Judge: Annette Johnston
A picture is worth 1,000 words
Photojournalism is the communication of news through photographs. These images tend to appear in print newspapers and magazines as well as online media sites and microblogging platforms. A picture is worth 1,000 words and can instantly enhance the story that a news article communicates to its readers.
Photojournalism Rules from PSNZ
The Photographic Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) defines this as storytelling images such as seen in the news media and periodicals. They may include contemporary life, human interest, documentary, illustrative, spot news, sport, etc.
The storytelling value of the image shall receive priority over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, photojournalism images must not misrepresent the truth. No situations shall be set up for the purpose of photography.
Any manipulation or modification of the original image must not alter the content of the original scene and elements of the story may not be introduced, removed, shifted or changed in any way including HDR toning or use of image enhancement software, but corrections to exposure and the removal of spots is acceptable.
Cropping is acceptable only if this does not affect the truth of the story. Colour images can be converted to greyscale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed.
Really interestng that most of the iconic photographs are photojournalism
https://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/01/world/gallery/iconic-images/index.html
Open
Set Subject
From Annette Johnston Thank you very much for inviting me to evaluate the images, I do hope that my assessments are useful for your members.
Image of the Month: How rice paddies are planted in Bali by Rose McConchie
Prints
| subject | Grade | Title | Rating | Comment |
| Open | C | Bellbird | Merit | Well done for getting such a close up of this Bellbird. The eye and beak are beautifully sharp, and the head and chest have good feather detail. The shallow depth of field, and the consequent fall off in focus, is natural to the eye, and the background, whilst relatively uninteresting, nicely frames the bird. A little more post-production could be considered by the photographer, to tone down the brightness of the branch, which tends to draw the eye and attention of the viewer away from the Bellbird. Merit |
| Open | C | Sparrow at Taylor Dam Lake | Honours | What a lovely sparrow portrait. Framed naturally within its leafy environment, this bird is rendered beautifully sharp, and with lovely feather detail. There is a touch of over exposure on the whites of the neck, and I hope that this detail is recoverable in post-production. An everyday bird photographed beautifully. Nicely Done! Honours |
| Set | B | Flanker Tim Sail was among the Tasman Mako rugby players mobbed | Merit | As a (part-time) sports photographer, the moments after a match were for me, often as enjoyable as the action itself. I always loved seeing the kids, clutching anything from a programme, a Four /Six sign at cricket, a poster, a ball, even just themselves, hands, arms, tee shirts, bustling and often calling out, just to get an autograph from their favourite player. It was always difficult photography, but I think this photographer, has managed to capture the 'moment amidst the mayhem', well. In my opinion, the conversion to monochrome was a good idea, as no doubt the plethora of colour would have been a visual step too far. I would ask the photographer to consider toning down the brightness of the ball in post-production if this is possible - it does 'leap-out' just a little too much. Merit |
| Set | B | Protesters in Blenheim calling for an end to the war in Gaza | Accepted | This bright sunny day, whilst pleasant for these protestors, has provided an exposure challenge for the photographer, with the image, in my view, overly bright. This may have been an occasion where an in-camera exposure adjustment could have been considered. The wind on the other hand has provided a dramatic furl to the flags. The photographer has chosen a nice frame for the action, with the flags all blowing left to right, and the people well-spaced. Accepted |
| Set | A | Listen Up! Health and Safety Briefing | Merit | Ubiquitous Health and Safety! Photographed so that both the speaker and most of the audience are visible, we can see a variety of 'attentiveness or, levels of engagement' with the message. The tour guide is delivering the briefing with just two members looking on with any degree of enthusiasm, the others, variously more interested in their cell phone, their camera bag and the stairs of the bus! This image has captured one of those mundane moments that we all tolerate, however I am sure that the resulting tour was well worthwhile! Merit |
| Set | A | Marlborough's Monoculture Trifecta | Not Accepted | I found the title a little perplexing - but I am presuming it is referencing something like, Pine Trees, Housing and Viticulture as the trifecta? This image has been exposed with the pine trees framing a view across the planes, and through to some distant hills. Regretfully, the focal plane seems to rest on the two pine trees, central and bottom of the frame, leaving the rest of the image very soft. The image is one that could accompany an article about the lack of environmental diversity, however, in my opinion a greater depth of field could have been used in order to create a more compelling narrative. Not Accepted |
| Set | A | The New Generation in the Musterers' Hut | Honours | What a great story - the relatively simple story of young women 'entering' a space where generations have been before her, has been added to by the secondary story - the recorded years of those that have gone before. Someone signing himself as B. Neal seems to be the most frequent! I loved the neat writing - no illegible graffiti, and my imaginings of those gone before. Honours |
Digital
| Title | Rating | Comments |
| C Grade Set | ||
| 3rd Tug welcomed to the fleet | Merit | I did a little research, and I think that this is the ceremonial welcoming of the tug Kaiana as she arrived at Waitohi, Picton in July of this year. The photographer has made this capture from an elevated vantage position choosing their timing so that the three vessels are nicely placed in a triangle, with each vessel in its own space. The spout of water is a nice addition to the visual tableau, and of course the point of the capture! The photographer may like to consider lifting the shadow regions in post-production, just to add in a touch more life to the scene, and to reveal a little more detail, particularly on the front vessel. This is a good candidate for a photojournalism set subject. Merit |
| early spring swim Lake Rotoiti | Accepted | I am presuming that this was a brief swim, as I imagine that the water of this lovely lake was not as warm as it might be later in the season! Aside from a touch of overly bright highlights on the man’s face and shoulders the image is well exposed. The choice of a fast shutter speed has allowed us to catch a glimpse of the water drops around the man's left shoulder, a little bonus within the capture. This image preserves a moment in time, however in my opinion it is not a particularly strong photo journalism capture, lacking perhaps another element that would give the story additional interest. Accepted |
| Marlborough Ploughing Match - Checking the line | Merit | Captured in challenging light, that is a very sunny, hazy, high contrast day, this monochrome conversion has eased some of the harshness and given the viewer opportunity to see this story in terms of lines and shapes. Being a farming girl, I appreciated both the use of vintage machinery, and the skills on show. I spent time thinking about this capture, and wondered if, for a more dynamic render the photographer had considered photographing from in front of the tractor, making the story more about the actions of the very competent tractor driver. I then realised that this story is about the whole, that is the event, and its surroundings, and when viewed through this lens, the PJ story is complete. Merit |
| Paparazzi in waiting | Accepted | I cannot quite imagine why one person would need so many cameras for an event! It was a good idea to make this capture in the shade of a leafy tree, it looks very bright out in the market. Taking from a lower vantage point, we are able to see the face of one man, and just a glimpse of the man with the multiple cameras – both are seemingly in a moment of pause as something important must be about to happen. I am left wondering … Accpeted |
| Pot shop, Montevideo | Accepted | The sights we see! I was most intrigued with the rusty surround of the front shop and wondered why, when affixing such colourful advertising, someone hadn’t thought to give the surrounds a coat of paint! The image has two distinct parts to it, with the left-hand side not as strong visually, and in some ways something of a distraction to the ‘heady’ messages on the right. As a candidate for a strong photojournalism story, I think that another element was necessary within this frame; a person looking in or out of the shop perhaps? Regardless, I am sure that there are many tales to be told from travels in this part of the world. Accepted |
| Whitebait are running | Accepted | Here we have a man kneeling on the water’s edge, preparing his whitebait net; maybe it is his first time out for the new season? The image has been well exposed although in my opinion it is not as ‘in-focus’ as it might be. I get the feeling that it may have been captured from a distance with a long lens, and we have that little bit of blur due to some camera shake. This is a story of a man alone, out in the wild; a man against nature, and I am left wondering if this gentleman had whitebait fritters for his dinner? Accepted |
| Wild times, Antwerp | Merit | This ‘mirror’ style image with its ‘am I looking in or looking out’ perspective had me intrigued. The way the lady in the street is looking up adds another question; is she wondering if a wayward axe might come flying through the through the air, I wonder? This busy street styled image has captured many stories, each one a question. Well seen and nicely framed. Merit. |
| C Grade Open | ||
| Dragonfly Aeronaut | Accepted | Well-placed against a seamless backdrop of green, this splendid insect has been captured with detail. Regretfully, I suspect that the image has been severely cropped, and a lot of the pixels have been deleted leaving us with the typically somewhat smudgy look bearing the hallmarks of a low-resolution file. I am very impressed however, that you managed to capture this insect, and that despite the degradation of the file, there remains some great wing detail. Accepted |
| Once was a bridge | Accepted | I find it hard to walk past a reflection and I like to think it means that I can still experience a modicum of childlike wonder! One of the challenges of photography is the vexed question of what to leave in and what to leave out. This is a scene that could have been framed in a number of different ways, and I do hope that the photographer took the time to explore vertical, square, and some in-close details within this scene. For my taste, the image is very green, and I wonder if a black and white conversion might be considered, just to simplify things a little. The image is also slightly ‘soft’ meaning the focus isn’t quite as crisp as it might be. I now make a practice using a tripod for my landscape work. This has the double benefit of making me carefully consider my composition as well as ensuring that I can always achieve a nicely sharp capture. Accepted |
| Orange Beauty | Merit | What a beauty! Having spent quite a bit of time photographing butterflies, I am always impressed when someone manages a sharp eye, one of the feelers and sharp legs, all in one capture. After many frustrations, I now resort to early morning focus-stacking whenever I attempt to photograph butterflies (the butterflies mostly keep still in the early morning). Whilst there are arguably distractions in the background, particularly the brighter white lights, this is still a very good butterfly portrait, that could benefit from a little more selective post production work, particularly a lifting of the shadows and whites on the butterfly. Merit |
| Rainbow Fundraiser | Merit | These traditional Holi (Festival of Colour) events are now commonplace within New Zealand’s very multi-cultural society. Curious, I looked up the origins of the Holi Festival which harks back to a story of Krisha, and his love for the fair-milkmaid, Radha. Whilst this image has been captured largely from the back of this crowd, the colourful eruption and its intendant joy really does not need smiles; it is a story simply told, a colourful moment remembered; and that is enough. Merit |
| B Grade Set | ||
| Back On the Beat | Accepted | It took me a moment to work out what the story is in this image – and thankfully, I rechecked the title and finally saw that this policeman has, embarrassingly no doubt, fallen foul himself to the elements and his patrol car is now wedged awkwardly off the road! From a technical point of view, this image whilst well exposed for difficult conditions, does regretfully lack critical sharpness, and I suspect the use of a long lens from quite a distance has been a contributing factor. I hope that the policeman managed to get the necessary assistance in a relatively short period of time, with a relatively small amount of humble pie consumed in the process. Accepted |
| Clean-up Crew | Merit | The decision to frame this image in the portrait orientation has in my view been successful. As I traverse the image, I start at the bottom left in the tangle of man-made waste across to the single ‘crew’ member and then out to the boat complete with a digger. The story is well described. This blue sky, sunny day has given some challenges on the exposure front with the shadows a little too deep on the waste and the highlights in the mans gum boot and on the boat, all pushed to the point where some detail has been lost. The photographer may like to relook at this image and see if there is some gain to be had in post-production; nevertheless, this is a good example of the PJ genre. Merit |
| Enthusiastic tackle | Honours | Children’s sport is a great place to find stories. Some of these stories are big, and others are just great moments that should be enjoyed and thanks to photography can be shared and preserved. This action nicely shows one such moment. We can see both faces (oh, how rare that is) and the critical moment has been caught – who will win the right to have the ball? I could comment on the background in terms of distracting elements – however as a sports photographer myself, I love the incremental added stories in the background – this is exactly what children’s sports looks like! Honours |
| high speed Polo | Merit | This is one sport I have not yet had a chance to photograph, but I remain hopeful that an opportunity will arise. Some dynamic action has been caught, with one horse completely off the ground and the other, with three hooves off. The ball is in frame, and I really enjoyed seeing the dust motes come off the ground. The photographer may like to consider a lift in the shadow region to bring out a little more detail on the horses and on the face of the riders. Merit |
| How rice paddies are planted in Bali | Honours | Carefully framed, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the ‘scape of this rice field. The story of the plantings, the back breaking labour involved, is a reminder to be grateful that our rice comes in a bag in a supermarket. Although, in saying that perhaps a simpler life has some appeal, nevertheless. Whilst I think the photographer has done well with the exposure of this image I do wonder if a small shadow lift on the body of the worker might add a subtle increase in engagement with the person of this story. In reference to the photojournalism set subject, this image could easily grace a travel magazine. Honours |
| Pet Parade A&P Show | Merit | I was both a participator and a parent on more pet days – or as we call them here in dairy-land, ‘calf club’ days, than I care to remember! When I was a child, we took things very seriously but with my children the notion of dress-ups, usually after the serious judging was over, became a thing. My children’s lambs and then calves were variously ballet dancers, rugby players, cartoon characters and on one occasion, a baker! In this image I enjoyed the girls wry smile, the lambs somewhat resigned-to-indignity stance, and the general clutter of the occasion. Our subjects are well lit, and the background sits in shade – a nice balance. The fence standards with the yellow rope are something of a bookend to the composition, the wheel of a pram or perhaps an older person’s walker perhaps less so. Merit |
| Windless summers day on Lake Hawea . | Accepted | It does look like a fine day – and from the fact that the sun hat is still on our captain’s head, it must be windless as well. I can appreciate the care that has been taken in the composition, what to include and what to leave out, and I enjoyed seeing the expanse of this lake on this day. The sunlight has given the photographer a few challenges, and there is quite heavy contrast on our captain’s face which would be difficult to remedy in post-production. I wonder however, if a moment when he is engaged with you the photographer, smiling or laughing ore even pointing out something in the distance would have added another layer to this image, another narrative making a stronger PJ story? Accepted |
| This is How we Keep an Eye on the Site | Accepted | I spent quite a bit of time pixel peeping trying to work out what, or perhaps where, I was looking in this image. Tony has logo of some sort on his safety vest which looks like Bathurst – but this is not I think the famous car race! Tony, whilst not particularly animated seems to be explaining the plethora of screens, post-it notes and other paraphernalia of a work site. The gentleman listener, doing what we all do when we wear spectacles – is holding his head on an angle to make all those screens come into focus. This image held for me more questions than answers, so my apologies to the photographer as I simply did not have enough information to be able interpret what I was looking at intelligently, perhaps I needed the accompanying article? Accepted |
| Who will win? | Honours | My money is on pink, I like to back the underdog! Well framed, with room to see where the competitors have come from, and room for them to go in to, all accompanied with bubbles behind and the splash of the board as it moves forward at pace; I know this is a race. My congratulations to the photographer as I suspect he or she must be committed enough to be in the sea as well or perhaps you have some sort of viewing platform that is very conveniently located? Well done for managing the bright day exposures, with no blown highlights and plenty of details in the shadows. Honours |
| B Grade Open | ||
| A Chapter from the Past | Merit | The house, nestled under the white blossoms of this old tree, is imbued with mystery; I pause and imagine what it may have seen. I can easily imagine being the photographer in a space such as this. The tiny movements we make as we ponder those critical choices, how do we frame this scene, portrait, landscape, square? What shall I sacrifice, what must be included, what must be excluded? As I view this image, I would have liked just a little more expanse on both sides of the frame, there is a touch of incompleteness, but perhaps there were things that simply needed to be excluded? The image has been well exposed and I enjoyed the abundant detail. I wonder if the photographer might like to consider a touch less saturation, for me, the background hills feel slightly over saturated, and a general de saturation might make the mystery of this scene even stronger. Merit |
| A connection with the past | Accepted | In this image, the title is something akin to the ‘lede’, the introduction to a news article, usually seen in the first paragraph; a few lines in a larger type that give us more information. The visual story here is dominated by an old shearing shed – decked out in wool dags. And I wonder if the plant still functions. The two friends of the title are a visual destination however, with their backs to us, and sitting in an overly bright part of the composition, their story becomes conjecture. It is hard to see very much at all – are they old, possibly? Are they friends or just acquaintances; we certainly can’t see that they are reminiscing. At this point, I can hear the indignant cry of the photographer – “but that is why I told you all of that in the title”, yes, I reply, but I really wanted more about the two people, their story, who they are? Accepted |
| Toilet Vents | Honours | I really wanted to clone out the nails… just joking! I am a firm believer that photographs are everywhere – we just must look with open eyes. Beautifully framed, this minimalist architecture image is an example of ‘seeing’. The shapes, the patterns, the lines the curves, the colours, everything demands attention. This is an image that looks great in colour, but I suspect it would also do well also in black and white! Honours |
| A Grade Set | ||
| DaybooTeam - Marlborough Qualifiers 2024 | Merit | I didn’t understand the title, but with a little help from our friend Google, I worked out that this was a Marlborough Ploughing Association Qualifying Event which took place, 29th June 2024. I am always delighted to be able to see these grand horses doing what they were designed to do. My father grew up with working horses. He, along with four of his nine siblings, rode a big ‘draft’ too and from, school every day! This is the beauty of a photograph, it can transport one to a time and a place, it can help you relive your stories or engage with the stories of others; photographs have story telling power. In this particular story-telling image I enjoyed the inclusion of the tractor; it is a good acknowledgement of the old and the new, or at least more recent. In a perfect world, I could have asked for the people in the frame to be looking forward, but that is a minor gripe; they are busy at work after all. Merit |
| Farmers Store Evac in Nelson | Accepted | With the fireman returning to the fire truck, and the proximity of bystanders I am presuming that this was after the ‘all clear’ had been made. I was intrigued with the man on the left of the frame with his pile of boxes – a hasty exit with stock perhaps? This is an image that could accompany a newspaper article (when we had actual newspapers). As a stand-alone image however, it perhaps lacks that something extra – flames, or water hoses with water arcing, men racing…. Accepted |
| Fire Fighters Challenge Havelock 2024 | Honours | Fireman #39 looks very hot; it is clearly a very warm day to be about with all that gear on. I was intrigued in seeing this particular version of human activity – and I was reminded that no matter what people are involved in, judges frequently look the same – they are intense, and they (like to) carry clipboards. An interesting, and for me unique insight into the things people do, managed well in terms of photographic techniques in challenging conditions; a story well told. Honours |
| Land Based Sled Dog Competition | Merit | This looks like it might be fun. These husky dogs are a long way from their roots of more snowy climes however, having met a few huskies I know that they like nothing better than hard work. The aperture choice has allowed focus to be on the main trio, with the less in-focus supporting actors, nicely filling the frame and completing the story. At the risk of seeming very picky, I wonder if the focal plane could have included a greater level of sharpness on the face of Competitor number 2, as well as on the face of the two dogs. A nice story well told. Merit |
| Loving the Job | Merit | I wondered if the photographer had looked through this barbershop window and thought this might be a great subject for the PJ set subject, and then gone in and asked to take the shot? This is a nice piece of everyday life that has been captured, accompanied by a little bit of humour with the barber seemingly enjoying having his photo taken. The exposure is without fault, I wonder however if a slightly larger F stop could have been used, just to deepen the depth of field, so as to include the client, before falling away to the rest of the shop. Merit |
| Making a Stack. | Merit | Quintessential farming – a farmer out in his John Deere, stacking the wrapped bailage; cattle fodder preserved for winter. Aside from some detail loss on the tops of the hay bales, this image has had the light manged so as to nicely frame the subject, the tractor and the bales. The foreground is in the shade, as is the ground under the pines, effectively spot lighting the subjects within the lighter area. I enjoyed the curve of the fenced driveway, and whilst it does lead the ‘eye’ out of the frame, it also invites a question about the source of the hay, where is the paddock that the hay was in; a juxtaposition I enjoyed contemplating. This is a pleasant ‘day-in-the-life’ style photo-journalism capture. Merit |
| No fishermen to be seen! | Accepted | … more to the point, there doesn’t seem to be any fish either! I can’t help but wonder if a stronger PJ story might have been one with a human element, although in saying that I guess a human presence is implicit. From a technical point of view, the image appears to have quite a blue/green colour caste, and I wonder if the photographer might like to consider a black and white conversion. Additionally, the focus seems a touch on the soft side, and I can’t really discern where the focal plane is. Nevertheless, a nicely spotted story, and one I hope had a plentiful fishy end. Accepted |
| NZ Land Based Sled Dog Championships | Accepted | Oh dear, I don’t think this was planned! When learning sports photography, it was drummed into me that no matter what, I was to capture the action, the good, the bad, the ugly and even the embarrassing – only afterwards would one decide if an image should be seen. In the case of this misstep, it is the two dogs that tell the story – they are so loving what they do, one can easily discern their over exuberance. I wonder if the photographer would consider a crop to this image. I suggest a crop so that only the two dogs, and the fallen cyclist are the story; in my opinion this will intensify the narrative without any other extra, arguably unnecessary, information. I hope all was put to rights and no physical injuries were incurred. Accepted |
| Suspicious | Honours | I sincerely hope that that section of apparently ‘flying’ corrugated iron is actually still affixed to the support, otherwise I don’t know whether to congratulate the photographer for getting the shot, or in a motherly fashion, reprimand him or her for being out there in such a wind! A great capture of a newsworthy event that came complete with interesting things such as smoke, flames and smouldering, destroyed hay bales – a definitive ‘photographer-on -the-spot’ capture. Honours |
| Teaching the joy of weaving | Merit | I so love the curiosity of the young. This simple story telling image is full of joy. It is a blue-sky day, the sun is out, and so are the shadows. This little poppet, with her precious ‘Frozen’ themed purse is engaged with something actual (no electronics at all). I love the way the loom has been threaded with bright colours, certain to attract a child. One on hand this capture could be thought of as ordinary – but that is something that we serious photographers can overlook – Photography is about telling stories and creating opportunities for remembering. Yes, the edge of the frame is clipped, and the sky might be a touch over saturated, but I for one felt delighted at sharing in the generosity of this moment. Merit |
| The Scourge of the CBD | Accepted | I once had a Cornish Pastie stolen from my hand, by a very large Gull who accessed the pastie after crashing into the back of my head - all when I was quietly sitting at the water’s edge at a visit to St Ives, England. This is perhaps an unusual choice for a photo-journalism image, but it is a story we can all relate too. When removed from over familiarity, Gulls are remarkable; they are always pristine in appearance, with clean white then a tasteful shade of grey for their feathers. The different species are then variously highlighted with spotted tails and sometimes red beaks. They have cleverly adapted so that they now take food from man, being a sight easier form of sustenance than catching fish from the sea. They are, however, a pest. This image taken through a window does tell a story, although perhaps a little less over exposure on the birds’ head, and a complete third bird might have been photographically desirable. Accepted |
| A Grade Open | ||
| A Quiet Moment | Accepted | I liked the slightly grubby knees of this youngster sitting sweetly in a halo of golden light. The book, Lost Boys is open, and I get the feeling that an adventure is about to be had. The photographer might like to consider a lift in the shadow regions just to make the title of the book a little more viewable. The image has a texture overlaid, which for me became a detraction. I spent too much time following the various lines of the texture as they bled over places such as the white poster frame and over colour changes such as the teal of the blocks, the gold of the arch and onto the yellow gold of the lit area. As a user of textures, I find that careful masking is required to ensure that the texture is something a viewer doesn’t notice; that the texture is a subtle nuance to an image, something that adds mood or emotion rather than an obvious addition. Accepted |
| The Daisy | Merit | A nice visual entrance over the foremost out of focus petals delivers great reward as the eye lands on the central yellows and gorgeous blues of this bloom’s centre. The background this lovely flower has been photographed against is somewhat non-descript, and I wondered if another choice was available at the time of capture. As this image is presented, I would like to ask the photographer to relook at the postproduction, and see if a lift in the shadows, and the whites will add another level of energy to the composition. Merit |
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