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Competition Images
As advised previously all the mychillybin Summer Sets of 4 Photo Competition entries have been processed through, and 66 accepted for the mychillybin library. You can see these by selecting Editorial and searching for 'summer 4 competition'.

Results
Choosing winners from such a diverse range of entries, where some are artistic groups of four on a common theme, and others are groups of four showing different photographic techniques, has been quite problematic, especially when so many are great images. However further pondering will not make the task easier, so here are the results.

Removing Bias
In these post modern days we are meant to try to be aware of our own biases and to set them aside as much as possible when making evalutations. So first, here are two images the chillys know they have favourable bias towards. The first, because two of the chillys really enjoyed the walk, with a 3 generation family group, to the spectacular and surprisingly accessible Rob Roy glacier (shown here) earlier this year. Well done Jeremy Town. The second image, by Graham Prentice, due to a strong affinity to native bush and especially Kauri trees. Both great nature images, capturing their respective sense of grandeur, beautifully. Both had to receive a mention, surely even without bias (click images to view).

Wall Art
The wall art category attracted entires that viewed wall art in two different, and both valid ways. Images of art on a wall including graffiti, and images intended to be the art on the wall.

The first two images here, of art on a wall, capture visual interest well partly through being unusual or surprising, and also have enough interest in them to hold that attention for a good while. The train is by Steve Harper, and the tool wall by Geoff Soper. The third is intended to be printed and shown as art on a wall. It works well both at distance and also closeup. The 'posterizing', if that is the right term, of the sky and foreground nicely creates greater focus on the downtown high rise buildings without drawing undue attention to itself. Done this way the treatment adds to the effectiveness of the overall image. The chillys do not feel competent at present to evaluate this type of work, so would like to go down this road slowly in terms of many more images of this style being uploaded. It is very pleasing however to have received a set of 4 images with this treatment from Graham, to give a very good taste of what is possible.

People as Subject Images
Runner up for people as subject for sets of 4 images, is one of the images from Ray Salisbury's set of 4, showing two young friends on North Head. It has just enough of Rangitoto Island's signature shape to visually lock this into an Auckland, location - for those north of Bombay anyway. The mychillybin market generally prefers people in images to have natural expressions and pose. This preference for the natural (perhaps surprisingly) seems to extend to the sort of direct gaze natural expressions people tend to have for the taking of family or social photographs like this one as well. Another example from the library being #101331_43, which does very well in the market. Great image Ray, love the composition, posture, light, pose and subtle inclusion of kiwi context. Fancy sneaking into Auckland to take your entries.

Winning group of 4 people images goes to Alistair Lang - who has served up another 4 natural people images in a kiwi context, of the type mychillybin customers enjoy. This is the upload sequence, although other some viewing orders seem to work just as well. Great image with sensitive use of differential focus.

Subjects Other-than-People
Lots of choice here with the great NZ coastline, cities, pasture, forest, plants, animals, built environment etc. Runner up position goes to an image by Belinda Lansley, under the category of overhead perspective. This perspective combined with the focus differential and symmetry has produced an image where the eye is captured by the subject, almost like it jumps from the screen. Nicely done.

Winning group of 4 other-then-people images goes to Mark Meredith for these beautiful coastal images, each providing yet more information on this patch of the NZ coastline. This is the order submitted, although other sequences seem to perhaps flow from left to right perhaps more smoothly. Scale is established nicely in the left image with the tiny foreground person (who adds so much to the image) and also with the leading lines in two of the images. The last image (in this sequence) finally introduces some of the built environment.

So thats it. The chillys will send off $40 to the photographer of every image shown in this newsletter, give these images some time in the home page slide show over time, and hope you get some good sales too. We must have an absolute winner for the way the competition system works on site, so have chosen the fourth image of Alistairs for this honour.

Great entries - a big thanks to all who entered. Next year a few less categories.

Forum comments welcome, if you wish.