Monthly Image Challenge
DECEMBER 2022 - STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
The December Image Challenge brings 2022 to an end and we wish best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. We also look forward to viewing your entries in the monthly challenge during the year ahead.
December’s entries were reviewed by Tom Watson whose name was drawn out of the hat to be this month’s ‘selector’. Here are Tom’s comments:
“…This month's challenge has produced some interesting images based on the theme, 'Street Photography'. There’s a busking horse trying to raise money for an engagement ring, a reference to Arnold Wesker's 1960s play, 'Chips With Everything' and the Beatles get a look in too. There are references to poverty, age, architecture and some lovely postproduction work. A sort of cornucopia of plenty!
Three pictures caught my eye, 'Footbridge Over The River Wensum', 'Green Day' and 'Tunnel of Light'. But which to choose as my favourite?
I'll opt for 'Footbridge'. I'm familiar with this part of the river Wensum and this bridge and, although the colours of the scene are not here, I can feel a sense of warmth from the sunshine and shadows and a sense of place and time from the graffiti and the bridge itself. The picture has been well seen and captured and the postproduction work has retained the clarity and warmth of the moment in infra-red without filling in the shadows but keeping the highlights open. Even those plants and reeds on the other side of the river under the bridge are not overdone. From a composition point of view the bridge and its reflection make a 'picture within a picture', so the viewer gets two for the price of one! Yes, my number one.
My other two pictures present similar enjoyment to viewers. 'Green Day' is one of those scenes that improves when you work on the colours! This green and grey is eye-catching and although these may not be the original colours from the street they certainly grabbed my attention. It could be said that some of the verticals and horizontals were not perfect, but my feeling is that the building was a little downtrodden and not perfect in real life.
'Tunnel Of Light' was, to me, all about symmetry, pattern and repetition and keeping the shadows open and the highlights not blown out. The viewer is drawn into the picture and feels the need to discover what is at the end of the tunnel and this feeling of diving in is encouraged by the use of leading lines and symmetry, even the use of monochrome seems to sharpen the senses.
All these opinions are mine alone and anyone can, of course, disagree with me. But looking at all three images there is a boldness about them which invites attention, and they do not disappoint. They all are good examples of seeing a good composition and making an inviting image…”
Congratulations therefore go to Maurice Young for his monochrome conversion of his infrared image FOOTBRIDGE OVER THE RIVER WENSUM and to the two runners-up GREEN DAY by Ian Saunders and TUNNEL OF LIGHT by David Powley.
FOOTBRIDGE OVER THE RIVER WENSUM by Maurice Young
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 JANUARY (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.
RULE OF THIRDS - Although this is a common compositional guide it is still powerful. Look out for some strong entries from those members who are active members of our Special Interest Broups, particularly the Landscape, Studio , Pictorialists and those members who participate in Tom’s Tours…!
Members can enter a maximum of TWO images in the challenge
When submitting images for the JANUARY challenge the reference to be added at the end of the file name is MC01.
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 December’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.