judges' top 3 choices for photo challenge 10 dp+ Pick

Judge 1

3rd pick - Entry 4 - Bobby Eric - "Arakbuyan" - Sony A77
Quality - 28/30
Creativity and Originality - 28/30
Theme Adaptation - 18/20
Overall Impression - 18/20
Total - 92/100
Remarks: Very pleasant to the eye, colorful!

2nd pick - Entry 11 - Raphy M Arcaina - "Kagay-an Cultural Street Dance" - Nikon D5100
Quality - 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 30/30
Theme Adaptation - 18/20
Overall Impression - 18/20
Total - 96/100
Remarks: Beautifully captured! Shot timed just as the girl smiled. Should have been my 1st pick if not for the added points due to technical difficulty of the "Moriones" entry.

1st pick - Entry 3 - Victor Gamosa Ursabia - "Moriones" - Canon 50D
Quality - 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 30/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impression - 18/20
Total - 98/100
Remarks:
Superb execution! This is the best for me. It is hard to shoot something like this without a flash. The timing is impeccable!! The photographer is so attuned to the dance as if knowing the exact moment to shoot.


Judge 2

3rd pick - Entry 7 - John Leo Dela Rosa - "Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City" - LX5
Quality - 25/30
Creativity and Originality – 20/30
Theme Adaptation – 20/20
Overall Impression – 15/20
TOTAL – 80/100
Remark: Big number, colorful costumes – key elements for a great production. If this was taken at eye level in front and the frame filled, the intensity and emotion of the colorful dancers would have been great. Technically sound, the big issue was the lack of activity on the lower left, while the formation and shadows suggests there are more activity that was cropped on the right.

2nd pick - Entry 16 - Gilbert D’Vera - "Hula Kahiko"- Canon 50D
Quality – 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 25/30
Theme Adaptation - 15/20
Overall Impression – 15/20
TOTAL – 85/100
Remark: Dance suggest emotions, and this dance certainly was full of it. If this was taken in front, where there would be better chances of eye connection with the photographer, the intensity would have been brought out. Technically, the color temp, shadows/highlights and motion blur all contributed in establishing the ambiance and emotion. Good job.

1st pick - Entry 11 - Raphy M Arcaina - "Kagay-an Cultural Street Dance" - Nikon D5100
Quality – 30/30
Creativity and Originality – 25/30
Theme Adaptation – 20/20
Overall Impression – 15/20
TOTAL – 90/100
Remark: The photographer has the best seat in the house. If there was eye connection, the emotion would have been really great. One thing I personally think was off is the tilt – If it was the other way around, the arms’ orientation would have been the ones diagonal – not the street – and hence would have been more natural and dynamic. Also, in design, an upward tilt is considered positive while downwards is negative. Technically the bokeh was great, lighting was good and the tones were even.



Judge 3

3rd Pick - Entry 4 - Bobby Eric - "Arakbuyan" - Sony A77
Quality or Technicality - 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 15/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impact - 10/20
Total - 75/100
Remark: This is a cliche shot but is still always effective.

2nd Pick - Entry 11 - Raphy M. Arcaina - "Kagay-an Cultural Street Dance" - Nikon D5100
Quality or Technicality - 20/30
Creativity and Originality - 20/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impact - 20/20
Total - 80/100
Remark: This photo is all about lines in good measures. The tilted shot, again showed relationship of what festivities is all about - life in between, grounded, the horizontal and the vertical, the spirit. Colors also are in good measure. Finally, the one dancer in the middle represents the totality.

1st Pick - Entry 3 - Victor Gamosa Ursabia - "Moriones" - Canon 50D
Quality or Technicality - 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 30/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impact - 20/20
Total - 100/100
Remark:
This pix is to me is the best of the lot. the high contrast, the minimality of lines, good line definition, the capture of floatation high enough by showing the ground level. the theme of dance, ethnic/festival in homage to a deity or santos, like all fiestas/festivals are all about, here captured them, dancers, floating between heaven and earth. right spot where festivities is all about.


A general note from Judge 3:

Entry 15 - Fidel Fernandez - "Korean Fandance" -  Nikon D40

I have a bit of problem when I first saw the photos. They are dance but i want to see MOVEMENTS and GRACE. Most are static. With regards to quality and technicality, most haven't made use of technique, just camera per se. Also, I need to see more originality. The rest of the photos besides the 3 I picked, were mostly cluttered. The one from Korea has the potential but its background gives way to distraction. Cheers!


 Judge 4

3rd pick - Entry 23., Omar Jordan de Guzman - "Traditional Arabic Dance in a Desert Safari"- Nikon D700
Quality - 25/30
Creativity and Originality - 26/30
Theme Adaptation - 16/20
Overall Impression - 15/20
TOTAL - 82/100
Remark:
The color is really appealing. I very much like the sharpness of the dancer's face and the canopy he's twirling. If the empty stage to the right had been cropped off it would have brought the subject more to the fore, and cut out the bright lights in the background which are distracting.

2nd pick - Entry 11 - Raphy M Arcaina - "Kagay-an Cultural Street Dance" - Nikon D5100
Quality - 25/30
Creativity and Originality - 26/30
Theme Adaptation - 17/20
Overall Impression - 17/20
TOTAL - 85/100
Remark:
The color is very nice, the contrasts with yellow/red versus the black/white, although the photo does seem a bit washed out. The expression of the dancer is it's strongest feature. The extreme angle of the shot does impart a certain sense of the motion of the dance and I feel a less extreme angle would have served that purpose better.

1st pick - Entry 8 - Lindsay Roberts - "Celebrating Buddha's Birthday" - Canon 5D MKII
Quality - 28/30
Creativity and Originality - 25/30
Theme Adaptation - 18/20
Overall Impression - 19/20
TOTAL - 90/100
Remark:
The color and lighting were very good in what was probably less than ideal conditions. The audience in the background was kept dark, which helped the dancer stand out more. I liked the way the image is composed. At first glance it may seem the balance is off, but with the movement of the dancer the umbrella behind her gives a good sense of her motion. The gesture of her left hand is one of those little details I like, what does the gesture mean?


Judge 5

3rd Pick - Entry 4 - Bobby Eric - "Arakbuyan" - Sony A77
Quality or Technicality - 25/30
Creativity and Originality - 20/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impact - 15/20
Total - 80/100
Remark: An ethnic dance, lively colors, costume and all. Nice graphic presentation.

2nd Pick - Entry 11 - Raphy M. Arcaina - "Kagay-an Cultural Street Dance" - Nikon D5100
Quality or Technicality - 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 25/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impact - 15/20
Total - 90/100
Remark: I like the pleasant ethnic feel to it. Though some might be tempted to boost its color, I like the way it was pleasantly temperated. Showing nice sychronized movement reinforced by the tilt, the bokeh and the captured expression to create an altogether beautiful piece.

1st Pick - Entry 3 - Victor Gamosa Ursabia - "Moriones" - Canon 50D
Quality or Technicality - 30/30
Creativity and Originality - 30/30
Theme Adaptation - 20/20
Overall Impact - 20/20
Total - 100/100
Remark:
The theme is ethnic dance. This is definitely ethnic and an honest to goodness dance very well captured technically and aesthetically - movement, color and all. Kudos to such a superb piece!


A lean but mean selection of entries, thanks all for joining and being such a good sport and congratulations to all those who made it to photo challenge 10 dp+ Pick!