Life in Colour

This competition has now closed.

Winners

1st
The Mask
Ata Adnan
2nd
Red Eye
Jason Freeman
3rd
Contrasts Of Nature
César Torres

Commended

Esteemed French painter Edouard Manet once said: “There are no lines in nature, only areas of colour, one against another.”

The natural world is absolutely bursting with striking and vibrant colours and patterns. In the animal kingdom, colour has an essential role to play from attracting mates, warning against predators, camouflaging or mimicking, right through to communicating information and diverting attacks.

Plants and flowers are also known for their impressively vivid colours and many of them also use colour strategically to attract pollinators.

Whatever the reason for nature’s heavenly hues, there is no denying that the biological world is a beautiful one indeed.

With this theme we are looking for photographs that explore colour in nature. You may choose to capture the striking colours of the flowering tulip bulbs in Holland, the autumnal colours of the changing season, the colourful face of a Mandrill or the changing colours of a chameleon. Take your inspiration from living organisms and send us your pictures of Life in Colour.

Competition Judge

Ann Dickson L.R.P.S.

Ann was lucky enough to travel to Australia in her early twenties, where she was hit by the harsh bright light, after being so used to the soft light of Northamptonshire. The modern architecture mixed with the bright colours of the New South Wales scenery, taught her so much about how light plays such an important part in photography.

A career of working with horses, then having a family, put photography on the back boiler for Ann. But by the time her last child went off to school, digital photography had become more affordable. She got her first digital camera in 2004, and promptly signed up for an evening classes so she could learn about the black art of photo-editing software.

However, photography was once again put to one side due to family circumstances. But after moving house, Ann was taken to a local camera club by a wonderful neighbour, who took her under her wing and really pushed her.

After joining the local camera club and gaining the confidence to show her work, Ann went to a photographic exhibition whilst holidaying in Norfolk. There she met Joy Hancock F.R.P.S., M.P.A.G.B who encouraged her to take her photography more seriously and join the Royal Photographic Society. Eighteen months later Ann gained her Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society (L.R.P.S.)

Ann is often asked to photograph weddings, portraits, and working dogs. But she is most at home photographing horses and can often be seen giving a leg up to a rider on a horse with one hand, whilst having a Nikon D800 slung over her other shoulder. Ann never seems to have the time to do landscape photography, due to the presence of her children. She was once told that photography was “not a spectator sport.”

Ann is regularly involved with local camera clubs, teaching, judging, and small exhibitions and she successfully submitted her work to The Photographic Angle.

Ann knows that it takes guts to put an image up for judgment. Viewing images and not just looking at them, she tries to engage into the thought and emotional process of what inspired the photographer to press the button at that moment and produce the finished image.

View Archive

The Mask

Ata Adnan

First Prize

"This image shone out, the title of the competition was Life in Colour and this picture shows that to the full. The old mans has seen life, with his grey beard covered in dry paint. The way all the colours on his shirt are replicated on the building. He is looking away from at the camera into the distance and we have to ask ourselves, what is he looking at and why is he hiding. This image encourages the view to make up a story and ask questions. A thought-provoking image."

Red Eye

Jason Freeman

Second Prize

"This limited colour palette on this image is so simple yet stunning. With the contrast of blurred background and pin sharp detail of the bird makes this a well thought out and created imagine. It is only slightly let down is by not given the name of the bird in the title."

Contrasts Of Nature

César Torres

Third Prize

"This image is so simple yet very effect, with the clever use of opposite sides of the colour wheel. The yellows and blues of the swallowtail mimicking the meadow flowers. Well spotted , I would like to have cropped the bottom quarter of to make it a stronger image."

Soul Mate Of Farmer

Sadiqur Rahman

Commended

"The upside down image is very effective in showing the life in the rice fields with the beautiful sky reflected in the water. Different."

Colour Of Dream

Bidyut Goswami

Commended

"The use of man made objects shows thinking outside the box. The angle, which the picture was taken to hid, the bright light gives this picture a sense of fun and movement. Great separation between the balloon sellers and the night sky has been achieved with the use of rim lighting."

Wiltshire Spring

Andrew Newman

Commended

"The beauty of the English countryside shown with just the use of grass wheat and rape fields. Great use of tractor tracks to lead the eye into the picture."

Horizon

Sadiqur Rahman

Commended

"The simple black boat on the water, which has the appearance of being fire gives scale to the landscape. Simple and so well handled."