Bruce Hartsell
Mark Cohen won first place in the Photography Club’s July contest, which had the theme Dramatic Skies. Regarding his photo Late Afternoon Cloud Display, Mark commented, “The interplay of light and shadow frequently presents ongoing opportunities for composition. As the designs within any cloud formation are constantly in flux, waiting for the right configuration can test your patience but also reward you with a memorable image.” iPhone 16 Pro, 7mm, f/1.8, 1/40 sec, ISO 800.
Tom Cadwalader won second place with Gold Canyon Silhouette, an image made during a photography workshop on a working ranch in Gold Canyon, Ariz. Tom said, “We were set up for sunset images, and while the riders were getting in position for the next shooting opportunity, one of the support staff photographers struck this pose against the dramatic sky. I shot it with a silhouette in mind.” Leica SL3, 70mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO 100, exp -0.6.
Denny Huber won third place with Milky Way, a photo inspired by Photography Club presentations about shooting night skies. “For this particular shot,” Denny said, “I wanted some foreground as reference, thus, the ocotillo silhouette. For any night sky shot, you need a tripod, as the exposure needs to be around 20 seconds. Any more than 20 seconds or so and the stars move enough to create ‘star trails’ in your image.” He also said, “You also need to be concerned about ambient light. That’s why I took the shot from Madera Canyon where the sky is about as dark as anywhere. And moonlight can ruin a shot, so make sure the moon is out of sight.” He added that post-processing to increase the contrast and lower the highlights and blacks “really makes the stars pop while silhouetting the foreground.” Canon EOS 90D, 18 mm, f/3.5, 20 sec, ISO 1600.
A panel of independent judges selects the winners of each monthly contest. Additional information about the Photography Club and its activities is available at www.pcqc.org.