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PHOTO CHALLENGE

Close Up - Macro - September 2026

Bud Light
GROUP B - SCORE: 91.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 89
Boris agreed with Robert about the high technical quality but lowered his score primarily because he found the composition somewhat tight. In particular, the leaf on the left came too close to the edge for his taste, even though it remained inside the frame. Aside from that concern, he considered the photograph extremely sharp and described the quality of the photography as approaching Superior.

Robert Suarez – 94
Robert felt the photograph came very close to the Superior category. He praised the presentation, the exceptionally rendered fine detail, and the photographer’s ability to preserve the important parts of the subject without cutting off the top. He admired the green tonal range, apparent available-light quality, and level of sharpness. He did note a very bright, blurred area in the background, but the strength of the detail and overall execution outweighed that distraction in his scoring.

Author: I found this tomato plant bud in my garden early in the morning. I wanted to use the natural light to catch the fuzzy texture along the stem and the edges of the leaves. The sunlight creates a nice glowing outline against the dark background, while the fresh morning dew droplets add a crisp point of focus to the image.
Image Submitted By: Maribel Gonzalez
Camera: Canon Canon EOS R5Aperture: f/5Exposure Time: 1/160Iso: 100Focal Length: 85Date: September 2nd, 2026
Bud Light
Cactus Flower
GROUP B - SCORE: 86

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 85
Boris felt the composition and concept were very attractive, but he believed focus and exposure prevented the photograph from reaching the Excellent category. He thought the lens may have been used too wide open, leaving important portions insufficiently sharp. He also noted a significant difference in exposure from one side of the image to the other, with the right side—particularly the upper-right corner—appearing too bright. He emphasized that the flower placement was very good and believed the image had excellent potential if the focus and highlight control were improved.

Robert Suarez – 87
Robert likewise placed the image in the Good category. He came closer to the print because he was uncertain whether the intended areas of the flower were sufficiently sharp. Some petal edges near the central flower showed good detail, while areas on the opposite side fell noticeably softer. He also attributed the problem primarily to aperture and depth-of-field selection.

Author: Cactus with a very small flower, taken with a 18-200 Sigma Lens
Image Submitted By: Jose Nicolas Aponte
Camera: Canon Canon EOS Rebel T6Aperture: f/5Exposure Time: 1/80Iso: 100Focal Length: 106Date: April 14th, 2025
Cactus Flower
Carlos Ramirez | September 25, 2026

MY GROUP IS B NOT A

Walter Rojter | September 25, 2026

Group has been corrected to Group B

Daisy and the Bee
GROUP B - SCORE: 92

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 90
Boris considered the photograph Excellent but felt it was too centered. The bee and the center of the flower occupied such a central position that he felt some visual impact was lost. He would have preferred the flower shifted somewhat within the frame, perhaps leaving more room in front of the bee. He also found several background elements distracting, including a gray diagonal or vertical element and a leaf, and suggested that a wider aperture might have softened the background more effectively. He believed some of those distractions could also have been toned down or removed in post-processing.

Robert Suarez – 94
Robert praised the excellent close-up detail, particularly the almost glitter-like texture visible on the bee, and felt the photograph contained strong sharpness throughout the principal subject. He also complimented the rendering of the bright yellow flower, noting that yellow can be difficult to reproduce effectively in print. Unlike Boris, Robert questioned whether the subject might have benefited from somewhat different centering, so the judges approached the compositional placement differently. He nevertheless agreed that several background objects were distracting and kept the photograph from being completely resolved.

Image Submitted By: Carlos Ramirez
Daisy and the Bee
Earth in Motion
GROUP A - SCORE: 91

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 94
Boris liked the photograph very much, particularly the flowing play of lines and the abstract forms suggested within the wood. He saw what looked like the eye of a bull or similar animal within the patterns, adding another layer of interest. His main criticisms involved the print: the upper-middle portion was too dark and an area toward the lower-left appeared too bright. He felt the projected version was more evenly balanced tonally. Despite those issues, he considered it a very interesting and successful close-up.

Robert Suarez – 88
Robert liked the mysterious quality of not immediately knowing what one was looking at and considered that ambiguity part of the photograph’s appeal. His principal objection was a group of bright lines that appeared insufficiently resolved and lacked the texture and detail found in the surrounding wood. He suggested that some selective manipulation—possibly introducing texture or grain—could help integrate those areas. He nevertheless considered the overall presentation harmonious and placed the photograph in the Excellent category.

Author: This close-up image shows driftwood on a beach on the Oregon Coast. Powerful winter storms wash massive amounts of trees from Oregon’s heavily forested river systems and coastal mountains directly into the Pacific Ocean, where tides and currents deposit them onto the beaches.
Image Submitted By: Pilar Geada
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D850Aperture: f/8Exposure Time: 1/50Iso: 200Focal Length: 70Date: October 17th, 2023
Earth in Motion
Eye of the Iguana
GROUP A - SCORE: 91.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 93
Boris praised the exceptional sharpness throughout the photograph and especially liked the eye’s placement slightly above and to the right of center, close to a strong compositional intersection. He felt placing the eye dead center would have made the photograph less effective. He also praised the print quality, the absence of blown highlights, and the excellent rendering of both the darker and lighter greens.

Robert Suarez – 90
Robert was impressed by the corner-to-corner detail and the rich range of greens. He also singled out the lighting as particularly successful because it appeared natural and avoided obvious flash reflections or distracting catchlights. Comparing the projected image with the print, he noted that noise reduction had been handled extremely well in the print and felt that technical treatment worked strongly in the photographer’s favor. He considered the image very close to reaching the Superior category.

Image Submitted By: James Keith
Eye of the Iguana
Faire's Rest
GROUP B - SCORE: 86

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 92
Boris was extremely enthusiastic about the artistic potential of this monochrome image. He said it could have approached a perfect score if the central flower had been sharper and the two flowers on the left had remained completely within the frame. He loved the subtle treatment of the lower leaves and the interplay of grays and blacks in the background. He also would have removed the small bright spot near the flower at upper right. With those corrections, he felt the photograph could have been worthy of publication in a book.

Robert Suarez – 80
Robert saw considerable promise but felt the composition still needed development. He thought the flower near the upper-right portion might not have needed to be included, while flowers along the left side came too close to the edge. More importantly, the central stem and flower structure competed with or superseded the intended subject. He encouraged the photographer to revisit and recompose the scene rather than abandon the idea because he felt the delicate black-and-white subject matter had considerable potential.

Author: Close up of Magnolia blossoms, white flowers grouped vs dark leaves, Vivitar 28mm f2.5 @f4, 12mm extention tube, mounted to Sony A9
Image Submitted By: Carey Moulton
Camera: SONY ILCE-9Aperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/5000Iso: 1600Date: September 5th, 2026
Faire's Rest
Froggie
GROUP A - SCORE: 93

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 91
Boris considered the image Excellent and greatly admired the setting and background, but felt the physical print looked flatter and less contrasty than the projected file. He would have brightened the frog somewhat—especially beneath the mouth—and increased contrast and definition in the bluish area on the forehead. He also noticed a possible discontinuity in one of the horizontal background transitions, where the tone on the right appeared lighter than the corresponding area on the left, making him wonder whether some manipulation had been unevenly applied. Despite those concerns, he considered it a wonderful photograph and felt a stronger print could make it much more striking.

Robert Suarez – 95
Robert placed the image in the Superior category. He was immediately engaged by the lighting and the background environment and was extremely impressed by the frog’s sharpness, particularly around the eyes. He felt the very low shooting position—almost at mouth and eye level—was especially effective and appreciated the subtle blue light caught on the top of the frog’s head. He was not concerned that part of the left foreleg was cut off because the facial detail and overall impact were so strong. He also praised the complementary matting and regarded the image as an outstanding example of macro/close-up photography.

Image Submitted By: James Keith
Froggie
Walter Rojter | September 25, 2026

I disagree with the critique that part of the spider legs being out of focus is to be considered a weakness or technical failure. This is a macro shot with a very slim depth of field and selective focus was an intentional choice.

The Golden Silk
GROUP A - SCORE: 90

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 92
Boris scored the image higher than Robert. He praised the placement of the spider, noting that all of its legs remained within the frame and were comfortably spaced from the edges. Although the body was the sharpest area and portions of the legs were softer, Boris did not regard that as a significant weakness; he felt having the body sharp was sufficient and that the varying sharpness worked with the image. He also liked that the web retained enough detail to participate in the composition while the softer background helped separate the spider. He praised the color, printing, matting, and overall presentation and considered it an excellent photograph.

Robert Suarez – 88
Robert also placed the image in the Excellent category, but he was more critical of the limited depth of field. He specifically observed that sharpness was concentrated around the spider’s center and head while several of the legs were noticeably less focused. The head itself, however, was extremely sharp, and he praised the photographer for “nailing” that focal point. He also complimented the exposure, particularly the absence of blown highlights. The softness in the legs was one of the factors distinguishing his lower score from Boris’s more favorable assessment.

Author: I photographed four different spiders at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park. After taking approximately 200 photographs, I selected two favorites: this image and another titled “The Webmaster.”

Both feature female golden silk orb-weavers, commonly known as banana spiders. I identified them as females by their long yellow-and-dark legs with black, feathery tufts; silvery front section of the body; and elongated golden-brown abdomen with pale spots. Males are dramatically smaller and reddish-brown.

The photographs were taken with a TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2× manual-focus macro lens and an AK flash diffuser. Most were shot between f/2.8 and f/4, with a few at f/5.6. I generally used the flash in manual mode at 1/128 power, although a few images were taken using TTL with flash exposure compensation of –0.7 or –1 EV and auto ISO.

The images were initially processed in DxO PureRAW for noise reduction and then finished in ON1 Photo RAW 2026. The prints displayed at the Photo Challenge were produced by my trusted lab, Miller’s—always delivering excellent quality and fast turnaround.

Image Submitted By: Walter Rojter
Camera: FUJIFILM X-H2SExposure Time: 1/250Iso: 3200Focal Length: 65Date: September 20th, 2026
The Golden Silk
Ghost Orchid Button
GROUP A - SCORE: 94

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 94
Boris said this was the photograph that initially caught his attention most strongly when he first saw the entries. He found the black-and-white treatment particularly artistic and unusual for botanical photography. Evaluating it from an imagined starting point of 100, he suggested several refinements: reduce the large bright circle at left, brighten the bud itself so it receives greater emphasis, reduce the prominence of the bright curved stem, remove the indistinct bright form near the top, and address the lower-left corner. Despite those deductions, he described it as a Superior-quality print with only a few flaws.

Robert Suarez – 94
Robert also placed the image at the extreme high end of Excellence. He liked the serpentine movement of the stem and the impression that the bud was reaching toward the light. He specifically praised the rim of light catching the tip of the subject, the deliberate retention of background light sources, and the visible grain in the monochrome treatment. He also noticed a faint cobweb, which demonstrated the lens’s ability to render fine detail. Although portions of the background were somewhat busy, he felt the image conveyed a graceful movement from darkness toward light.

Image Submitted By: Claudia Masella
Ghost Orchid Button
Plum Crazy
GROUP A - SCORE: 90

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 90
Boris agreed with Robert’s assessment and did not offer an additional substantive critique. His identical score indicated that he shared the positive evaluation of the photograph’s detail, tonal control, and presentation.

Robert Suarez – 90
Robert praised the photograph for its exquisite detail and the effervescent quality created by the multitude of bubbles. He felt the flat black mat was an excellent presentation choice because it did not compete with the image and allowed the brilliant reds and bubble highlights to stand out. He particularly appreciated the gradation within the bubbles from white through gray, noting that the highlights remained controlled rather than appearing blown out.

Author: This was taken in my kitchen. We were soaking some plums in a solution to clean them. These bubbles started to form on the plums. That caught my attention thinking it would make an interesting image. Post processing was done in LrC and PS.

Image Submitted By: John McKnight
Camera: Apple iPhone 13 ProAperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/40Iso: 800Focal Length: 1Date: June 22nd, 2026GPS Location
Plum Crazy
Inner Glow
GROUP B - SCORE: 95

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 91
Boris placed the photograph solidly in the Excellent category and, after hearing Robert’s detailed evaluation, acknowledged that he might have scored it even higher. He admired the very subtle changes among different whites and the restrained pale-yellow tones. He had no objection to the centered composition because the concentric structure of the flower required that arrangement to maintain the surrounding circular forms within the rectangular frame. He considered the result beautiful.

Robert Suarez – 99
Robert regarded this as one of the outstanding photographs of the competition. He found sharpness throughout the flower, excellent control of white highlights, delicate internal texture, and a beautiful natural-looking glow toward the center. He believed the image could be enlarged substantially while still retaining quality. Initially he described the reddish mat as the only element for which he could deduct a point, although later he also acknowledged that its color helped lead the eye toward the reddish detail at the flower’s center. He was particularly impressed that fine vein-like details visible in projection were also retained in the print.

Author: I made the image practicing using my macro lens with backlighting of flowers
Image Submitted By: Ana Eriksen
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON Z5_2Aperture: f/32Exposure Time: 30 SecondsIso: 100Focal Length: 105Date: June 17th, 2026
Inner Glow
Green Onion Tip
GROUP B - SCORE: 94

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 93
Boris considered the photograph extremely well executed, praising the color, droplets, perfect black background, and choice of a white mat. His hesitation was initially more about the subject itself: compared with some of the other macro photographs, he found the onion tip somewhat less inherently compelling. After Robert raised questions about the large droplet at the top, Boris examined the reflections in the other droplets and noted that most of the larger ones contained a substantial dark area on the left, while the top droplet did not. That inconsistency also made him wonder whether the large top droplet had been added or altered, though he explicitly acknowledged that they might both be wrong.

Robert Suarez – 95
Robert regarded the photograph as Superior but openly questioned the unusually perfect large droplet at the tip. Its appearance and reflection pattern seemed different enough from the surrounding droplets that he wondered whether it had been composited or “cut and pasted.” At the same time, he allowed that the photographer might simply have found exactly the right camera angle to render the sphere in that unusual way. Regardless of how it was produced, he praised the square composition, black background, strong color, and overall execution and kept the photograph in the Superior range.

Author: I was out in the garden right after a heavy downpour when this green onion stalk caught my eye. For this month's macro theme, I wanted to capture how the waxy texture of the leaf forced the rainwater into perfect spheres. The top droplet acted as a natural lens, refracting and flipping the background greenery inside the water. It was a lucky moment of perfect surface tension and natural light right in my own backyard.
Image Submitted By: Maribel Gonzalez
Camera: Canon Canon EOS R7Aperture: f/5Exposure Time: 1/2000Iso: 1250Focal Length: 85Date: June 17th, 2026
Green Onion Tip
Memory of Wood
GROUP A - SCORE: 88

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 88
Boris was fascinated by the resemblance between the wood formation and the eye of a crocodile or other reptile. He felt rotating the wood into this orientation was a very successful creative decision and particularly admired the strong diagonal lines. His primary distraction was a thin curved, thread-like element near the upper center, which he felt would improve the image if removed. He also questioned a slight cyan cast in some of the lighter wood areas. Boris praised the presentation as well, noting that although the brown in the mat did not precisely match the wood, the white-and-light-brown double mat was a thoughtful choice.

Robert Suarez – 88
Robert admired the subtle, restrained colors, sharp detail, and the way the knot strongly suggested an animal’s eye. He cautioned that if a vignette had been used, it should not become a crutch because the photograph was visually interesting without one. He observed that the eye is drawn strongly into the dark center of the knot even though there is no obvious light or conventional subject there, creating a slightly mysterious visual destination. He also praised the matte/satin paper because its low sheen worked especially well with the dark areas and allowed the subtle colors to emerge.

Author: I took this close-up of a Lenga tree in a forest within Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia, Argentina. Lenga forests (Nothofagus pumilio) are among Patagonia’s most iconic and fragile ecosystems. Found at mid to high elevations, these native deciduous trees adapt to extreme winds, cold temperatures, and heavy snowfall — a true symbol of resilience in southern Patagonia.
Image Submitted By: Pilar Geada
Camera: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON Z 8Aperture: f/9Exposure Time: 1/100Iso: 250Focal Length: 50Date: April 18th, 2026
Memory of Wood
Walter Rojter | September 25, 2026

This spider was moving as I photographed her. I found this to be a very interesting and different perspective—rather than emphasizing the head, the image shows her actively repairing the web, including the silk visibly emerging from her body as she works.

The Webmaster
GROUP A - SCORE: 93.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 93
Boris praised the spider, the color, the web, and especially the extraordinary background. He liked the way the web was sharply defined near the subject and then gradually transitioned into softer focus. His primary concern was the angle of the spider: he felt the photograph emphasized the body more than the head and wondered whether a different shooting position might have been more flattering. He also felt that two of the legs crossed an important central area and partially obscured the spider, which contributed to his deduction. Even so, he described it as one of his highest-scoring images of the evening.

Robert Suarez – 94
Robert agreed with Boris about the attractive transition in focus. He particularly liked the way the spider appeared to have been caught actively laying its web, giving the image the quality of an action photograph rather than a static insect portrait. He noted that one leg remained sharp while other legs and parts of the body gradually fell out of focus and regarded that rolling depth-of-field effect positively in this image. The combination of activity, selective focus, color, and background placed it firmly in his Excellent category.

Author: I photographed four different spiders at Kendall Indian Hammocks Park. After taking approximately 200 photographs, I selected two favorites: this image and another titled “The Golden Silk.”

Both feature female golden silk orb-weavers, commonly known as banana spiders. I identified them as females by their long yellow-and-dark legs with black, feathery tufts; silvery front section of the body; and elongated golden-brown abdomen with pale spots. Males are dramatically smaller and reddish-brown.

The photographs were taken with a TTArtisan 100mm f/2.8 2× manual-focus macro lens and an AK flash diffuser. Most were shot between f/2.8 and f/4, with a few at f/5.6. I generally used the flash in manual mode at 1/128 power, although a few images were taken using TTL with flash exposure compensation of –0.7 or –1 EV and auto ISO.

The images were initially processed in DxO PureRAW for noise reduction and then finished in ON1 Photo RAW 2026. The prints displayed at the Photo Challenge were produced by my trusted lab, Miller’s—always delivering excellent quality and fast turnaround.
Image Submitted By: Walter Rojter
Camera: FUJIFILM X-H2SAperture: f/4Exposure Time: 1/250Iso: 2500Focal Length: 100Date: September 20th, 2026
The Webmaster
Rain Soaked Flower
GROUP A - SCORE: 93.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 90
Boris agreed that the photographic execution was very strong but scored the image lower because of the appearance of the flowers themselves. He found the buds attractive, but felt the two open flowers appeared old, wilted, or past their prime. That aesthetic concern—not the technical quality—was the principal reason for his lower score. He otherwise considered the execution of the print Superior.

Robert Suarez – 97
Robert placed the photograph firmly in the Superior category. He praised the sharpness throughout the image and particularly admired the photographer’s control of the white petals, which retained detail without uncontrolled blown highlights. His only real reservation was also the condition of the petals: they appeared rolled, creased, and weathered from the rain. Although that could affect their visual appeal, he felt the technical execution, background treatment, and rendering of the surrounding buds were outstanding.

Author: Took this shortly after a rain, using a tripod in natural light. Photo stacked the flower and processed it on Helicon Focus and further edited it with Lightroom
Image Submitted By: Daniel Holmes
Camera: Canon Canon EOS R5m2Aperture: f/3Exposure Time: 1/50Iso: 200Focal Length: 180Date: September 15th, 2026
Rain Soaked Flower
Smiley
GROUP A - SCORE: 92.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 91
Boris regarded this as an excellent print but wanted more contrast. He would have darkened the iguana slightly because some of the light blue and whitish areas appeared too bright. He liked the relationship between the animal and the rocky background and felt that, although the eye was relatively central, sufficient space on the right allowed the viewer to travel through the composition toward it. He also recommended burning down the bright lower-left corner slightly.

Robert Suarez – 94
Robert was impressed by the amount of detail and wondered whether HDR processing had helped create the unusually broad tonal range. He found excellent sharpness throughout the image and admired the way subtle tonal variations had been preserved. He noted that the printed/matted version seemed to lose a little space along the bottom compared with the projected image, although he did not consider that a major issue. He particularly liked the eye, describing it as almost a story in itself, and appreciated the natural-looking illumination.

Author: This image was taken during one of the cold snaps we had this past winter. I went out the next morning and found this iguana clinging to a mahogany tree in my back yard. He was completely comatose. As I approached him he did not move one bit. It was like he was frozen in place. This allowed me to take numerous pictures of him up close. This was a rare opportunity to be able to get this close to an iguana without it bolting away in fear. I thought it was interesting that his eye was open. It was like he was watching me but could not do anything about me being so close. Later in the day this one and another iguana warmed up and wondered off. Processing was done in LrC and PS.
Image Submitted By: John McKnight
Camera: Apple iPhone 13 ProAperture: f/1Exposure Time: 1/100Iso: 125Focal Length: 1Date: February 1st, 2026GPS Location
Smiley
Ghost Orchid blooming
GROUP A - SCORE: 88

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Ghost Orchid Blooming — Overall Score: 88

Boris Gabay – 90
Boris responded to the image primarily as an artistic composition. He liked the contrast between the large black negative space on the left and the long pale petal on the right, and he felt the softer background petals complemented the main subject rather than needing to be sharp. He also liked the restrained use of water droplets. His principal concern was the soft lower petal edge, which bothered him more than the other out-of-focus areas; he would have considered darkening or eliminating that portion. He also felt the composition carried slightly too much visual weight on the right and discussed whether a different aperture might have created a more effective distribution of sharpness.

Robert Suarez – 86
Robert liked the grain and acknowledged the difficulty of retaining detail in a predominantly white subject. He praised the gray double-bevel mat but felt it competed somewhat with the black surrounding presentation. His larger concern was haze in portions of the print, which reduced apparent sharpness compared with the projected image. He could accept some soft petals, but felt the combination of haze, unresolved areas, and delicate petal edges being cut kept the image from scoring higher.

Image Submitted By: Claudia Masella
Ghost Orchid blooming
The Visitor
GROUP B - SCORE: 88.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 92
Boris scored this image considerably higher because he responded strongly to its artistic qualities. He acknowledged obvious imperfections, including bright areas, but felt some of those very imperfections contributed to the photograph’s painterly character. He liked the texture and positioning of the wings, the unusual green foreground element, and even several of the background highlights that might conventionally be considered distractions. To him, these elements moved the photograph beyond a straightforward insect record and gave it an expressive quality.

Robert Suarez – 85
Robert agreed that the photograph had interesting qualities but was much more troubled by the bright background distractions. He felt the large white area in the upper right immediately pulled the eye away from the insect and recommended reducing or eliminating it. He used the critique to emphasize how strongly viewers are attracted to the brightest points in a photograph. The slightly clipped wings bothered him less because the print presentation explained some of that trimming, and he specifically appreciated the double-beveled mat. The uncontrolled white areas were the major reason the photograph did not score higher for him.

Author: Able to capture this Flying Dragon in my backyard
Image Submitted By: Jose Nicolas Aponte
Camera: Canon Canon EOS R6m2Aperture: f/8Exposure Time: 1/320Iso: 100Focal Length: 50Date: September 6th, 2026
The Visitor
Edges of Steel
GROUP B - SCORE: 86.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 89
Boris agreed that the principal weakness was the treatment of the frame edges, particularly the way the pattern was cut on the left. He liked the use of repeated linear forms as a close-up subject and noted that the shapes could almost be interpreted as natural forms rather than steel. He especially liked the way the lines rose from the bottom in an inverted-cone pattern. He also felt several of the lines in the upper-right area were too bright and should have been toned down.

Robert Suarez – 84
Robert emphasized symmetry and composition as the central issues. The repeated diagonal lines, strong contrast, and sharpness were all successful, but the pattern was not resolved evenly at the edges. He initially focused on the left side being cut differently from the right and later clarified that portions on the right also felt unresolved. That uneven cropping disrupted the visual structure of an image that otherwise depended heavily on pattern and symmetry.

Image Submitted By: Ramona Davila
Edges of Steel
Entanglement
GROUP B - SCORE: 94.5

JUDGES: Boris Gabay and Robert Suarez

Boris Gabay – 94
Boris felt the photograph could scarcely be improved technically. Beyond the photographic execution, he praised the creativity involved in constructing such an unusual arrangement. He admired the network of diagonal lines moving toward and beyond the edges, the careful spacing near the top, the strong contrast between the colors, and the ability to resolve even the tiny individual fibers along the threads. He regarded it as both technically accomplished and artistically conceived.

Robert Suarez – 95
Robert placed the image in the Superior category and was particularly impressed by the fine detail, noting that individual fibers in the colored threads were clearly visible. He recognized that considerable effort probably went into staging and arranging the lines and praised the side lighting for helping the elements stand out against the black background. He liked the decision to bring the yellow thread prominently forward and felt every color had an intentional place within the composition. For him, the bright colors, sharp fibers, and energetic paths of the threads created a fascinating and highly successful macro photograph.

Image Submitted By: Ramona Davila
Entanglement

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If you attended last Thursday's July 9th meeting and would like to review the material—or if you were unable to join us—you can download the presentation below. The evening began with a presentation by Pilar and Rolando, who shared essential techniques, practical tips, and creative insights into Night Photography. We hope these slides will help you refine your approach, inspire your creativity, and strengthen your final submission.

Night Photography Tips - Pilar and Rolando

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Walter Rojter | September 25, 2026

I disagree with the critique that part of the spider legs being out of focus is to be considered a weakness or technical failure. This is a macro shot with a very slim depth of field and selective focus was an intentional choice.

This spider was moving as I photographed her. I found this to be a very interesting and different perspective—rather than emphasizing the head, the image shows her actively repairing the web, including the silk visibly emerging from her body as she works.

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Close Up - Macro - September 2026

Ghost Orchid Blooming — Overall Score: 88

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