City Competition 4 - San Francisco : Results

Judges Comment
The sublime composition in this image manages to capture two halves of San Francisco and put them together again: The left half being a slice of ordinary SF life, and the right side a formed but abstract emotive that perhaps reads simply, "I left my heart in San Francisco". The toning of the image enhances the tie between the heart shape on the wall and the man's suit and helps to pull these two sides together visually into one winning image.
Photographers Comment
I'm an avid street photographer living in San Francisco. I often take breaks to walk around, take photos and get some air when I'm working. On this day, I was walking around and saw this little heart on the side of the building. I had my back to the guy in the photo and had no idea he was coming. After I snapped the shot I realized how lucky I was as the colors matched almost perfectly. As much as I'd like to say this was my intention all along, this photo was nothing more than being in the right place at the right time, which for me, is part of the allure of street photography. You never know what you're gonna get.
instagram.com/bstoke

Judges Comment
In a beautiful abstract simplicity, this image carries the memories of the day's activities in the city.... dogs running, families playing, and bikers out for a cruise all within the blanket of the fog that our city is famous for.
Photographers Comment
I love the feeling of isolation at Ocean Beach, SF, especially in the fog. I am reminded of my home country England when the weather is bleak and low in contrast. Thanks so much for the award! Yashica Mat 124 using Kodack Portra 160 film.

Judges Comment
The colors and repeating elements of this image help engage the viewer and contribute to a compelling composition. Use of long exposure also helped to smooth the water and catch the reflections off the surface which contributed to the success of this photo.
Photographers Comment
Driving home through SF, I decided to stop and see if I could find some interesting vantage point of the city and its bridges. I parked near pier 14 and walked out to the end of the pier. While bending down to get a lens out of my bag, I looked up and saw the handrail was blocking the SUPER bright lights of the shipyard in Oakland (far left side) and the rail also created a nice level horizon that the Bay bridge sat on. So I find my unique vantage point. Enjoy.
www.wallcandyimages.com

Judges Comment
We liked the sense of wonder and fantasy this image conveys with the use of archetypal symbols of birds flying, sunsets and clouds and of course a tall dark building! The easily recognizable silhouette of the Transamerica building helps place this story inside San Francisco.
Photographers Comment
I'm a student studying advertising in SF. On this day, I had been stuck inside all day and stepped outside to grab a quick bite to eat and get some air. I left the building and was stunned as the setting sun had turned the sky a radiant pink. As I stared at the sky I noticed a huge flock of birds headed for the Transamerica Pyramid. Luckily I had my phone with me and was able to snap off a few shots.
instagram.com/bstoke

Judges Comment
Perhaps its the toning, or perhaps the angle of view, or the fact that none of the lines are horizontal and they all slope to the side, but whichever it is, the photographer has given life to the Contemporary Jewish Museum building. It seems like it is moving!
Photographers Comment
This is one of those locations that is endlessly photographed, but never-the-less difficult to walk past without taking a few of your own. In this case I had several that worked as far as composition, but although I hesitated about submitting it, it was this sepia toned version that I kept coming back to as my favorite. Thanks for viewing. -Mark Rast
kielbasablog.com

Judges Comment
You see 'hipsters' standing aimlessly on the sidewalk staring into a phone everyday here in San Francisco. This image isn't just successful because it captures an essence of city life, but also because it shows the other elements in juxtaposition... the graffiti, the business turning over, the people in motion... it's all changing here... all in motion.
Photographers Comment
A couple times a year I get a chance to visit San Francisco and enjoy some street photography. In this case I was just being a tourist in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood when I noticed this store front and this guy standing almost like a statue, and the swirl of foot traffic around him. I was lucky enough to have a lamp post to lean against, so I dropped my shutter speed to 1/8 and I started clicking off a series of frames. This one worked. The camera was a Nikon D50 -Mark Rast
kielbasablog.com

Judges Comment
We see lots of photos of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, but this one caught our eye. The sunset colors in the sky echoing the colors of the bridge and the fog blanket in the background help make this a compelling image.

Judges Comment
The observation deck of the De Young Museum is one of the best kept secrets of the city. Here you can get a great view of the plaza inside Golden Gate Park between the Academy of Science and the Museum. We like the photographers choice here to include the inside to show both spaces and share the vantage.

Judges Comment
We think the photographer of this image was on the right track here - the idea of putting together the hand, flag, Queen Anne (architecture), and the text "Come to your senses" really has potential and the color's enhance those elements and help them reverberate. Respect for the idea.
Photographers Comment
Thanks for the nod! This was taken somewhere in the Haight-Ashbury area, using Nikon D50, Nikkor 18-200mm,, f5.6, 1/320sec, ISO 400. Thanks, and congrats to the winner! -Mark Rast
kielbasablog.com