Chimneys

Just a quick comment on the judging overall. There were a lot of entries of cooling towers and other structures that may not technically be chimneys. However, as I had not clearly excluded these from the contest, and so many regard them as chimneys, any structure that looks like a chimney, that many would think of as a chimney, has been included in my judging. I know that not everyone will agree with this, but that is the decision I felt needed to be made.

On to the winning image: This is a wonderfully atmospheric shot, with the haze of the smoke from the chimney casting the figures in silhouette, becoming progressively hazy the further into the shot. With all the billowing smoke, we can almost imagine the heady scent of the jasmine smoke. I love the central composition of the chimney, looming out of the smokey haze. Congratulations on your winning image.

This image was in and out of my top ten a few times, but in the end I felt it deserved to be placed. Especially effective through the simple composition and framing, ensuring we are close enough in to the building to admire these attractive chimneys without distraction. Shooting against a clear blue sky adds to the shot, emphasising the clean lines of the structures and contrasting with the warm brown and yellow tones of the decorative details. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

This detail shot of a miltitude of rooftop chimney pots takes on an almost abstract feel, with the layers of rows of the cylinders receeding into the background. I love all the little details, from the pigeon to the TV aerials and the bright yellow lichen. I cannot know from where you captured this shot, but it looks to be a great vantage point to get an interesting perspective on the urban landscape. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A lovely close-in shot of a selection of chimney pots. Shot with a long lens and wide aperture has nicely compressed the perspective and rendered the more distant urban landscape softly out of focus, to draw all attention to the foreground subjects. I especially love the tones and hues in the shot, subtly blending from greys and creams to warmer terracotta. Super detail composition, well done on your top ten placing.

A strangely beautiful image, demonstrating how the creative use of the light can turn the most mundane and potentially ugly industrial landscape into something way more attractive than the scene may indicate if viewed in other conditions at a different time of the day. By shooting in the blue light, we get some lovely colour contrasts between the soft purply hues of the sky and the smoke/steam, against the warm golden twinkles of the numerous artificial lights. The angle of view allows the chimneys and cooling towers to be picked out against the plain backdrop of the sky. Looking to be shot with a long exposure, we get a good sense of movement in the light trails and the vapour. An image that becomes more interesting the more I look. Congratulations on your third place finish.

Shot in the calm of dawn, even the a rather brutal indistrial landscape can become a thing of beauty, aided by the stunning colours of the light and the reflections on the water provided by nature. Composition is great, with the line of chimneys, smoke and buildings leading the eye into the frame to the golden sun as it peeps over the horizon. Exposure and colours have been really well handled to give us a scene of peace and calm, despite the industrial subject. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

A striking composition, clean and precise, making the most of the structure with the four stark white chimneys rising perfectly vertically into the moody grey sky. Lighting is good to capture the scene, and exposure has been well handled to balance the brighter whites and the darker greys. Well done on your top ten placing.

A striking image, all the more so because of its simplicity. This image is all about the creative use of light and the angular shapes, highlighted against the dark sky. The image works really well in black and white, which enables it to take on more of an abstract feel that is more artistic than a straightforward shot documenting architecture. Congratulations on your second place finish.

A fantastic black and white shot of an old abandoned industrial site. Composition is great, framing the tall chimney with the entranceway, with the line of the pathway drawing the eye right through the frame to the background. I must admit to a certain sentimentality over this location, as I have spent many a time exploring this abandoned site, but sadly circumstances of the past few years have prevented my usual travels to the Nerja area. I love the monochrome work, with bold tones and contrasts. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

There were unsurprisingly a number of entries of these iconic Gaudi chimneys, but on this occassion this one was my favourite. I love the light, giving the impression of a touch of sunlight on a stormy day. I like the close-in crop, which slightly removes context and allows us to focus on the details of these strange abstract forms. Well done on your top ten placing.