Depth In Black And White: Photo Contest Finalists

Guest judge Steve Squall has shares his selections and revealed the thoughts behind them. Steve Squall is a Louisville, KY based fashion, commercial and editorial photographer. He first developed an interest in photography while working on his Graphic Design degree during college. He continued to hone his skills with a camera after graduating and during a short stint in the graphic design industry before deciding to change the direction of his career to focus solely on photography. Continuing to work mostly in the Louisville area, Steve has displayed work at a myriad of galleries, is a regular contributor to a number of local and regional publications, and has published work both nationally and internationally.

Congratulations Grand Jury Winner "Casa Mila by Antoni Gaudi" by vladgeorgescu

"I am a big fan of symmetry and this image has it in spades. The depth and variety of the tones is great; going from a really nice white to that awesome rich black. I also love the juxtaposition of the organic shapes of the clouds against the more structural right angles and hard shapes of the building. Another nice contrast is the rough texture on the outside of the building versus the smoothness of the glass. It's a feast for the eye with great focal points and plenty of interest to keep the gaze traveling. Bravo!" - Steve Squall

Congratulations Runner Up "sylvia_by_olw" by olivierlw

"This photo is a cornucopia of textures and I love it! From the hat to the wooden ornaments on the hat, the metal of the earrings and pins, the garments, and the texture in that skin; they're all phenomenal! Great tones and excellent use of a shallow depth of field. I also really enjoy that there is a bit of ambiguity in her expression. I can't quite tell if she is about to cry or about to laugh, but I like it either way. I would have liked to have seen it cropped in a little tighter so that the hat were nearly touching the top of the frame; it feels a little too weighted to the bottom left of the composition. Very nice work!" - Steve Squall

Congratulations Runner Up "Spoon & Caterpillar" by JanaJana35

"The tonal range and contrast of this image is great. All of the different, contrasty textures, along with the intersecting lines of the spoon and the plank, keep the eye busy traveling while the hard shadow under the spoon creates a nice resting spot. I also really like the sense of motion created by the caterpillar being captured in mid-stride. I think the image could benefit slightly from eliminating the vignetting that seems to be happening around the left and bottom sides. Excellent piece!" - Steve Squall

Congratulations People's Choice "Mysterious pathway to nowhere" by MissionMan