Colour Splash / Selective Colour

An unusual subject matter for the competition. A mix of still-life and interior with some photoshop elements added. Some people are very strongly against photoshop elements within an image. I do sympathise with some of the purists out there who very strongly believe that all images should be 'out of camera'. I myself utilise photoshop a lot to enhance a camera image and I also like to manipulate shots to make something different that was not part of the original shot. I would argue that there are very few images these days that are 'out of camera' and it really comes down to individual choice as to where the line is with respect to how much an image is 'processed'.

I'm not sure if the ducks have been added in photoshop but I'm guessing the periscope definitely was. In terms of the brief for the competition the ducks work really well and draw attention to an otherwise ok photograph. Despite my love of all things photoshop I think the periscope is a detraction and the yellow ducks do a perfectly good job of drawing the viewer into the image without it. That said, a good use of selective colour in an image which is very different from the majority of entrants.

This is a dark and moody shot. Converting an image to black and white usually enhances the mood but here the subtle addition of the isolated colour actually adds further to the overall feel of the scene. Isolated colours are used to emphasise or highlight an image and focus on drawing attention to a particular element. The use of colour here adds mood and there are few images where this is the case.

A great example of the genre. Simple and elegant but the perfect rule of thirds of the red carpet and the curved leading lines of the staircase make for a great composition. I cannot decide if the subtle colour that can be seen through the glass is a distraction or whether it actually leads the eye naturally to this point. Maybe I would have not added this colour but then maybe...it wouldn't have worked as well as this. Well done on a great image.

There were many animal and human shots which emphasised the colour in the eyes of the subject. Here is something different which works well. Often a good image is good because it is different in some way. Whether it is in composition, an unusual angle, a slightly different perspective on a popular genre, something a bit different can make the shot stand out from the rest. This is a good example of that. It's a simple photo but the use of the selective colour does make it stand out for me.

The brief for this competition is to "isolate one or more bright colours in an image, for dramatic effect, leaving the rest of the image in black and white". This image reverses that and so, technically, does not meet the competition criteria. However, I really like this reversal and the brightly coloured wall and black and white subject is a great twist on this type of image. The composition combined with the lack of colour in the subject made me stop and look and some might say that is what a good photo should do. Whilst this image could never really qualify for a win, in terms of the brief, I think this is a great photo and well done for trying something different.

My favourite genre of photography is landscape. Landscape photography however is difficult to utilise the technique of selective colour or colour area. I picked this shot out as a good example of what can be done. Normally a vignette is used to draw the attention into the centre of the image. Here, as per the brief, the subtle use of colour in the centre draws the eye. I might of cropped a little from the top and bottom of the image to really emphasise the subject even more. The image also does not look quite straight to me which distracts very slightly. That said, a great use of colour selection in a landscape shot...well done.

Great composition and the use of colour to draw the eye is perfect. It is really easy when isolating a single colour or area to turn up the saturation/vibrance to really focus the attention but the photographer here has used the natural colours which, for me, just makes for a beautiful image and one that holds attention for a good while. Congratulations...love it.

I keep returning to something I have said a few times in my reviews of this competition. Whilst the use of selective colour can sometimes improve a photograph, you still have to have a good photo to start with, one which ticks all the boxes in terms of subject, lighting, focus, composition, depth of field etc...

This is a perfect example of a good photo perhaps made better by the use of selective colour. The contrast of the red gloves in the overall monochrome image work great. This shot is perfectly on brief for the competition and well deserved of a top 10 spot...well done.

This is another very good example of the genre and captures the brief perfectly. I am convinced that if this was a colour image or entirely black and white, it would not work half as well as it does. 95% of the images in this competition isolate a single colour but this image isolates an area and of course this draws the eye immediately. Having done that, the viewer then spends time to scan the rest of the image and I certainly transferred my gaze back and forth between the coloured portion and the rest of the scene. The art work depicted in this image is itself in harsh contrast to the surroundings and this is further emphasised by the use of colour. This image was always going to be in my top 10...very well done on a great photograph.

There were lots of still-life compositions in this competition as the use of selective colour lends itself to highlighting a particular object within a collection. Many of the photographs I eventually picked to be in my top 10 are quite simple but stand out because they are good shots made better by the use of colour selection...this is a good example of that. Simple, subtle, a good composition and a lovely shot.

There is a possibility that this image is "as shot" and no colour isolation has taken place...and that's OK. Whether any colour has been removed or not, the photo meets the brief perfectly. I have thought about the composition of this image and I cannot decide if I would have made this a portrait shot - emphasising the line of the road - or a landscape shot - having a bit more empty space and the balloon perhaps positioned closer to the "rule of thirds". That said, we rarely see a balloon from above and the isolated colour against the white snow make for a great image. The different perspective on the normal balloon shot make this worthy of a commendation.

I like this photo. There is something about the heavy rain and wind, the ineffectual umbrella and the almost serene look on the subject that tells a story. The isolated colours in the umbrella contrast the awful conditions and the subject looks as though, despite all that is wrong, he has accepted the fact that he is wet and cold and that's OK. A great story in one image and a good choice of isolated colours. Very well done.

The brief for this competition mentions the inevitable red umbrella and here it is. However, this one really did pull me into the image and is therefore the very definition of what we are looking for. The depth of field in the image and the hanging lights make for a great composition and the isolated colour add to the image greatly. I spent time looking at the people and wanting to know what the occasion was. If this image were on a gallery wall I would spend more than a moment to consider the story and appreciate the craft work involved in making this great photo. Bravo.

A good example of selective colour with the added bonus that the focus of the shot is actually that very colour...in this case, the yellow jersey of the Tour De France. It's not easy photographing these guys when they are wizzing past at more than 40km/h...I know, I've tried. A good image shot in difficult conditions with the focus firmly on the yellow of the race leader. Another good example of the competition brief.

I'm not sure if this fits the brief or not. Perhaps the only colour in this image was always green and therefore selecting a single colour or area of colour was not an option. That said, this is a stunning image and I felt I had to recommend it despite my doubts. An amazing shot and very well done for an excellent photograph.