AG|WPJA The Artistic Guild of the WPJA

Judges Comment: At first glance of the entire category, this image clearly stood out as the first place winner. Whether the auxiliary lighting created the natural vignette or the photographer masterfully burnt the dimension into this, we love it! Absolutely beautiful!

Judges Comment: This genuine moment is accented perfectly by a burst of secondary strobe or video light. The vignette repeats the shape of the couple and also serves to block out any unwanted elements in the background. Sweet frame!

Judges Comment: It's so darn refreshing to see this angle from the bouquet toss! Good timing by the photographer as the bouquet is captured flying through mid-air (in a very dark place!) The image is very balanced and also shows a nice sense of place. Congrats on taking a risk!

Judges Comment: This category was full of new and unique camera angles and this one caught our eye. Combining her moment with the room ambiance is nice seeing by the photographer. One suggestion: crop a bit off of the left side of the frame so the couple isn’t so engulfed by the blackness.

Judges Comment: All of the layering between the glass, mirrors, bars, doorway and overhead light makes this image full of squares and reflections. I like that the slight tilt to the camera and the burning on the edges help force your eye to the center of the frame. This is a good image that would be great if you cropped down from the top to just above the bride's head.

Judges Comment: We like the repeating circles (her dress, the dinner tables and the larger circle formed around the couple) and the way her dress stands out as a beacon on the floor. Great perspective!

Judges Comment: Images that make you feel like part of their moment are always going to be winners. The powerful emotion that is relayed, just by the groom snuggling into the bride's shoulder, is apparent. The image treatment also helps to produce a warm and sensual feeling.

Judges Comment: With an ending like this one, I bet the entire first dance was great! The lights on the ceiling really make this image sing by helping to frame and push your eye from the top of the image back down to the couple.

Judges Comment: The intimate setting is well captured by this photographer as the couple has their first dance. The vertical boards on the floor help to slide your eye from front to back but always end with the bride and groom. While we love the toning, the image is too flat and could benefit from a boost in contrast.

Judges Comment: The nice use of off-camera lighting (we're guessing a small video light) adds dimension and layers the information from front to back.

Judges Comment: Simple and elegant best describes this image. The repeating lights hold your attention and keep you focused on the couple. The overall toning feels a bit uneven and we'd suggest cropping out the black strip across the top of the image.

Judges Comment: This is one of those images that require some brain power to decipher and we love a visual challenge. After studying the image, a nice dancing image presents itself but is simply too dark for the average viewer to comprehend. This would be a killer image in an album spread!

Judges Comment: There's always one (or hundreds) of phones at weddings these days and this one serves to light a funny scene. I wonder if the women crowded around the phone are looking at wedding photos or just checking out game scores. Nice image that would present even better if the black frame on the right side was cropped out.

Judges Comment: The subject being off-center lets the lights do most of the heavy lifting in the frame. The strong moment, forehead kiss, and the added bonus of the couple in the background help add dimension to the image.

Judges Comment: Good thinking by the photographer to bring this image together (we're positive it's a composite). The bride and groom are just radiant and adding the fireworks was a great idea! Some things to consider when adding objects to a black background: just when you think you're finished, pull the black point all the way up and see what your canvas reveals. This will allow you to refine the image and even out the tones.

Judges Comment: We wonder what interesting conversations are going on as the party guests chat the evening away. The large painting of the 'overseer' is a cool addition to the frame. We like the grain use (gives a nice film look) as well as the exceptional black and white conversion.

Judges Comment: This great perspective creates a unique point of entry. With a little more massaging in Photoshop, this image would be great. The glowing area around the couple's feet reads awkward and the lit pillar on the right needs to be toned down.

Judges Comment: There is a lot of information in this image and between the conversations, kids, Polaroid and facial expressions, our eyes dance around the frame and never settle. You may want to crop a bit off the left and top to alleviate just a little of the clutter in the image.

Judges Comment: This is a great image that shows the camaraderie and fun these guys are having. Way to get in there and make us feel like we're part of the gang. The image would have placed much higher if the image treatment was more refined. We had a hard time getting past the vignette which is too dark in relation to the other tones. Back of the vignette, keep the milky tones and you have a great image!

Judges Comment: Crazy is what we'd call this couple. I expect we would have seen the falling image if they had taken a swim but we like the overall playfulness of this scene. This image has an almost ‘HDR look’ but the glowing areas and halos need to be re-worked.