Could we have picked a better time to announce the winners of our March 'Bad Weather' photo competition? With Sydney and much of east coast of NSW having just been pounded by some of its worst weather in years – rain, hail, and near-cyclonic winds – this particular comp was, to say the least, topical (or should that be tropical?).
Anthony McKee, 2014 AIPP Documentary Photographer of the Year, was this month's guest judge and he chose Gregory Evans' cyclonic street scene 'Saab Sea Trials' as the overall winner.
"More often than not we are inspired, if not seduced by the power of lightning, but this month I selected a less obvious image," said McKee. "I love the monochromatic treatment of this image, along with the visual clues (bent trees and alike) that indicate just how rough the weather was on this day. It is a good capture, but handling in post is also very good. Well done."
Gregory Evans has won a fantastic Spyder4PRO valued at $240, courtesy of Kayell Australia.
McKee also commended Rachel Kneubuhler's panoramic image 'Afternoon Storm' for its sense of scale and place.
"If you have ever seen a mega-storm roll in, you will appreciate how difficult it can be to capture its scale and power in a single frame. Rachel’s photo-stitch not only provides us with a sense of how big this storm is, but adds a wonderful sense of place; just an ordinary street that might not look quite the same in half an hour."
The winner of our People's Choice vote (shortlisted images were posted on our Facebook page and visitors were asked to 'like' their favourite images) was Grahame Kelaher, whose image 'Sparks Over Perth City,' captured the splendour and drama of a nighttime lightning storm. As our People's Choice winner, Graeme has won a 12-month subscription to either Australian Photography + digital or Capture magazine.
