Top 5 at Zone V: July 2024
Last July, the Zone V Camera Club embraced the theme “Minimalist Images Using Fauna as a Subject.” The challenge required all animal subjects to be presented in black and white. The resulting collection featured a diverse array of wildlife, capturing the complexity, beauty, and wonder of the animal kingdom—from the stark landscapes of Antarctica and the wilds of the African safari to the mysterious depths of the ocean and the familiar scenes of everyday animals.
The Club invited three esteemed judges:
Che Vienes
Che Vienes is a horse owner and veterinary medicine student who specializes in companion animal photography, focusing on canine and feline portraits. A professional photographer since 2013, her work has been featured on CNN, WLOX, CBS, ABC, and various local TV stations in the Philippines. She collaborates with pet-oriented magazines like Animal Scene Magazine and organizations such as CARA Welfare Philippines and the Philippine Canine Club Inc. Che also teaches Animal Portrait Photography at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging (PCCI).
Ray Sison
Ray Sison is a flutist with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and the Manila Symphony Orchestra, and an alumnus of the UP Concert Chorus. He holds an MBA from The American University in Washington, D.C., and currently leads ROS Acoustics Solutions. In this role, he has completed acoustic design projects for notable venues, including the Ayala Museum, Metropolitan Theatre, Hyundai Hall, and Samsung Performing Arts, among others.
Francis Ansing
Francis Ansing is a dedicated landscape photographer and tour guide based in the Philippines. His journey in photography began in 2009 after acquiring his first DSLR, gradually transitioning from his career as a music teacher abroad to focus on nature, landscape, and travel photography. His work has been featured in magazines such as Landscape Photographer and Long Exposure Photography Magazine. Since 2018, Francis has led photography tours in the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, Slovenia, Italy, Norway, and Iceland. He also founded Shutter Adventures Co., a tour and travel agency for photographers. As a local influencer, he collaborates with brands like Fujifilm, H&Y Filters, Leofoto Tripods, and LowePro.
Here are the top 5 winning entries and read the stories behind these images.
#5 “Medusae by Ian Santos
ISO 200; f/3.2; 1/250s. Leica Q2
Location: Kaiyakan, Osaka, Japan
The Osaka Aquarium is one marvelous place to stir one’s imagination. One of the attactions of this place is their Jellyfish collection. I wanted to capture the elegant yet seemingly otherworldly state of these creatures when taken up close. I named this “The Medusae” to convey a feeling of mystery and awe and make one think that this is from another world/place. Upon deeper meditation I want the audience to wonder about one’s existence. I shot this in color but converted in BW in post to adhere to the month’s theme.
Ian’s image also got the most votes to earn Member’s Cup honors for the month.
#4 “The Great Expanse” by David Lim
ISO 200, f/11, 1/250 sec
Nikon Z8, 24-200mm
Location: Antarctica
This photo was shot in Petermann Island, Antarctica. Taken on the 4th day of my Antarctica expedition (March 7, 2024) aboard the Silver Endeavor. We were the last group that rode out that morning on a zodiac to the island. It’s March so not many penguins left, as their young chicks were in their final stages of shedding off their down feathers, many have taken their first dive. So, it was easy to capture solitary figures in this great white expanse. As a (feeling) travel photographer, I hardly conceptualize or stage my photos, not many opportunities to do that. Rather, I try to capture moments as fast as they come, almost paparazzi-like and luck be my guide. Moments can be pretty, can be emotional, or can be documentary. This is a photo of a solitary Gentoo penguin sitting on a hill facing which look like a humongous glacier. It felt emotional like an empty nester, a season coming to an end or just like me, utterly amazed with the scenery.
For the technical minded, taken with Nikon Z8 with a 24-200mm zoom lens. I was impressed with this camera/lens with its fast focusing and doable sharpness. ‘Minimal’ postprocessing with Adobe Photoshop and Nik 7 Silver Effects. Challenges were the conversion to black and white and finding the right balance of grey to bring out the blacks of the lone penguin.
#3 “Untitled” by Kevin Guanzon
While in Dumaguete for the long exposure in motion contest, I had only a few hours to shoot. During an early morning walk before my flight, I recalled places fitting the theme. I found a beachside boulevard at sunrise, set up my tripod on a concrete strip with overgrown algae, and focused on capturing waves with a slow shutter speed.
As I was shooting, a black dog walked into the frame, staring into the distance. Following his gaze, I saw a man preparing his goggles for a dip. This moment of juxtaposition—man working, dog waiting—unfolded beautifully, and I captured several shots, forgetting my original plan.
I did not have a good the shot for the Long Exposure Motion theme on that day, as my love for candid stories prevailed. When the June contest arrived, I considered my photo of the man and dog in black and white. Consulting with my ZVCC club mentors, their advice helped improve the shot. In the end, this unexpected capture became my proud submission.
#2 “Lake Yamanakako” by Jeff Dytuco
Location: Japan
This was a shot from Lake Yamanakako, one of the lakes around the majestic Mt. Fuji in Japan. I liked how the composition was very simple, the swan diagonally across the snowcapped tip of Mt. Fuji in the background, side-lighted by the morning sun. Blessed with clear weather and good lighting, it was also quite easy to convert it to B&W which further enhanced the nice contrast of the subject against the background.
#1 “Untitled” by Angela Panlilio
Sony A73, 100-400 Sony lens
This image was captured last year at the Massai Mara game reserve in Kenya. We were about to end our game drive when our Masai guide noticed hyenas under this tall lone tree. He hurriedly drove towards that direction. At first we saw nothing, then stealthily this leopard slowly climbed down and appeared from the leaves. Slowly stopping at the lower branches and yes, seemingly posing for us. This was when I started clicking away! It had blood marks in its paws and lips. When we looked closer there was a baby wildebeest hanging from the branches. It’s prey, it’s feed. Our first post kill sighting. Exhilarating, scary, majestic. Nat Geo right there and then.
Congratulations to all the winners for the month of July!
