APOY Round 8 Walk on the Wild Side results – Wildlife and domestic animals
APOY results round 8 Walk on the Wild Side
We saw animals from all walks of life in our Walk On The Wild Side round
Lee Jeffries, of Greater Mancheser, wins first place in our Wildlife and domestic animals round of APOY 2010. Lee will receive Canon?s 18MP EOS 550D with EF-S 18-135mm f/3-5.6 IS lens kit, worth £1,099.99. The EOS 550D offers an ISO range of up to 6400 ? expandable to 12,800 ? along with full HD movie capability, an external microphone socket and a 63-zone dual-layer metering sensor. The all-purpose EF-S 18-135mm f/3-5.6 IS features a 4-stop Image Stabilizer and automatic panning and tripod detection. The winner will also get Canon?s EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM, with a close focusing distance of 1.5m and a filter diameter of 58mm. In total, Lee will receive prizes worth £1,499.98.
Our second-placed winner is Sean Slevin, of Co Wexford, Ireland, who will receive Canon?s 14.1-million-pixel PowerShot SX210 IS compact camera, worth £329. With a 14x wideangle optical zoom, optical image stabilizer, smart auto and face detection, plus full manual control and HD movies, the PowerShot SX210 IS combines power with style.
Ian Webb, of Bristol, finished third and receives Canon?s 12.1MP PowerShot A3100 IS, worth £159. This slim compact camera packs a big punch, boasting a 4x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer, motion-detection technology, smart auto and easy modes, super vivid and poster effect and capability for VGA movies.
1st Lee Jeffries, Greater Manchester 46pts
Canon EOS 5D, 85mm, 1/3200sec at f/4, ISO 100
Lee was on his way to Whaley Bridge to see a client for work, and to get there from Stockport he had to go into the Peaks. ?There is an old country road that cuts across a farm and sits right at the top of the hills,? he says. ?You can see for miles around, and I noticed this horse on the horizon. The light was beautiful and soft, and filtered through quite thick clouds.? Lee pulled over and rested his camera on a stone wall and shot three frames. ?The key was the luminosity of the light from the clouds, so in Lightroom I knocked down the exposure and then dodged back for atmosphere in Photoshop. I knew I could pull back on the exposure because the atmosphere I wanted didn?t need detail in the foreground or the subject.?
Judges say We?re hesitant to call any image ?perfect?, but it?s hard to find any flaws with this picture. Lee?s silhouette is crisp, the light falling in just the right place to isolate the animal amid the darkness. This is a remarkable feat.
2nd Sean Slevin Co Wexford, Ireland 43pts
Canon EOS 500D, 28mm, 1/200sec at f/1.8
For his Walk on the Wild Side entry, Sean says he had a lot of sea and garden bird shots that he considered sending in, but ultimately he wanted something that would make the viewer question what?s going on. This led him to his cat and the mystery of what it gets up to. ?I had the idea of a cat in an urban setting, but when I noticed the light coming in through the shed door it was just a case of setting up the camera and calling the cat for breakfast,? Sean says. ?I used a shutter speed of 1/200sec to show a little movement and boosted the contrast in Photoshop. The tiled floor also helped create depth.?
Judges say Sean?s intended mysterious effect works quite well. The high contrast of the cat stepping in from the brightly lit exterior into such a dark room is very striking, and the low perspective helps us see this scene as the cat saw it.
3rd Ian Webb Bristol 42pts
Canon EOS 450D, 18-55mm, 1/250sec at f/1, ISO 200
Ian took this image at a zoo in Lyon, France. ?I was fascinated by the way these giraffes would go back inside at the same time every day for a siesta and some food, so I came back over four or five days to try to capture them when the sun was casting intricate shadows. I had in mind a black & white image because of the patterns involved. On the last day I was there they walked in single file and the one at the back just happened to throw her head back at the right moment, completing the image I had in mind.?
Judges say Ian has showed great patience in creating this very striking image. The perfect background, poses and light ? it all works very well.
The leader board
With two rounds left to judge in APOY 2010, the competition is fierce. A case could be made where nearly everyone in our top ten could win the overall competition. A win by Lee Jeffries puts him right in contention, while another strong showing by Sean Slevin puts him just shy of the top spot. Meanwhile, top 50 finishes for Dan Deakin and Martin Gre?kovič keep them in solid positions. Watch out for the results of Round 9, Black or White, in Amateur Photographer dated 26 November 2010.
To 50 entries for this round
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View the winning images in APOY 2010 Gallery
See the Leader Board after Round 8
In association with Canon
