The five winners in Canon’s Photo5 competition has been revealed. From 8,467 participants of enthusiastic digital SLR photographers, the winning images expose a variety of creative journeys and inspiration from mysterious settings and private moments to beautiful silhouettes and colourful displays of action. View the photo gallery and corresponding brief.

This year participants received a box with four objects (which had to be shot using a particular photographic technique) as well as a fifth ‘open brief’ that allowed those who had missed out on receiving an official Canon Photo5 box to still participate.

The Photo5 judges, comprising professional and highly-respected photographers, found selecting the 50 finalists (10 per category) extremely difficult thanks to the high caliber of entries. Every winner receives an Canon EOS 5D Mark2 SLR camera kit and a trip to Queensland, hosted by Chris Bray. Our personal favs out of the winners are the ones using the objects Splat and Spectacles.

Winning photos

Brief #1 Object: Splat (powdered paint)
Photographic Challenge: Capturing Action
Participants have been supplied with powdered paint for this brief. Their image needs to capture liquid in action and not the aftermath. If it’s still dripping, flying through the air or splashing, it qualifies.

Winner Erin Johnson (AU): It came from above
“After experimenting with all sorts of mediums (pasta sauce, yogurt, shampoo,& sourcream) I discovered that corn flour, water and food dye created the best form of torture for a pesky little brother.”

Brief #2 Object: Hundreds & Thousands
Photographic Challenge: Close Up
This small candy brief is all about participants getting their lens close to the object.

Winner Sam Hobson (NZ):
“With a lack of a macro lens I used the reverse lens technique with the 50mm 1.8 to take this image. Fairly difficult with a very narrow DOF! Live view certainly had its place here.”

Brief #3 Object: Bokeh hood
Photographic Challenge: Experimenting with Bokeh
“Bokeh is a lesser known experiment that has been around since photography first began. Participants must choose and attach one of the supplied Bokeh hoods to the front of their lens to create their image.”

Winner Ross Calia (AU): Beach Boy
“I was more drawn to using this effect in daylight, so I shot this in late afternoon sun/clear sky so bokeh hood would react to highlights on water. Exposing for the highlights created the silhouette.”

Brief #4 Object: Spectacles
Photographic Challenge: Portraiture
“This is a portraiture brief where participants must feature the supplied black spectacles. Other than that it’s open to their interpretation.”

Winner Kylie Clark: The reverse object
“I wanted to take of portrait of a portrait – look the other way. Just my little twist – thinking outside the box!”

Brief #5 Object: Practically black (Open brief – no object)
Photographic Challenge: Low Light
Practically black is the open brief and is all about shooting in dark situations while still maintaining details in the image.

Winner Eerie Morn:
“I found this shed on a back road in Taumarunui while out photographing in the early morning fog.”

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