#guesteditors

Liz Andersen:

Run for it! It’s the Cat! Photograph by Vanessa Hirsch

Using your pets in an artificially created scene is difficult. However, when you succeed it's extra rewarding. In this photo, Vanessa had a story in mind and managed to execute it perfectly. Use of natural light is important for this shot—it adds depth and makes it more alive, and the interesting angle gives it that little extra. A very cute photo.

Noodle Face, Photograph by Sangeeta Nameirakpam

My mum always told me not to play with my food. I say she was wrong. Sangeeta has made a wonderful and well executed photo without using many different elements, and the different colored noodles makes the image more dynamic. It is a delicate and fun image, and did you notice the braid?

Who we are? Photograph by Denis Shchepetov

I had to look twice at this photo before I understood the context. The juxtaposition of these two images and the seamless transition from book to woman makes this a fabulous shot. It certainly made me curious about the woman behind the book. Who is she? Only the photographer has the answer to that. Great photo.

Jeanne Modderman:

Planets Collide, Photograph by Raghuvaradan Js

Raghuvaradan created a planet out of a melted compact disc and a marble. Just amazing.  I think what really made this photo for me was the red line underneath the marble surrounded by the black background. It somehow made it seem all that more galactic. In the end, this photo made it to the editing wall, but did not stick because we felt that though what it took to make this photo was ingenious, the concept was not readily surfaced.

A Portrait of the Past, Photograph by Amna Yaseen

I love that Amma took inspiration from tribal art and Native American culture. The effort it took to make such a stunning portrait was masterful. The concept was cleverly created and I got that she was contrasting ideas and cultures right off the bat. However, for me the technique was not balanced with the idea. This really came down to the processing of the photo and her decision to use the sepia tone. I thought that it would have been just as powerful and maybe even more dramatic with just black and white. Sometimes the toning and processing done to an image, as slight as it may be, distracts you from the concept and in the end, it wasn’t something we could look past.

Mike Melnotte: 

In Blue and Dark Light, Photograph by Walid Khoury

Light painting was a popular genre in the assignment, but only a handful stood out for the quality of execution. This one was so very well done. We all commented on the unique style of light, like a beautiful language. In the end, the one that made the edit had the extra element of a water setting and the amazing reflected light that put it over the top.

Lego Tires, Photograph by Sorin Costache