We're happy to announce the winner of October's competition, “The Art of the Detail.”
For those who don't know, the Light Stalking Monthly Photography Competition carries a $100 People's Choice Award and a $100 Overall Winner Award. The People's Choice Winner is selected by a vote of the community, whereas our guest judge selects the overall winner.
“The Art of the Detail” Photo Contest
The art of the detail in photography is a great way to creatively photograph closer details of grand views or other subjects that usually go unnoticed. Focusing on smaller or macro level details will let the photographer capture in-depth stories about a subject or a scene.
In order to capture the intrinsic or finer details, it is important to get closer to the subject or scene and if possible, use macro lenses to capture the details. Lighting also plays a great role in emphasising the details – side lighting works the best in most scenarios.
Some ways in which you can capture the art of the detail are, by diving into the world of macro photography, focusing on the small, often overlooked details that tell a larger story, highlighting the beauty and complexity of textures found in nature, from the bark of a tree to the veins of a leaf or patterns on a petal, capturing the intricate details of architecture, by focusing on how lines, shapes, patterns and textures converge to create abstract art or creating close-up portraits that focus on the eyes and capture the depth of emotion and storytelling within.
When choosing the winning photos, we wanted to make sure that the decision process was based on a good interpretation of the theme, followed by other factors like light, composition, story, details, creative vision, etc. The results are entirely subjective and there are no losers in any competition as we all know.
Here are October's Winners:
First Place: “Finding Awe in Nature” by Marty E
Marty submitted a very striking photo of an anole on a colourful leaf. The photo makes use of beautiful compositional guidelines and light, while also focusing on the beautiful details of the anole and the leaf.
The lines, curves and the complimentary red and green colours make this a very powerful photo. The soft light on the subjects is perfect enough to reveal even the smallest detail on the anole and the leaf, while also revealing the varying colours on the reptile.
The dark background is an added bonus that makes the subjects stand out in the frame. This is a perfectly executed shot and congratulations Marty on this winning shot.
This is what Marty had to say about her submission: I found the turquoise around this tiny anole's eye to be simply stunning. I've heard it said before that nature is our best colorist.
Second Place: “Winter Berries” by Emily K
The photo of a bunch of winter berries submitted by Emily is an outstanding example that helps to appreciate the art of the detail. The red berries with the water droplets are visually pleasing and add a story.
Emily has used the right angle and perspective to capture this photograph, so the water droplets stand out against the background. Also the right choice of colours, help us to appreciate the winter mood while at the same time, allow the red berries to stand out against the blue or cold background.
Framing the berries towards one end of the frame while allowing space for the surrounding environment to participate is another great decision made while composing this shot. Congratulations Emily.
This is what Emily had to say about her submission: I stopped in a parking lot while in Northern California during wintertime to appreciate the gorgeous colors and water droplets hanging from a shrub after a rainy morning.
Third Place: “Seeds” by Tersha
Tersha's submission of seeds breaking open from a seedpod is a striking example that has captured the finest details in the frame. The feathery bristles or the fine hairs on the seeds have been captured sharply revealing the minute details. Capturing sharp macro can be challenging, but Tersha has made use of the right settings to record these details perfectly.
Tersha has also composed the image taking into account the colours, lines and patterns. The sharper details are kept along one of the lines and all the lines converging to the bottom of the frame is visually appealing.
The contrasting yellow and green colours in the frame are another great choice and congratulations on this beautiful photo Tersha.
People's Choice Award Winner
Our monthly photo contests also come with a People's Choice Award. The winner of this part of the contest receives $100 worth of store credit on Light Stalking which they can spend as they please on our blueprints, drills, courses or Presets.
For October, we have three popular photos voted by the contestants:
- “Finding Awe in Nature” by Marty E, which also won the first place in the contest. Congratulations on this award Marty.
- “Seeds” by Tersha, which also won the third place in the contest. Congratulations on this award Tersha.
- “Barn Latch” – Weathered blue wooden barn door with hand wrought iron latch and handhold opening, showing signs of age and decay by John Dailey.
John's beautiful submission of a weathered wooden barn door, is very simple, but there are many details that need to be appreciated in such a simple frame. The lines, textures and the almost monotonous colours play a role in making this image very effective. The little bit of rust on the latch adds some contrast and interest to the photo while also adding depth to the textures. Adding some more interest are the nails, screws and hooks, along with the different hues the weathering wood displays. Congratulations on this beautiful photo John.
November's photo contest is live and is open for submissions. This month, our theme is, “Contrasting Textures” in photography.
If you would like to join and enter some images into our monthly contest then take a look at your options here.
