The November Architecture photo competition closed on the weekend with more than 550 entries. Twenty-five images made the final shortlist, with the winner chosen by this month's guest judge, award-winning architecture photographer Brett Boardman.
"I love and hate judging photography competitions," said Boardman. "You get to see terrific work, make one person happy and then you disappoint a whole lot of people. You also hopefully make a lot of people disagree with your selection – a sure sign you've done your job."
Boardman praised the 25 images that made the final cut. "All the images shortlisted are terrific examples of the discipline of architectural photography. All display an acute understanding of composition and are technically well resolved. All reveal the three dimensional qualities of space in architecture and most display the Roman Vitruvius' dictum that architecture should possess firmness, commodity and delight."
In the end Boardman singled three images out for special attention.
"So, how do you pick a winner? For me it comes down to the idea in the image. What is the photographer trying to tell me about their subject beyond the obvious? Three standout in this regard. At first glance Joshua Reuveni's image 'A Room With A View' seems like the familiar flattened perspective seen in some of the other images in the shortlist. On closer inspection, a lone figure reveals the scale of the construction and leads to further questions.
"Eko Julianto's colour aerial city view provides an endlessly enjoyable meander through a foreign place and encourages imagination. Who lives there? How do they live there? Will it all be towers one day? What do the locals eat? What is left of the traditional architecture? An infinite number of questions arise about the urbanisation of the planet.
"For me though, the winner is another city image, Vin Rathod's 'Dubai Skyline'. It is beautifully composed, reveals the complexity of a cityscape yet makes it instantly understandable. Whilst resembling an architectural drawing it remains firmly photographic. The high contrast panorama is a profile like a silhouette-cutters portrait. Its lack of detail makes it ubiquitous but its outline makes it unique. It's a simple image beautifully composed and realised which clearly shows individual architecture and the ensemble of city."
Vin Rathod wins a $250 voucher for a personalised photobook by Momento, Australia's first and finest photo book maker.
The 25 shortlisted images are pictured below. The brief for the December 2012 competition is 'Kids' (competition closes on December 14.)
Brett Boardman took his first photographs in the photo-finish booth of a local greyhound track. He graduated as an architect. He met photographer David Moore. He became a photographer. He now photographs here and overseas. www.brettboardman.com
Winner: 'Dubai Skyline,' by Vin Rathod.
Highly commended: 'Organised Chaos,' by Eko Julianto.
Highly commended: 'A Room With a View,' by Joshua Reuveni.
'The Apartment,' by Natalie Baig.
'Colourful Skyscrapers,' by Mihai Florea.
'Contemplation,' by Mihai Florea.
'The Durian,' by Philippe Charluet.
'Exhibition Centre,' by Kate Watson.
'Going Underground,' by Graeme Boughton.
'GoMA Before the Storm,' by Michael Owen.
'Industrial Architecture,' by DKG.
'Liverpool Museum,' by Christian Chu.
'Moonah Links,' by James O'Sullivan.
'More Melbourne Shapes,' by Valeria Donnellan.
'Mystery Box,' by Jayden Theodore.
'The Louvre,' by Ian Houghton.
'Opera House,' by Paul Jones.
'Opera Sails,' by Jaideep Chaudhary.
'Repetition_02,' by Vin Rathod.
'Singapore Marina Bay Sands Hotel,' by Tyson Hoff.
'Tulbah Kerk,' by Doug Adie.
'Venus Rising - Out of the Water and into the Light,' by Andy Henderson.
'White Bridge,' by Vin Rathod.
'Woolstore Interior,' by Tony Kearney.
'Yellow White and Blue,' by Stephen Gregory.