From Germany to South Africa and from Brazil to India, the international jury represents the geographic diversity of Wiki Loves Earth. They have a variety of backgrounds: some of them are professional environmentalists, while others are passionate photographers. There is one thing they have in common: their enthusiasm to select the best photos of natural heritage sites.
Meet the seven members of Wiki Loves Earth 2018 international jury who are currently evaluating the photos and will allow us to announce the results shortly: Continue reading “Meet the 2018 international jury”
The international jury is composed of seven people this year representing different parts of the world and having different backgrounds. What they have in common is their passion for photography and enthusiasm to select the best photos of natural monuments. Meet our jurors:Continue reading “Wiki Loves Earth 2017 international jury”
Mount Kanchenjunga seen from Goechala. Photo by Yoghya, freely licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
A record number of over 110.000 pictures, taken by over 13.000 uploaders in 26 participating countries and in biosphere reserves of our partner UNESCO were uploaded during this year’s national round of Wiki Loves Earth! Each of the participating communities chose their best ten pictures which represent them in the international round of the competition. Now the nine-member jury has the hard task to choose the best pictures worldwide.
The jury consist of nine members, who live all around the globe – Dietmar Bartz, Katya Zareva-Simeonova, Besnik Hamiti, Chris Woodrich, Doris Anson-Yevu, Isla Haddow-Flood, Jeevan Jose, Janno Loide, and Qunli Han. They will choose the best pictures, which represent an identified natural monument, natural park, protected area, etc., including pictures of animals taken there. All of the pictures, uploaded during Wiki Loves Earth were published under a free licence.
Lake Ohrid. Photo by Fation Plaku, freely licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Most pictures were uploaded in India – 31.317, followed by Germany with 18.161 and Ukraine with 11.475. The highest number of uploaders was found in India with 6.318, followed by Germany with 1.108 and Pakistan with 1.098. For India this year was the second time it participated and its results have been impressive. Among the newcomers, Australia had the best results with 3.509 pictures uploaded by 595 people. The other states which participated for the first time this year were Greece, Albania, Moldova, and Kosovo.
As almost all of the participating countries have already announced their national winners (you can look at the gallery of nominated photos), so now it’s time to introduce people who will select the winning photos — the international jury!
The international jury is composed of nine people this year representing different parts of the world and having different backgrounds. What they have in common is their passion for photography and enthusiasm to select the best photos of natural monuments. Meet our jurors:
Dmytro Balkhovitin, Ukraine (user:Balkhovitin)
Dmytro is a Wiki Loves Earth 2014 international winner, Wiki Loves Monuments in Ukraine 2013 winner, he contributes photos during the contests every year. He is a professional photographer and a winner of numerous awards in Ukraine and abroad.
Last year was also a jury member of Wiki Loves Monuments in Ukraine national photocontest. Native of Donetsk.
View of Carpathian National Park from Hoverla. Carpathian National Park, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. By Balkhovitin, freely licenced under CC-BY-SA-3.0. This is a featured picture and a Quality image on Wikimedia Commons, a finalist in Picture of the Year 2014.
Matthew Buck, Great Britain (user:Mattbuck)
An administrator of Wikimedia Commons and a photographer. “A Commons admin of ill repute, keen photographer and train nerd. I’ve been lucky enough to be selected for the Wikimedia Ukraine jury three times now, and each time it’s been fun, if hard work“, says Matt about himself. He also says: “I honestly don’t care what you took a photo of, so long as it’s good technically (exposure, sharpness, composition, etc)“. He would like the participants of Wikili Loves Earth to take part in Quality images project on Commons.
Sunset on the beach at Seahouses in Northumberland with Bamburgh Castle in the background. By mattbuck, freely licenced under CC BY-SA. Quality image, uploaded as part of Wiki Loves Monuments 2014.
Before the start of the photo contest “Wiki loves Earth – 2014” the Organizing Committee decided to supplement the published earlier results of the contest of 2013 by brief comments to the best photographs.
Oleg Zharii was asked to write them. We hope that his thoughts concerning the twelve photographs will help one to understand why namely these pictures were awarded by jury and will provide useful recommendations to photographers including participants of the next contests.
1st place — Krasnickaja Katya, “Sunrise on Ai-Petri Mountain”
1. The ground of success of this photograph: it shows a natural phenomenon hardly ever seen by us. One can easily see sunlight over clouds through a plane window but rarely from the ground. A good detail contrast in the foreground, even in shadows, gentle colors of sunrise lighting, nice background and sky – well-deserved first place.
2nd place — Sergiy Krynytsya (Haidamac), “Canyon of Dnister”, Town of Zalishchyky, Ternopil Region
2. Dnister’ canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine, and the loop of the river around Zalishchyky is its most beautiful spot. The photo is a classic of landscape photography: both foreground and background are interesting. Long shadows from trees show that sunset is coming, and the best time for shooting is namely two or three hours after sunrise and before sunset when lighting is softer than at daytime.
One could shoot this picture with one frame using a wide-angle lens. However, in this case the peninsula in the background would look too small as compared to the foreground. That’s why the author made use of the panorama technique at a moderate focal length. The photograph has been stitched from eight vertical frames, what equalized scales of plans. However may be the panorama should be completed by one more frame on the left.
When one is shooting a picture with several planes (this landscape has also a middle plane, the bridge), shift for even several centimeters strongly affects the final result. A composition is ideal when the foreground details do not hide each other. The stones should remain in the picture and the tree should not hide the bridge (should the proper shooting location exist). May be, shift to the right would enable the photographer to reveal the bridge, however the picturesque stones could be lost. This panorama demonstrates importance of careful selection of the surveying point. It seems so that the author has selected the best one.
3rd place — Balkhovitin, “Glassy outcrop of upper chalk”, Town of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Region
3.Trees in the foreground and in the background add volume to the image of a unique geological formation, and the road brings dynamics to the picture. The photograph could become more interesting under a different lighting. However, photography, similarly to diplomacy, is “the art of possible”. That’s why at the moment when the travelling photographer found himself at the surveying point, he surely made the best possible shot.
4th place – Balkhovitin, Regional Landscape Park “Zuivskiy”, Donetsk Region
4. Prerequisite of an interesting landscape photographs like this is the presence of both foreground and background. At a slow shutter speed, water flow and plants movement in the foreground are blurred. This brings dynamics to the picture. Sun reflection in the right part and a sun spot in the foreground add charm. Tender April leafage makes the photo more transparent.
5th place – Balkhovitin, Ukrainian Steppe National Park “Stone Graves”, Donetsk Region
5. Chimeric stone conglomeration in the foreground and a quieter one in the background create contrast of the picture. Middle of spring with its intrinsic tender leafage and flowers in stone fissures, probably, is the best season for shooting. Middle placement of horizon in this case is a justified violation of photography canons not recommending dividing the frame in half by horizontal or vertical lines. Thanks to that, nice sky occupies in the picture it’s deserved and enjoying equal rights place. Stones on the right close the frame thus creating a balanced composition.
6th place – Ihor Dereviahin, Obruchev mud volcano, Crimea
6. The best way to represent an unusual object of nature in a plain is to shoot it “as is”. For this relief, absence of sunlight may be is a better variant of lighting. The picture is well completed by a soft pattern of summer sky. However, the result could be better in early spring or in gold autumn season. Also it would be better to expand the frame both ways. Otherwise, the composition looks too tight.
7th place – Balkhovitin, Wildlife preserve “Khaphalskiy”, Crimea
7. Small waterfalls in mountains are especially magical in autumn when ground is covered by colored leafs. We should accept the situation that direct sunlight won’t reach water in the forest. However, whenever possible one should avoid symmetrical frame composition when the main accent is centered.
8. Classics of landscape photography: foreground under sunlight, shadowed picturesque mountains and sea in the background. On should try to guess how such amount of snow has sticked to the tree!
9th place – Ihor Dereviahin, Tikhaya (Quiet) Harbor, Crimea
9. Contrast of the picture is created by beautiful clouds and blue sea. When you don’t know what is outside the frame, you can assume that one should experiment with composition to get the most impressive photograph.
10. Zest of the photograph is its diagonal composition. Reflection of clouds in still water creates impression of conciliation.
11th place – Mykhailo Petskovych,“White Elephant”, building of the former observatory on the Pip Ivan Mountain, Ivano-Frankivsk Region
11. Contrast side light reveals relief of snow covering and volume of the construction. People figures on the roof give an idea of its size. Impressive contrast between bright snow and subdued sky.
12th place – Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac), Zelenyi (Green) Island in Korsun, Cherkassy Region
12. Emotional sculpture of Rosych makes contrast with quiet and majestic beauty of the island. Beautiful sky. The picture would be better if the frame has been expanded to the left and obviously under the quiet weather.
Oleg Zharii, photographer, member of jury of the contest «Wiki loves Earth – 2013», www.zharii.kiev.ua
Matthew Buck, Great Britain (user:
