Black and white photography

This is a lovely still life, which has been wonderfully shot and processed, creating an image which is both pleasing and intriguing. The shallow depth of field falling off around the edges of the bottle combined with the subtle tonal range are really appealing, and the lines of the shells within make it almost reminiscent of a medical illustration of a brain. Full marks for both the idea and the execution which has transformed something mundane into something rather beautiful.

I do love the quirkiness of this image, the photographer has done a great job to spot the potential of the location and it makes for a fine graphic shot. The way the shadowy figures fall off from the solid blacks of the soles of the shoes is lovely, and I like the use of the diagonals within the frame. Its a shame the intersection of these is a little messy as it does draw the eye and almost becomes the focal point, I wonder if closing in on a different area to exclude this may been a better option, but regardless it's still a great shot.

This was a standout shot the moment I saw it. For me it encapsulates all that I love about black and white photography, the use of light and shadow is nothing short of masterly. Shooting directly into the low sun is technically very difficult, but the photographer has managed to create a spectacular sunburst, and used the inevitable flare as a key component of the image rather than let it ruin the shot. The silhouette of the boy is perfectly placed in the mist, and really conveys the joy of the moment. With so many extra little details to enjoy once you look further this is an image that has impact and depth.

This is a perfect example of "less is more". The composition is simplicity in the extreme, but the positioning and pose of the boy tells the whole story. The temptation may have been to move him up or down within the crop onto one of the thirds, but being central works so much better for me as it gives the impression that he has both jumped from a great height, and still has a long way to go before arrowing into the water. The use of a high ISO has added a grainy look to the image which suits the subject and adds to the timeless quality. My only gripe would be the hint of shoreline in the top left which is somewhat distracting. I think the just visible ripples on the water add enough context to set the scene so I think the image would be even more powerful with that cropped out. A fine shot nonetheless.

The use of black and white has has really put the emphasis onto the key elements of the foreground textures in this shot. The strong vertical lines contrast wonderfully with the row of round pebbles leading into the mid ground, the central placement of these really drag the eye right into the image. There is also a little ghosting where the rocks meet the water, and where the cliffs meet the sky which is quite noticeable and could easily be fixed in post. Although the slow shutter speed works really well on the water, I think the sky suffers a little as a result, being neither crisp nor smooth. It may have been worthwhile taking two exposures and blending them to get the best of both worlds. Failing that an 8x10 crop to lose some of the sky at the top would add even more impact to that wonderful foreground and for me would improve further on what is already a great image.

Anybody who enjoys photography can't fail to have seen countless breathtaking images of Iceland, so much so that you can almost become immune to them, but the use of black and white for this landscape really sets it apart for me. The scenery is obviously spectacular, but it's the drama of the foreground that captivates me in this shot. the subtle curves of the shadows on the sand, coupled with the stark contrasts of the grasses in the bottom right are superb. It's easy to take a nice photograph in beautiful surroundings, but the thought and execution of the composition, light and processing lifts this onto a higher level.

I love an image with atmosphere, and this one is positively oozing with it. The conditions are perfect, the mist highlighting the lone figure and adding depth to the image as the detail drops off into the distance. Anybody who has stood on a lonely station platform on a cold winters night will empathise with that slightly uneasy feeling that this picture conveys, and it's the cheerful couple on the vending machine that really make it for me, providing a jarring conflict with the surroundings. I think the image would benefit from an 8x10 or even a 1x1 crop, losing the left hand side which I feel would add even more impact and give more prominence to the key components, but I love this shot regardless.

Choosing black and white for this shot was a masterstroke. The solid black background makes for a brilliant graphic image, and the overall processing is superb. The shapes of the giraffes make for a pleasing composition, with the negative space between them as important as the giraffes themselves. The texture of their markings adds to the graphic feel, and I really like the way the highlights on their necks and manes lift them from the background. Excellent work all round.

Quite simply this shot stood out from the crowd as I've never really seen anything else quite like it. I have seen lots of drone photography, and more often than not it relies on the unusual viewpoint and very little else, but in this case there is much more to it than that. The processing and subject matter transform it from a pretty pastoral scene into something quite sinister. The way the trees are closing in on the church are very claustrophobic, and the low key feel to the image enhances this further, some great attention to detail has perfectly framed the building within the shadow to create a darkly cinematic image.

Dandelion seedheads undoubtedly make great subjects, and are very well suited to black and white, this is apparent as there were several entered into the competition. Contrary to what might be imagined though they are actually quite difficult to shoot really well. This image almost hits the mark but not quite. The large aperture of f/3.2 meant that focus was critical, but the problem lies in where to actually focus. The sharp area is primarily in the bottom left hand corner on this shot, yet the composition encourages you to look at the central area which is slightly blurred. The photographer could have either concentrated on getting the central area sharp and letting the edges fall off softly as they do in the top right hand corner which looks great, or utilised focus stacking to ensure a much greater plane of focus throughout.

I very much like images like this, packed with mood and drama, so this very nearly made it into my top ten. It reminded me of the work of one of my favourite photographers, Gregory Crewdson, with a very sombre melancholy to it. The figure standing just on the road rather than on the safety of the verge raises questions as to what the narrative in the shot could be. Having said that I felt it doesn't quite reach its potential. Maybe its the distracting fence at the left hand side, or the flare of the headlights on the approaching vehicle that are just too burnt out and draw too much attention, but it left me feeling that the image could have been even better. A great shot nonetheless.

Whilst there were a great many excellent black and white shots entered into the competition, I picked this one out as a good example to illustrate what quite a few others seemed to do. Which was to take what really ought to be a colour image and convert it to black and white without seemingly giving much consideration as to why. This is a well executed shot, the composition is good and technically it is very well done. But it begs the question why is it in black and white? The lack of colour adds nothing to the image, only detracts from it. When thinking about converting an existing shot to black and white, one of the first considerations should be what will it add to the image, and if the answer is nothing, then maybe it's best to leave it in colour?

The opening line of the brief was "There's only one rule in this challenge: make it a black and white!" The first rule of entering competitions, is read the rules! Unfortunately this shot isn't quite black and white, which was a shame as its actually a great shot that is perfectly suited to black and white with its strong silhouettes and graphic shapes, and the the colour of the sky at the top really doesn't add anything extra to the image. The photographer states they desaturated the image so it may well be that their monitor is incorrectly calibrated and it appeared to be mono to them. If so then it's time to calibrate the monitor, if not then always read the rules!