Ships
Andrew Hocking

Ships

March 2023

Expert
winner

The great use of a long focal length here emphasises the contrast in scale between the subject and background to give this image instant impact. The light and dark theme is repeated with the snow-capped peaks echoing the ship’s superstructure, adding another level of visual interest that makes this a winning shot.

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Brief

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**This contest is open to photographers ranked 1000+ in this week’s <a href="https://www.photocrowd.com/photographer-community/">Leaderboard</a>.** A contest category that always leaves us in awe of the creations that roam our seas. Hulking beasts that somehow float, and which carry our goods and our people, protect territorial waters, fish for food, and research the state of our oceans and its inhabitants. Ships are bigger than boats, and are sea-going and capable of carrying significant loads. Images can be of either exteriors or interiors of ships, but with the interiors you may need to provide some information with the image, so that you don’t find yourself not-on-briefed.

Taken with a mobile phone from an aircraft as it passed over the anchorage, this is a good example of why the best camera is the one you have with you. It also shows how an unusual viewpoint can enhance a composition. Here, the low, partially obscured sun has created a pleasing, atmospheric scene that has silhouetted the ships without burning out the sky or the surface of the water.

The black-and-white treatment of this simple composition is reminiscent of brutalist architecture. For many, cruise ships are ugly floating hotels, and maybe this is what the photographer is trying to portray. Despite the very wide angle lens used, I like the way that the verticals remain vertical and that the balconies act as leading lines to help balance the composition.

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