One against three On the phone

Whether it’s the north coast or the Namib Desert, these three readers always have their smartphones at the ready in case they come across a snap-worthy scene.

She was busy playing with her new smartphone’s camera when Aneke Kruger from Bloemfontein took this month’s winning photo.

“Our family went on holiday to Mtunzini and went down to the beach one day. Because I’m not a big fan of swimming, I stayed on the beach while the others played in the waves. My sister, Zanalee Wolmarans (far left on the photo) didn’t want to get wet, but my boyfriend, Jade Hastings, nevertheless tried to splash water on her. My mom, Adéle van der Merwe, is the one with the white headband and my aunt, Zelda Meyer, is at the back.

I set my camera to black and white to create a more dramatic photo and I captured quite a few frames. This is one of my favourites.”

A good photo is one that makes you do a double, triple take. Aneke’s photo has two layers that work together: good composition and the energy between the people.

The composition is complex, but it works really well. It consists of two strong elements: the placement of the people and the rest of the surroundings.

The sea and horizon draw a wide line through the middle of the photo. A composition element in the middle like this can be monotonous, but this is where the beach and the sky work together. The coastline is the balancing point between the dark beach and the detailed air, both of which are the same size in the photo.

You see the human figures first and your eyes are automatically drawn to the bigger one (because it’s closer to the camera). Zanalee is looking at the other people in the photo and your eye follows her to see what she’s looking at. You experience the energy between the people and you can almost feel Jade splashing that cold water.

The three women in the group also balance the shape of Jade’s figure. With Zanalee taking a step forward, over into the other composition element, it connects the two levels. You could zoom in if you wanted to get rid of the negative space without the photo falling flat. The people’s facial expressions and body movements already tell you enough about the moment and you can’t help but smile and picture yourself in that moment.