Monthly Image Challenge
FEBRUARY 2023 - BACKLIGHTING
The selector of the February ‘Monthly Image Challenge’ was Simon Ciappara who unfortunately has spent most of the past two weeks in with covid. We all wish Simon a speedy recovery but we may not see him at NDPS for a while as his wife Tricia as now caught covid.
Congratulations to Tom Watson whose image FURNACE was chosen by Simon who enjoyed Tom’s image and the feeling of heat, the translucency of the glass and the intense light from within the furnace its self. There is a lot of detail that is lit from behind, the bubbles in the glass, the curl of the flame and a sense of motion of the glass spinning on the Pontil. Tom might like to consider a tighter crop to the furnace doors because in my opinion the workshop and the glass blowers elbow distract from the theme.
Commenting on the two runners-up Simon said:
DRAWN TO THE LIGHT by Joan Jordan - this has a lovely tropical glass house steamy feel and is lit from outside, the mono treatment works for this and enhances the feeling and accentuates the shadow slashes of the Palms and Banana plants. The author might like to consider adding a tad more contrast as this should increase the drama and intensify the shadows making the backlight more evident.
RED LIGHT ENCOUNTER again by Joan Jordan - The photographer silhouetted in the red light has an almost sinister presence, the touch of light around the eye lifts this from merely a dark shadow to something more than that...! However, I feel the foreground is very busy with the benches which don’t bring anything to enhance the image, a much tighter crop would I believe increase the viewer’s attention on the figure which is the focus of the Image and the “encounter”.
FURNACE by Tom Watson
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 (2023) 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.
LANDSCAPE - Try your hand at landscape photography. Seascapes and Townscapes are also allowed. We are all looking forward to some strong entries from the NDPS Landscape Group..!
Members can enter a maximum of TWO images in the challenge
When submitting images for the MARCH challenge the reference to be added at the end of the file name is MC03.
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/Judge’s Choice
When each monthly challenge closes a ‘ballot’ will be held to pick at random the member who will be asked to select the ‘image of the month’, two runners-up, and to provide a few words explaining their choices.
INCLUDED in the ballot will be the names of those members who entered images in the monthly challenge that has just closed but in order that everyone get a chance to be a ‘selector’ the names of those members who have been the selector for any of the last three closed monthly challenges will not be included
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.
Gallery of all February’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.