Coffee and Cafe Culture
Allan Copson

Coffee and Cafe Culture

September 2022

A really simple but elegant portrait in an ahwa that says much about the timeless quality of both the machinery and the barista. I like the muted colours and I like the graceful position of the man. I like that he's looking off centre and away from camera in a very natural way. Beautiful and nicely exposed.

Well, it's an arresting image: not necessarily a winner but it did make me stop. I like the spontaneity and the humour - and I get that it was a 'grab' but for it to work as a photograph it has to tell me something not only about the moment but also the context (ie the cafe and for this competition, the 'life' inside). All that said, well done for capturing a great expression!

There's almost a picture here and it's crying out to be taken. Such an iconic location deserves a bit of thought and patience. There IS balance on either side of the frame - the girl looking into the street and the businessman walking on the right but there's no 'moment' to bind these things together in the middle. Good photography is often about patience and although you've spotted a situation you needed to let it develop. Good try though.

This is a decent idea. I like the composition and I like the use of reflections - I also like that you've used a 50mm lens to keep the scene compact. However, either we are unobtrusive and photograph subjects naturally or we speak to them and gain their confidence. You seem to have solicited an angry reaction here which spoils a good idea. Never mind, a decent effort.

There's a good idea here waiting to be exploited. I love the shape of the mirror and I love the fact that you've used it as part of the structure of the image. There's also a nice moment here where the subject is engaged with her cup - but did I really need to see you in the frame? Unless that was the idea, a shift a couple of inches to your side would have made a better frame.

This is pretty simple but it does work as a composition. You've seen a nice shape and carried it off. How to improve? What about getting a bit higher or lower so that background is less confused and we concentrate on the swirl of the shelf and the cups. Also watch your exposure - the whites are muddy which makes me think you've used an average exposure. But a decent effort.

Expert
winner

This is very nicely captured. A good, simple framing is aided by a decent exposure with a central focus on the fire. I like the simplicity of the coffee pouring and also the well timed action of the woman spinning in the background. This is a really well executed photograph in a technically challenging environment.

I think that this is a little gem of a picture. Its strength is its simplicity and excellent framing. The muted colours and the paneling add to its rather understated beauty and the heart on top of the coffee is just off kilter enough to make a very pleasing composition. Well done.

Although this is not primarily about coffee per se I think that it's a wonderful use of reflection and colour that anonymises the central figure whilst giving us bursts of colour and form. I love that it's balanced by the couple on the right and the pinpoint reflections of the cafe's lights just add to the magic. Excellent.

Sometimes things just come together all at once and you have to have the confidence and the skill (or good fortune) to capture them. This frame has all that and tells a wonderful story about the chaos of the street and a pause within it. It's close and intimate whilst retaining a mystery. I think its super and very well executed.

994 Photographers

Brief

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The joy of a well prepared coffee, served just as you like it, and enjoyed ideally at leisure in a cafe setting, surrounded by society. Coffeehouses are deeply rooted in tradition, They originated in the Middle East back in the 15th century, and then gradually conquered the world from the 17th century onwards, developing their own regional expressions and knitting themselves into daily life. We come together in cafes to take time out, rest the feet, read the news, see old friends and catch up on the gossip. And the rituals of coffee preparation and enjoyment are many, in recent times enjoying something of a resurgence, with baristas serving single origin coffee found on seemingly every street.

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Good. Nicely done. I like the framing and I like that you've captured a 'moment'. I especially like that you've captured the steam which gives a nice quality to the image. How to improve? What about waiting to see if the barista turns so we get a sense of him and his personality? That said, good job.

This just about qualifies as cafe culture but it has a wonderful balance to it both in terms of spatiality and colour and timing. The woman's foot caught in a perfect space bottom left is a delight as are the expressions on the musicians. I love that the people are moving up the stairs in a regular formation and this is a frame that works like a well executed ballet.

This is a good idea that very nearly works. I really like the fact that you've thought about the idea in a different way and used such a bold construction. How to improve? It's timing and waiting for the barista to do something that is recognisably barista-y. It's a lovely frame but would be so improved if we could see not only a great composition but 'understandable' action. Excellent effort however.

I really like this. A very brave framing that bisects the frame in two with a solid lump of coloured wall. The photographer's been very lucky with the layered reflections but they work perfectly: a sort of story in several acts condensed into a single frame. Timing and fortune combined. Congratulations.