Close Neighbours: High Density Housing

This image was a late entry to my top ten, but one I like more the longer I look. What I especially like is the tones and quality of the light, which really bring the image to life and a pleasure to view. I love the colour contrast between the bold blue domes and the soft blues of the shadow areas, contrasting with the warmer peach and yellow hues, and the brighter tones where the sunlight shines on the whitewashed walls. Being picky I may have been tempted to cut out the sky completely for a frame-filling shot, as being such a small area on the edge of the frame can be a little distracting, but I can see that to crop out the sky now would cut into the large dome near the top left, so the small patch of sky is maybe best left in post-capture. A great image, well done on your top ten placing.

This was a challenging contest to judge with so many great entries, but this is my eventual worthy winner, with so much for the eye to explore. I am sure at street level there is some order, but seen from above the buildings look to be a chaotic jumble, and I love the effect this shows. The soft beige and pastel colours bring harmony across the frame and does not force the eye to any distraction. There is no obvious focal point, but in an image such as this that does not matter, as in many cases the purpose of the shot is to show the apparant jumble and disorder of the whole, rather than documenting just one building. Congratulations on your winning image.

Whilst full of multiple colours, the softness of those colours means the eye is not distracted, and instead can linger and explore the scene. Captured with a long lens has somewhat flattened the perspective, which adds a touch of abstract to the composition, and also accentuates the sense of densly packed dwellings spreading up the hillside. I like that there is no obvious focal point, instead the viewer can wander their eye around the scene to enjoy all the details on display in the range of buildings contained in the composition. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A refreshing change to see a different perspective on beautiful Venice, making it clear there is more to the city than just canals! Looking to be captured in the low sun near the beginning or end of the day, the light is gorgeous and casts a lovely golden glow on the terracotta rooftops. I like that we get a good overview of the city below, but are still close enough in to be able to pick out all the individual properties. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I am a great fan of images that have the subject filling the frame, and here is a great example of that. Although the subject is obvious, the image takes on abstract feel too, so works visually on different levels. The verticals look to have been carefully aligned but do not look forced, and we have just the right amount of the building included to be able to see the details, but also get a sense of the wider context. The soft colours with the little pops of yellow work really well too. Congratulations on your second place finish.