SPC October 2020 Digital Competition

The entries, awards and judge's comments for the October 2020 comp. The set topic was 'A Different Point of View'. The judge - Alan Hitchell
Set Colour SC01 - Cleanliness is next to Godliness - Bruce Williams MERIT - Cleanliness yes, but not the river. A good image. I like the story in it but would have liked more of the scene.  This image has so much more to show us. SC02 - Secret Garden - Sue Williamson I think there may have been a better angle. The background is nice, but you need to be careful it does not compete with your main subject . The table and chair blend in too closely to the background. SC03 - Kookaburra - Peter Noakes CREDIT - Love the bird and the action, very sharp. This angle allows us to see the underside of the bird.
SC04 - Behind the Scene - Pauline Kitto Other images are better on this subject. The two different scenes are in competition. It is confusing as which scene is to hold your eye. SC05 - Pelican Alert - Dave Macquart Another great bird image against a blue sky, also very sharp, with the movement.  The  sunlight gives the bird a slight gold colour. SC06 - Canola - Merelyn Deadman The idea was good but the focus and where the sharpness should be was not.   Not an easy image as to where the main focus should be. SC07 - Behind the Waterfall - Robin Pitcher I like this image. I would also like to see a wider image .     What you show us from this position is very good.  The people in the image it gives us a scale of size .
SC08 - Through the Window – Lismore Castle - Kim Touzel This image is good, but the castle is fantastic, ten times better than the window .   Through the window is a good composition but I just want to be outside. SC09 - Baby Brown Eyes - Dan Crowley Beautiful child study. When they are crawling, they will not stop for the camera. The child needs to be further back or crop the image to head & shoulders.  I think that would be a more powerful  image. SC10 - Echidna - Peter Noakes MERIT - This is a very good echidna image. We do not usually see such a good angle in echidnas . The sharpness and light makes this image a winner. SC11 - Braidwood Memorial - John Shadlow CREDIT - Again the angle is very good. Your approach brings out the best in the soldier with good lighting.  The sculpture is very good.
SC12 - Legs Galore - Lorraine Sladden This one looks like a teenager ready to leave the pouch. Sharp with good lighting. I like the eyes.  I do not mind  all the legs and paws. its all about the joey. SC13 - Anzac Bridge - Matt Kaarma The Anzac Bridge is now very popular with photographers. Looking for that place to capture their image is not a challenge as it looks great from many directions.  It's about getting the lighting right SC14 - Under the Spider - Robin Pitcher MERIT - The spider is different and a nice image. The background looks to be a famous museum and it adds to the image.  I like just the three things in this image. SC15 - Doc’s Eye View - Robyn Larson-Shelton Too close, if you had light in the eyes or a reflection, it would have helped. The little bit of background tells me that the time of day let you down.
SC16 - Prep Work - Pauline Kitto This angle is good looking down. You capture everything, bench space is at a premium. It's different and it shows us a scene that we often miss but it's all around us. SC17 - Rajiva's Sunnies - Dave Macquart The sunnies give a good reflection. Its different, a good image and everything is sharp.  The right amount of face. It's all about the sunnies. SC18 - Look Up - Merelyn Deadman Is it wall art or ceiling art? It looks good as a photograph and that's what matters. Was the white background the best colour?  Did we need more light on the underside? SC19 - Point Perpendicular - John Shadlow The variety of colours in the image make the image work. Five chimneys tells us it gets cold and they are important to the image. They tell about design and age .  It's  all about the top of the lighthouse and the chimneys .
SC20 - Capturing the Photographer - Dan Crowley This image shows fitness and age. I could not hold that position or that lens with out falling forward or back and needing help to get up. So who gets the points? I would give more to the person holding the lens .  The composition is good as it gives us the story of the image. SC21 - Waiting for Someone - Sue Williamson To me, the chairs they look out of place to the old stone building. The light is nice.  Maybe the fact they look out of place? SC22 - Point of View - Matt Kaarma This image affects me in the same way as the previous one. The chair and the room design makes for a good image. But the person no, you could crop them out. But what is the best way to capture the art in the centre of the room?  I also feel the room is part of the image not the window or what's outside. SC23 - Leaning Which Way - Bruce Williams This is a good exercise for learning. You want three images that show the tower and the area around the tower. Which ones best tell that story? When presenting three images, the hardest thing is to find three images of the same standard. The points by judges is normally based which image scores the lowest points.
SC24 - The Mirror - Philomena Kaarma This is a scene of danger for the judge. They are all club members.  We must be nice to be invited back. A happy photo of four very distinguished young people who all look slimmer than me. SC25 - Railway to Nowhere - Phil Baldwin A very good image. The abandoned  railway line and the building are images we need to preserve.   I like the composition the colours and lighting. Set Mono SM01 - Birds Eye View - Barbara Reed CREDIT - A well toned mono image with good blacks & whites. The boats on the water give the image movement with their wake and that lifts this image.
SM02 - Spiral Stairs - Dan Crowley Where they go or the history of the stairs do not transfer into this image.  This image needed more in it or if possible, a different angle. SM03 - Under the Dome - Robin Pitcher MERIT - This image shows age and skill at a time when few tools would have been available.   The person who was the sculptor was a true artist.  We need to photograph these domes for the world to see.   The  photographer has captured an image which had many challenges to overcome to achieve this result. SM04 - Vulnerability - Sue Williamson The detail on this image  is good but let down by lighting. I would have more ground cover in this image. SM05 - Bridal Couple – Hong Kong - Bruce Williams CREDIT - The church and the couple are needed.   The people that are a distraction, better moved out of the image. I also have to challenge your title. In my opinion it is Macao, not Hong Kong.
SM06 - Behind the Net - Pauline Kitto This image looks to be a poster or a painting with chicken wire. I am a little confused. Did you photograph a poster? SM07 - Bride - John Shadlow CREDIT - The bride from a different angle its hard to tell . We like faces, but a different angle can mean no faces . The movement of the body looks like she might fall. SM08 - The Icon - Philomena Kaarma Set subjects are there to make us think. To maybe do things a little different but the image must always be enjoyable to view.  This takes a famous subject and leaves us with  little to see. Open Colour
OC01 - Galah - Peter Noakes CREDIT - A nice image simple in design with the galah. It’s sharp, colourful and  light is very good.   A  post is not as good as part of a tree, but you work with what you have. OC02 - Bar-tailed Godwit - Ian Brown MERIT - Bar-tailed godwit - a great bird image. I like the lighting on the bird and the blue of the water. OC03 - Bushfire Survivor - Kim Touzel MERIT - A fabulous study of a frog, this image is a winner. The colour and lighting of the frog gives it impact.  The area around the frog is a little dark and not competing  with the main subject . OC04 - Hilltops - Lorraine Sladden CREDIT - It must be all about the time. The reflections, background and the colour are very good.  Distance is a minor problem.
OC05 - Corroboree Lagoon Dawn - Robyn Larson-Shelton MERIT - This image has impact. It makes you stop and look.  The red is good and the birds in the sky.  I wonder if a square is the best frame? OC06 - Split Apple Rock - Barbara Reed The Split Apple Rock draws you in. They grab your attention. Good lighting, lots of detail and even the water colour adds to the composition. OC07 - Buff-banded Rail - Ian Brown There has been some very good bird shots in all areas of this competition, and this is another top image.  Good colour and detail on the bird. OC08 - Mortimer Bay - Merelyn Deadman The sky is very strong in this image, but I wonder what it looks like untouched. The time of day is just right.
OC09 - Great Egret’s Breakfast - Kim Touzel A nice image but if taken horizontal, I think that would maybe a better image. Try it in the computer   You missed the capture of the reflection. It would have lifted  the image . OC09 - Somersby Falls - Phil Baldwin MERIT - A very good waterfall, not too large and with the capture of slow-motion water movement, that makes the image. Open Mono OM01 - Don’t be Scared - Robyn Larson-Shelton CREDIT - Two good subjects nicely framed. A little light and a little sharper would have helped the image . I understand conditions may have been a problem .
OM02 - Skyscrapers - Barbara Reed CREDIT - A sign of the times, high rise, they will only get bigger. Building design can be average or brilliant. Always look for that shape that is amazing. In photographing buildings, you want impressive designs. OM03 - Gulaga - Dave Macquart The clouds look good but fail on impact. You have drama and excitement in the clouds, but it needed more. OM04 - Seat with a View - Matt Kaarma In this scene, I am lost to find something to hold my interest.  The building is old and dark. There is light but not under the awning. OM05 - Talking with god - Philomena Kaarma The flare from the sunlight was what you wanted to capture, but the camera and eyesight are different. You look at a person in shade and you can see everything, but the camera's eye sees dark as almost black.
OM06 - After the Fire - Phil Baldwin MERIT - A very good image. Good detail and nice composition. It tells a story and has drama in the sky with nice lighting. POTM Kim Touzel - Bushfire Survivor - Emerald-spotted Tree Frog - Litoria peronii - A fabulous study of a frog. This image is a winner.