As subjects go, there aren’t many more open than the soaring vault of the sky. And yet, despite the fact that you just have to look up, it still takes a degree of skill and a measure of luck to make an interesting photograph of the wild blue yonder.

 

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Our winner, Stuart Bell got lucky it’s true, but he went to considerable trouble to put himself in the way of good fortune – and he didn’t just grab a shot. His composition and technical execution came together particularly well in ‘Northern Lights’.

Andy Parkee’s untitled black and white study is a worthy runner-up, proving as it does that skies don’t have to be in colour to be truthful. Lisa Gielis hit her shutter at just the right moment to capture a soaring pelican and thereby transforming a ‘nice’ picture into a very good one. Greg Toll’s city lights at dusk is evocative, while talented regular contributors Robert Zappia and Norman Shapro beautifully explore the endless abstract possibilities of sky, light and clouds. (See www.photochallenge.com.au for all selected images.)

HONOURABLE MENTION:  Untitled by Lisa Gielis

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Untitled by Lisa Gielis

 

HONOURABLE MENTION: Dusk Sky Melbourne by Greg Toll

Shot late in the day as the sky was changing to night, f/4, 1/60s, ISO 800.

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Dusk Sky Melbourne by Greg Toll

FIRST PLACE:  Northern Lights by Stuart Bell

I took all three of my entries during a recent trip to the Ungava Peninsula in Northern Quebec, Canada. We were very, very lucky as the whole week was plagued by persistent cloud cover.  However, when the cloud did clear, well, the skies above put on a show like no other!

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Northern Lights by Stuart Bell

 

FIRST RUNNER-UP:  Untitled by Andy Parkee

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Untitled by Andy Parkee