It was a fun job being one of the judges in the Thomas Cook Explore the Elements photo contest. Looking through so many entires took quite some time but in the end there was a clear choice for both the Water division that I was judging and the overall winner of the awesome £5000 travel fund.
I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all the lucky winners!
Thanks also to everyone who took the time to enter the contest. There were hundreds of beautiful photographs to sort out and it wasn’t an easy task making final decisions on the Water category. In the end though, originality and the unique nature to the water photograph by Marius Vieth stood out from the crowd for me.
WATER
©Marius Vieth
The photo is haunting, mysterious, and my imagination runs wild with countless possible stories to go along with this aerial photograph. The colours in the photograph and the modern sleek lines make me think of a time far in the future. Who is this man in the photo? Where is this futuristic place?
I honestly can’t think of one thing that I don’t like about the image. So bravo to Marius for his stunning take on the Water theme!
The winners from each category get to choose one of the following prizes.
The other judges made some killer choices for each of their divisions and here are their choices.
Fire
©Patrick Asselin
Earth
as chosen by Dave Bouskill
©John Ramer
Air
as chosen by Nicole Young
©Karen Hutton
And the Grand Prize Winner is…
Motaz Alnahdy
Check out his winning entry here
A stunning series of images from Motaz Alnahdy made him the judges favourite for his overall interpretations of the four categories. Our grand prize winner showed some serious photographic skills combined with artistic vision. Every image stands out in its own right as a winner but when you put them all together as an ensemble, for me, it was a slam-dunk win.
Check them out yourself and I think you’ll agree that these are some gorgeous photographs.
Earth ©Motaz Alnahdy
Fire ©Motaz Alnahdy
Water ©Motaz Alnahdy
Air ©Motaz Alnahdy
Way to go Motaz! A well deserved win of the £5000 travel fund Grand Prize!!
To be honest I’m a little disappointed with these selections. So much emphasis was placed upon technique which is a disturbing trend in photography. The Earth and Air photos are the only pictures that carry any actual emotion or meaning, to me at least. So much of travel photography is overdone like blockbuster movies – cheap effects for a thrill. Steel wool photos are one of the biggest cliches in photography!!! That takes no skill, just some technical knowledge about the camera.
Hey Joe, thanks for the feedback. Yes, in some of the photos technique was a factor but only because that helped create a stunning image. I’m not sure why anyone would have a problem with photographers using creative techniques, in fact I think that shows a lot of passion, and commitment to the craft.
While it may be your opinion that some of these images lack emotion or meaning, do remember that this is just your opinion. My opinion (and that of the other judges) happens to be different and that does not make me right or wrong, just different :-)
Regarding the blockbuster movie comparison, I’m not sure I understand your point. There certainly are some extravagant images in the selections but also some very subtle images too. Again, this is all a matter of interpretation. Photography, and all kinds of art are very subjective. I’m sorry that you feel you have to be so negative about a competition that celebrated the beauty of nature. The photographers put a lot of effort into their entries and comments like yours reflect more on you than it does on their excellent work.
Agreed, Ken! These photographs are thrillingly beautiful. I don’t care how an artist creates his/her final product. I mean, I’ll always have respect for the amount of work that needs to go into any piece of art, but how it makes me feel when I look at it, is what matters most to me.
As they say, earth without art would just be ‘eh’.
I like your winner, Ken. Lovely enigmatic shot. The grand winner is amazing … it’s a stitch of 78 shots iirc! I can’t even imagine doing that, but the results are fantastic. You can see a large copy here http://www.motazphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/crater.jpg
Those are some unbelievable entries! Although it looks like John Ramer has borrowed a certain yellow jacket..?
Great photos really ! Congrats to the winners . I cant wait to have my website ready so i can also participate to this contest if is gonna be organized again next year .
I am very amateur on this job. To take such photos is my dream. These photos are wonderful really.
Wow! These are great photos! Congratulations to all of the winners, keep up the beautiful work.
Absolutely amazing photos! Especially John Ramer’s!
Unreal displays of skill in the field of photography … these winners deserve all the accolades that have won!