Great Escape Publishing

Posted February 6th, 2008 by Shelly Perry & filed under Travel Photography.

Last month’s photo challenge theme was “Passages and Doorways.” It was a record- breaking month for submissions, and a number of images stood out as winners. I hope you had the chance to browse through all the entries. December’s winner, David Wallace, acted as our guest judge taking on the challenge of choosing our first-place recipient. Here are all of the January winners: **First Place goes to VanHWhite for “The Ferguson Centre for the Arts.” **Second Place goes to Richard for “Triple Passage Angkor Wat.” **Third Place goes to allie for “Mexican Architecture. ** Honorable Mention goes to Deborah Kolb for “Castle Dreams.” FIRST PLACE – FERGUSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS Here is what David had to say about his favorite photo … “The Ferguson Centre for the Arts is my favorite shot. “This is a fabulous image and I think it works so well because of the contrasts and juxtapositions. The stark repetitive form of the architecture provides a counterpoint to the nonchalant disorder of the man. While the colonnade appears almost like a repeating mirror, the man stands alone, comfortable with where he is yet outnumbered by the rigid columns.” I have to agree with David. This is a wonderful shot… even the man’s bald head plays into the repetitive form. His attire is also an important part of the contrast from dark to light, making him very much a part of the whole image… I imagine this would not be quite as stunning or at least for the same reasons were it not a black and white, which seems like the perfect choice for this shot. I may have preferred a slightly different composition, but from what I can see I do understand why this shot was composed as it was. It works, and works well. Here are my choices for second- and third-place winners… SECOND PLACE — TRIPLE PASSAGE ANGKOR WAT Triple Passage is a wonderful shot. The composition is strong, the architecture alone is interesting — but what really makes this shot a great one is the person placed so perfectly in the one opening (near the thirds line). That element makes this image a very interesting one. THIRD PLACE — MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE The composition of this photo is nice — with the hallway leading right into the image. The arches and the pillars, with the lighting, are beautiful. But what really won this shot over for me was the dynamic color. This color combination is extremely strong and inviting. HONORABLE MENTION — CASTLE DREAMS I was instantly drawn to this image, with the old lock hanging from the door, the lighting, the bed in the back ground… this shot has a soft, “dreamy” feel to it. The composition is nice with the lock down on the bottom third. The contrast in the lighting draws the viewer right into the room. Definitely an image with a story and worth mentioning. At least six other photos this month would have made worthy winners. I wish I could have picked several more this time. Keep up the great work, everyone, and show us what you know this month. (Read on for our theme and instructions for entering the challenge.) Congratulations to our winners!! ENTER TO WIN! Remember, this month’s theme is “Scio, I Know.” Submit your photos by 8:00 a.m. EST, Monday, February 25. If you’re a first-time user, you’ll need to register first on the “register” link on the right side bar. Once you have a username and password, click “Enter to Win” to upload your photo. Only one photo per applicant will be considered. [Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]