There is only a week left before the 2024 Through the Lens competition closes. Get your photos in before Friday 16 August 2024 and you could win great prizes from sponsors, Atkins Photo Lab, Diamonds Camera and Claymore Wines.
Since 2015, the Through the Lens photographic competition has given Seniors Card members an opportunity to shine a light on their photography skills and provided a platform to share their skills with their peers. Through the Lens returns this year to showcase the talents of senior South Australians and provide a chance to learn something new or hone in on hobbies ready to be explored.
Rifling through the hundreds of applicants every year, the judges always find one photograph that catches their eye above all the others. This is given the Judge’s Choice award, which was taken out last year by Lawrence Vassallo for his photo, “Early morning opportunity”.
Winner of the Judge’s Choice award 2023 by Lawrence Vassallo for his photo, “Early morning opportunity”.
Lawrence expressed that he was ‘blown away’ when he won the Judge’s Choice award and only entered because of his peers, cohorts and loving wife’s encouragement. This sentiment is evident from previous winners who have expressed similar surprise and delight for having won in their respective categories.
Winner of the Meaningful Connections category 2023 by Sue Belperio for her photo, “Together again”.
Previous winners, including Suzanne Opitz and Sue Belperio have noted that the competition is both fun and challenging. “The effort of achieving an uncluttered and technically well produced image contributes both to the physical and mental health of the mature photographer,” Opitz said when asked to describe her experience in preparing to enter Through the Lens.
Winner of the Active Ageing category 2022 by Suzanne Opitz for her image, “Senior swans”.
So, what makes a photograph good?
As eager competition participants swipe through their images, either on phone, camera or computer – looking at pictures of the Aurora Australis, maybe a beautiful sunset or two or even a pelican on the Murray River – they might ask themselves, is this picture good enough to enter the competition?
We’ll leave the judging to the professionals, but these tips and tricks might help!
- Know your equipment
Whether you’re using a DSLR camera or your phone camera, it’s important to know what it’s capable of. Many phone cameras can achieve amazing quality images these days and knowing what you’re working with can help you make the most of your tools.
- The fundamentals are important
Regardless of your device, a good photo should be well composed, exposed correctly, and have a main subject.
- Composition and the rule of thirds
Photo composition refers to how a photographer arranges visual elements within their frame. When done correctly, this can enhance the subject and bring the photo to life. A good place to start is with the rule of thirds, where the photographer should divide the image into nine equal parts using two vertical and two horizontal lines and place the main elements at the intersection of these lines.
- Lighting and exposure
Sometimes a really good photo can be ruined by really bad lighting or lack of exposure. Take a moment to think about the time of day, natural lighting, or even artificial lighting and how you use this to your advantage when taking your photo. If you are digitally enhancing your photo as a part of the Artistic Photography category, this will be an important step to think of in post-production.
- Think about your subject
When taking the photograph, think about how best to capture your subject so that they remain the focus of the image. This is especially important when taking a portrait image where the main subject can often get lost in the background. Which brings us to our next point…
- Pay attention to the background
Even though your main subject is important, it is also essential to ensure that your background is as simple and clutter free as possible. This will ensure that the viewer’s attention will stay on the main subject instead of being pulled away to the background.
- Finally, have fun!
More than anything else, Through the Lens is about taking on a new challenge, getting out of your comfort zone and having a bit of fun. Go through your photos (the image doesn’t have to be from this year) or get out and about and start thinking of what you want to submit for this year’s competition.
Entries for the 2024 Through the Lens competition close Friday 16 August 2024. Find out more and enter the competition on the Seniors Card website.
Helpful links and resources:
https://www.australianphotography.com/photo-tips/photographer-of-the-year-what-it-takes-to-win
https://www.adobe.com/au/creativecloud/photography/discover/photo-composition.html
https://photofocus.com/photography/7-photography-composition-rules-to-know-for-better-photos/
https://brand.uark.edu/visual-media/tips-for-taking-great-photos.php