June Contest Winners: Nature’s Clock

For June we were lucky enough to convince master photographer, Giancarlo Pawelec to be our judge! We try to mix up the judging for our monthly contest so that our community gets a wide range of expert views about their work.

Giancarlo is a Toronto-based photographer with a background in the arts ranging from painting to graffiti before finding his feet in professional photography. Over the last two decades, his work has ranged from automotive editorials to portraits, fashion, and commercial work. His clientele has included brands such as Jaguar/Landrover, Porsche, Ford, Marc Anthony Cosmetics, and Kenneth Cole as well as several leading publications.

He posts some cool behind-the-scenes stuff on Instagram too, so be sure to drop him a follow there. And if you want to ask him any questions, grab him on Twitter like we did!

We are certainly happy to have Giancarlo agree to help up with our community judging!

And here is what he had to say:


As a fellow photographer and creative professional for the past two decades, I’m always grateful for opportunities like these to be inspired by others' work. It’s truly an honor to have been selected as the judge for this month’s Light Stalking photography competition.

The theme for this month is “Nature’s Clock.” Although the interpretation of the phrase is entirely left to the artist behind the lens, it also affects the viewer – therein lies the power of photography. Given the freedom to capture an image in any photographic genre and style is truly a privilege. As such, narrowing down the multitude of quality submissions to just three finalists was challenging.

Like with all art that I view, my criticism is always based on an objective perspective, followed by my subjective taste. However, above all else, art should evoke emotion. Without emotion, an image simply isn’t memorable, regardless of one’s technical ability, gear used, or skills in post-production. These finalists each brought their own flair, with some being more technical and unique than others, but all touched on the same narrative of Nature’s Clock.
Here are the best:

First Place:
“Almost Time To Sail” by Karen

Upon first glance at this image, I immediately knew it was a contender for the final selection. The composition, colours, and subject matter are so elegantly done that it looks like a simple snapshot of a random scene by the seaside. This image showcases Nature’s Clock in an unconventional manner, making it the winning image. With the theme, one might expect elements in nature that we use to tell time, such as the position of the sun, the lighting conditions it creates, or even the colour of foliage. Instead, the viewer gets a soft colour palette scene of a beautiful wooden sailboat alongside a flock of seagulls resting on the beach. The magic in the image is the realization that the beach is the sea floor and the sailboat is stuck as the tide is out – simply brilliant.

Titled “Almost Time to Sail,” this image is not only fitting, but also adds the extra element needed to take first place. It’s an image to be proud of and one as timeless as nature itself.

Second Place:
“First Light” by Kaleem S.

Without a doubt, this image caught my eye with the attention-getting red sun setting behind the mountain range. Although the composition and subject matter are limited in the image, it is the unusually dark color palette, underexposure, and one element that piqued my interest. As the theme of Nature’s Clock is to be showcased, the usual idea of a sunrise or sunset comes to mind – that can easily be done. However, in this case, the sun isn’t the underlying story describing time, it is the single lonely street lamp that does its best to illuminate the street as evening fast approaches. The intention behind this capture goes beyond just getting what would be a stereotypical shot of a blood-red sun, but rather a macro perspective on how it truly is nature that controls time, and we simply adapt to it.
Titled “First Light,” this image exemplifies the old adage that simplicity is always best and that when you least expect it, things happen for a reason.

Third Place: “A Tree Ring’s Record of Time and Weather” by Marty E.

From the array of images that were submitted, this one kept me coming back to it round after round of eliminations. Once again, taking a symbolic approach to the interpretation of Nature’s Clock is an image that is simple on the macro perspective, but complex when you dive in. The technical aspect is spot on while being simple, but it is the concept of utilizing a tree trunk’s rings (better known as growth rings) to tell the story of time passing, as each ring is equivalent to one year. To find the age of a tree, you simply count each ring from the outside in, and by the looks of it, this tree was well over 100 years old. The final touch that brings a smile to the viewer, like a warm blanket on a crisp fall day, is the dried-up leaf in the middle of the tree trunk. It is as if nature was leaving a calling card for the season as it passes.
Titled “A Tree Ring’s Record of Time and Weather,” this image is exactly what it portrays. As much as we may take nature for granted, it is nature that will always be the record keeper.


People's Choice Award

Each month, our community gets to vote for their favourite shot in the contest, and for June, the winner was long time member, FrogDaily with this wonderful sunset shot of a lighthouse. Congratulations to Frog who wins $100 in Light Stalking store credit!

Our new monthly contest is already well underway.

If you haven't signed up to be part of it for the chance to get your images judged by a professional as well as a grand $240 cash prize, then don't forget to sign up here!

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About Author

Rob is the founder of Light Stalking. His love for photography started as a child with a Kodak Instamatic and pushed him into building this fantastic place all these years later, and you can get to know him better here.
Rob's Gear
Camera: Nikon D810
Lenses: Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

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