![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/03\/Samsung_mug_forum.jpg\")
<\/img><\/p>\nInternet forums
\ncan offer the opportunity to share information, give advice and, in the case of
\nour own web-based community, show of your well-honed photographic skills.
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/img><\/p>\n
Each month our
\u00a0
Benchista has
The blues seem so
Great shot,
What an absolutely
The girl’s hair is
Just brilliant,
\n
You’d have to be
The focus ensures
\n
This is the kind
The colours,
\n
This is a pretty
We’re pleased
\u00a0
We loved this
\n
This image is
\n
This image stood
From a technical
\n
RexK’s picture is
It may sound
\n
Without the bird
This is an
\n
It’s often
The light source
\u00a0 Swan’s
I
For
The
All
Taking part in a
Here are the
Visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk\/forums<\/a> (monthly competition) for a full briefing. <\/p>\n \nAP Forum Competition Winners 2012 sponsored by Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n
\ncompetition presents our forum members with a Samsung<\/a> 32GB Micro SD card with SD
\nadapter for the winner, and 8GB cards and adapters for the second and third
\nplaces. Second and third places also get an \u2018Amateur Photographer Loves My
\nPictures’ mug.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Benchista_.jpg\")
<\/img>January – Cold As
\nIce<\/strong>
\nDerwentfrozenwater<\/em>
\nBenchista<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\ncreated a wonderful picture that shows us an amazing view, in amazing conditions
\nand in amazing circumstances. You can feel the cold just from the coolness of
\nthe cyan\/blue sky, and the blue shadows and mist in the mountains further that
\nimpression.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nmuch cooler because of the warm colours of the sun on the frozen lake in the
\nforeground – cover it over with your hand to see what we mean. It’s a long thin
\npicture, but it doesn’t need cropping top or bottom, as the stripes of blue,
\ngrey and peach are very comfortably proportioned. And our favourite bit? That long
\nshadow behind the man on the ice.
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\nBenchista!<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Brian_Wall.jpg\")
<\/img>February -
\nContre-Jour\/Lit From Behind<\/strong>
\nFlaming Hair<\/em>
\nBrianWall<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nstunning picture. The colours are incredibly powerful. Technically, of course,
\nit is dreadful, with all that lost detail and pixelation, but had it been
\ncrispy and detailed it would not have possessed half the charm or the same
\ndegree of drama.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nalight with the fire of the setting sun, and the wind blows the flames across
\nthe frame. The sea in the background is like molten lava flowing at her feet.
\nThe colours are so intense you’d be forgiven for being unsure if this was a
\nvision of heaven or of hell, although we’d be inclined to believe it is the
\nformer.
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nand the kind of picture you can go back to again and again.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Betinalap.jpg\")
<\/img>March – Still Life<\/strong>
\nGhirardelli<\/em>
\nBetinalap<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nlactose intolerant to not be drawn to this image. You can taste what those
\nthings would be like in your mouth, and smell what your nose would experience
\nwere you to place your nostrils close to the warm, melting, soft, gooey slabs.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nwe maintain our attention at the action-end of things, as if the draw were not
\nstrong enough already. And the softening into the distance delivers a faint
\nhint of romance. The plain background gives us nothing with which to distract
\nourselves, and the clever backlighting aids depth and gives a sense of place
\nrather than pure, factual studio.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Ian_Turner.jpg\")
<\/img>April – In The
\nGarden<\/strong>
\nSpring Sunshine<\/em>
\nIanJTurner<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nof picture that is so great you think it must be constructed. The arrangement
\nof the heads, and the perfect depth of field that makes the stamens stand out
\nbut which still allows the defining shapes and colours of the daisies to be
\ndescribed, look very organised. The perspective is close-to, as from a standard
\nlens that allows big foregrounds and exaggerated differences.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\npastel but bold at the same time, are simultaneously vibrant and relaxing.
\nTheir distinctive characteristics are strangely familiar – unusual and typical
\nin one. IanJTurner has clearly thought about what he wanted to do, and has done
\nit in a deliberate manner. It’s very good.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Eric_Devon_May.jpg\")
<\/img>
\nMay – Something
\nSmall<\/strong>
\nClematis Hea<\/em>d<\/em>
\nDevon_Eric<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\namazing shot. It’s a great subject, for sure, but as we all know that doesn’t
\nmake a picture on its own. It is a combination of great lighting, a good choice
\nof background and blue tone.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nDevon_Eric didn’t decide to make the background completely black as that would
\nhave introduced a harshness to the image. Having a moderate grey works very
\nnicely, providing just enough contrast to make the subject stand out, but
\nwithout overdoing the contrast to make the shot dramatic. The light from behind
\ncreates that bright furry edge, as well as the darkness in the core of the
\nhead, and that catchlight on either side of the stem prevents it disappearing
\ninto the background. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Eric_Devon_June.jpg\")
<\/img>June – Non-Human
\nLife<\/strong>
\nLife? Certainly
\nnot as we know it, Jim<\/em>
\nDevon_Eric<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\npicture from the first moment we saw it. For us, it conjures up images of
\nstrange sea creatures, perhaps the distant cousins of jellyfish, and red blood
\ncells, photographed with microscopic precision. But that’s not why we like it.
\nIts appeal lies in its ambiguity. It’s not entirely clear what the subject is
\nbut whatever it is, it is mesmerising. The glistening blood-red colour, what
\nappear to be splashes from the top of the objects and mesmerising, swirling
\npatterns all come together to form a compelling image. Technically strong and
\nnicely lit, the allure of this image is in its abstraction.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Marty_G.jpg\")
<\/img>July – Travel<\/strong>
\nJourney
\n
\n<\/em>
\nMarty G<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nuncomplicated, unfussy and like the sketches Bert makes in the film Mary
\nPoppins, makes us want to leap into the picture and join these travellers on
\ntheir adventure. We’re used to seeing landscape images shot in a horizontal
\nformat, but fewer are shot vertically – and successfully. One of the main
\nstrength’s of this picture is Marty G’s decision to shoot vertically so the
\npeople are at the bottom of the frame. They are perfectly placed in the centre
\nand the light falls on them in such a way as to highlight their expressions and
\ngestures. We, the viewers, want to follow the people beyond the edge of the
\nframe and it is this impression of motion that is the photograph’s key.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Eric_Devon.jpg\")
<\/img>August – Olympian<\/strong>
\nFuture Olympians?
\n<\/em>
\nDevon_Eric
\n<\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nout straightaway. The expressions on the children’s faces – their sense of
\nanticipation, determination and focus – is palpable. It’s unclear where this
\nimage was taken, but its suggestion that these children may be Olympic
\nchampions of the future is a clever take on the theme. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\npoint of view, the lighting is great and the exposure spot-on. The variety of
\ntones and shadows on the figures, coupled with the shallow depth of field,
\nhelps to give the image depth. It’s good how Devon_Eric has crouched down
\nslightly to the children’s level to take the shot, which draws the viewer into
\nthe scene, and we like how he has used the surrounding figures to frame his
\nmain subject.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_RexK.jpg\")
<\/img>S<\/strong>eptember – Leaf<\/strong>
\nNew leaves<\/em>
\nRexK<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\na particularly strong example of backlit plants and flowers. There is something
\nvery delicate about the lighting that grabbed us straightaway. You could be
\nforgiven for assuming it was taken with natural light and the way the light
\nilluminates the reds, pinks, oranges and yellows of the leaves is fantastic.
\nThe light also accentuates the vein patterns of the leaves to interesting
\neffect.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nsilly, but it is a moving image. There is something quite touching about the
\nscene – a flourishing plant against a dark, menacing background. In this way,
\nthere is a kind of story at play here that you don’t often find with plant
\nimages. It’s a strong and worthy winner.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Yebisu.jpg\")
<\/img>October – Above
\nYour Head\/Looking Up<\/strong>
\nShinjuku, Tokyo<\/em>
\nYebisu<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nthis image would be sorely lacking and not half as striking as it is – the bird
\nanchors the picture and provides a vital focal point. Did Yebisu find this
\nscene, frame the shot and then wait for the bird to fly into the frame, or was
\nit was a happy coincidence that the bird appeared?<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nexcellent image and it is clear that a lot of thought has gone into the
\ncomposition’s design – the interplay of the light and the material of the
\nbuildings, and the buildings’ leaning angles, for example. We also love the
\ntraces of grain you can see in the buildings and sky, which contributes to the
\nimage’s authentic, timeless feel, and the subtlety of tone throughout.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_Mike_Morley1.jpg\")
<\/img>November – High
\nISO<\/strong>
\nOutdoors
\nLate-Night Concert Crowd<\/em>
\nMike_Morley<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\ndifficult to pinpoint exactly why an image catches your eye, but this one does
\nfor a couple of reasons. First, the silhouetted figure towards the left of the
\nscene commands the space so well without being overbearing. Even though he is a
\nsilhouette he is a very strong presence, indeed the focal point of the picture.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\npositioned neatly above him in the top left-hand corner is another
\ncompositionally strong feature and draws the eye first. The golden light gently
\noutlines the gaggle of people in the image. The use of light here is super – it
\nis as much a character in the scene as the figures themselves. It’s a very
\ninteresting winner for November.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2013\/01\/forum_jasonsteel.jpg\")
<\/img>
\nDecember – Where’s the colour gone<\/strong>?
\n<\/strong>Winter Swan
\nJaySteel\u00a0 <\/strong>
\n
\n<\/p>\n
\nseem to be a recurring theme in the art of the Western world. It began all the
\nway in the 1500s when Leonardo da Vinci produced his now lost painting of the
\nstory of Leda and the Swan. Ever since then the brilliant white bird has popped
\nup time and again making it a enduring symbol and subject. They’re undoubtedly
\na popular theme in photography too. Take a look at the wildlife photography of
\nAlex Saberi for a good example.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nhave to say this image leapt out at me right from the start. I’m a sucker for
\nfairy tales. As a child I wasted many an evening devouring the stories of the
\nBrothers Grimm, Angela Carter and Hans Christian Anderson. It’s difficult not
\nto look at this image and feel like a child again. The image is saturated in
\natmosphere. It almost seems to be from another world entirely. I just love the
\nmist, the swan, the hazy sun and the trees that look like twisted hands. It’s
\nonly when you notice the park bench in the background that you realise the kind
\nof location this was taken in. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nmy money this is great interpretation of the brief. When faced with the title
\n\u2018Where’s the Colour Gone?’ the obvious choice would be to produce a monochrome
\nimage. But here we see that JaySteel (and a few of our other submissions) chose
\nto take a different approach. The autumn and winter months seem to drain the
\ncolour from the environment and leave behind washed-out, murky tones. The mist
\ncreeps into the landscape and obscures the horizon, rendering the objects there
\nas barely in-focus silhouettes. Look to the sky and you can see the sun
\nfighting a losing battle against a ground level ocean of grey.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\ncompositional balance of the image is subtle but effective. It’s the
\nreflections of the trees and the hook of the swans neck and head that hold
\neverything in place. Perhaps there could have been a little more space between
\nthe edge of the frame and the swan’s reflection but that’s a minor quibble. The
\nfact is, it works. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nin all this is a shot that I’m very fond of and is, in my opinion, a more than
\nworthy taker of the number one spot of this particular round. Congratulations
\nto JaySteel.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n2013 Themes<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nlight-hearted contest like the monthly AP forum competition is great fun,
\ninspiring and can help you get a bit of direction into your photography.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\nthemes for 2013, so you can plan ahead. <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n \u00a0\u00a0January\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0The Colour of Night\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0February<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0The City Up Close <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0March<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0In the Shadows\/Light and Dark <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0April<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Framing the Shot\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0May<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Looking Down\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0June<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Seeing Double\/Reflections\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0July<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Square Format\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0August<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Human Wildlife\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0September<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Reach for the Skies\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0October
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0\u00a0The New and the Old\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0November<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Wild World\/Animals\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u00a0\u00a0December<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a0\u00a0Winter Wonderland\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
![](\"http:\/\/default.media.ipcdigital.co.uk\/11134\/000001a9d\/4ae6\/Samsung-logo-apoy.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/img><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"