Weekly photo contest | April 26 - May 03 | The Light

[arkitect]

The Light

Light.
Direct, reflected, soft or harsh… I am never indifferent to the quality it brings to a scene.

Especially in the early morning or towards evening, I often find myself held while I should be doing something else, simply watching as the light changes.

This week, I wonder, how do you capture light in your photography? How does the evolving, shifting light shape the world you see — its textures, its moods, its fleeting moments?

As we move towards summer in the North and winter in the South, we are on the cusp of change, and I feel especially aware of the shifting quality of the light.

City streets, interiors, portraits, fields, oceans — wherever you are, the true subject is the light itself: its glimmer, its shadow, its elusive brilliance.

Show us that shot that make you go, "Wow! Look at that light!"


As always, standard rules apply:

• The photographs must be your own work.
• You may only submit one photo per contest.
• No commenting or liking photos until after the judging has taken place.
• This contest runs for about a week, starting now.
• At the end of the competition, the judge (last week's winner) will choose a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place photo, providing as much feedback as possible.
• The 1st place winner will start a new thread here with the topic/theme of their choice, and act as the judge for that contest. (Winner has 48 hours to create new theme, after that it defers to 2nd place).
• Be sure to update the Contest Master List as soon as you post a new theme.

Contest closes May 4th at 8am, BST.

 

[goldmac2006]

 

[Snowlover]

 

[mtbdudex]

 

[mollyc]

 

[cjsuk]

Edit: changed mind 😅

 

[mtbdudex]

@Michaelgtrusa
No liking images till after contest ends

 

[C0ncreteBl0nde]

 

[richardallan]

 

[oblomow]

 

[_timo_redux_]

2022

 

[arkitect]

Contest is closed. 🙂

Thanks for the entries!

I'll be back a little later to post the results.

 

[arkitect]

"Aaand the envelope, please!"

In order of entry:

@goldmac2006
A beautiful photograph this.

The bright, almost luminous pink of the camellia blossom stands out dramatically against the deep, dark background.

The light illuminating is soft and diffused, so highlighting the intricate layers of its petals without harsh shadows.

You’ve used light, contrast, and focus to create a striking and very pleasing image.



@Snowlover
Daffs! 😀
I may be a simple soul, but Daffs are my favourite flowers.
Comes early Spring and you see them sprouting all over — and buckets of them sold at local shops. Winter’s gone, here’s hope and optimism!

The bright white and yellows really pop against the deep, dark background.

That beautiful directional sunlight catches the delicate curves of the petals most appealingly.



@mtbdudex
The black and white entry and I love it!
For me the image has a strong emotional and narrative quality. The single source lighting is dramatic, emphasising texture and form.
It makes for a very focused image — the centred blade draws my eye, and the hands frame the subject with purpose.

I guess because I make my own living „with my hands“ crafting intricately detailed renderings, this photo tells me a story.
It’s not just a visual but an emotional trigger — it made me think about the maker, the process, the time invested.

Beautifully done.



@mollyc
I’ve often commented on your photos’ quality of stillness — a quiet moment in time.

A lovely combination of light, shadow, composition, texture, and colour that moves this from a simple snapshot to a compelling photograph.

The strong, directional light casting distinct shadows from the window frames and the objects themselves creates a sense of depth and mood.

It puts the jars in a space — in a room, but a room become dissolved and suffused by the warm light.

I’d be happy in that space. 🙂



@cjsuk
Lovely light here.
I am always onboard for some strong silhouettes… and this is a beautifully simple and evocative example

The figures appear to be walking along a ridge, suggesting a journey or a shared moment you’ve captured just before they disappear beyond the ridge.

If I look carefully at the very clear silhouettes, they all appear to be warmly dressed so this might be a late winter’s afternoon (or morning?) My favourite time of the year to photograph. Probably because I am too lazy to get up early I try to get the best out of the late light. 🙂

For me the photo's strength lies in its simplicity, the impactful silhouettes, and the beautiful light of the gradient sky.



@C0ncreteBl0nde
What a very warming, personal and relatable photograph. 🙂
The lighting is a major player here — the strong sunlight streaming through the window creates a lovely interplay of light and shadow across the rumpled bedding, highlighting the textures of the fabric.

It makes me think of a bed after the Hot Cross Buns have been eaten… the snuggling and warm cats have hopped off and left… the day has begun.

The memories linger.

Simply beautiful.



@richardallan
A classic, sweeping seascape with great natural lighting.

The horizon is clear, the sky is vast, and the colour of the ocean is rich and inviting.
The sea mist rising in the folds of the coast beyond is emphasised by the direct sun just out of frame.

A beach and time for a long walk.


@oblomow
So simple.
So effective.

The lighting in this image is excellent — the way the sun backlights the bright green leaves creates a beautiful contrast with the darker, glossier ones in the background.

The photo feels like a discovery — you’re seeing something ordinary, rendered beautiful by timing and light.


@_timo_redux_
Gorgeous image this.
A street scene made magical. And I love your willingness to aim right in to the lowering sun during the Golden Hour — allowing the brilliant sunlight to come bursting through the scene.

But what makes this image for me is the raised hand of one of the figures towards the sun — feel the warmth, feel the light.
It suggests a moment of appreciation, wonder and connection with the beautiful sunset.
A sun salutation…



Goodness!
So many lovely and thoughtful photographs.

I have given it quite a bit of thought though — even after I came up with my little critiques — the order of the podium kept changing.

So! I am following on with @_timo_redux_ ’s solution of last week and have given 3rd and 2nd two entries each…


Bronze:
@C0ncreteBl0nde and @cjsuk

Silver:
@mollyc and @_timo_redux_

Gold:
@mtbdudex
Your image made my heart ring like a bell.
Subject, story all enhanced by the hard strong and very practical light.



Thank you all very much for contributing — the entries keep getting better every week and its been a privilege for me to have a look at them and hopefully do them justice.

So @mtbdudex , over to you!

🙂

 

[Snowlover]

Daffs! 😀
I may be a simple soul, but Daffs are my favourite flowers.
Comes early Spring and you see them sprouting all over — and buckets of them sold at local shops. Winter’s gone, here’s hope and optimism!

The bright white and yellows really pop against the deep, dark background.

That beautiful directional sunlight catches the delicate curves of the petals most appealingly.

Daffs are also my favorite flower! 🙂 They posses a simple elegance that speaks to my soul.
This was one of those "grab a camera quick before the light changes" shots. And it did quickly, only got a few in before the effect was gone.

Excellent topic, entries and commentary, congrats to mtbdudex, also my pick for winner.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Terrific topic, @arkitect, I love the idea of a theme where light plays a key role, and excellent, sympathetic, encouraging, and thoughtful, judging.

Some wonderful images submitted, and - for the first time in quite a while - your preferences (as a judge) were pretty much mine, also, but I do like the fact that subjective preferences play such a role in these competitions, as we all see things differently, and are moved - or taken with - some images more than others.

For me, the standout image was that submitted by @mtbdudex: Stunning composition, what a wonderful mastery of light, and truly a compelling subject.

I loved, also, the images submitted by @mollyc (lovely use of, and rendition of, colours - what a lovely palette you have used, terrific subject and superb composition - loved it), and @C0ncreteBl0nde - actually, I love the exquisite capture of light in this wonderful - and very relatable - rendition of the mundane, exactly as one would have seen with the Dutch and Flemish masters.

And I really liked the image submitted by @_timo_redux_; lovely composition, control of light and subject; again, terrific to see women pictured doing things, nice, normal, everyday things, as well as the shot submitted by @cjsuk, lovely lines, light, a stunning use of colour and an interesting and thoughtful subject matter.

 

[goldmac2006]

A beautiful photograph this.

The bright, almost luminous pink of the camellia blossom stands out dramatically against the deep, dark background.

The light illuminating is soft and diffused, so highlighting the intricate layers of its petals without harsh shadows.

You’ve used light, contrast, and focus to create a striking and very pleasing image.

Thanks arkitect for the positive feedback, I appreciate it.

The image was taken on an iPhone 15 Pro with Portrait Lighting.

Wishing you well and looking forward to @mtbdudex ’s next contest! WTG y’all on your entries!

 

[C0ncreteBl0nde]

Thank you @arkitect . Your judging and the way you use words is as beautiful as the photographs themselves. It was a joy to read.

 

[mollyc]

Thank you for the mention and congratulations to all the other podium holders!

 

[mtbdudex]

I’m honored to win this contest , truly comprehensive judging & feedback @arkitect.
Enjoyed the variety of entries.

That image was taken in my garage Wood shop. I put a tripod behind me and shot just over my shoulder, trying to get the “third person view” so when the person looked at this picture, as if they are there. Tried it with fill flash, with external flash side light. Turns out the best light was with no light at all, nighttime, and just having that attached lamp, which is there to give light while you work.

I’ll have the next contest up tomorrow, have a few ideas in mind, but I need to take a look at prior contests just to not repeat something possibly.

 

[mtbdudex]

New contest is up

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/weekly-photo-contest-may-05-may-12-shallow-dof.2456537/