We were struck by how few entries there were. So many terribly mundane images that lacked either the aesthetics or storytelling qualities to resonate. Just like with the feature-singles, most were solid enough, but nothing great. That said, first place jumped right out at us. There really was not debate, we both liked it a lot from the moment we saw the thumbnail. The drone photo has been abused to some degree. While the view looking straight down on our world is eye-catching, this image is a really great example of how to use the drone even more effectively. The image itself, regardless of how it was captured, sings with eye-catching visuals, from the light and texture, to the spectacular spray of sparks from the welder. But this image would likely not be possible w/o the drone. From the ground level the activity atop the tower would be obscured at the least, if not entirely invisible, and the sense of context/place would be totally lost. Second place goes to the really touching moment with the robotic dog. The faces and body language work in a clean composition with effective use of the available light. The kiss in third place was a moment we felt bordered on feature-photo, but was so nicely composed, with nice light and color that we placed it anyway. A photo from an arena construction had nice enough lines for the composition to squeak into HM territory but just not quite enough to edge any of the top three.
Judges:
Sean D. Elliot/The Day, Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
Judges Comments
We were struck by how few entries there were. So many terribly mundane images that lacked either the aesthetics or storytelling qualities to resonate. Just like with the feature-singles, most were solid enough, but nothing great. That said, first place jumped right out at us. There really was not debate, we both liked it a lot from the moment we saw the thumbnail. The drone photo has been abused to some degree. While the view looking straight down on our world is eye-catching, this image is a really great example of how to use the drone even more effectively. The image itself, regardless of how it was captured, sings with eye-catching visuals, from the light and texture, to the spectacular spray of sparks from the welder. But this image would likely not be possible w/o the drone. From the ground level the activity atop the tower would be obscured at the least, if not entirely invisible, and the sense of context/place would be totally lost. Second place goes to the really touching moment with the robotic dog. The faces and body language work in a clean composition with effective use of the available light. The kiss in third place was a moment we felt bordered on feature-photo, but was so nicely composed, with nice light and color that we placed it anyway. A photo from an arena construction had nice enough lines for the composition to squeak into HM territory but just not quite enough to edge any of the top three.