2010 Q3 Contest
Bride Getting Ready
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Judges Comments
This photo has more subtle humor but also is very well exposed with several beautiful elements. All the patterns in the room work well with the simplicity of the texture of the dog’s hair and the texture that mirrors the texture in the brides dress and the moment is nicely captured with a reflection in the mirror. A lot of elegance and grace in the photo!
If dogs and owners truly look alike then it would be an easy bet which dog "owns" this bride. Perhaps it's just me but my experience as a photojournalist taught me that moments like this are rare. I'm glad this photographer used every possible element to bring it home for the rest of us through simple use of available light, good composition and enough skill to "get out of the way" of a delightful scene long enough to let it speak to the rest of us.
Sometimes the circumstances can really help turn a photograph into a work of art. The combination of patterns and textures work together perfectly. This could be in any wedding magazine.
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2nd Place: Ben Benvie from Ontario, CanadaJudges Comments
I loved this shot as soon as I saw it. The gesture, and spontaneity in the bridesmaids is genuine and I love the crop on the bride. There is no need to see the brides face or her entire body. The photographer really did a nice job with this.
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3rd Place: Timothy Forbes from Ontario, CanadaJudges Comments
This photo has many elements working to make it a clear winner. The expression on the face of the dog almost mirrors the expression of the bride and in that split second moment the photograph is framed beautifully and the light is perfect highlighting the dog and backlighting the bride. Very funny moment!
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4th Place: David Pullum from London, EnglandJudges Comments
Spontaneity and humor work with the composition to make this another strong image.
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5th Place: Chris Hartwig from Paca, FranceJudges Comments
The light and angle really helped bring out the texture and beauty in the dress.
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6th Place: Agnieszka Mandal from Silesia, PolandJudges Comments
What a fun way to capture a relatively ordinary scene, although, I must confess, washing your hair while standing outside the shower door is somewhat unique. Nonetheless, the photographer was there and found a delightful moment.
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7th Place: Brad Cohen from New Jersey, United StatesJudges Comments
Wonderful action packed moment of the bride and this woman. You can see that they must have a special relationship in this photo and it’s an unexpected moment. Framing is great while they are captured in mid air together!
Just a great moment, showing great joy. It was made even better by the simplicity of black and white.
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8th Place: Steffen Löffler from Hessen, GermanyJudges Comments
Another funny image with several elements working well except the child almost gets lost in the frame. I wonder if in color it would have been easier to see. Love the fact that the bride is laughing and taking it all in stride. The moment of action on the dog adds a lot of energy to the image.
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9th Place: Pam Lauhachai from Bangkok, ThailandJudges Comments
The photographer took many steps back to see this common moment in a new way. The tungsten light against the paleness of the hanger really worked out nicely.
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10th Place: David Butler II from Connecticut, United StatesJudges Comments
Here's another fun moment that won't be forgotten as a bridesmaid takes her precarious perch on the arm of a chair. But there's more here than meets the eye. The photo works through a combination of leading lines and negative space, the latter framed by the angled ceiling to capture the viewers eyes in a perpetual circle that moves from the bottom of the dress to the top and back again. It's classic photojournalism done well.
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11th Place: Feng Zhe from Shanghai, ChinaJudges Comments
The color of the pizza and the angle looking down and the general composition make this another top image.
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Judges Comments
A nice graphic image with all the hands working together to adjust the dress.
This is a nicely executed detail photo of the bridesmaids buttoning up the brides dress. The pattern and graphic design are strong.
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13th Place: Jonathan Adams from Kentucky, United StatesJudges Comments
There's nothing quite as wonderful as the camera's ability (in the hands of a skilled photographer) to record a subtle scene in a way that we can all enjoy the "moment." The graphic shapes combined with judicious framing simplifies the complexity of the moment to the universal experience of finding a moment of relaxation among friends and family.
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Judges Comments
The eyes in three of the four woman really give a sense of spontaneity, emotion and anticipation. I wish I could see the woman on the far right and I might suggest cropping in on the woman on the left but still a very strong image.
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15th Place: Dorota Kaszuba from Warsaw, PolandJudges Comments
A very real moment. It feels like the bride was totally unaware of the photographer.
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16th Place: David Perkins from West Midlands, EnglandJudges Comments
I loved this image - the boy at left - struggling in a silent war with a tie, clutching something else between his legs - while the women and girl at right get ready for the big event in assembly line fashion. This is a jarringly subtle juxtaposition of two "worlds" in one moment.
Photographer's Comment
This was definitely a case of hanging back and waiting for the right moment. The light was falling from a large window of to my right which was perfect for the scene. I took a few closer shots of the boy attempting his tie but decided to pull back and wait for the scene to evolve. When after a moments the young bridesmaid joined for some dress adjustments I knew I would be likely to get a result. It turned out to be one of my favourite photographs of 2010.
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17th Place: Ruslan Safin from Moscow, Russia -
18th Place: Jonathan Adams from Kentucky, United States -
19th Place: Mauro Pozzer from Vicenza, Italy -
20th Place: Darren Tan from Selangor, MalaysiaPhotographer's Comment
I was beside the bride with 50mm f1.4 attached with my camera. The make-up artist decided to align her veil. Without wasting much time, I took a few steps back and took the shot . The bride's hand covering her lips to prevent staining her veil complemented the shot.