Canon Online Round 4 Results

PSNZ Canon Online Photographer 2022 Round 5 Results

By Paul Willyams APSNZ AFIAP MNZIPP, Canon PSNZ Online Coordinator

The Winner! Congratulations to Wendy Pemberton, winner of the Canon Online round 5 for 2022. There were 105 entries in this round.

About Wendy...

I feel very honoured and extremely excited that my image, First Date, has won first place this round. My interest in photography began when I was a teenager, using my parents' little Instamatic film camera and progressing from there, mainly taking family pets and holiday snaps. My interest picked up when my husband bought me a DSLR camera about eight years ago, but I only used it on Auto until I joined the Whitianga Photographic Club. With the help of more experienced club members, I began using my camera on manual settings about three years ago. I have been a member of PSNZ for about two years and recently also joined Cambridge Photography Club.

I enjoy most genres of photography but particularly love detail, so bird photography and macro would probably be my favourites ̶ but I’ll try anything.

Wendy’s winning image...

For this image, I set up the cup and saucer with sugar syrup and then used the tripod to look through my kitchen window. I didn't have to wait long for the wax-eyes to fly in, their little heads bobbing up and down quickly as they drank. I used a shutter speed of 1/1250 sec, f/6.3, ISO1250, 400mm, and took hundreds of shots to capture this image which required very little editing.

These little birds always make me smile with their very expressive faces. We can only imagine what they must be saying to one another...

The judge for this round...

Ian Walls FPSNZ introduces himself. My photographic interests go back to high school days, and I have fond memories of stirring chemicals and watching images magically appear in a darkroom tray.

My first digital camera was a massive 3-megapixel Fuji and I had an early version of Photoshop which had a dubious legal status ̶ I purchased it at a market in Hong Kong. With these tools at the ready, I absorbed all that I could from the internet to learn how to use them. I quickly realised that technical skills by themselves mean little when using photography to create art.

For me, that dual aspect of needing both artistic and technical skills is the real magic of photography. And that doesn't stop growing ̶ just look at where AI is taking us now! For me, the purpose of "judging" is both to provide feedback and learning to someone whose work I have been asked to assess, and to push myself to look at images with an open mind so that I can see past the obvious.

1st - First Date by Wendy Pemberton

I first saw this image towards the end of the more than 100-image pile and, when I clicked on it, I immediately smiled. Drawn back to it, I noticed the gorgeous background, skillfully grounded by the hedge line that lines up perfectly with the rugged post. Then there was the quirky cup, placed there by the photographer, and the two wax-eyes that posed superbly. Simplicity, done wonderfully and, for me, a worthy winner.

... PSNZ Canon Online. Awarded Photos

2nd - Among the Trees by Sheree Davidson LPSNZ

This is a superb construct that is all about storytelling. The reality is clearly twisted, from the spire formed in the upward branches of the flip to the overlarge door and the unnatural blue in the forest. We know that this is a story and we are drawn towards the magical land beyond the door.

3rd - Secret Surfer by Sue Riach APSNZ ARPS AFIAP

There is a spiral of energy in the waves that draws me inward towards the surfer. The post-production smudge filter, that has been applied, adds to that energy spiral. The monochromatic presentation also emphasises the unreality.

4th - Pretty in Pink by Karen Moffatt-Mcleod APSNZ This image spoke of mood and mystique to me. Compositionally I think the light on the central tree creates an interesting point of focus and the branches lead the eye into the intriguing misty spaces beyond. I find both the colour palette and the sense of space and solitude restful.

5th - Having a Jolly Good Pollen Hunt by Rachel Spillane

I really get the sense that this bee is at “maximum all-up weight”. The simple background and central location, within the frame, of the flower and the bee, work well to create a sense of energy from the bottom to the top of the image.

...PSNZ Canon Online. Awarded Photos

6th - The Selfie by Liz Hardley FPSNZ EFIAP/g FAPS EPSA LRPS

This is a story of happy summer fun, and Grandma really is in charge here. Your choice of monochrome simplifies what could be a mass of colour in their clothing and the background hints at location, but the story remains about the people.

7th - Bright Eyes by Rosemary Simpson LPSNZ

This gorgeous portrait is all about those bright blue eyes. The face-painting artist has matched the colour of her top and her skin tones. Perhaps you have set her against a dark background in post-production, and this works really well, but the slightly reserved yet confident expression tops it all off.

8th - Beginnings by Shelley Wood LPSNZ

The colour pallet and the gorgeous background blur allow us to make our own story about the beauty in nature. The wafer-thin depth of field highlights the unfurling frond, but the story is more about what we imagine than what you literally show us.

...PSNZ Canon Online. Awarded Photos

9th - Uluru Waterhole by Markham Mail APSNZ

In this image, a small part of the view tells us a large story about the place. The orange and blue colour pairing, arranged in a Yin Yang style, explains how the rock gathers the water and holds it within. The footprints on the sandbar in the foreground give us a sense of scale.

10th - My Home My Castle by Dianna Hambleton APSNZ

Nothing is straight or whole here, and the place needs to be held together with bits of #8 wire, but the building feels just as welcoming as the quirky smile on its owner's face. I am sure that a cup of tea and a few stories are on offer here.