New England – September 2018 – Portrait/Illustration

Judges Comments

The judges had firm ideas of what photographs should be entered in the portrait/illustration category and we felt some of the photographs weren't really portraits but found moments. A portrait should try and offer some insight as to who the subject is and why we should be interested in them, should show strong compositions and lighting. Time is the greatest asset we have when photographing portraits so it's understandable when photographers aren't given the time needed to make strong work but do their best in spite of it. First place was the obvious winner. It was a different viewpoint (underwater !), the colours were gorgeous, the way the lighting accentuated the bubbles... can't say enough about this portrait. Second place took a much copied and cliché idea but made it a humorous picture. The toning, the droll expressions and props all worked well together in this entry. Third place was from a low angle which worked well as it allowed the out of focus grass to fill in the space at left, instead of leaving it just empty sky. The body position of the rider and horse mirrored each other and gave the photograph a balanced feeling.

Judges: Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail, Theresa Suzuki/The Globe and Mail, Tim McKenna/The Globe and Mail