Having had the first digital competition round of the new season, it was time for prints.
Another pictorial or open round was on offer.
Image 1 – Sunrise Reflections at Sheringham
First choice was this image from the club’s first sunrise trip of the new season to Sheringham.
I chose this image because I like it, and it was the best shot I captured on that morning.
I love the reflections, the morning sunlight, and the way the railings run along the horizon.
I did a bit of tidying up in editing looking around the edges to eliminate distractions, and I also had to clone a few small areas of the sky to make double sure I had no overexposed areas.
Below is the mounted print which is printed on Permajet Titanium Lustre paper.
Self critique (pre-judging)
I am not sure how this image will fare, and it could be a classic bang average 8.
It’s a lovely scene with awesome sunrise sky and a great reflection.
The railings provide a great leading line, and there is a person in the distance albeit too small to really notice.
The clifftop is a tad noisy which I’ve tried to hide.
Judge’s verdict
The judge said it was a beautiful sunrise shot with lovely textures.
They said there were great textures in the foreground.
They said they would have preferred the railings didn’t run across the horizon, and did acknowledge perhaps that’s how it was shot, or it was an intentional composition.
The judge awarded the image 9/10.
Post-judging thoughts
I’m very pleased with the score and have no grumbles.
The railings across the horizon was just how it came out, and I was pleased with it. I’m not convinced having the horizon visible would add much to the scene.
Image 2 – Beached Whale
My second image is a drone shot I captured on a sunrise shoot at Hopton-on-Sea.
I chose this shot as I really like the composition and the quality of this image.
The morning light was great on that morning and enabled me to capture optimum quality.
I’ve still taken three bracketed exposures and blended them in Lightroom, and some Topaz denoising has enhanced the sharpness.
I brightened a few areas of the rocks up to really emphasise where the sunlight was shining on the rocks.
I am grateful to my photography friends Bill and Pat who both gave me feedback. Bill said the grass at the top needs looking at due to the colour tone difference to the sand. It is distracting. Pat suggested I tilt the image to eliminate the grass.
Having experimented with the image, I did tilt it then cloned out what little grass was left which just leaves rocks, and I like this final version better.
The printed mount is shown below and printed in Permajet Portrait White and looks really good on that matte, slightly textured paper.
Self-critique (pre-judging)
This is my best drone shot to date so I’ve pinned a bit of hope that this scores well.
The composition is great with a diagonal, rule of thirds (tick).
In tilting the image, I did lose a little on the bottom and there is a rock pretty close to the edge which may get criticised.
Some judges do not like drone shots, or if they do, I am convinced they prevent them winning competitions.
In my view, this should be a solid 9/10 all day long.
Judge’s verdict
The judge said this image and the shape drew them in.
They enjoyed the rocks at the top, the greens of the water echoed in the sand.
They really liked it and said it was lucky that there were no footprints in the sand.
They liked the composition and the way it led the eye from left to right.
The judge awarded top marks of 10/10.
Post-judging thoughts
How can I not be chuffed at top marks?
Although I didn’t make the top four of the evening, I have achieved 10/10 with a drone image!
Reflections
My overall score is 19/20 (95%) so I really have nothing to grumble about.
I have exceeded my hopes and expectations and very pleased with the outcome.
Onwards and upwards…