Congratulations to Martin Duffy, who wins the ‘Pro Trio’ of Sigma lenses worth £4,150 – a Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports (worth £1,349.99); a Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art (worth £1,399.99); and a Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art (worth £1,399.99).
Each of these three lenses is a high-end model offering top performance for professional use.
To be in with a chance of winning this incredible prize, provided by Sigma Imaging UK, we asked Digital Camera readers to submit a series of three photographs covering a theme or subject of their choice.
The images needed to tell a story and show a clear beginning, middle and end. Entries could be made in colour or black and white, and were submitted via Photocrowd.
The competition was judged by Sigma Imaging UK's Paul Reynolds ARPS and the Digital Camera team.
Meet our winner, Martin Duffy
Martin is a non-photography working professional whose camera always accompanies him while travelling on business.
Over the last few years, Martin has developed a love for urban and street photography, especially the hustle and bustle of London.
In particular, he finds the disconnection between people really fascinating, despite us living in times when connecting with other people via technology has never been easier.
And that's what he aimed to capture with these three images, shot on the London Underground.
Technical challenge
Martin's images were shot on a Sony Alpha 35: 1/30 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1600; focal length 35mm (equivalent to 52mm on a full-frame camera).
"Low light was the biggest technical challenge," adds Martin. "I bumped the ISO up to 1,600 and dropped the aperture to f/5.6 for maximum light, to allow a less-than-forgiving shutter speed of 1/30 sec. The high ISO has also left the image with a gritty and grainy feel (some would call it noise!), which I think works well.
"During editing, I removed a few distractions on the walls of the station, plus some litter on the floor, in Photoshop. I used Lightroom to enhance the light levels falling on the main subjects, to draw focus to them."
Highly commended: Diana Schmies
Highly commended: Christine Matthews
The prize: three fast Sigma lenses worth £4,150
1 – Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports
Flagship large-aperture telephoto zoom that meets the needs of professionals.
Compatible with: Canon, Nikon & Sigma lens mounts. RRP: £1,349.99
2 –
The definitive fast-aperture zoom lens for any shoot.
Compatible with: Canon, Nikon & Sigma lens mounts. RRP: £1,399.99
3 – Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG HSM Art
Zero distortion – the ultimate 14-24mm wide-aperture zoom lens.
Compatible with: Canon, Nikon & Sigma lens mounts. RRP: £1,399.99
Special thanks to Sigma Imaging UK and Photocrowd.
The winning images are printed in the July 2019 issue of Digital Camera magazine. Click here to discover what else features in the issue, which is guest edited by legendary street photographer Martin Parr.
Read more:
Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2019 overall winners revealed
Giant Pot Noodle wins Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2019
