360Photography

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  • Duchess of Cambridge launches photo competition to document lockdown life in the UK

    The Duchess of Cambridge has launched a photography competition in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery to document stories of human kindness and suffering during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in Britain. A keen and very capable amateur photographer herself, the Duchess says that she hopes the competition will showcase life under the lockdown and tell stories of how the inhabitants of the UK were affected.

    The contest, called Hold Still, will culminate in an online exhibition of 100 of the best images entered. Though not categories as such, the themes of Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness have been suggested, and Kate expects to see images depicting harrowing stories, stories of sadness as well as uplifting stories that show how the population has come together to help each other.

    The competition will be judged by the Duchess herself along with the Director of the UK’s National Portrait Gallery, Dr Nicholas Cullinan as well as members of the gallery team. Entry to the competition is free and you can one images along with a short explanation of what the picture is about. The Gallery says ‘Images must involve people, and can be captured on phones or cameras. Each image will be assessed on the emotion and experience it conveys rather than its photographic quality or technical expertise.’ The images must also have been taken in the UK.

    The Duchess of Cambridge is a patron of the National Portrait Gallery as well as being patron of the Royal Photographic Society. She has become recognised for her touching pictures of her children, and is known to be a Canon DSLR and Powershot user, and has taken lessons from a well-known UK press photographer. She recently released images taken as part of a project to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.

    The competition is open now, and closes on 18th June 2020. You can find more information and submit your entry on the National Portrait Gallery website.

    Press information

    Why is the project called ‘Hold Still’?

    Today our society had been told to isolate, to stay inside, not to travel unnecessarily or go out unless vital –to hold still to protect our helpers and heroes.And while many people’s lives are on hold, there are some that work harder than ever, and others that endure the upheaval of hardship and loss.

    Through this project we hope to record these experiences, holding still to capture moments in time.

    So for both those whose lives have been forced to slowdown and those working at a hectic pace, we hope this project will provide an opportunity to record our personal experience through one still image. And that by bringing together these individual moments we can create a collective portrait of lockdown reflecting resilience and bravery, humour and sadness, creativity and kindness and tragedy and hope.

    ‘Hold Still’ is a portrait of our nation as we pause for the good of others, and a celebration of those who have continued so we can stay safe.

    What are the three themes?

    • Helpers and Heroes
    • Acts of Kindness
    • Your New Normal

    These have been suggested to help entrants think about what they may like to photograph.

    Please note these themes are not categories that entrants will specifically enter but are intended as inspiration for the content and will be in the minds of the panel when they are selecting the final 100.

    What are the entry dates?

    Entry opens on 7 May 2020 and the closing date 17.00 on 18 June 2020

    Are there any restrictions on who can enter?

    The project is about recording the experience of people in the United Kingdom so we would like the photograph to have been taken in the United Kingdom.

    There is no age restriction, and the project is open to adults and children alike. However, when submitting an image, entrants will need to confirm that the image is their own work and is not defamatory and does not infringe any UK laws (see Terms & Conditions for full details) and that anyone under the age of 18 has the consent of a parent/guardian to enter. Consent will also be needed for any sitter who is identifiable in the photograph (for those under 18 from a parent/guardian).

    We will ask entrants to follow current social distancing rules when taking part.

    How do I enter my photograph?

    Visit www.npg.org.uk/holdstill, complete the entry form and upload your image, along with a short title telling the story of the photograph.

    How many images can I upload?

    You can upload one digital image.

    Any format restrictions on entries?

    What are the requirements for the image that I upload?

    Each image must be saved as a JPG/JPEG and be smaller than 3 MB.

    How many photos will end up in the final selection?

    The final selection will be 100 photographs.

    What other requirements will be needed?

    If your image is part of the 100 selected, you will be required to complete a form to provide information about yourself and the image.

    Will there be a cap to the total number of entries to the project?

    There will be no cap on the total number of entries to the project.

    Who will be making the selection?

    The selection will be made by a panel including members of the National Portrait Gallery team, The Duchess of Cambridge and Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Dr Nicholas Cullinan.

    When will the selection be on view?

    The selection will be available to view as a ‘virtual’ exhibition on the Gallery’s website in August 2020. Following this ‘virtual exhibition’ we hope to show the images across the country later in the year although we are unable to confirm details at this point due to the current restrictions.

    Can I send in my application by post?

    All submissions must be made online via the website.

    I would like to take a picture via an app of someone I miss who is based in another country, is this allowed?

    Yes, this allowed as the picture is taken in the United Kingdom.

    What will you do with my personal information?

    Please see terms and conditions. All personal data given will be held securely by the Gallery and only be used to administer your entry. It may be used for internal research/statistical purposes. It will not be passed to any third parties apart from the project partners for administration of the project.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Nikon confirms first D6 units will ship out by end of May, after a brief delay

    At the time of its announcement on February 12 this year, Nikon said its flagship D6 DSLR was expected to ship in April 2020, with pre-orders starting the day of its announcement. However, due to component supply issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nikon was forced to issue a ‘notice of delay’ on March 9 stating the first units wouldn’t be shipping until May.

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    Nikon has held true on that promise, confirming in a press release today that the first D6 units will start shipping to customers on May 21. In addition to the new shipping date, Nikon also shared a few images captured with the new DSLR as a teaser of sorts to tide over customers (and pixel-peepers alike):

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    You can read more about the Nikon D6 in our initial coverage linked above, as well as in our hands-on coverage from our time with it at WPPI. Pre-orders are still live at retailers acros the globe, with the D6 DSLR body-only going for $ 6,500 (Adorama, B&H).

    Press release:

    Nikon Inc. Announces Retail Availability of the Flagship Nikon D6 DSLR

    MELVILLE, NY (May 7, 2020) – Today, Nikon Inc. announced the retail availability of the new Nikon D6 DSLR, which was unveiled in February of this year. The D6 will be available in the U.S. starting on Thursday, May 21 for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $ 6,499.95* for the body-only configuration.

    Whether on an assignment or in the studio, Nikon’s flagship D6 DSLR always delivers. The D6 incorporates Nikon’s most powerful AF to date, featuring a high-density system with 105 selectable cross-type AF points to help capture pivotal moments again and again, even in the most challenging conditions and environments. Since every second counts, the uncompromising D6 incorporates important upgrades to enhance photographers’ workflow and accelerate file transfer capabilities, offering time-saving and customizable options during and after capture. Additionally, the D6 offers robust reliability, unrivaled low-light capability, amazing versatility, 4K UHD multimedia capabilities and a mechanical shutter frame rate that can capture at a blazing fast 14 frames-per-second (fps).

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Blackjet’s CFexpress Type B and XQD card reader, 4-bay Cinema Dock offer Thunderbolt 3 performance

    Blackjet has two relatively new storage peripherals: the new TX-4DS four-bay Cinema Dock with Thunderbolt 3 and the TX-1CXQ reader for CFexpress Type B and XQD cards. Both products offer rapid data transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s due to the inclusion of Thunderbolt 3, making them suitable for users who often shoot Ultra HD footage, manage data-heavy projects or who need to rapidly transfer large batches of images between drives.

    The Blackjet TX-1CXQ Thunderbolt 3 hub features support for CFexpress Type B cards and Sony XQD / XQD 2.0 cards with ingest speeds up to 1600MB/s and 500MB/s, respectively. The hub is powered by the Thunderbolt 3 cable that connects the device to the user’s computer. The TX-1CXQ works with Windows 10 and macOS 10.12 and higher.

    The model is priced at $ 199 but is listed on multiple online retailer websites as on backorder without clear availability or shipping dates at this time.

    Joining the card reader is the Blackjet TX-4DS Thunderbolt 3 Cinema dock, which features four M.2 NVMe SSD enclosures, dual Thunderbolt 3 ports for daisy-chaining up to five Thunderbolt devices (displays, external drives, etc.), and optional reader modules for directly turning the inputs into CFast 2.0, XQD, SDXC, SSD, SxS and CFexpress card readers.

    The TX-4DS features a built-in cooling fan and can be configured with RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD using the included software. The unit measures 120 x 145 x 155mm (4.7 x 5.7 x 6.1in); it is compatible with Windows 10 and macOS 10.12 or higher.

    The enclosure is available from numerous retailers, including Amazon and Adorama, for $ 499.99—the price doesn’t include SSD drives, which are sold separately. You can find out more information on Blackjet’s website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • DJI unveils the Matrice 300 RTK drone platform and Zenmuse H20 series camera systems

    DJI has lifted the veil on its latest commercial drone platform and its first hybrid camera series, the Matrice 300 RTK (M300 RTK) and the Zenmuse H20.

    While the M300 RTK and Zenmuse H20 are both packed with features designed specifically for commercial use-cases, the systems feature a number of groundbreaking technologies and features that will inevitably make their way into more consumer-centric drones.

    M300 RTK

    The M300 RTK features a unique design with a top-mounted body and bottom-mounted blades, opposite of its 210 predecessors. This unique design allows advanced AI-powered technologies to get a more expansive overview of the environment for less obstructed viewing. The chunky array atop the drone features a six directional sensing and positioning system that offers a maximum object-detection range of up to 40m (130ft) horizontally, as well as an Anti-Collision Beacon for making the drone more visible in low-light environments. DJI has also included its AirSense (ADS-B) technology that will alert pilots if other aircraft or drones are nearby.

    DJI has also improved its OcuSync Enterprise technology to enable triple-channel 1080p video transmission up to 15km (9.32m) thanks to its 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz connections, which will switch in real-time based on what offers the clearest connection.

    Together these systems work together to power the Primary Flight Display (PFD) that ‘merges real-time flight and navigation data into one integrated display.’ Aside from the usual flight telemetry, the pilot will also see obstacle data and other details to ensure a proper flight path in tricky conditions.

    The M300 RTK also features DJI’s new Advanced Dual Operator Mode, which gives two separate pilots equal access to flight controls, telemetry and other data. ‘Now, if one pilot becomes compromised or their controller loses battery or connection, the other pilot gains full control over the M300 RTK and its payloads,’ says DJI. This feature can also be used for training new pilots, where the teacher can take over control of the drone if need be.

    When paired with the new Zenmuse H20 camera system, the M300 RTK will also offer two new means of syncing the drone’s location with objects of interest for more precise location tracking in coordinated missions, such as search-and-rescue operations and critical infrastructure repairs. The first is PinPoint, ‘a function that allows users to mark the subject of interest and instantly share the precise location data to a second operator or if necessary to ground teams via DJI FlightHub.’ The second method is Smart Track, ‘which allows users to automatically detect and track a moving object, even at extreme distances, while synchronizing the subject’s dynamic location in real time.’

    The M300 RTK is capable of carrying up to three payloads—two on the bottom of the drone and one on the top. Below are a few product photos, including a trio of images showing one-, two- and three-camera setups.

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    Additional data collection tools include Live Mission Recording, AI-Spot Check and Waypoints 2.0. Below is a description of each of the three systems from DJI:

    ‘Live Mission Recording [is] for recording sample automated missions in real time; AI-Spot Check which enables data collection from exactly the same location every time, greatly improving the accuracy of automated missions. After photos from a sample waypoint inspection mission have been recorded, operators are able to mark the subject of interest. During subsequent automated flight missions, AI algorithms perform a comparison between the marked subject and current live view, thus correcting the camera orientation accordingly to deliver accurate and consistent results; and Waypoints 2.0 [is] an improved mission planning system offering up to 65,535 waypoints, while supporting an array of consecutive actions, 3rd party payloads, and more.’

    DJI says the M300 RTK offers up to 55-minutes of flight time on a single battery, offers AES-256 Encryption of its data between the drone and its connected controllers, has IP45 Protection with an operating temperature window of -20 to 50° C (-4 to 120° F) and a self-heating battery when running in the lower temperatures.

    Zenmuse H20

    While the M300 RTK can be used with other payloads, including previous camera systems from DJI, the Zenmuse H20 series is designed to make the most of the new technologies inside DJI’s latest drone. The H20 series comes in two versions: the H20 and the H20T.

    The H20 is a triple-sensor unit with a 20MP, 23x Hybrid Optical Zoom Camera, a 12MP Wide Camera and a Laser Range Finder that covers distances from 3–1200 meters (3–1312 yards). The H20T, on the other hand, adds an additional Radiometric Thermal Camera (640 x 512 pixels), that ‘allows operators to see what is invisible to the human eye thanks to high thermal sensitivity.’

    DJI has also updated its Pilot app to make it easier to switch between the various sensors onboard the H20 series payloads and added a few new modes to make the most of the multi-camera array. One-Click Capture will capture photos or video from all three cameras simultaneously without having to switch between cameras mid-flight, as well as a Night Scene mode that will capture better low-light images when lighting conditions are less than ideal.

    Both the M300 RTK and Zenmuse H20 series payloads are available to pre-order from authorized DJI Enterprise dealers. the first units are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2020.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • DPReview TV: Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine review – Do you need an ultra-wide for video?

    Ultra-wide lenses pose special challenges when shooting video, but can create dramatic effects. We review the Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D Cine lens, which shares the same optical formula as the company’s 12mm F2.8 lens for full frame cameras.

    Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

    • Introduction
    • Using ultra-wide lenses for video
    • How the Cine version differs from the standard Laowa 12mm F2.8 Zero-D
    • Lens breathing
    • Distortion
    • Sharpness
    • Sunstars and flare
    • Do you need an ultra-wide for video?
    • Which version should you get: Stills or Cine?
    • See you next time!

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • The Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro is a Profoto B10 competitor for 1/3rd the price

    Adorama’s house brand Flashpoint has formally announced the much-anticipated XPLOR 300 Pro. The 300W/s battery-powered monolight, which is a rebranded version of the Godox AD 300 Pro, is available starting today for $ 499.

    As its name alludes to, the CPLOR 300 Pro offers 300W/s of power with nine stops of control, a minimum flash duration between 1/220 and 1/11490, a recycle time between 0.01 and 1.5 seconds depending on the power level and a 2,600Ah battery that can fire off up to 320 max-power flashes on a single charge. The light also features a bi-color 12W LED modeling light, TTL metering, high-speed sync up to 1/8000th of a second and a 328-foot range when used with Flashpoint’s R2 Pro Mark II trigger.

    The XPLOR 300 Pro measures in at 19cm (7.48”) long, and 10cm (3.94”) in diameter, and weighs just 1.25kg (2.76lbs). It comes with a Bowens S-Type bracket, but Flashpoint also offers a number of adapters for mounting lighting modifiers from Broncolor, Elinchrom and Profoto.

    Below is an overview video of the Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro from Adorama:

    As is the case for many of Flashpoint and Godox products, the XPLOR 300 Pro is meant to be a direct competitor to Profoto’s more expensive 250W/s B10 monolight, which retails for $ 1,695—more than three times the price. You won’t get all of the extra controls or fine-tuning the B10 offers, but for less than 1/3rd the price, Flashpoint drives a hard bargain.

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    The Flashpoint XPLOR 300 Pro is currently available to purchase at Adorama for $ 499 and comes with the monolight, a single rechargeable Li-Ion battery, the flashtube, a charger with a power adapter, a basic reflector, a protective cap and a case to carry it all in. While the light is also sold as the Godox AD 300 Pro, the Flashpoint unit carries a two-year warranty when purchased in the United States through Adorama.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Filmmaker uses COVID-19 work lull to make and sell $10 3D-printed camera battery cases

    A documentary film maker from Utah has designed and built a series of battery holder magazines that he says help to solve the problem of knowing which batteries are fresh and which are depleted. The 3D printed magazines hold three or four batteries from common cameras and allow the batteries to be inserted contacts up for dead batteries and down for fresh ones.

    Tim Irwin, who is printing the magazines in his basement, had been meaning to come up with a solution to this problem for a while, and had tried downloaded plans for 3D printed magazines in the past, but found they always broke. ‘I originally found files on Thingiverse that worked for a bit. But all the designs I tried from there ended up breaking because of a weak point in the print’ he explains. ‘When the travel restrictions around Covid 19 hit every one of my gigs was cancelled or postponed, so it seemed like prefect time to dive into this side mission. I designed my own from scratch and refined it over a long period of time until I was happy with the product. I’m always looking for ways to make my kit more efficient, quick, and organized. The Battery Mag was born out of that.’

    Tim has designed the magazine so that when fresh batteries are loaded with their contacts down they are isolated from each other and from anything else the magazine might come into contact with, so the risk of shorting is avoided. And with deads loaded with the contacts facing up it is easy to see at a glance which battery to reach for next in fast moving situations.

    Tim, who owns Functional Films, makes commercial video documentaries and says he is usually on the road shooting about 140 days a year. That has all stopped due to the coronavirus out-break, so this is how he is filling his time.

    The Battery Mags are available for Panasonic DMW-BLF19, Canon LP-E6/N, Pentax DLI90, Sony NP-FZ100, Sony NP-FW50 batteries and he says a unit for Panasonic S cameras is also in production. The magazines are $ 9, $ 10 and $ 14 each, respectively, and can be ordered via the Battery Mag website.

    For examples of Tim’s work see his Instagram page.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Adobe’s 12th Annual 99U Creative Conference will be free and virtual this year

    Adobe has announced its 12th Annual 99U Creative Conference, which is usually a paid, in-person event, will be hosted on Adobe Live for free as a virtual event this year amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    Tickets for the annual event normally cost around $ 1,000, so being able to take in the event for free, in the comfort of your own home, is quite the discount. This year’s event will take place on Wednesday June 17 and will feature a mix of keynotes, creative workshops and masterclasses throughout the day. The presentations will be available stream via Adobe Live or available on-demand shortly after completion of each event.

    A few of the individuals who will be presenting at this year’s virtual conference.

    You can find out more information and register to ‘attend’ the event for free on Adobe’s Behance website.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Capture One teases upcoming Capture One 20 update, including new heal and clone brushes

    Earlier today, Capture One showed off a trio of major new features coming via a free update to Capture One 20 later this month. The announcement came in a live stream, which you can watch the replay of below, hosted by Product Manager Alexander Flemming and Business Development Manager David Grover.

    In the live demo below, the first major new feature coming to Capture One 20 later this month is a revised healing brush for retouching images and removing unwanted spots. In the current version of Capture One 20, the healing workflow comprises creating a new heal layer, select your brush and pick a source point. Further, you can only select a single source point per layer.

    In the upcoming update, the software will be able to quickly and intelligently select a source point for each instance of using the heal brush on a single ‘Heal Layer’. Per Flemming, there will be no limit to how many different heal points you can have on a single layer nor has the team found any performance issues when utilizing many heal points.

    In the livestream, Flemming and Grover shared a few interesting tidbits about how the new healing brush operates. The first time you use the brush on an image, the software caches the entire image, so that all subsequent uses of the heal brush are much faster. Further, the new healing technology is adept at adjusting the luminosity of your source point to match the area you wish to heal or touch up. For example, if an area in the image with the best match for texture is brighter or darker than the area you are trying to heal, the software can match the source area by brightening or darkening it.

    In addition to the new healing brush, there’s also a new clone brush. The clone brush works similarly to the new heal brush, but it creates a ‘Clone Layer’ rather than a ‘Heal Layer’. The clone brush creates a pixel-for-pixel clone, rather than replacing a healing area via a source selection. Basically, the clone brush allows you to copy a selected set of pixels from one area of your image to another area.

    In this screenshot from Capture One’s presentation, the new clone brush is being used. Image credit: Capture One

    Another addition is the new before and after button, which can be found on the toolbar. In prior versions, seeing a before and after comparison was done via a convoluted process whereby you reset the image and then undid the reset. Now you will be able to simply press the before/after button, which creates a sliding before/after split view, showing before on the left and after on the right. This works at all zoom levels and can be used across multiple images. Users will even be able to edit in this view if they so desire. There’s also a secondary before/after mode where you can view the entire image in its before and after state, rather than using a slider.

    The upcoming free update to Capture One 20 includes a new before/after view. You can use this view across multiple images at once as well, as can be seen here. Image credit: Capture One

    As mentioned, the update is scheduled to arrive by the end of the month. The update will be free for all existing Capture One 20 users, including those who use Capture One Fujifilm and Capture One (for Sony). For more information on Capture One 20, including pricing information for both subscriptions and perpetual licenses, click here.

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • Slideshow: Winners of All About Photo Awards, the Mind’s Eye, 2020

    Winners of All About Photo Awards, the Mind’s Eye, 2020

    The 5th Annual Mind’s Eye competition from All About Photo attracted submissions from all over the world. Even though a majority of the entries were color photographs, 4 out of the 5 top category winners are black and white and came from women. The Photographer of the Year 2020 was awarded to Monica Denevan (United States) for her image ‘Across the River, Burma’ from the series ‘Songs of the River: Portraits from Burma.’ She received a $ 5,000 cash prize.

    A panel of 7 jurors selected the 40 winning and finalist images. Compared to previous years, they were more inclined to choose calming images compared to those depicting unsettling or violent situations. ‘Perhaps a subconscious need has arisen in each one of us to escape the terrible events that are happening in the world right now,’ reads the official press release.

    In a field dominated by men, women received a majority of the top honors in this competition. Elena Paraskeva was recognized in the Particular Merit Mention category for her image ‘The Lost Swimmer.’

    Winners will be showcased on the daily fine art photography site Lenscratch, art streaming platform Daylighted, All About Photo’s online gallery, and in the print edition of AAP Magazine. All About Photo hosts a variety of competitions, year round, that can be found on their ‘Photo Contests’ page.

    1st Place Photographer of the Year: ‘Across the River, Burma’ by Monica Denevan (United States)

    Artist Statement: From the series ‘Songs of the River: Portraits from Burma.’

    2nd Place Winner: ‘Florida’ by Gabriele Galimberti (Italy)

    Artist Statement: Avery Skipalis (33) – Tampa, Florida / THE AMERIGUNS – In the States there are more guns than people. ‘120.5 registered firearms for every 100 residents’ and the statistic doesn’t count ‘not-registers firearms.’ As a European, I started wondering if owning many weapons by a single person or family is a common habit in the US. I traveled across the US and created a series of 45 portrait of families or single individuals, including all races and beliefs, together with their firearms.

    3rd Place Winner: ‘Philomena’ by Rebecca Moseman (United States)

    Artist Statement: A little Irish Traveler girl looks out of her family car before going home to her family’s Illegal encampment.

    4th Place Winner: ‘Sustenance 4’ by Nadia De Lange (Switzerland)

    Artist Statement: Desert: ‘a waterless, desolate area of land with little or no vegetation, typically one covered with sand.’ And yet, there is life in the desert. More than most people realize. In the Namib this is thanks to the wonderful miracle of fog – the clouds that roll in from the Atlantic Ocean bring with them moisture that sustain the fauna and flora living in this beautiful, harsh landscape.

    5th Place Winner: ‘Jump of the Wildebeest’ by Nicole Cambre (Belgium)

    Artist Statement: Annual migration of the wildebeest at Northern Serengeti, Tanzania. This wildebeest did not wait for its turn and jumped on top of the others.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Polarbearpet’ by Marcel Van Balken (Netherlands)

    Artist Statement: Climate change, and the loss of sea ice habitat, is the greatest threat to polar bears. More and more polar bears are being forced ashore, away from their sea-ice hunting grounds. But it does not make sense to make your home (or bathroom) available as a haven for the polar bear. It’s better to spread awareness about the real and pressing threat of climate change.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Untitled’ by Kosuke Kitajima (Japan)

    Artist Statement: A monkey entering a Japanese hot spring. Had various expressions like a person.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Break Away’ by Tony Law (Australia)

    Artist Statement: A man falling off a bull in a rodeo event held in Taralga, Australia.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Untitled’ by Yoni Blau (Israel)

    Artist Statement: This image was taken while on a trip to the Suri tribe in the Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia.
    The model was not dressed, simply recorded as is. No artificial lighting was used.
    The picture was taken within a dark tent with the light coming in from the entrance of the tent.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Woman Mursi’ by Svetlin Yosifov (Bulgaria)

    Artist Statement: The Mursi tribe are an African tribe from the isolated Omo valley in Southern Ethiopia near the border with Sudan.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Eye Sea’ by Anuar Patjane (Mexico)

    Artist Statement: A school of Bigeye trevaly and divers at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Beyond the Wall’ by Francesco Pace Rizzi (Italy)

    Artist Statement: Sometimes a shot cannot contain emotions, memories, moods…you need more … you have to ‘chisel’ the image to make that evolutionary-creative leap necessary to reach the right size.

    This photo is intended as a small tribute to a great Master: Henri Cartier Bresson, the one who first knew how to show me the reality of ever with new eyes: more human, artistic, poetic. His photos taken between the 1950s and 1970s in Basilicata (my homeland) and around the world have changed the perspective of things in me, creating a fantastic ‘imprinting’ and becoming a source of great inspiration.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Untitled’ by Chin Leong Teo (Japan)

    Artist Statement: The Wallace’s Flying Frog is a moss frog found in Malaysia and western Indonesia. It is generally quite photogenic given its large size, brilliant colors and calm temperament. This is a shot taken of a specimen swimming in water, with full extension of its beautiful long legs.

    Particular Merit Mention: ‘Step by Step’ by Mustafa AbdulHadi (Bahrain)

    Artist Statement: Impression Lijiang is a cultural show which demonstrates the traditions and lifestyle of local Naxi, Yi, and Bai ethnics of the area. It is the second outdoor production of famous film director, Zhang Yimou, which debuts an open-air performance at the foot of Yulong Xueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) about 3,500 meters above sea level. The performance stage is specially designed to showcase the mountain as the best backdrop of the show. More than 500 local people from ten ethnic groups (participate).

    Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)