Black & White - Low Tonal Contrast

Such a simple image, but one which I find quite captivating. Minimal and mundane to the extreme, the low tonal range suits the shot. There is just enough detail to express depth - the slight shadow of the ladder on the wall, and the faint reflection in the lower part of the shot. The square crop emphasises the minimalistic feel, with the soft texture doing just enough to avoid the shot looking too harsh or stark. Great minimalist work, well done.

I really like the lightness and movement you have portrayed in this composite image, and we get a real sense of the dancer pirouetting gracefully across the frame. Super choice of subject for this contest theme, as the low tonal contrast accentuates the lightness and flow. Lighting and exposure has been well managed, as we can see enough detail in the hair and fabric of the dress across each part of the composite to help convey the movement. Beautiful image, congratulations on your win.

A wonderfully strong and characterful portrait image. The decision to use a low key and low tonal contrast works really well. Sometimes people tend to opt for a more gritty and grungy look for black and white portraits, especially for male subjects, but despite the darkness, the gentler tones make this image stand out for me. Lovely catch lights in the dark eyes bring the portrait to life. Engaging and captivating, technically spot with focus, composition and framing etc. Well done on your second place finish.

This is a beautiful, natural portrait, capturing something way beyond a family snapshot of a young child. The low tonal contrast required to meet the brief for this contest suits the subject really well, giving a soft delicacy to the portrait. Lighting is is lovely, with no harsh shadows or highlights. Being critical, I am not keen on the effect you have added to the hair, which in my view is unnecessary in such a natural portrait and risks spoiling the shot. In all other aspects though this image shows great strength , so despite the rather dubious paint effects, I still felt it deserved a place in the top ten. Well done.

Multiple exposure images can sometimes tend to be a bit hit and miss, but for me this is a hit. The low tonal contrast in black and white suits the subject, as if contrast were much greater the lightness and delicacy of the flowers would have been overpowered The square crop adds to the simplicity of the shot too. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

Great abstract image of this minimalist winter snowscene. Composition and framing works really well, having the horizon on the lower third line and the snowy sky taking up a fair proportion of the image. I don't know if the falling snow has been added digitally or is there as shot, but whichever, it looks natural and adds to the chilly feel. The simple fence is obviously key to the shot, providing a focal point and adding a sense of scale. Your subject choice for this contest is great, as I cannot actually imagine this image working any better than in this black and white low tonal contrast. Well done on your top ten placing.

I love this image of a brooding Cumbrian fell. The low tonal contrast suits the scene really well, and adds to the mood of the shot. The use of a long lens brings us close in to the hill side, and accentuates the harsh desolation of some of these fells. Even with the relatively low tonal contrast, you have still managed to pick out the lovely light falling onto the hillside. A simple, but dramatic landscape image, well done.

This is a great image. Whilst instanlty recognisible for what it is, there is an abstract quality to the shot too. The low tonal contrast used has worked well with your subject, as we can see a lot of shape and detail in these creatures, despite each being quite small in the frame. Everything looks sharp across the scend, and your composition works well too with the mass of beasts heading across the frame on a diagonal - not an easy thing I imagine, when viewing such a natural spectacle. Great image, well done on your top ten finish.

This image has been entered into many contests previously, and I have judged it before too, but in this contest it is a stand-out image of a grand architectural interior. Viewpoint and perspectives are spot-on, allowing the viewer to imagine they are in this Great Hall and viewing the grandeur for themselves. The low contrast works well, as we can see great details but you have avoided making the shot look flat and lifeless. Great architectural image, technically superb, congratulations on your top three finish.