The 2019 Horse Photo Competition was held Tuesday, 28 May, 2019 with judging and results announced Sunday, 16 June, 2019. The theme was “Horses in Ville de Coeur” with special focus on technique, scenery, and message.
The judges for this event were:
- Minyah McKinney – Known for judging horse competitions and photography.
- Treacle Darlandes – Artist and New Resident assistance.
Photographers:
Unfortunately, only one artist named the photos, so the captions are defined by the website editors.
Margo
Judges Comments:
- [Photo on the beach] It looks like a lovely holiday time, who would not want to ride horses at Ville?
- Very nice pictures. Favorite: White horse near creek, head down.
- Editor comment – Despite shadows not being used, the photos captured a presence that provide a hint of life at Ville de Coeur.
Mocha Master
Judges Comments:
- A good picture, I like the light in it. The purple from the flower and the wineyard in the background.
- I very much like the technique of this beautiful photo.
- Editor comment – This photo has great use of color and although it may not have been intended, it leads one to think of the grapes in the vineyard. The shot is also taken from a unique vantage point that many have probably not seen.
Janna Whiskers
Judges Comments:
- A very good photo, I feel the connection she has with her horse.
- Editor comment – This photo has wonderful technique and truly demonstrates the bond between horse and human. Unfortunately, no landmarks are visible in the photo that would indicate where this photo was taken.
Kim Iuga
Judges Comments
- I like these, looks like a nice day out with the horses! The one in Colmar is my favorite.
- Editor comment: The photo in Colmar shows a view of the town and the country and pulls together the blend of the formality of dressage with the beautiful nature of a horse.
Taku Raymaker
Judge’s Comments
- A day out with your horse. It looks very nice, the pics are different and good! Favorite is the horse at the dock.
- Editor comment: These photos are very good and make excellent use of Windlight settings. The angle of the horse at the pond is perfect and captures the silo in the background framed by the bridge. Also perfect for this photo is that the photo was taken at a time when the trolley was not at the bridge, giving this a timeless feel.
Kris Lilliehook
Judge’s Comments
- Really showing different parts of VdC. I especially like the one where Kris is up high, looking down over the harbor.
- [The photo of the horse at the bookshop] captures the very heart of Ville and its history of horses.
- Editor comment: The bookstore photo has several elements that together make it a winner. The bookstore is an important part of Ville de Coeur. As many of them vanish, the feel of this one is much like the classic bookstores. This entire idea of history is the heart of Ville the Coeur. The stable located in the distance near the clock is one of the original elements of the sim from more than 11 years ago. The flags were created by Eriko Leo, who was also responsible for creating the first photo competition.
Jonny Daze
Judge’s Comments
- Both action filled and relaxing pics of Jonny and his horse, very nice. I would like to give a special mention to the picture taken in front of the wineyard. I like the VdC view on that one!
- Editor comment: Both photos shown here were taken in rarely photographed locations. The photo at the vineyard is taken from the horse path in Franché-Comte towards Vieux Colmar. The photo at the beach is the Normandie beach that is along the horse path. This is a lovely spot for romance and relaxing by a fire.
Lucas von Broich
Judge’s Comments
- I really like the historical view on VdC on these pics! The pick of Lucas and his horse walking through a gate at the Hospice is a favorite.
- Editor comment – This is great incentive for planning a photo competition revolving around the historical aspect of Ville de Coeur. For that, we will set up the medieval grandstands. Much of Bourgogne is based on the original medieval village in Bourgogne including the church and buildings around the town center. The Hospice is also medieval. Aquitaine is also medieval. Nice work to show that Ville de Coeur is timeless!
Claudia Bernheim
Judge’s Comments
- Really nice pictures from the VdC countryside. I especially like the one on the bridge, the horse, the background. Very good!
- Editor comment: This photo could almost have been a painting. It gives the feel of the horse and rider in timeless countryside. The area is the campground on the east side of Vieux Colmar. Another photo by Claudia is also enchanting with her standing with her horse in a pond. It is perhaps too revealing for some, but is lovely and artistically done.
Maryse Teichmann
Judge’s Comments
- Looks like Maryse had a very good day out with her horse, ending the day with a last cuddle at the well. The last picture looks relaxing and it’s my favorite of hers.
- Editor comment – The scene on the hill in Azur at sunrise actually captures both sunrise and moonshine. The shadow cast on the ground below the horse is from the moon.
Melanie
Judge’s Comments
- The one with the toy horse made me smile. The other one is a favorite of mine. I like the mystics about it!
- Editor comment: The dark photo begs for an explanation of what the woman was doing, why is she masked, and why she is leaving the village at night? The editing techniques applied are ingenious and have inspired us to encourage that a story be written that brings this photo to life. We will likely have a photo competition coming later this year that will be all about illustrated stories!
Knitted Bit
Judges Comments
- I like these! Technically very nice and they show places of VdC I haven’t seen before (even though I have been riding here alot!) My favorite among these is the Enchanted one, it’s beautiful.
- Editor comment: These photos show not only the beauty of Ville de Coeur with various lighting, but also unique locations. Knitted Bit brings life to the sim with these photos!
Lena Carina Nowikow
Judge’s Comments
- These show the thing I like the most with the horses and VdC, the fun you can have with friends!
- This looks like a lovely day out for both horses and riders around the distinctive landscape at Ville.
- Editor comment: Ville de Coeur has various groups that do activities together. Although the primary language in the sim is English, you will also find groups that speak French and German.
Margot Lumone
Judge’s Comments
- Very good pictures from VdC. The one in the water is good, it looks so nice
- Editor comment – The first photo shows the north side of Normandie where the path enters the water adjacent to the sea. The second is on the northwest mountainside in Azur. The stunning outfit that Margot is wearing inspires another potential theme for a photo competition!
Beate Gesink
Judge’s Comments
- I like these pics very much. The one in the sunset is lovely!
- A lovely atmospheric view of Ville and it looks like a lovely exploration journey for both horse and rider both in harmony with each other.
- Editor comment: The photo with the sunrise uses Windlight in such a way that the fishing village looks incredibly realistic. Beate has used draw distance to show even the Aquitaine village behind the shores of Azur! The second photo uses a completely different Windlight setting to give a rich contrast of saturated colors in an astounding way.
Photo Competition Winners
The winners of the photo competition:
Ville de Coeur 
I am still in awe- so much thought and love went into these pictures and I thank all the participants!
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