Behind The Lens: The Judges

2

“This image really caught my attention with themountain in the background reaching up towardsthe sky, so high above everything else. The repeating patterns of the grass creates sucha beautiful foreground as the line of clouds wrapsit’s way along the base of the mountain. The colors compliment each other and even the vignette in the sky along the edges draws us backinto the image creating a well composed, nicelyprocessed result!” - Laurie Rubin

@mrlesterchan

“For me, it is really those wisps of clouds that take an already engaging image to the next level.” - Nathan Wirth

@TrueNorthImages

4

“This lovely portrait is a perfect combination of interesting subjects, a beautiful setting, and gorgeous lighting. The shallow depth also really focuses the viewer’s eye to the subject and her compelling expression.”

- Laura Tillinghast

@MarketaNovak

“This is a gorgeous image that I can’t stop looking at. The movement in the hair and the subject’s expression create a wonderfully mysterious and moody feel.”

- Laura Tillinghast

@JudiLiosatos

5

“Such an awesome shot! With the ruggedness of Mt. Rainier and the Milky Way. I know this shot took some planning and shivering but I’m sure it’s well worth it if it netted results such as this crafted and spectacular image. Beautiful, sharp focus, well planned and executed! Great work!” - Chuck Jason

@willchristiansen

6

“This photo has an excellent contrast, perfect exposure, clean lines and great sharpness. The background blends perfectly with the building. The composition works perfectly even if you were to turn this picture left or right.”

- Roman Kruglov

@michiel-dl

7

“This is a great image. I love the center crop and the perspective of the walls to frame the subject. The movement ofthe dress and the smoke really add to the image and help it be less static. I also like the subject’s hair and how it is placed behind her shoulders.” - Craig Lamere @Ethos

8

“This stunning image captures the rich velvety red colors of autumn in a unique way.

The mountains add interest and even the sky has a touch of warmth that complements the richly red leaves of the forest below. I enjoyed the layers of this image from its foreground through to the creek, trees, fog and mountains in the back.

It strongly spoke “red” to me and in a composition that I suspect took the photographer considerable time and thoughtful work to accomplish properly. It’s truly a gorgeous image on every level.” - Lisa Langell

@WildEssence

”I kept coming back to this image because it really stood out from a lot of the other photos of butterflies that were perched on a stem or flower.This was very unusual. The butterfly was on a surface of some kind (I keep trying to figure out what it was) with beautiful pastel purples and golds. The composition was really nice too with the butterfly off to the right a bit so it was a bit off center, giving this image a bit more tension.” - Laurie Rubin

@Cbries

10

“Beautiful image with beautiful long lines in the legs for the pose. “ - Lindsay Adler

@punk_tual

“I love the concept of this image, not an easy shot to get but it’s been executed so well. The tones and contrast are perfect and there is just enough movement in the subject to give it a unique feel, wonderful.” - Mike Shaw

@jasonbassett

“In this image everything is at the right place. The photo has a smooth composition by having theleading lines driving your sight from the foreground to the background. The exposure was not easy to accomplish at all because the moonlight is easy to overexpose, but even the moon reflection is perfectly managed. The post production is soft, with a perfect use of the contrast to increase the mood.” - Franceso Gola

@stephenemerson

“This reminds me of childhood. A view we can’t always see. The rays of light coming through the water, highlighting the curled toes. There is just enough highlights, and a little glow from the murkylake water makes this image. It is about the details in the photo that make it simple. The details are nailed.” - Erika Thornes

@JenniferKapala

“Ideal composition, a well thought out foreground allows the viewer to literally “enter” into the frame. One small technical remark; the stars are showing like stripes instead of dots.To avoid this (at this focal length) the shutter speed had to be slightly shorter. The picture is really beautiful and worthy of the first place! Congratulations to the winner!” - Yevhen Sasmuchenko @petersvoboda

14

“Unlike the other images in this list, “Peak Sunrise” is very busy with lots to look at. This is often a difficult thing to pull off because when there is too much to look at, the viewer doesn’t know where to fix their gaze and often gives up and leaves the image. The sunrise however counters that impulse and provides direction. Once you view the beautiful light, you then are free to explore around the image and linger over the myriad buildings and lights. This is an image that deserves to be printed large to showcase its full beauty. “ - Joe Brady

@crismagsino

15

“This image stood out to me most of all because the sensation of movement centered around the lighthouse, which is strangely isolated offshore, drew me into the center of the frame at first glance. As I continued to look within the seascape, my eyes keep locking in on the singular lighthouse and I found myself wondering what life must haven been like for the keeper of this unique beacon in the sea. Black and white tones with just the right amount of contrast compliments the overall asymmetric composition of the scene and the slight vignette also does a great job of keeping the focus on the center. I’ve never seen a photograph of a lighthouse quite like this one!“

- Donal Boyd

@ts446photo