The results of the third round of our prestigious Amateur Photographer of the Year competition are in! Daniel Goody wins the top place in this round, with Liberty McAuley coming first in the Young APOY competition. Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from APOY Round Three, Urban Life, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge.
Urban life comes in every possible colour, sight, sound and texture, and it’s no wonder so many photographers throughout the decades have been compelled to capture it. From the quirky to the classic, almost every human experience can be found on the street. It’s not just about people, though – it’s also about their interaction with their surroundings, or simply the surroundings themselves. Architecture and urban photography will always make a very strong pairing. This month’s top ten images demonstrate that carrying your camera with you at all times pays dividends.
APOY Round Three Urban Life results
Winner APOY Urban Life – Daniel Goody UK 100pts
Fujifilm X-T2, 23mm, 1/500sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
‘People walking past things’ is a well-worn device in street photography, but Daniel’s excellent image takes it to a new – and memorable – level. He recognised the potential of the scene and didn’t just appropriate somebody else’s art, he elevated it into a photograph of his own. His patience and timing are laudable, and while luck plays a part (the man’s yellow hoodie being a crucial element of the image), the image’s success is down to Daniel’s observational skills and anticipation. A great winning shot.
2. Rachel Domleo, UK 90pts
Bus shot: Canon PowerShot G3X, 220mm, 1/640sec at f/7.1, ISO 125. Background shot: Canon PowerShot G3X, 122mm, 1/2000sec at f/7.1, ISO 125
Rachel has created an impressive and extremely sensitive composite here, with the bus and the backdrop working in perfect harmony, and combining to make an atmospheric whole. The monochrome conversion is also skilfully achieved, with warm tones that evoke a feeling of nostalgia. It’s a great take on urban life – and a scene that might have passed many of us by while we were on our way to capture something more dramatic. Well done.
Rachel is the highest camera camera club scorer of this round!
3. Paul Farina, UK 80pts
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 16-35mm at 20mm, 1/400sec at f/10, ISO 1600
This is a truly epic scene, and in one image it gives those of us who live in Europe and the western world an insight into how some people live elsewhere. The ultra-wide focal length is absolutely the right choice and the slight distance from the socialising group in this Hong Kong scene helps place them in context. Paul has done a great job of remaining ‘invisible’ – the sign of a good street photographer.
4. Jay Heiser, USA 70pts
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, 12-100mm at 100mm, 1/200sec at f/4, ISO 2500
Guest judge Peter Dench says: ‘What I’m looking out for is a photograph that firstly fits the brief, Urban Life. It can be portrait, travel, reportage or cityscape. Black & white or colour. A capture showing something different, that delivers on creativity without over-relying on technique and post processing. A photograph that is packed full of information, works the viewers’ eyes and poses questions. This photograph does that. It could have failed on so many levels.
Photographing on public transport conditions can be challenging – the structure of the train, the eclecticism of passengers, the vehicle’s motion and night-time atmosphere among others. “Night Train, Tokyo” overcomes all of these to deliver an astounding image. It takes on the basics of what photography does well and escalates it. The symmetry, depth of field, compressed perspective and muted colours combine to enhance the frame. Each anonymous pair of feet tells a story in a strangely familiar way.’
5. Mai-Britt Larsen, Denmark 60pts
Nikon D780, 17-50mm at 50mm,1/50sec at f/11, ISO 3200
The repetitive lines – both vertical and horizontal – in this scene cried out to be photographed, and Mai-Britt did the right thing in waiting for a figure to ascend the stairs before taking her picture. There’s an ‘enclosed’ feeling to the image with the walls at the sides almost closing in. She then applied the Adamski effect to her file, which is a great creative choice, and appropriate to the scene.
6. Judi Dicks, UK 50pts
Olympus E-M5 Mark II, 25mm, 1/125sec at f/4.5, ISO 200
Judi has captured a charming moment of intimacy here, and her image is full of affection rather than being intrusive. Black & white is the right choice, and adds to the feeling of nostalgia and time passing.
7. Sam Binding, UK 45pts
DJI FC3411, 22mm, 1/15sec at f/2.8, ISO 370
A gorgeous drone shot of Bristol, taken at exactly the right time of day. The glowing lights are almost like Victorian street lamps, and balance beautifully with the early-morning tones. The rolling mist in the background completes the scene, and retains enough detail to not be a blank area at the top of the frame. Composition is spot on, with the church spire in just the right spot. A lovely shot overall.
8. Oleg Bolotnikov, Russia 40pts
Canon EOS 60D, 70-200mm at 127mm, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 100
An extremely well-seen silhouette by Oleg, who has used a longer focal length to compress the scene. All the sharp, straight lines stand out well, without blocking up, and the timing to capture the figure on the left, apparently taking a moment to relax, is spot on. Keeping the lines vertical
is a crucial part of its success, too.
9. Tommaso Carrara, France 35pts
Leica Q3, 28mm, 1/125sec at f/8, ISO 200
Sometimes it’s easy to take a street or urban shot without giving much consideration to the light – the decisive moment taking over. However, in Tommaso’s image, the light plays a leading role. The way it interacts with the lines, shapes and forms, and the seated man, is absolutely glorious.
10. Tommaso Carrara, France 0pts
Leica M11, 35mm, 1/350sec at f/8, ISO 160
It’s a while since we’ve had two images by the same photographer in our top ten, but in Tommaso’s case it’s well deserved. We don’t need to see the actual person portrayed here – his shadow is enough to tell the story of what is going on. The play of light and shade leads our eye into the image, and the whole is a wonderfully creative interpretation of the classic church interior. (NB: In keeping with the rules, only Tommaso’s highest-scoring image receives points.)
Young APOY Urban Life Winner
Liberty McAuley UK 100pts
Sigma fp L, 1/60sec, ISO 3200
Wow. The amount going on in this scene (taken from a double decker bus in London during a protest by farmers) should be overwhelming, but it isn’t. Each element is separated enough for our eye to be able to travel round the scene and take it in without confusion. Three judges awarded this image first place, making it a worthy and original winner of the round.
Camera Club competition
Les Cornwell UK 10pts
Leica Q2 Mono, 28mm, 1/160sec at f/5.6, ISO 25,000
Les has earned ten points for Loughton Camera Club – who now sit in joint fourth place – with this amusing shot. Our eye goes straight to the apparently startled woman in the mask, and then to the child next to her. It’s only when we’ve spent time with the image that we then see the equally intriguing woman on the right.
APOY 2024 Leaderboard after Round Three
The top of the leaderboard is very compressed, with only 30 points separating top and bottom, and no doubt much will change in the upcoming rounds. Young APOY is more spread out, while in our camera clubs category, Plymouth CC is storming ahead. Rachel Domleo, of Bristol Photographic Society, is the highest-scoring camera club member this round.
Winning kit
What gear did our top ten photographers use?
Taking first place, Daniel Goody used a Fujifilm XF 23mm F2 R WR for his immaculately timed shot. This lens received five stars when reviewed in AP. It is weather-resistant, constructed to an exceptionally high standard, is both quiet and fast when focusing and is constructed from ten glass elements arranged in six groups – two of which are aspherical. Its review concluded, ‘Those who settle for it won’t be disappointed by its build quality or performance.’ You can buy this lens for £419 at Camera Centre UK.
In third place, Paul Farina shot with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM when faced with this epic Hong Kong scene. Described as ‘an extreme wideangle lens with remarkably well-controlled aberrations’ when receiving its four-star review in AP, it is constructed of 16 elements in 12 groups, is ‘remarkably light and narrow’ and ‘the aberrations it displays are moderate, non-destructive and easy to work with’. It can be picked up at Camera Centre UK for £1,099.
Mai-Britt Larsen used the Nikon D780 DSLR, for her fifth-placed image. With an extremely robust, professional build, the sensor produces high-quality images even at high ISOs, it has impressive eye detection in live view mode and excellent battery life with in-camera USB charging. Find it for £1,999 at Camera Centre UK.
To see the full range, visit www.cameracentreuk.com
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