage of the great light created through an overhead window. That light accentuated the colors and the textures of the walls. Most importantly, the oddity of the barber’s chair sitting in such a strange location really grabs the viewer.”

: Architecture: “Stata Center” by Jefferson M. Gray — Jefferson photographed the Stata Center designed by architect Frank Gehry on the campus of MIT. “The photographer did a great job of accentuating the vision of the architect. The way he composed the photo from the low angle makes the angular shapes the focus of the image. The hard light also matches the nature of the structure.”

: A Sporting Life: “Devon” by Kristen Lee — Kristen captured this image of her son Devon body boarding in Ocean City, MD. “This was the photographer’s first time entering a photography contest. Judging by this picture, she should definitely enter more. This picture is the epitome of peak action. She captured this image just as the wave broke against the board giving the viewer a sense of the power of the ocean. In addition, the expression of her son as he braces for impact adds to the photograph.”

: Family: “Scrabble Night” by David Creaney — David won for his photo entitled “Scrabble Night.” “David Creaney’s winning picture has several elements working in its favor. There is wonderful mood lighting, which would have been ruined if he had made the mistake of trying to capture the moment with a flash. Also, there are a lot of elements in this photo that ordinarily would have been distracting, but in this case, they work together with the subjects in the photo to set the scene for capturing a real moment, rather than something that is staged and fake.”

: Critters: “Flamingo” by Justin Nixon — Justin photographed this flamingo preening itself at a manatee reserve in Homosassa Springs, Florida. “This photo does a wonderful job of combining color, texture and composition. I’m not sure if this is the original framing or if it was cropped, but either way it holds the viewers eye with the gentle S shape of the flamingo’s neck. And in addition, what helps make the photograph a winner is the striking and vivid colors of the flamingo contrasted with a splash of white coming from the feathers as the bird does its preening.”

: Special Occasions: “Anna” by Joanne Kaplan — Joanne photographed her granddaughter Anna walking barefoot through the grass at a wedding in New York. “Weddings are certainly one of the most photographed occasions for any family. Everyone has a camera and is sure to get a photo of the happy couple and the wedding party. Often the most memorable photos, however, are the candid moments caught away from the main event. Joanne wanted a photo of her granddaughter at her first “dress up” affair. This photo, taken with an Olympus FE 210, is clean and well-composed. It evokes a sense of childhood exploration and discovery.”

: Winter: “The Dog Days of Winter” by Caroline Hartman — Caroline won with her shot “The Dog Days of Winter” of a pup with an icicle “It is clear that last year’s record snow was a favorite subject of our SunShot photographers. There were a lot of great images that documented the storm but Caroline Hartman’s photo of her puppy Graham caught my eye. The classic puppy-dog stare brings warmth to an otherwise chilly situation. The icicle that the pup has retrieved and clearly wants to bring in the house adds humor and helps the photo stand out from the rest of the entries.”

: Horsing Around: “Waiting” by Ruth Schaefer — Ruth photographed a horse waiting at the door of the Olson farmhouse in Cushing, Maine with a Canon Rebel XSi. “I love the subtle and not-so-subtle humor in this week’s winning photo. Ruth found something different to show us with this photo from a famous farmhouse in Maine. Like a big dog, the horse looks like it is expecting to be let inside. The soft light really brings out the texture in the weathered house as well as the horse.”

: Frozen in Time: “Vietnam Memorial” by Owen Dawson — Owen was the winner with his reflective photo “Vietnam Memorial.” “This was an interesting category. Photographers could interpret the category in many ways such as winter scenes, action photography, or as our winner did, capture a moment in time that gives the viewer a creative perspective. Dawson used just the right control with the field of focus to bring attention to the names on the wall, but still give form to the veteran in the background who had stopped to study the Vietnam Memorial.”

: Now that’s funny: “Fill ‘er Up” by J. Mitchell Adolph — J. Mitchell Adolph photographed “Fill ‘er Up” in Lancaster, PA with a Nikon D300S camera. “This is such a fun photograph. The obvious contrast of the horse drawn buggy at the gas pump is hilarious and unexpected. Kudos to the photographer for having his camera ready to capture this photo.”

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Latest Nikon D40 News » nikondeutschland.com
May 07, 2012 @ 21:14:32

[…] Latest Nikon D40 News The Best of Reader Sunshots Hughes took this picture with a Nikon D40 during Artscape when he found the lucky dog getting a drink from a leaking hydrant. “Photographing animals acting naturally is often hard to do whether you are in the wild or photographing a pet. Read more on Baltimore Sun […]

The Best of Reader Sunshots

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