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Monthly #106 - Lightness Competition

Competition Details
Closing Date: 30/04/2021
Judge: jofford

It's April, the weather is picking up, there's more daylight and more Covid restrictions are being removed. There's a real sense of a heavy weight being lifted that has been pressing down on us for months and the mood is lighter. Hence this months theme of lightness. Please be as imaginative in your interpretation as you wish. I would like to see and feel 'lightness' in your image more than having a record shot of a light object. The usual rules apply; images taken this month, Pentax camera and exif data included (full details in the Competition section of the Forum). Have fun with your photography!!
Winner
Competition Entries
jofford
Posted 01/05/2021 - 09:59 Link
Thank you for accepting the challenge of showing lightness in a photograph and you have shown a wide range of representations involving people, plant life, birds, insects, garden ornaments and street life, that all meet the brief. My emphasis in judging was images that made the greatest immediate impact on me in terms of the brief and, on that basis, the results are as follows:

1st - Levity by Perspicador
2nd - A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go by johnwnjr
3rd - Lighter than Air (Almost) by wozfromcov

Regrettably there were two I couldn't consider because they weren't taken in April 2021. They were; As Light as a Butterfly (maybe) and Spring Daff. Sorry, I've done it myself because I didn't read the rules thoroughly enough and I hope this won't deter you from entering images in the future.

Well done to everybody for entering into the 'light-hearted' spirit of the competition and producing some images which lightened my day. While the emphasis was on the emotional impact more than technical detail, I would make one general point to help you improve. Please watch out for distracting bits in your background and / or foreground. They can really take the viewer's attention away from you main subject. You can either use a wider aperture to blur the background, as Nigelk did with Wild Plum Blossom, or you can do a bit of straightforward tidying up in post-production.

Judging notes, taking the images in the order they were entered:

Levity, by Perspicador: I saw a lot of this image as it was an early entry, and every time I opened the competition, the natural and genuine joy in the subject's face lifted my mood. You have caught the moment and the picture is well-taken and composed. The title is perfect, so I'll have a glass of that please!

Wild Plum Blossom by Nigelk; Well composed image showing good camera technique to keep the viewer's attention on the blossom. There's good control of exposure as well to keep detail in the whites. A very pleasing image to look at.

A Frog He Would a-Wooing Go by Johnwnjr; This lovely light-hearted image made me smile. I love the way you imaginatively made the most of the opportunities available to you in your immediate environment so that you could enter the competition, despite your current reduced mobility. (Hope you make a speedy recovery!). You've arranged the characters in your still life very nicely and they certainly lighten the mood. And, you know how photography judges often complain that you can't see the eyes. Well, you've certainly nailed that one! Well done.

Lighter Than Air by wozfromcov; The effortless ease with which the pigeon is static in the air and the flowing, fanning shapes in the wing and tail feathers all contribute to the sense of lightness implied in the theme. Great control of exposure to keep detail in the light areas and the fast shutter speed has provided a good sharp image of a rapidly moving bird. So, here's a question, not a deal-breaking judgement. Would a slower shutter speed, giving a bit of motion blur in the wings, added even more to the ethereal sense of floating in the air? - entirely your choice.

Dandelion Seedhead by MHOL 190246; The wispy, fluffy seeds heading out in every direction certainly convey the sense of lightness. It's a really well-taken close-up. As a suggestion for improvement, I wonder about the framing and whether making a choice between a tighter crop all-round or giving the dandelion space on every side would help.

Venturing Out Amongst the Blossoms by Simonmac; I like this image. There is a lightness of touch in the way you have handled the colours and the linear patterns of light and shade on the ground. Not too much vibrance or saturation and not too much contrast. It all contributes to a relaxed, Spring-like feel. This is enhanced by the small number of people who don't seem to be in any particular hurry to go anywhere. It all makes me want to be there.

Thanks again everybody. I have enjoyed looking at your images, including the ones I couldn't consider. Over to you Perspicador for May's monthly competition.
Simonmac
Posted 01/05/2021 - 12:34 Link
Thank you John.

I enjoyed that! Thank you for your judging and comments.

Well done to the lovely winner and places.

Have a good weekend all!
macmccreery.com
www.flickr.com/photos/simac/
www.500px.com/simac
Perspicador
Posted 01/05/2021 - 22:25 Link
Many thanks for the accolade!! I tell my friend in the picture she is the most photogenic person I know. Now for another competition.
jofford
Posted 01/05/2021 - 23:39 Link
Perspicador wrote:
Many thanks for the accolade!! I tell my friend in the picture she is the most photogenic person I know. Now for another competition.

Definitely
wozfromcov
Posted 02/05/2021 - 09:34 Link
awesome stuff.
congrats to the well deserved winner.
personally overjoyed with 3rd place.
onto the next.

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