PHOTO CHALLENGE

February 2026 - Shadows and Silhouettes

Sunrise Solitude

GROUP A - SCORE 87.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 85 | Nancy Ney 90

Marty appreciated the strong linear elements and composition but questioned whether the image fully embraced the theme. He suggested opening up the shadows slightly to reveal more detail and better guide the viewer.

Nancy felt the image would benefit from more dynamic light, perhaps a sunburst effect, to increase contrast and visual interest.

Image Submitted By: Norma Orozco
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON Z 7_2Aperture: f/8Exposure Time: 1/1250Iso: 200Focal Length: 180Date: January 10th, 2025
Sunrise Solitude
A Knight's Dream in the Shadow

GROUP A - SCORE 80

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 82 | Nancy Ney 78

Marty liked the creative concept of the knight interacting with its shadow but felt the board was not level, creating visual conflict.

Nancy found it imaginative and technically impressive, though unconventional.

Image Submitted By: Norma Orozco
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D780Aperture: f/8Exposure Time: 1/8Iso: 200Focal Length: 32Date: January 19th, 2026
A Knight's Dream in the Shadow
Shadows on Bridge

GROUP B - SCORE 81.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 84 | Nancy Ney 79

Marty liked the structural harmony and provided guidance on properly converting to black and white using color channels rather than simple desaturation.

Nancy felt the white sky weakened the image and suggested darkening it for greater drama.

Image Submitted By: CARLOS RAMIREZ
Shadows on Bridge
Looking to Tomorrow

GROUP A - SCORE 86

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 84 | Nancy Ney 88

Nancy appreciated the depth of field and sharp detail in the bird and perch.

Marty wanted slightly more shadow detail in the feathers and suggested reducing excess sky.

Taken with a Canon R6 Mark II. It took some patience to wait until the bird turned his head so I had a good angle.
Image Submitted By: Yevette Shapiro
Camera: Canon Canon EOS R6m2Aperture: f/8Exposure Time: 1/1000Iso: 500Focal Length: 400Date: February 22nd, 2025
Looking to Tomorrow
Leaf Shadows

GROUP A - SCORE 88.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 90 | Nancy Ney 87

Marty found the image compelling and well balanced but noted slight underprinting at the edge.

Nancy liked the black-and-white treatment and suggested extending the bottom slightly for completion.

This is the photo of a plant in my home as it sent shadows against the wall.
Image Submitted By: Yevette Shapiro
Camera: OLYMPUS CORPORATION E-M5MarkIIIAperture: f/4Exposure Time: 1/80Iso: 6400Focal Length: 22Date: February 9th, 2026
Leaf Shadows
Coming Home

GROUP A - SCORE 83.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 79 | Nancy Ney 88

Nancy admired the emotional quality and subject placement but suggested cropping some sky and straightening the horizon.

Marty agreed the tilted horizon distracted from an otherwise strong silhouette and color balance.

Image Submitted By: Subrata Basu
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D300Aperture: f/13Exposure Time: 1/100Iso: 320Focal Length: 12Date: October 28th, 2012
Coming Home
Sunlit Scissors

GROUP A - SCORE 79.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 82 | Nancy Ney 77

Marty appreciated the simplicity and conceptual intrigue of the composition.

Nancy acknowledged solid execution but felt less emotional connection to the subject.

I shot this image in my yard on card table. I waited until the angle of the sun was right to get a nice shadow. I think it was about 4PM. I shot 72 different setups for this theme. I used Crystal, forks, scissors and some fruit. I liked this one because of its simplicity. It is uncomplicated with just on pair of herb scissors and its shadow. The herb scissors worked well because they have 4 blades and that allowed me to stand them on end to make the shadow. I tried with single blade scissors but I could not figure out how to stand them on end. I used LrC and PS for post processing.
Image Submitted By: John McKnight
Camera: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. E-M5MarkIIAperture: f/16Exposure Time: 1/640Iso: 500Focal Length: 12Date: February 1st, 2026
Sunlit Scissors
Puddle Jump

GROUP A - SCORE 86

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 83 | Nancy Ney 89

Nancy loved the reflections and color transitions but wished the subject showed more profile.

Marty felt the subject should appear more actively jumping and suggested straightening the horizon.

Image Submitted By: Subrata Basu
Camera: Apple iPhone 7Aperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/320Iso: 20Focal Length: 3Date: September 7th, 2020
Puddle Jump
Crystal Clear

GROUP A - SCORE 78

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 79 | Nancy Ney 77

Marty admired the etched shadow articulation but felt stronger symmetry would improve it.

Nancy suggested increasing contrast and experimenting with creative lighting for greater impact.

I shot this image in my yard on card table. I waited until the angle of the sun was right to get a nice shadow. I think it was about 4PM. I shot 72 different setups for this theme. I used crystal ware, forks, scissors and some fruit. I liked this one because of the interesting shadows cast by the cut glass. I used LrC for post processing.
Image Submitted By: John McKnight
Camera: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. E-M5MarkIIAperture: f/6Exposure Time: 1/4000Iso: 500Focal Length: 12Date: February 1st, 2026
Crystal Clear
John McKnight | February 12, 2026

Nicely done Daniel.

Quiet Everglades
GROUP A - SCORE 89

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 86 | Nancy Ney 92

Nancy admired the layered composition and tranquil mood, praising the timing and color harmony.

Marty agreed completely, noting the strong structure and atmosphere.

Shot with Canon 100-500 lens with 1.4 extender (unnecessary for this shot)
Image Submitted By: Daniel Holmes
Camera: Canon Canon EOS R5m2Aperture: f/11Exposure Time: 1/320Iso: 2000Focal Length: 420Date: March 12th, 2025
Quiet Everglades
John McKnight | February 12, 2026

Beautiful work Keith. Congrats on the top score of the evening.

Morning Medicine

GROUP A - SCORE 90.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 96 | Nancy Ney 85

Nancy loved the mist, birds, and color harmony, calling it beautifully captured at the right moment.

Marty fully agreed, noting it was very well done.

Image Submitted By: James Keith
Camera: OLYMPUS CORPORATION E-M1MarkIIIAperture: f/3Exposure Time: 1/2000Iso: 500Focal Length: 40Date: March 27th, 2025
Morning Medicine
Safety Net
GROUP B - SCORE 77

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 79 | Nancy Ney 75

Marty felt the image was conceptually interesting but unclear, emphasizing that confusing the viewer reduces impact.

Nancy suggested it might have worked better as part of a series rather than a standalone image.

A silhouetted figure of a woman against the lighted billboard, hands on the billboard bracket the woman's head, suggesting protection or comfort
Image Submitted By: Carey Moulton
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D70Aperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/60Date: November 14th, 2008
Safety Net
And the Witches Swayed
GROUP B - SCORE 84

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 84 | Nancy Ney 84

Marty felt it worked beautifully both with and without matting and could stand alone as a metal print.

Nancy described it as a strong example of silhouette with excellent execution.

A landscape juxtaposing the near tree against the waxing full moon - the angle of the tree vs the presumed vertical rise of the moon to imply a to and from motion
Image Submitted By: Carey Moulton
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D70Aperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/640Date: March 31st, 2005
And the Witches Swayed
John McKnight | February 11, 2026

Wow, this is amazing. It would be beautiful even without the photographers, with them it is over the top. Rule of thirds, color, lighting, there is a whole lot going on here. Well done my friend. Oh and I forgot to mention impact!

Chasing the Light

GROUP A - SCORE 86.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 86 | Nancy Ney 87

Marty complimented the strong use of thirds and layered composition but noted the print appeared slightly overprinted compared to projection.

Nancy suggested subtle dodging to bring out greenery and praised the high horizon placement.

Image Submitted By: James Keith
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D7000Aperture: f/16Exposure Time: 4 SecondsIso: 100Focal Length: 17Date: May 27th, 2011
Chasing the Light
The Night Rod

GROUP B - SCORE 80

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 80 | Nancy Ney 80

Marty described the image as artistic and abstract, appreciating the sense of motion and halo effect.

Nancy found it intriguing and nearly abstract, noting that its artistic interpretation worked well within the theme.

Shadow of Night Rod Special HD motorcycle.
Image Submitted By: Jose Nicolas Aponte
Camera: Canon Canon EOS Rebel T6Aperture: f/14Exposure Time: 2 SecondIso: 800Focal Length: 18Date: January 15th, 2026
The Night Rod
Valentine
GROUP A - SCORE 77

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 79 | Nancy Ney 75

Marty felt the image demanded stronger symmetry, noting that the slightly off-center placement reduced its impact.

Nancy agreed it appeared a bit off balance and suggested the background and red tones could have been handled more thoughtfully.

Object photographed in front of soft box. Edited in Lightroom
Image Submitted By: Norene Monahan
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D3400Aperture: f/8Exposure Time: 1/4Iso: 100Focal Length: 18Date: February 10th, 2026
Valentine
Perfectly Aligned
GROUP A - SCORE 79

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 80 | Nancy Ney 78

Marty appreciated the strong linear elements and composition but questioned whether the image fully embraced the theme. He suggested opening up the shadows slightly to reveal more detail and better guide the viewer.

Nancy felt the image would benefit from more dynamic light, perhaps a sunburst effect, to increase contrast and visual interest.

Image Submitted By: Claudia Masella
Perfectly Aligned
Hidden

GROUP A - SCORE 85

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 82 | Nancy Ney 88

Nancy felt the print quality was excellent but would remove a bright distraction that pulled the eye away.

Marty suggested rotating the image to test whether the bright area interfered with viewer focus.

Image Submitted By: Claudia Masella
Hidden
Apollo Has a Prophecy for You

GROUP B - SCORE 88.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 95 | Nancy Ney 82

Marty loved the sunburst and architectural framing, finding it visually compelling.

Nancy suggested a slight crop from the bottom and left to tighten the composition.

This is a photo of perhaps the most famous temple of the ancient world--the temple of Apollo at Delphi. I waited for the sun to align with the middle column and the shadow it cast with a nice contrast from the clear blue sky. I got really low on the ground to get the alignment how I wanted. I cleaned up some flares and ghosts from the image, added more contrast for more of a silhouette on the columns and punched up the color of the sky. I also added a slight vignette.
Image Submitted By: Dustin Quiel-Athanasiadis
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON Z 7Aperture: f/11Exposure Time: 1/100Iso: 125Focal Length: 16Date: November 17th, 2024
Apollo Has a Prophecy for You
John McKnight | February 11, 2026

I really like this one. The colors are incredible, the reflection is beautiful. You ordered up the geese at just the right time. And you got the SUP guy silhouette. What more could you ask for? Nice work.

Rise with the Tide
GROUP B - SCORE 85

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 80 | Nancy Ney 90

Nancy praised the beautiful colors, strong silhouette, and engaging elements such as the birds. She suggested adjusting the subject’s height to avoid intersecting the horizon line.

Marty agreed and emphasized field awareness to avoid cutting through the horizon. He also recommended a darker mat to better complement the warm tones.

At sunrise, a paddleboarder glides across calm water as birds cross a sky of blue, orange and gold. A new filter was used to enhance the scene, bringing out the true colors and preserving the natural warmth of the moment.
Image Submitted By: Maribel Gonzalez
Rise with the Tide
Shadowed Elegance
GROUP B - SCORE 83

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 84 | Nancy Ney 82

Nancy suggested slightly brightening the rim light to make the bird’s profile clearer from a distance.

Marty agreed that subtle enhancement would help the viewer immediately recognize the subject.

Captured in the Everglades, this portrait of a standing stork was shaped by strong backlighting. During post-processing, highlights, shadows, and contrast were carefully adjusted to emphasize the bird's form and elegance transforming it into a silhouette.
Image Submitted By: Maribel Gonzalez
Shadowed Elegance
Sunset at the Temple of Poseidon
GROUP B - SCORE 80.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 79 | Nancy Ney 82

Marty wanted more detail brought out in the shadow areas and reminded members that prints often lose detail compared to screens.

Nancy suggested enhancing the sky in post-processing and possibly removing distracting elements to strengthen the composition.

This is a sunset photo of the ruins of the very famous temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece. This photo was shot on a tripod with a remote and a lot of patience to find the right place to set the tripod because this is a very touristy area. My goal was to get a good silhouette of the temple against the blue sky and sea. The bonus on this photo is the couple that was standing to the left of the ruins, which shows the scale of the temple.
Image Submitted By: Dustin Quiel-Athanasiadis
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D7500Aperture: f/16Exposure Time: 1/200Iso: 200Focal Length: 28Date: November 27th, 2024
Sunset at the Temple of Poseidon
The Cavern's Eye
GROUP A - SCORE 82.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 80 | Nancy Ney 85

Nancy liked the framing and how the eye was led into the center, though she would remove a small distracting element.

Marty praised the golden spiral composition and reinforced the idea of removing elements you wouldn’t intentionally include in a painting.

Inside the Hato Cave, Curacao - this is one of spaces within the cavern where photography was allowed. This was taken with the cell phone - Samsung Galaxy S24 FE.
Image Submitted By: Silvia Rojas
Camera: Samsung Galaxy S24 FEAperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/24Iso: 1250Focal Length: 5Date: January 3rd, 2026
The Cavern's Eye
Ghost on the Sand
GROUP A - SCORE 78.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 79 | Nancy Ney 78

Marty felt the image needed more space at the bottom and that matting could better complement the green tones.

Nancy liked the plant shadows but noted confusion about the object in the sand reduced clarity.

Shadows of a footprint and greenery growing in the sand. This was at the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado early in the morning. Taken with a Canon PowerShot G15.
Image Submitted By: Silvia Rojas
Camera: Canon Canon PowerShot G15Aperture: f/2Exposure Time: 1/1250Iso: 80Focal Length: 9Date: June 20th, 2021
Ghost on the Sand
The Jazz Man
GROUP B - SCORE 86

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 84 | Nancy Ney 88

Marty felt the motion blur was justified by the musician’s movement and worked effectively.

Nancy said it was well executed though a familiar subject and suggested adding slightly more space above the hat.

Shadow of a Saxophone player, taken with Sigma Lens 18-200 mm.
Image Submitted By: Jose Nicolas Aponte
Camera: Canon Canon EOS Rebel T6Aperture: f/20Exposure Time: 3.2 SecondsIso: 100Focal Length: 33Date: January 8th, 2026
The Jazz Man
John McKnight | February 11, 2026

Very creative. Did you think this up or see it somewhere else. Either way I like what you have done here.

Your Move
GROUP A - SCORE 89.5

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 94 | Nancy Ney 85

Marty praised the strong composition, balance, and clear narrative, scoring it very highly.

Nancy agreed it was very well executed but humorously noted the oversized thumb as a minor distraction.

Chess pieces shot in front of soft box.
Image Submitted By: Norene Monahan
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D3400Aperture: f/6Exposure Time: 1/15Iso: 100Focal Length: 34Date: February 10th, 2026
Your Move
Reaching for the Calm

GROUP A - SCORE 81

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 80 | Nancy Ney 82

Nancy praised the silhouette but questioned an unclear element that detracted from the image.

Marty agreed that clarity is critical and suggested refining the presentation to strengthen harmony.

Photo taken at Deering with a 200 500mm zoom lens. ISO400, at 210mm, f11
Image Submitted By: Rolando Prol
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON Z 8Aperture: f/11Exposure Time: 1/10000Iso: 400Focal Length: 210Date: December 21st, 2025
Reaching for the Calm
Dark Shark
GROUP B - SCORE 87

JUDGES: Marty Grivjack 85 | Nancy Ney 89

Marty loved the golden spiral and dramatic silhouette, though he was less enthusiastic about the mat choice.

Nancy praised the color and impact, noting how presentation significantly affects perception.

Taken at the Frost Science Museum
Image Submitted By: Doris Kraus
Dark Shark

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John McKnight | February 11, 2026

Wow, this is amazing. It would be beautiful even without the photographers, with them it is over the top. Rule of thirds, color, lighting, there is a whole lot going on here. Well done my friend. Oh and I forgot to mention impact!

I really like this one. The colors are incredible, the reflection is beautiful. You ordered up the geese at just the right time. And you got the SUP guy silhouette. What more could you ask for? Nice work.

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February 2026 - Shadows and Silhouettes

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