Judges Comments

Beautiful composition. It might have been tempting to take a couple of steps to the right and tighten the composition to just the wedding party and the mountains, but the trees and cut logs on the right tell us much more about the scene.

This could be a painting. The photographer has a talent for including essential parts of the landscape to create a vista.

The picture effectively captures the bucolic beauty of the scene, and the petals on the ground serve to lead one's eyes directly to the bride and groom.

What a cool scene for a wedding.

Judges Comments

This photograph was probably as easy to make as going up to the next floor level and shooting down, but it is a nice balance of inside and outside light. There is also a good bit of body language between the people eating so there seems to be a bit of good timing involved.

Hopefully none of the guests suffered from acrophobia! The photographer did a good job of balancing the lighting and putting the dramatic view in context.

I love the use of the lines from the building in this photo.

Judges Comments

Great lighting in this image that illuminates so much to look at. The formal composition is fun. I like how the scene is split into horizontal layers.

Technically very strong.  The image really brings you in.  I spent a fare amount of time looking at all the faces and gestures of the people dancing. Nice work.

Judges Comments

This could have ranked higher, but the car kills this photograph. I know we take them as we find them, but------. I guess that I am having a bit of contest judge syndrome here. Another story. In a judging of the White House News Photographers Association contest we had a judge from a leading national picture magazine of a graphic nature (not naming names here). A news photo of a breaking news story, I think a midday riot, came up and the judge actually said, “ Nice action but the lighting is so harsh”. I guess the judge thought that the rioters should come back at dusk when the light was better for their riot for the photographer to make the photograph.

This is stunning. Nice use of ambient light to capture the grandiose setting.

Judges Comments

A fun, quirky way of getting people into the landscape to illustrate the scene. I like the perspective from up above too.

I really enjoy this image.  It has a timeless quality about it.  Great composition and use of color.

Judges Comments

Perhaps a remote, perhaps as easy as standing on a balcony of the existing deck, I’ll never know without caption information. At any rate it is a photograph that combines the peak moment of the wedding ceremony and shows the people in the wedding party.

This is a winner. It is the perfect angle to capture the kiss and reactions all in the same photo.

Judges Comments

Not sure what the metaphorical significance of the maze is, but it makes for an intriguing venue. Nice light and the graphic appeal is built in.

Reminds me of the maze in the movie The Shining. Nice angle and graphically pleasing.

Judges Comments

Another good example of interesting light. The picture feels like a movie still. Great job of filling the frame and layering.

Great composition.  You captured this moment well. Very strong work.

Judges Comments

There is nothing like the first dance by the Bride and Groom and this sets the scene wonderfully.

Judges Comments

This category was a tougher one to judge because many photographers took the concept a little too literally. This picture has a nice feeling to it, and I love the sky. An interesting and refreshing take of the scenery.

Judges Comments

Too many images in this category were devoid of people and this one did a good job of showing people in the landscape. I love how the girl's hair and dress are wind-blown.

Love the wide open space and the dresses and hair blowing slightly in the breeze and the tonalities. Wish there was a bit more depth of field (or a little less, as another option), and another thing to consider might be a tighter crop from the left to move the church a bit more of center.

Lovely hues of brown and blues that connect the entire image.  The moment echoes of simpler times.  Very nicely done.

Judges Comments

The low wide angle shows the panorama of the countryside. All the elements work together within the natural landscape.

Judges Comments

The photographer took advantage of beautiful light and effective placement of the wedding group within the frame to convey the sense of a wedding celebrated in the great open expanse of nature.

This image truly helps to transport you into the scene.  Nice work.

Judges Comments

The long exposure on the water over the rocks makes this a great deal more than the overall of the wedding location.

Judges Comments

This is a classic. The reflections of the palm trees with bride and groom in stride complete the scene.