Monthly Image Challenge
MAY 2023 - MONONCHROME
After careful consideration by our selector for this month, Dave Jordan, here are the results for the May Competition:
The Winner: ‘Light Rays’ by Brian Gwinnell.
The essence of monochrome photography is in its ability to simplify an image by using pure tone and texture and this image works very effectively in doing that. This image uses the power of symmetry to create considerable depth, with the light in the clouds almost mirroring the shadows formed by the trees. The exposure has been well handled with good detail and texture in the shadow areas.
Brian Gwinnell explains:
Light Rays was taken in Penn, in Buckinghamshire. I have photographed this location over the years many times. It’s a bit out of the way to get to but worth the walk. Set in a dip with the coppice on a hill your view is looking up to the coppice. Penn, being on the Chiltern Hills, is prone to getting snow. But I think it took about three years to get the right conditions!
I took the shot on a digital camera and then converted to black and white.
As a new member to NDPS I am delighted to win the Monthly Competition and I hope to compete in more competitions in the future.
First Runner Up: ‘Elizabeth Tower Day to Night’ by Pat Stebbings.
This is a fairly well-known viewpoint, but it still is quite dramatic and on the whole technically well executed. The shadow and highlight detail have been well controlled and the image does convey a good sense of depth. This is the sort of image that works effectively in monochrome.
Second Runner Up: ‘Ruin at Ballyhealey’ by John Hodgson.
The light has been used very effectively in this image, to create wonderful texture and depth. The building has been broken into different geometric shapes by the light areas and the shadows, so it is a clever piece of composition that only works in monochrome. There is good detail in the shadows and highlights.
LIGHT RAYS by Brian Gwinnell
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 JUNE (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.
MINIMAL - When you approach minimalism look for elements of light, shadows, colour, textures, line and space. The focus of your picture will be isolated and projected with minimal detail.
Members can enter a maximum of TWO images in the challenge
When submitting images for the JUNE challenge the reference to be added at the end of the file name is MC06.
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 May’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.