The results of the eighth round of our prestigious Amateur Photographer of the Year competition are in! Matteo Strassera wins the top place in this round with an image of the Milky Way captured over sand dune curves in the Rub’ al Khali desert, Meanwhile, Max Benkard came first place in the Young APOY competition. Here are the top 10 images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Eight, Dusk to Dawn, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge
Low light is like catnip to the photographer. As light drops it gives dimension, depth, colour and atmosphere to an image, allowing previously ordinary scenes to gradually come alive. Low light has the power to either reduce a potential composition to its basic elements, or it can introduce a riot of conflicting tones and colour temperatures. It’s no wonder that generations of photographers have exploited it to their advantage. This is always a particularly strong round.
APOY Round Eight Dusk to Dawn Results
Winner, APOY Dusk to Dawn – Matteo Strassera Italy 100pts
Canon EOS R5, 30sec at f/5.6
This is an extraordinary and epic image, which simply swoops with shape, colour and depth. Matteo has previsualised the scene immaculately, knowing exactly where he needed to place the figure for balance and impact, and adding the torch to give a clear point of focus on the intersection of the thirds. The curves of the wind-blown sand dunes take our eye around the frame and up to the arc of the Milky Way above, which echoes the shapes below. Although Matteos doesn’t say what lens he used, we can safely assume it was a wideangle, and that has helped with the sense of vastness and isolation that imbue this image. Four of our ten judges awarded it first place, so it is a justified winner of this round.
2. Florian Kriechbaumer, Dubai 90pts
Olympus E-M1 Mark III, 10-25mm at 10mm, 1sec at f/5, ISO 200
Guest judge Liam Man says: ‘This artwork captures the unique serenity that only occurs at night. The Burj Khalifa emerging gracefully from the mist is breathtaking, a striking spear piercing the soft haze of the sky and fog. The balance of tones is exceptional, blending the lingering blues of twilight and the warm glow reflected in the tower’s glass, accented with the twinkling city lights.
This is more than an iconic skyline – it’s a composition masterfully layered together with precision, combining careful framing, impeccable timing, and a refined aesthetic. It invites you to pause, not just to admire its beauty, but to transport yourself to the heady heights of Dubai. For a moment, I can feel the stillness in the air, hear the distant hum of a city stirring awake, and share the photographer’s joy as their efforts are rewarded with an unforgettable view.’
3. Tony North, UK 80pts
Nikon D500, 11-16mm at 14mm, 116sec at f/3.2, ISO 1250
Tony worked hard to create this image, stitching 12 portrait-format shots and seven landscape-format shots, and his efforts have paid off with this excellent night image. The tree is placed on exactly the right point, as is the diagonal of the semi-submerged fencing, meaning that the image becomes about more than just the Milky Way above, as spectacular and well captured as it is. The blue tones are gorgeous and the rim of light above the horizon helps create a division between the top and bottom of the frame. Very well executed indeed.
Tony was our highest camera club scorer in this round!
4. Sara Jazbar, Italy 70pts
Nikon D500, 24-120mm at 78mm, 27sec at f/11, ISO 320
Traffic trails are a popular subject in low-light photography, but rarely are they captured with such finesse. Instead of a jumble of colour we have a simple curve of red and white floating above the fog and contrasting with its cool blue. The way the lines disappear to who knows where adds a further sense of mystery to this simple and stylish shot.
5. Dominic Beaven, UK 60pts
Sony A7 Mark III, 50mm, 1/160sec at f/2.5, ISO 1600
Here we have a very sophisticated shot that stands out for its different treatment of the Dusk to Dawn theme. The model’s pose is intriguing, and opens up all sorts of possibilities about the story behind the image. Dominic used lighting and a smoke machine to subtle effect, as they add to the overall atmosphere, rather than distract from it.
6. John Mihopulos, Germany 50pts
Canon EOS R3, 100mm, 1/60sec at f/2.8, ISO 2000
As with so many shots that instantly catch the attention in the way this one does, the overall success comes down to the small details. The halo of light around the drinking deer does a great job of highlighting its shape and form, but it’s the puff of breath around its muzzle and the dashes of brightly lit falling rain that complete the picture. Without these, it wouldn’t have been as good.
7. Robin Begg, UK 45pts
Fujifilm X70, 18.5mm, 1/340sec at f/8, ISO 400
This shot is all about that glorious light – you can feel the warmth radiating from the baked walls in the sunset. The shadows help tell the story of the environment as much as the buildings and figure, and the orange tones are simply sublime.
8. Lloyd Hunt UK 40pts
Fujifilm X-T30, 18-55mm at 20mm, 4sec at f/8, ISO 80
Another traffic-trail image that is effective thanks to its overall simplicity. We loved the way the arrows on the mini roundabout appear to be pointing the way to the red light trail, and that hit of red helps emphasise the coolness of the rest of the scene.
9. Jon Morris, UK 35pts
Canon EOS R5, 4sec, ISO 800
Like something out of a scene from a sci-fi movie, the silhouette of the radio telescope appears to be receiving signals from the spectacular patterns of the northern lights. A well executed and memorable juxtaposition.
10. Julia Martin UK 30pts
Sony A7R Mark V, 70-200mm at 107mm, 13sec at f/8, ISO 100
Julia has skillfully divided this composition into four ‘layers’, each one adding a further dimension and sense of depth to the final image. Anchoring the scene at the bottom are the dark silhouettes of the trees and buildings, peeking out of the folds of mist. Each subsequent layer fades into the distance, until we get to the beautiful watery orange of the sky. It’s not only the balance of the composition but also the contrast between cool and warm tones that make the shot such a success. It’s atmospheric and very attractive.
Young APOY Dusk to Dawn Winner
Max Benkard US 100pts
Canon EOS R8, 35mm, 15sec at f/1.8, ISO 1600
Max has captured a shot worthy of the adult category of APOY. He says he spent around five hours shivering in pursuit of this image – and his efforts have paid off handsomely. From choosing the ideal location to stitching together nine images to create this upright panorama, he has demonstrated both tenacity and technique, both qualities that will stand him in good stead as he continues his photographic journey. His eye for composition is good, too, and he has shown boldness in placing the photogenic barn at the bottom of the frame and giving plenty of space to the sky above. Everything comes together extremely well and he should be very proud of the resulting image. Well done!
Camera Club Competition
Kevin Leah, UK 10pts
Canon EOS 50D, 116 seconds at f/13, ISO 200
Kevin Leah of Truro Camera Club has earned ten points for his society with this well-captured image of the iconic St Michael’s Mount in the cold light of dawn. The long exposure has flattened the water but retained detail in the sky, which is very important to the image’s overall effectiveness. It would have been tempting to convert the image to black & white, but focusing on the blues results in an atmospheric and moody image. Truro Camera Club currently sits second in the leaderboard, with a great turnout by its members. Great stuff!
The APOY 2024 leaderboards after round eight results
At the risk of repeating ourselves, the top end of this year’s leaderboard is looking very tight – as it has done for most of this year’s competition so far. Sara Jazbar keeps a hold on the top spot, thanks to the 70 points she received for her fourth-placed image, but Matteos Strasseri is gaining on her, having been awarded 100 points for achieving top spot in this round.
In Young APOY, Lucy Monckton has increased her lead on Yousef Naser – could this year see her taking the overall prize for the second time? There are two rounds to go, and as we know a lot can change, even in the latter part of the competition.
In our camera clubs leaderboard, Plymouth continue to streak ahead with what might be an unassailable lead – but we shall see!
Winning kit from Camera Centre UK
What gear did our top ten photographers use?
In fifth place, Dominic Beaven used a Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art for his atmospheric shot. Described as being ‘impressively sharp all the way across the frame with the aperture wide open’ when reviewed in AP, it features an AFL button, an aperture control ring, and f/1.4 maximum aperture that makes it particularly well suited for shooting in low light. This lens received five stars when reviewed in AP and is available at Camera Centre UK for £869.
Taking sixth place, John Mihopulos’s impressive night shot was taken using a Canon RF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM. Designed for Canon EOS R-series full-frame mirrorless cameras, this lens features weather-sealed construction, unusually high 1.4x maximum magnification and an SA Control dial that manipulates how the lens renders out-of-focus regions of the image. The optic was awarded five stars when reviewed in AP and can be found at Camera Centre UK for £1,369 new or £999 second hand.
Lloyd Hunt’s eighth-placed shot was taken using a Fujifilm X-T30. This mirrorless model features a 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, an ISO range of 160-12,800 (80-51,200 extended), a 425-point AF system with 2.16-million phase detection pixels and up to 30fps continuous shooting. Again, this camera was awarded five stars in its AP review and the Mark II version can be purchased from Camera Centre UK for £799.
To see the full range, visit www.cameracentreuk.com
