2008 Q2 Contest
Creative Portrait
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1st Place: Genya Garrett from Georgia, United StatesJudges Comments
I think that this was the only photo that made me laugh out loud. It's just a really fun, creative way to shoot the wedding party. Very well done. The color gives this a retro feel and the body language of the bridesmaids adds to this mood. Fun idea and well executed. The background however, I find a bit distracting and less than ideal.
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2nd Place: Dorota Kaszuba from Warsaw, PolandJudges Comments
Fun idea but I find the harsh quality of light hurts the image. I love the bride and groom's expressions and positioning. And the veil on the hedges is great. The bride's poodle however is problematic. A less harsh exposure would allow the two to separate better.
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3rd Place: Tony Cabrera from Illinois, United StatesJudges Comments
The composition of the steel beams and the use of stark lighting complement this bride and groom as they kiss. A very strong use of composition and angle lead the viewer around the photograph.
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4th Place: Bartosz Jastal from Silesia, PolandJudges Comments
I don't know what says “creative portrait†more than a couple in an excavator. This photo was a real standout because of its originality. There definitely feels like there's a story behind it
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6th Place: Sol Tamargo from Riviera Maya, MexicoJudges Comments
This image is dynamic, fun, creative and well executed. The slight tilt adds to the spontaneous feel. And details such as the sand falling off the foot at right and the pointed finger on the jumper's hand help elevate the image to the top. The shadows hitting the beach also give the photo that extra quality.
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7th Place: Paris Papaioannou from Volos, GreeceJudges Comments
This looks like a fashion shoot, but I like it. Interesting concept and well executed. The bride looks perfectly unruffled and the pool she is floating in creates a beautiful background. Well composed. Good light. It's all working for the photographer here.
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8th Place: Yu Hsin Seah from Singapore, Singapore -
9th Place: W. Scott Chester from Georgia, United StatesJudges Comments
Love the bride and groom between the giant topiary cones. The photographer has seen an interesting setting where most would not. It's almost as if the bride and groom are in another world.
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10th Place: David Wegwart from Colorado, United StatesJudges Comments
This is a nice portrait that takes a second to realize it's not a mirrored image. The expressions are good, the light is nice. And you know these women will treasure this photograph.
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11th Place: Steven Bridges from Tennessee, United StatesJudges Comments
A strong element of natural light and framing highlight this bride as she smiles. I would have liked to see a little more detail in the bride's face and in the flowers.
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12th Place: Mike Day from Ontario, CanadaJudges Comments
Yet another fun and very different image. I love the graphic quality. What a great idea for a portrait.
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13th Place: David Bracho from Illinois, United StatesJudges Comments
This photograph has great dramatic light, texture and strong composition.
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Judges Comments
This image captures the joy of the day by isolating the groom's toothy grin. Also, the composition, which goes down just enough to include one button on the groom's attire, works well as does the balance of the groomsmen. But in any posed situation, there's no excuse for distracting background elements as there are on the far right of the frame. The photographer should have moved everyone to the left a foot or two to solve this problem.
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15th Place: Matt McGraw from North Carolina, United StatesJudges Comments
This image reminds me of the movie “Gone with the Wind.†Shot in black and white, the use of light creates an elegant mood. Sometimes just a simple image can be one of the strongest.
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16th Place: David Jackson from Wisconsin, United StatesJudges Comments
I kept going back to the expressions on these people's faces. It doesn't feel traditionally “wedding†at all and that made it stick out of the group. It's just a lovely, almost haunting photo of a couple.
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17th Place: Ben Tang from Hong Kong, Hong KongJudges Comments
Regal and magical are words that come to mind here. The photographer has done a great job finding a setting and lighting it well for strong dramatic effect. It allows us to see the bride as strong and independent and like a goddess in her gown draped off of the boulder she is perched on.
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18th Place: Nikos Papadopoulos Gogas from Santorini, Greece -
19th Place: Joyelle West from Massachusetts, United States -
20th Place: Brian Wagner from Tennessee, United States
