Monthly Image Challenge
March 2024 - OUTSIDE NORFOLK
Here are the comments provided by Maurice Young who was asked to be this month’s selector.
I was pleased to have been asked to select the outstanding images submitted in the Monthly Image Challenge during March ‘24. The theme was ‘Outside Norfolk’ which was reflected in the wide variety of submissions.
Before reviewing the larger than usual entry of images this month I decided to revisit and familiarise myself with the rules. Doing so immediately reminded me that the Monthly Image Challenge is designed to be the perfect opportunity for members to test their photography skills, and to compete with other members in a friendly environment without the rigours of formal competitive photographic competitions’. I was also drawn to Rule 21 which states “Selectors will be reminded that the ‘Monthly Image Challenge’ has everything to do with being fun and inclusive. It is not about winning or losing but rather should reward those members who take a chance, are bold with their composition, try something new or simply invoke emotion in the mind of the viewer”.
With these criteria in mind, I set about reviewing the slideshow I was sent of all the submitted images a few times before I finally reduced the original 28 images to a small group of 5 across a broad range of genres from which I made my final selection(s).
My selection for image of the month is INDIAN FISHERMAN by Janette Franks. When I look at this photo, it makes me think of the people who have to get on with their everyday life whilst other people are on holiday enjoying themselves.
What I like about this photo... is the way that something has caught the fisherman’s eye as he goes about his daily life. He clearly doesn't give a damn, which makes him standout. Congratulations Janette - It is a worthy image of the month.
Technically there are a few tweaks that I would consider. Firstly, I would try to improve the separation between the subject and the background. This should be fairly easy to achieve by selecting the subject and inverting the mask so you can add blur and darken the background a little. Secondly, I would lighten the shadows to show more detail un the forehead and slightly darken the fisherman’s teeth slightly .
Overall, I think this photo has a lot of charm and intensity - The suggested changes are very subjective, obviously, and others might not agree. The shot itself is a gem, though, I think a slight re-edit could do wonders to make it as good as it deserves to be. Give it a try and see what you think..!
Anyone who has been to India will have found that taking selfies is a national sport.
In February we were visiting the home of our guide from a previous trip, and she took us to the local beach at sunset as the fishermen were bringing in the catch. All the fishermen loved having their photos taken. This was taken on my phone, the main adjustment ( in Lightroom ) that I made was cleaning up his t-shirt which had lots of flecks on it. It made a big difference to the photo and is something which I am just learning.
Janette Franks
Runner-up was GLOBAL VILLAGE, DUBAI by Sue Telford. Again, this is a very interesting street and colourful scene that was well seen by the photographer.
Technically, it could have been better, and I would take another look at the file to see if it is large enough to increase the resolution. I would also look at cropping the bottom of the image just below the silver kettle to emphasise the all ladies in the shot and in addition, the interaction between the lady serving the food and the customer in the top left hand corner.
Second Runner-up was BOTSWANA GRASSES 1 by William Moore. Although there were other nature pictures submitted in the monthly challenge this one made me stop and think…! Highlighting the grass in the foreground and the lion being out of focus increased the tension in the image.
The remaining two images that just missed out were COIGACH SNOWSTORM by David Cole, and WELLS CATHEDRAL by Joan Jordan.
INDIAN FISHERMAN by Janette Franks
Monthly Image Challenge
Each monthly challenge begins on the first day and closes at midnight on the 24th day of each month. The ‘image of the month’ and two runners-up will normally be announced before the end of the month. The theme for the MARCH 2024 CHALLENGE is shown below. It is a ‘PICTORIAL’ challenge meaning there is no restriction regarding the composition of the image and post-processing techniques you may use.
CLOSE UP PORTRAITS can be a particularly revealing type of likeness - one that doesn’t spare the details - but as a way to take the viewer deeply into the person, a portrait that focuses mainly on the face can’t be beaten.
Members can enter a maximum of TWO images in the challenge
When submitting images for the APRIL challenge the reference to be added at the end of the file name is MC04.
About the challenge
The Society’s Monthly Image Challenge is the perfect opportunity for members to test their photography skills, and to compete with other members in a friendly environment without the rigours of formal competitive photographic competitions. It is, therefore, a perfect challenge for anyone who has recently joined NDPS, particularly if they are just starting out on their photographic journey, and/or, have not entered a photo-competition before.
The Monthly Image Challenge is open to all CURRENT members of the Society including eMEMBERS
The THEME for each challenge will be confirmed at the start of each challenge but for those who prefer to plan ahead they can also be found along with everything else you need to know about the Monthly Image Challenge below.
Selector’s Choice
When each challenge closes a 'Selector' will be asked to select an image of the month and two runners-up together with a few words explaining their selections.
The ‘Selector’ will be provided with a slideshow that contains all the images that have been entered in that month’s challenge. Only the title of the images will be visible, and all metadata will be deleted so that the author cannot be readily identified.
Selectors will be reminded when the receive the slideshow that the ‘Monthly Image Challenge’ has everything to do with having fun and being inclusive. It is not about winning or losing but rather it should reward those members who take a chance, are bold with their composition, try something new or simply invoke emotion in the mind of the viewer.
Gallery of all March’s Images
Monthly Image Challenge
As with all other photographic competitions, there are few rules to follow. These are required to create a ‘level playing field’ for all who participate and because it is much easier and quicker to handle and store the images if they all arrive correctly named in the same format and size. In addition, for members who are less familiar with submitting images into formal competitions it is also good practice, under no pressure, for the real thing...!
The ‘image of the month‘ will be displayed on the Society’s website together with a gallery showing all the other images entered that month’s challenge. There will also be an archive so members can look back through the galleries of past monthly challenges. The ‘image of the month’ will also appear on the cover of In Focus (the Society’s monthly newsletter) and on the Society’s Facebook page @ndpsinfocus.