I recently entered the AFAR Travel Photography Awards and was given a free submission review by a LensCulture photographic expert.
The images are shown above, and this is the review:
Hello Nick!
Thanks for your submission to AFAR “Travel Photography Awards 2018”. It was a pleasure viewing your work.
It’s an amazing collection of wildlife pictures that show that you have the necessary level to create images perfectly executed and composed.
Technically there is not much to suggest as your images demonstrate great ability and confidence. You consider yourself as a professional and this is obvious from the high quality of your work.
You have a very good sense of composition and use of natural lighting and the colour palette is intimate to the eye.
Equipment for this kind of photography is crucial (because you need excellent quality) and here is obvious that you have the best equipment for a work like this one.
Wildlife photography is exciting but also exhausting at the same time and requires a lot of patience, time and hard work to be able to create an interesting and significant work in this genre.
But I believe you'll achieve to succeed in the field because it’s obvious that you're passionate and dedicated to what you do.
The construction of a good series depends on the good editing. Εditing doesn't mean only the digital treatment in Photoshop.
Editing is also the selection of the proper pictures in order to start building the sequencing. Here you have done an excellent work.
You include pictures of many animals in different situations. However, I’ve noticed that pictures #2 and #5 are pretty much identical.
Try not to use similar images. This is too important because similar images create the sense of repetition. Repetition might make or break the whole series, so be careful with that.
The second most important element of the contemporary photography is the statement.
I would like to see a different and a better-developed statement about your inspiration and intention for those pictures.
It’s important for a photographer to be able to express those ideas because it helps you to bring more depth to the viewers understanding of the photos.
Now your statement is too abstract and you speak only for you and not for your pictures. I hope you understand what I mean. However, it is very good, and important that you accompany each picture with a few words.
Keep up the good work Nick. Obviously, you are a good and talented photographer. My engagement with your work was a delightful experience and I hope to see more of your pictures soon.
Best Regards
If you’d like to order a framed print of one of my wildlife photographs, please visit the Prints page.
If you’d like to book a lesson or order an online photography course, please visit my Lessons and Courses pages.