Laura Symes, A Gentle Pause (SOFT LIGHT - Entries close 31 May 2026)

I captured this small bird perched briefly on my fence, using a nearby rooftop canopy on a neighbour’s car as a distant backdrop to create a smooth, diffused background. The separation between subject and background, combined with a longer focal length, helped produce a soft, painterly effect that emphasises the quality of light. The image was created using a Nikon Z6III with a Nikkor Z 180–600mm lens, shot handheld at f/5.3, 1/2000s, ISO 3200 to freeze subtle movement while maintaining a shallow depth of field. The lighting was naturally gentle and even, being shot late in the day, allowing for delicate tonal transitions across the bird’s feathers without harsh shadows. In post-processing, I applied global adjustments to exposure, texture, highlights and shadows to balance the tonal range. Subtle local adjustments were made to the bird to gently lift its presence, while preserving the natural, soft-light of the scene.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.