第12回審査結果

Masao Torii: Photographer

This is the 12th photo contest. As an annual scenery, a variety of works are narrow and fill the examination hall.
It seems that recruitment in the two divisions was widely known, and this time we received many applications from people of various ages. With the number of prizes in both categories being determined, the jury was still struggling to narrow down the prize-winning works, although it was an ordinary year.

The Grand Prize in the "Expressway and Four Seasons Landscape Division" was awarded to YOSHIDA Takushi's "Burning Triton. Isewangan Expwy The work depicts the Meiko Triton, which spans the Meiko Bay in Ise Bay, against the backdrop of the beautiful sunset of Ise Bay. Meiko Triton is beautifully illuminated under a deep blue sky. The night view of the industrial area surrounding the Port of Nagoya in the background is well balanced with the bridge. The ever-changing atmosphere of the sky is captured with exquisite timing, giving the viewer the feeling of seeing the title background of a Hollywood movie in its glory days.
＜Toshiyasu Yamazaki's "Elongating Shin-Tomei Expressway" was selected for the Excellence Award (Spring). In the soft spring sunlight, Shin-Tomei Expwy stretches endlessly through the gaps between the cherry blossoms. The contrast between the blurriness of the cherry blossoms enveloping it under the gentle forward light and the sharply rendered car is interesting.
The same <Excellence Award> (Summer): "A series of legs" by Toshiyuki Togawa. Shin-Tomei Expwy This work was taken at a construction site of the "Mere Old Man. It was probably taken in the weather after the rain. Against a background of dark clouds, the details created by the heavy rain on the surface of the brand-new concrete piers seem to have been created by adding filter work, cropping the exposure, and making full use of imaging software to give the photo a strong impact. This photographic expression with a sense of aging may indicate one direction of digital photography.
Excellence Award (Autumn): "Coexistence" by Yoshito Matsuura. This is a tranquil landscape photo of Tomei Expwy straddling the waters of Lake Hamana. Herons and ducks, or perhaps seagulls, are resting their wings on the lake water, which has turned a deep shade of madder red. The silhouettes of several species of wild birds amidst the beautiful sunset are a peaceful scene for everyone. The presence of a boat in the foreground suggests the image of "coexistence" between people and nature. The silhouette of the fluttering egret, which must have been waiting for its chance for a long time, is also a good example of the picture.
Excellence Award (Winter): "New Photo Spot" by Yasuo Kinoshita. Tomei Expwy Fujikawa SA He took the picture on the stage where he could meet the local character "Fujihime" and NEXCO CENTRAL the original character "Michimaru-kun" at the "New Photo Spot. It is a work of art that is quite mysterious. Not only are the characters cute, but it is interesting that the real Mt. Fuji is arranged like a signboard picture of a public bathhouse. It is truly a "new photo spot.
＜Honorable Mention: Chitose Kagiya's "Wonderland" graphically depicts a glowing amusement park facility reflected on the surface of water, which is interesting as if we were looking at an Art Deco pattern.
<Honorable Mention> "Preparation for Casting" by Toshiyasu Iwaasa captures the casting of a framework with the reinforcement in place, with the majestic summit of Mt. Fuji's summit is very powerful when it is superimposed on people!
＜Honorable Mention: "Dawn on the day before Risshatsu" by Tatsumi Yamashita. It is a beautiful photograph. It must have been taken with a camera with a wide dynamic range. It is amazing that every detail is depicted without any loss of detail in the dark areas! The image adjustment is skillful, but the saturation adjustment could be a bit more moderate.

The winner of the Grand Prize in the "Your Favorite Landscape" category was Tatsuya Fukano's "Autumn Harvest." The autumn sunset bathes a persimmon tree laden with fruit, as if to say, "Is this enough?" It truly feels like a sophisticated, realistic oil painting. While it could easily be described as a typical rural landscape, the artist's keen sensibility is apparent in the way he casually captured the image with a lens whose angle of view is similar to that of the human eye, without any pretense of eccentricity. It's as if he adds nothing and subtracts nothing.
<Excellent Award> (Spring) "Memories of the School" by Hayakawa Yukio. A magnificently blooming cherry tree covers the school building. It would not have looked so magnificent when the artist was studying there. The cherry tree is a symbol of a nostalgic school. By projecting the trails of stars in the night sky in the background, the passage of time up to the present day is effectively conveyed. Although the technique is classical, it is a very elaborate shot, with long exposures and other techniques. You can sense the artist's seasoned career built up over many years.
The same award for excellence (summer) went to KAWAI Hisashi for "Flowers of the Festival." Hand-held fireworks are held in Hida Takayama as a way to ward off bad luck. The pillars of fire shot out of the hand-held fireworks are truly spectacular! In the middle of midsummer, the black-clad fireworks artist stands unfazed by the falling sparks, giving the viewer a sense of divinity. The composition of the picture is also powerful.
The same Excellence Award (Autumn) winner, Ueno Yuji's "Ten Takaku" (High in the Sky), depicts a scene that makes you want to sing along to the lyrics, "Autumn is when the horses are fat." The clear, ultramarine sky, the scaly clouds lying across it, and below that, perhaps on the riverbank, is a magnificent cluster of blooming cosmos. The fairytale-like landscape is beautifully finished with the use of a wide-angle lens and filter work. The person holding a parasol in the background is a great addition.
The winner of the Excellence Award (Winter) was Katsuta Yusuke's "First Sunrise with a Wind Storm." What a magnificent sight to encounter right at the start of the New Year. The windstorm phenomenon seems to be something you rarely encounter except in extremely cold regions, and the golden color filtering through the mist in the clear, cold air is truly divine. The silhouette of the sailing ship in the foreground really makes this piece stand out.
Honorable Mention: "Swim Carp Streamers" by Hoshino Ikuo. This spectacular event is said to see as many as 1,000 carp streamers swim along a wire connecting the opposite banks of the Sagami River in Sagamihara City. Perhaps before preparations, more than 50 carp streamers are tightly packed together, fluttering in the wind in a cramped space. The sight is heartwarming, like watching carp swarming around food, each eager to be the first to do so.
Other honorable mentions include Kobayashi Takehiro's "Fun Floating the Buckets," a truly joyous photograph that makes you feel as if you can hear the children's cheers.
In "On a Walk" by Aiba Tsuyoshi, who also won an Honorable Mention, the light caresses the back of a beloved dog in a forest where the leaves are about to turn red. It's like looking at a painting.
Yoshiharu Ito's "Snowy Factory Night View," which also won an honorable mention, is a fantastical piece in which pale blue polka dot snow floats among the emerald green factories illuminated by mercury lamps, created by opening the lens aperture.
In the same Honorable Mention, Shoshichi Kato's "Peach Blossom Village After the Heavy Rain" features a beautiful contrast between the vibrantly colored peach blossoms and the surging water in the monotone landscape after the rain. In adjusting the color tone, perhaps it would have been better to tone down the saturation a little more.

The jury members also feel that there is a wide variety of other winning works, many of which are outstanding, and that each time the photo contest is held, the interest in this photo contest is reflected throughout the works.

In this category, young people in their thirties who have won the highest prize in both categories are veterans. We are waiting for applications from a wide range of ages.

Kayo Aoyama: Free Announcer

After the 2019 photo contest

This year, it was more time to judge a fun and fun photo contest than ever before. Unprecedented local landscapes have also increased, seasonally, artistic, fantastic, ink, adorable, smiling, and varied. I am glad that the age range of those who applied has widened, and it was a difficult time to choose, but it was full of the real pleasure of choosing.

Traveling themes have recently become widespread, including scenic landscapes and hands-on experiences that touch local people and life. Actually, my favorite travel theme was seeing and walking around construction sites and factories. Now called infratourism, tours to see the construction site and the night view of the factory where the instagram shines are gaining in popularity. Since this photo contest is sponsored by NEXCO CENTRAL, the Expressway is naturally one of the leading roles, but in the first place this construction site is dynamic and has high design of bridges, etc. When people who work on construction every day while ensuring safety are filled with excitement, they are full of excitement. Among the works selected this time, there were some that reflected the construction site with the illusion of natural light and light of light and finished in a fantastic work, and unfortunately it was a wonderful work even though it was omitted in the selection There were many.
Another big task of the jury is to select works to be published on next year's calendar. When choosing photos for a normal calendar, it is often conscious that the styles and tones are the same, although the picture is different for each page, but next year's calendar will have a different taste every time you turn the page. There may be some pros and cons, but this was an arrangement that could only be done because of your submission. In particular, the end of the year is two shots of NEXCO CENTRAL and local characters. Actually, the person who shot this work also sent me a beautiful landscape work. By the way, which one will you leave? It expresses the philosophy of fulfilling the mission of the Expressway when the town and the region are firmly connected.
2019, major disasters occurred in various places. We sincerely thank the victims and the local community. With a desire to leave this beautiful Japanese landscape forever and finish with a smile for the coming year, we selected 7 works from a selection of masterpieces.
Next year, everyone will be happy to travel around the country and take good care of the local area, capture the wonderful moments and share the excitement with us. I am glad if the students also participate. I wish you a good year.