Apogee Photo Magazine: Photo Contest & Nightscape Photo Winners

Once again it was a hard choice. It was very hard to limit the selection to these ten images. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Nightscapes are not for the faint-hearted. They take a knowledge of light, film, and your camera and often a lot of luck. Even those images of often photographed landmarks are not to be discounted. You may see images from my selections that are of popular locations and tourist hotspots. You may even say that you have seen similar photos on some tourist brochure. That may be, but as a teacher of college level photography courses, I can tell you that it takes a tremendous amount of skill to produce these images, even if they do look like something you have seen before. So please no more email about how the photographers here have produced images you have seen before and therefore may or may not be worthy of honoring here.

My first choice was James Watkins, "Chicago Cityscape #3." What struck me was the vivid use of colors and the very strong composition. The red sculpture in the foreground against the blue sky is dynamic. The lines of the sculpture provide many avenues for the eye to travel in and out of image, creating interesting negative space as it interacts with the buildings. It also is a good example of "frame within a frame," the subject of our next contest. This image shows how this technique of composition can create depth in photograph and pull the eye into an image. Kudos to James for a well executed image.

Andras Major placed a very close second with his image of Whiteladies Road. He was the only entry that used a person as a central element of the composition. Very few entrants risked the choice of black and white for their nightscape, yet as this image shows black and white film can create a powerful nighttime image. The interplay between light and shadow is extraordinary. Again the balance of positive and negative space in this image creates a composition that has the strength to interest us time and time again. It is an image that one will not tire of.

Third place when to Jeff Aspnes for his image "Every Morning." This is an example of both camera skill and luck. It was also unique among entries as it portrayed a nightscape in nature. It is a well balanced composition that captures both time and space.

Honorable mentions were chosen for their use of color, mood, creativity, composition and graphic design. Congratulations to all.

All images copyrighted by the individual photographers. All Rights Reserved. These images are for your viewing pleasure only and not be downloaded for any other purpose. These images have been digitally watermarked with the photographers' names and copyrights.

	Grand Prize "Chicago Cityscape #3" James B. Watkins
	Runner-up "Whiteladies Road." Andras Major, Stuttgart, Germany
	Runner-up "Every Morning" Jeff Aspnes Kenmore, Washington
	Honorable Mention "Eiffel Tower" Tony Brick Helsinki, Finland
	Honorable Mention "Three Doors" Susanne Rankis Miami, Florida
	Honorable Mention "Brooklyn Bridge" Dr. Bruno Lassus San Francisco, California
	Honorable Mention "Night Snow" Yan Zommer Moscow, Russia
	Honorable Mention "Eiffel Tower " Mauro Goulart Marietta, Georgia
	Honorable Mention "Hong Kong" Wong Chek Poh Singapore
	Honorable Mention "Pyramide du Louvre" Gerald Daclin Dunkerque, France

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