Challenge 2 Olivia Faye

For the second challenge, Olivia could have chosen any one of a number of animals from around the farm. In the end she went with one of her favourite subjects on the day – the micro-pigs had clearly made a big impression. Switching to her 70-300mm telephoto lens for this shot, and using a focal length of 90mm (equivalent to 135mm on a full-frame camera), allowed Olivia to maintain a reasonable distance from such a young animal – contrast this with her use of a 10-20mm lens for other (larger and more mature) subjects.

Focusing on the eyes and using the lens at its maximum aperture of f/4.5 to give a shallow depth of field has defocused the human hands slightly. Coupled with a pleasing composition, it shows that Olivia has a great eye for a photo and the technical flair to realise it.

Both participants submitted a choice of colour and mono images, and going black and white for this shot was certainly a wise choice. Human skin tones and the light brown tone of the micro-pig would have produced a mono-tonal photograph, so converting it to black and white and making this image focus on tone and texture really adds to the overall appeal.

Expert opinion

Olivia has done a great job of capturing a tender moment. The black-and-white finish is the right choice for this shot, as any colourful distractions are eliminated. The hand in the frame holding the pig not only reveals what size the animal is, but also the human connection these farmyard animals have to us. By using the long lens with a wide aperture, the background has blurred, isolating the subject perfectly.