Architectural Details

The rich red is an obvious initial draw to this image, but once the attention had been captured by the deep red, strangely it is the non-red parts which provide the interest. Although relatively small in the frame, the carved detail on the newel post is the clear subject of the shot, and it has been well positioned within the composition. The snaking white handrail and tiled area at the bottom of the staircase break up the block of colour, which could otherwise risk overwhelming the image slightly. I would have maybe been tempted to tone down the saturation of the red a little, as it dos look a little unreal, but still a well seen and well captured image. Well done on your top ten placing.

There is a lovely clarity about this image, the details are sharp yet at the same time seem to display a gentle softness. Any dark shadow areas have been avoided, which allows the details and patterns to be visible throughout the shot. The colour contrasts between the yellow and grey stone have been nicely controlled, as it would have been easy to push the saturation a little too far which could have resulted in a garish shot. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

This abstract image of what looks to be the details on the facade of a building is full of impact. The key strength for me is the super monochrome work, with a great range of tones from black through to white, and strong contrasts, which allow the shapes protruding from the surface to stand out. Sharp focus with plenty of micro-details within the image for the eye to explore. Great abstract architectural detail shot, well done on your top ten placing.

The clever use of lighting drew me initially to this image, and it gradually rose through my awarded images to reach the top three. I like how the light falls on the stone face, and the inclusion of the entire shadow behind the head makes the shot feel more complete. Composition is strong, and for me the slightly quirky angle works well, as it gives prominence to the face, and also allows the wording above the doorway to be seen, enabling the viewer to understand a little of the setting. Sharp focus on the detail and textures where needed. Great image, congratulations on your third place finish.

One of the strengths of this image is the crisp focusing, which has revealed lots of detail in this magnificent door. Well considered composition, with the image roughly split one third:two thirds. I think I would have preferred the image without the yellow double frame, but that is just my personal taste and it does not take anything away from the image. Great capture of the rich colours and the nature of the metal surfaces, showing some element of shine without any harsh highlights. Lovely image of the details, invites the viewer to wonder what magnificence may also lie inside the doors. Well done on your top ten finish.

A keen photographic eye has realised the potential here for a great shot. It can be difficult when surrouded by a large and impressive monument not to become overwhelmed and indecisive about where the best image can be found. Instead of trying to show the whole, you have cleverly captured just a detail of one small part, which still manages to convey a real sense of the place. Great lighting revealing textures and form of the carved stone. Congratulations on your second place finish.

Firstly a comment on the entries overall: There were a good number of entries of a high standard which showed wider views of building interiors or exteriors, which had more distant views of architectural details present on the structure, rather than being a photograph of the actual detail itself. For this contest I did not include those entries in the awarded images, as the brief asked for images to focus on the detail, not a wider view which happened to have some details somewhere within it.

On to the winning image: This image is spot on brief, as instead of showing an entire section of a building, maybe with several columns, we are instead treated to a detailed view of just one key part of one column, which is what this contest was about. The head-on, central composition has worked very well with this subject, as it allows the symmetry of the sculptural details to be a strong feature of the shot, and gives a solid feel to the image, in keeping with the subject. The focusing on the carved stonework is sharp, and I especially like the combined effect of the lighting and processing effect, which gives a lovely feel to the shot. There is a good tonal range, but the image has avoided being overly contrasty, and we can see into all the shadow areas to the detail there too. The conversion to monochrome has been very well handled. Super shot, congratulations on your winning image.

There were a number of images in this contest showing the spectacular work of Gaudi, but this was one of only a few which actually focused alone on a detail of his architecture. Lovely lighting with nice tones and contrasts, with good composition, virtually filling the frame with these odd and slightly other-worldly chimneys. Great capture of the details, and your post-processing has been well executed, giving the shot a lovely feel. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.