AG|WPJA The Artistic Guild of the WPJA

Judges Comment: This was my favorite for a variety of reasons. There are basically two types of entries in this category - images that are purely illustrative and those that are not. Both are equally acceptable and often beautiful. But this image reveals a moment between a bride and groom where the ring stands apart simply because it is the one solitary detail that transfixes the eye. This clever blend of surfaces, tones and textures stands tall against the background of a tender moment.

Judges Comment: I really enjoyed the way the bride's shimmering dress suggests the shining diamonds of the ring she holds. The shallow depth of field ensures that the ring remains the primary focus of the image.

Judges Comment: Yeah, it's a tad campy - perhaps even hokey - but it's the only image like this that I have ever seen in a ring category. I thought it was clever and the lack of any special lighting or dramatic effect was an extra plus. The photographer relies entirely on the cleverness of the idea.

Judges Comment: What's not to like about the tender and romantic moment of the bride and groom grasping hands. Yet, the moment does not steal our attention away from the all-important detail of the ring.

Judges Comment: There was something about the symbolism of a hook and eye lock that set this image apart. The symbolism of a binding lock causes us to reflect on the symbolism of the rings. Add to this some luxurious colors and just the right amount of depth of field, and the image stands on its own.

Judges Comment: I thought this was a clever approach to a portrait of rings. I wondered if perhaps the bride and groom were pianists or met in a music school. Or, maybe this was just a piano played by performers on the wedding day. The fact that I stopped to wonder about the possible significance of the piano keys as backdrop only added to the simple and direct power of the image.

Judges Comment: The detail of the words speak to the symbolism of the ring - an example of how translation of a feeling can become a moment through photography. Rather than an image of the ring we have an image of what the ring is about.

Judges Comment: Who can resist the desire in this photo. It is seductive, sexy, passionate and embedded with a sense of place - as though it belongs within a thunderstorm. It is a captivating visual cacophony of light and shadow that is ultimately irresistible.

Judges Comment: The softness of the flower encompassing the hard metallic edges of gold and facets makes for an interesting juxtaposition. It's the universality of rich and poor, young and old, sorrow and joy, life and death that often find their way into our hearts and minds through the visual language.

Judges Comment: The ant crawling across these rings may make some recoil. It could be easily argued that it is objectionable, perhaps even distracting. I would suggest that the introduction of something highly unexpected can become the catalyst for gaining our attention.

Judges Comment: I enjoyed this photo for the obvious reasons - the beautiful symmetry of composition and shapes within the frame. But, beyond its surface it also suggests the beginning of something. There are multiple circles to encompass above this elegant ring. Where to next?

Judges Comment: The introduction of these tools and the surface they lie upon are decidedly not something anyone would associate with wedding rings, Yet surrounding those simple symbolic circles of marriage and commitment lies a discordant world. Marriage is a commitment that requires work - no less than the devices surrounding these rings.

Judges Comment: The composition combined with light and shadow are no surprise, but the way they sit upon a small pool of water surrounded by a spray of droplets is a strong visual connection to the important symbols of wedding rings.

Judges Comment: The unmistakable elegance of this image is the understated beauty of its gentle curves and row of diamonds. It is at one with the universe yet clearly the object of desire. I like the repeating shapes of circles, rings, facets and curves that neither compete or completely vanish in that languishing shade of blue.

Judges Comment: This juxtaposition, gold wedding rings and what appears to be a piece of coal, is another good illustration of how two entirely different symbols - metaphors of rich and poor - often produce a visually stimulating photo.

Judges Comment: It's not just the softness of the warm touch of her hand that makes this image successful, but also the way that reflected window highlights the ring so that it remains distinctive. It's subtle and direct at once - a contrast of something solid embracing with something smooth.

Judges Comment: The warm color is a surprise element. It's not what we expect to see in an image like this. I think it gains some distinctiveness as much for that reason as it does from a decisive moment, good lighting and composition.

Judges Comment: I kept coming back to this photo. It was alluring and seductive. I like the blending of color in the rings and at lower right. The shallow depth of field also works well in this photo so the rings are not lost in the composition, an abundance of open space that works so well to add levity and grace to the subject.

Judges Comment: I think the use of glass pebbles as a background was a good choice for these rings. The prismatic refractions in the glass, along with its transparency, both accents the rings and offsets the visual weight of the darkness between the outer edges of the rings.

Judges Comment: I couldn't resist this image. It has been chosen simply because it's fun, rather unusual and lightly humorous. I think offsetting it to the left in the composition is also a good approach that adds to the silliness of the image due to the ample white space surrounding it.