Bryan Minear’s Challenge - Winner

There could only be one winner and Bryan chose this beautiful early morning image by Carl Kalamon

“This is Franklin Canyon Reservoir, which sits south of my home and north of Beverly Hills. I always thought it was sort of a diamond in the rough spot and wanted to revisit early enough to catch the first light. I arrived an hour before sunrise,” Carl told us about his prize-winning image.

“My viewpoint was a concrete dam with a slight grade, which made for a convenient place to sit, enjoy a coffee, and wait for the sun to come up. I used an XF23mm lens because I thought anything wider would have minimized the water and crowded the frame too much with the greenery. I like how the height of the trees varies from one side of the frame to the other and how that line follows the flow of the darker grass in the foreground; I don’t think I would have captured that with a longer lens.

“I find photographing landscapes a technical and artistic challenge – a good challenge,” Carl admitted. “It’s hard for me to make an image that I personally really enjoy and want to step into. I love viewing landscapes. There are so many talented photographers who create them and I have a great appreciation for the work they put in and the skills they’ve refined.”

Explaining why Carl’s image won, Bryan said: “There were so many incredible images submitted by amazing photographers, but I was immediately drawn to this photograph. One of the things that I talked about in my video was trying to find and capture a unique atmosphere, something that transforms a relatively ordinary scene into something extraordinary. I feel that the depth created by the low hanging fog and the way Carl has accentuated the light is absolutely stunning, and draws my eye deep within the frame. Almost like a half remembered dream that you wake up desperate to return to.”

Winning photographer

Carl Kalamon

“It’s an honor to be selected. To me, it means images I’m making have impact and are being enjoyed. Winning the X-T4 and XF16-80mm means I can extend my creative capabilities – it has upgraded features compared to my X-Pro2 which will give me more control and options across my workflow.”