Ageing: the bigger picture

This dark and moody image, with the theatrical nature of the lighting and the slightly sinister way the subjects are interacting with the camera gives the image its impact. On a technical note the lighting from above and to the back right of the subjects adds to the drama and the mystery. It is a fascinating story and starts the conversation about the context and the relationships. A really 'out there' image, and one that is strong enough to make the top four.

In this extraordinary image the photographer has caught a moment that makes us see in such graphic terms the moments in time of the human condition. The treatment of the high contrast and block framing of the dark pillars brings to our attention the contrast in the physicality of the subjects, and is almost a metaphor for the passage of time – the young boy is striding towards the future, whilst the labouring head-drop of the old man tells its own story.

Our winning picture from the series 'Eyes as big as plates' is a collaboration between Karoline Hjorth and Riitta Ikonen, and this is their subject, Agnes. The image is both playful with understated intelligence, and at the same time it feels soulful and indicates an inner strength. Agnes made her first parachute jump at 85. Her second jump was a birthday present when she turned 90. Her inner joy and willingness to be unselfconscious had a unanimous appeal with the judges, and we were very happy to present this as the winner of the expert's vote.

This heartwarming and genuine capture could have come directly from Walker Evans' series for the Farm Security agency in 1935 – the treatment , the background and the characters all look as though they're from that period. However, this image entitled 'Eternal love' is both then and now, in fact it's timeless. It is a moment of comfort, but is also slightly awkward as this sort of public display is not the done thing! The perfection of the contrast and greyscale gives this one a good shout in any contest.

Deep in the hills around Athens is the setting for this gorgeous environmental portrait of the photographer's mother. The red coat standing out so perfectly against the soft green background gives the feel that this has come from a fashion shoot. Her expression and the way she stands supports the relaxed nature of the encounter. Centered in the frame with the mists and the drop focus pushing the subject forward, we are fully engaged. This image left a warm feeling with the judges and we were happy to add it to our top ten.

At first sight this seemingly is a pretty straight portrait, elegant and aesthetically pleasing. However, it hides a bigger story about the life of the subject: in older age it is not expected that we will be driven from our home, our area, even our country, as this woman has been. The photographer has created a trusting relationship with the subject, which has allowed the dignity of the sitter to stand out in this frame, and allows the experiences of the woman from the village of Bama to be explored.

All the judges found this particular image to be very strong. The title gives it all away – 'Grandma is my heroine'. You can tell that the photographer's grandmother enjoys these sessions and you can see the fun reflected in the picture. The subject and construction of the image, with the smudged makeup mask and the the veined arms as epaulettes really appealed to us. This take on a superhero and the empowerment of the subject with this particular treatment works well, and that is why it is in our top three.

The judges very much like the quiet strength of this image. In a documentary form, this picture is telling a story about these men: their activity, their vitality and their routines. We like the simplicity of the composition and the way the elements play off each other against that misty background on a cold winter's morning in Kolkata. It could be a scene from any park, anywhere in the world and on any morning, but here it is captured beautifully.

A very human but uncomfortable image shows the moment where the last rights are given to the photographer's mother. It’s a very personal and touching image and one which we see after the blessing. The photographer says that after this visit her Mum no longer had to fight for life. It is a shot with empathy and is beautifully composed, which given the circumstances is an extraordinary feat. This is an example of how a frozen moment can have such impact and meaning on the viewer.

This intriguing picture with its strong sense of composition has us confused. We'd love to know if this has accidentally been flipped or is intentionally flipped as that word "LOOK" (which on closer inspection you can see below the hat) is reversed out. It may be that this works better with our candidate looking in from the left-hand side, but now we're aware of this flipping issue it has become distracting. There's also a desire to increase the tonal range to include more whites and blacks, but that is a personal preference from one of the judges!

In this picture the subject engages well with the lens, and the context is well described: his cricket jumper, the poppies on the blazers of the other guests – all the surroundings let you know you're in a home for elderly people. Even in this one picture, we get the full story. However, when going for an image like this we have to be careful as photographers to make sure that subject matter is sharp. We can see from the data that there is a very slow shutter speed: 1/13th of a second means we have some camera shake, and in these instances with low light conditions it is better to push the ISO up to 800 or 1600 so that the shutter speed can be within a range to freeze the subject matter. There's a lot to be said for this picture, but unfortunately it's let down by the technical delivery.

This colourful and well-lit image of an elderly woman from Peru, breaking a stick across her knee for the fire is a real example of all the realities of growing old, even though in this instance the woman cannot claim state benefits as her husband is one of the 'missing' – the tragic consequence of political problems in the 1980s which still has many repercussions today. Although this a strong story and a good composition, the look and angle of her face take something away from the impact of the image. From our perspective, a little more air around the subject would have improved the feel of the picture, and a softening of the flash shadow would have given us more definition. All the same, a good attempt.

This image has a lot going for it, and we love the full-length composition. But as we are a website that likes to give friendly advice we're going to suggest that this picture would work better if our character had been isolated from the background, perhaps even looking directly into the lens to give a sense of engagement, and then given treatments where we have full blacks and whites in the picture. The last slightly annoying aspect is the white cropping line along the left-hand border. We're sure it is not intentional therefore it shouldn’t be there. Otherwise, this is a friendly and positive image.

The photographer has produced a very sympathetic and nicely composed image of this woman. Even the de-saturation works well, but we think the obvious intervention which is crudely delivered on the left hand side of the picture spoils it. If we are going to use these filters it must be done in a way that is sympathetic and does not affect your overall vision of the picture, which unfortunately we cannot see beyond now. A redo of the treatment is worth it as this is nice shot