Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Two, Travel, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge
Round Two Travel
How do you distil the essence of a place into one single frame? It’s the ongoing challenge for the travel photographer. Because it’s not just about sight, it’s about sound, smell, atmosphere – the all-round sensory experience of visiting and imbuing our photography with the infinite qualities of a new place. The challenge can lie in not overwhelming the viewer by trying to include everything in the frame, as tempting as that might be. Instead, as with so much photography, it’s about stripping a scene back to its essentials – something that all our top ten entrants have managed admirably.
1 Kirsty Dolphin UK 100pts
Nikon D750, 24-70mm at 26mm, 1/15sec at f/9, ISO 3200
This is a fabulously atmospheric shot from Kirsty. The peachy-blue early-morning light that suffuses the image gives it an other-worldly quality, with the unique silhouettes of the baobab trees fading into the distance. The six figures provide a superb sense of scale and the separation between each of them is spot on: any overlap between them would have weakened the pleasing nature of the scene substantially. Spend some time with the picture, and you’ll see that each person is standing slightly differently, which brings character and interest to the frame. If there’s one thing we ask from a travel image, it’s to be transported to the scene, and that’s where Kirsty’s shot is so successful. A worthy winner.
CAMERA CLUB HIGHEST SCORE
2 Charles Ashton UK 90pts
Nikon D850, 105mm, 1/200sec at f/1.4, ISO 6400
There’s so much to enjoy about this unusual shot, which is reminiscent of a film still. Straight away we know we’re in Cuba, but the fact it’s shot at night, and the combination of the green and red against a muted backdrop, lift it out of the ordinary. The composition is well controlled, too, with the grates at the top keeping everything anchored. The woman’s shadow against the wall completes the scene.
3 June Fox UK 80pts
Canon EOS 5DS R, 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 2500
People at work is always a great topic for travel, and June has composed this scene very well, filling the frame with the blue and green netting, and placing the woman in just the right spot. The lovely soft side lighting adds depth.
4 Tommaso Carrara UK 70pts
Leica Q2, 28mm, 1/320sec at f/11, ISO 100
Simplicity and balance – two qualities that work with any genre, and they are particularly effective in this scene in Essaouira, Morocco. Tommaso’s timing means the two men and their trolleys are perfectly placed, giving a sense of being together but apart at the same time. The placement of trees and shadows in the background is perfect
