World Press Photos
For this competition, I am more interested in the stories than the individual pictures. I wondered what kind of stories they could tell with the pictures they have. And to my amazement it was jus a series of photos that represent a certain story/ an issue they would like the world to know about. A picture speaks a thousand words and as a phtographer, they chose to represent such controversial issues for a global event like this. I'm impressed.
Anyways as I was saying I liked the "People in the news: 2nd prize stories". The images portray a certain sense of despair and it's calling out for help. It shows the plight they are in and the captions further explains and tells the story. I like how the pictures are captured. The color composition and the whole gloomy and yet bright look of the pictures are just amazing. It gives a very hopeful feeling to me when I see them.
I also liked the pictures from "Contemporary issues: 2nd prize stories". It is about how some people are speaking out about their sexual violations from people around them. How keeping quiet is no longer an option and they are now lending their voices to give suport to other victims and raise awareness to people who might underextimate the damage these crimes of abuse can be.
I liked another one which was quite gloomy it's from "
Away from the darkness of humanity or modernisation, I also liked this series of photographs from "Sports action: 2nd prize stories". I liked how the pictures are shot and especially the one with the tennis ball and a blurry image of a hand lifting it into the air. I also liked another picture of a female long jump. The image was impressive. This series of photographs were very symmetrical and truly showed the beauty and grace of these sports. The content of this series might be the reason why it came in second behind the bungee jumping series. Cos these are everyday sports common to people while the other one is something different, and might be unknown to some. It had a more educated and out of the box idea going on. Which is what art is all about also. Which is creativity that makes your work stand out and different from others.
Away from the stories categories, I also liked another picture from the Nature category. I liked all the 3 winners of this category. I personally like animals in still shots. They are just beautiful. I like the second prize winner the one with a polar bear. I thought it was a little saddening to see the polar bear slumped like that on his own grounds. The image seemed very doomed to me. I feel sorry for the polar bears and yet helpless in his plight. I like pictures of nature especially in places far away from civilisation untainted with concrete structures of mankind. I am deeply concerned with how our actions are killing the creatures and damaging the environment. Hence I think if the damage goes on, then images like these would no longer be available. Hence STOP POLLUTION!!!
Arte Laguna
I liked the first prize winner. I thought it's a very well thought out picture. Amazed with his photographic skills and ideas. However I also liked the second and the third winners. The Second prize winner's pictures looked very portrait-like. Very artistically done and also abstract. I liked this image the most cos of the symmetry involved and the meaning behind it. I'm not sure if I am right with the underlying meaning of the image but I thought it felt like she was trying to say that the protagonist, the woman in black, is accompanied by a pure soul (her moral self) and she steps on the darkness of this world(the demon beneath her right leg) and the two globes attached to her seemed to represent the duality of reality and the inner self(a sphere that reflects her like a mirror). She is constantly trying to balance between what the world wants her to be and who she is deep within. This tug of war shows how conflicted she is between good and evil.
I also personally like the third winner for this competition. Like how he place the girl at different parts of the train station and how the train stops at the end of the picture. It showed fluidity, a moving sequence even though it is on a still picture. And the completion of her wait. Love the way the artist seamlessly put the shots together, something I seriously need to master.
Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2008
When I was shown the picture of Martha, I was shocked, astounded, in awe of the clash of beauty and horror. The picture totally portrayed the meaning of modern day's perception of beauty. How we all deem thin to be beautiful and how many people, the young especially, are starving themselves to look BEAUTIFUL. To want to lead the lives of the glamorous and fame and fortune. Earth shattering piece.
I also like the 3rd place 'Everybody Hurts' picture. So simple and clear. So cute.
The landscapes are jus too surreal. It gives a sense of falsity, like how isit possible to capture something like that. It could be the technique the artist used but wonder how much is actually not photoshoped.
I personally like the 'White Tiger' alot. It captured the beauty and beastility of the White Tiger. An endangered species. It looked like it is pounching out of the picture to eat us or something. So pure and beautiful.
I also like the 'Sunset' in the Botanical section. So gorgeous! Too beautiful for words. The timing was great and the angle was interesting. Never thought of looking from that angle. It looked so raw and unedited unlike the 'Small but Beautiful' and 'Autumn Leaf'.
Overall, I love all the pictures in all 3 websites. I inspire to be like them one day. A man driven by creativity and passion to speak through images and inspire others to action regarding certain issues.
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