Closed

The 1986 Chernobyl accident in the former Soviet Union was the worst nuclear power disaster in history. Controversially it left many photographic opportunities for those brave enough to enter the most affected city of Pripyat. I like the way you’ve used the colour-faded bumper cars to lead us through the abandoned funfair attraction terminated at the moment of evacuation. Your winning photo is a poignant reminder of what happens when the fun stops and everything is closed

This is a powerful piece of documentary photography which would be great viewed as large as possible. I take my hat off to photographers who set themselves formidable tasks and go out to accomplish personal challenges. The idea of making a visual record of closed notices on the first day of lockdown in 2020 was well-conceived. Your resulting montage serves as a noticeable reminder that we should never again allow a pandemic to spread so widely as to force our fragile world to close.

This is a cleverly-conceived, subtlety lit photograph with the black background enhancing the shape of the upturned feet of a man who is presumably dead. I say presumably because I can’t be sure if this is a real scenario or one that has been expertly staged by you. The hand-written label is so convincing that I’m ready to believe that you were given special permission to enter a pathology lab to take your photo. Whether staged or not your interpretation of closure is so unique that it deserves to be in the top ten.

What first drew me to your photo of the seaside ice cream and coffee van was the same colour pallet running throughout your composition. There is something oddly smug about the giant ‘Closed’ shutter lettering being underlined with a fine filigree flourish - it’s as if the owner takes great pleasure at people’s disappointment in finding that the mobile unit is closed. The tiny red detail of the clamped wheel reaffirms that the white van is staying put and will not be open for business. Well spotted.

Changing the ‘OPEN’ neon sign to ‘NOPE’ with the juxtaposition of a single letter for an alternate version of closed is simply brilliant. I don’t think I need to say anything more except that I bet you’re good at solving cryptic crossword clues.

This photo brings to mind John Gray’s book ‘Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus’. Using a book to hide a lady’s facial expression is a metaphor for the perplexities males face trying to understand the female psyche. You’ve certainly taken a leaf from ‘the practical guide to improving communications’ with your clever visual representation that is a closed book to one half of the world’s population.

With your beautiful minimalist photo you’ve made good use of the available light in the deserted market hall stripped of everything but the basics. Your cropped panorama works because you’ve made sure the parallel shutter lines were made straight during your post production. This scene is one not many would have stayed to photograph especially after the disappointment of arriving to find everything closed. Your resilience in the face of adversity has paid off.