Composition - Bang in the Middle

This could only have been taken in America. The car is an icon of the road-trip and this reminds me of the color work of the great American photographer, William Eggleston. Like Eggleston this photograph uses color to really elevate the image. The metallic blues work well against the softer pink sky and the tail lights then shine through. We often overlook things that are above our heads. Not this photographer who has given us a slice of the visual language used so well by many great photographers. This is a clever and well controlled photograph. Well seen.

I'm not quite sure how I respond to this image. Firstly I am seeing a Zebra jumping spider for the very first time. Which is a good thing. I love the fact that I assume that this must be a macro shot and the blurred foreground and background really holds the space and attention for the spider to sit within the frame. The colors are exceptional and make me feel that this is of another world. It could be a creature from mars. Out of all the images of animals. This really was the stand out picture. It is not obvious and that is its strength. Weird and wonderful. Well done.

We get a real sense of awe and wonder from this photograph. The dramatic use of light works well from the darkened skies to the flat greens against the whites of the waterfall. What makes this image stand out from the crowd is the elevated camera position which allows us the viewer to take in the entire scene. We get to see soemthing we do not normally witness ourselves just walking through spaces. We get to see the vastness of the place and this gives us a sense of the terrain and power of the natural landscape.

This is a great capture. The positioning of the camera is unique and it gives us a perspective of a structure normally only witnessed in films. I love the depth of field and that the city behind is sharp. I get to make things out from the structures. It is a clever photograph and the use of black and white means nothing stands out above anything else, even the main structure in the foreground has to compete with the complexities of what is going on in the background. In many ways this is like a jigsaw puzzle as our eye is constantly moving around looking to fill in the gaps. Quite unique. Well done.

Sometimes images can be difficult to look at. I assume that this is a doll? I'm not sure and the scale around the torso is difficult to think where the parent may be. Photographically it works very well. The lovely lines and swirls set within the gery balanced water and the red of the clothes stand out so well. The positioning of the camera from above gives us a birds eye view of the event. I just hope it is a doll, if not then a happy ending. A photograph that makes us think and also think about why photography is such a powerful medium.

With so many entries into this wonderful competiton any thing near the top 10 would have to be amazing. To get first place then the image had to really stand out on every level. This is one such image. The scale works so well between the baby elephant tucked inside it's mother or father? The technique is wonderful and the highlights on the little elephants face and ears works so well against the darker background. The warm black and white tones again really elevate this image from the many images taken of animals. The closeness the photographer gets gives us a real sense of place and emotion. This is one of the finest images of it's type i've seen. Truely wonderful and a worthy winner. Well done.

So close to the top 10. The positioning of the camera is wonderful as is the technique employed to make this photograph. The use of black and white works well as we are not distracted by colors and the way the plane is framed by the clouds is wonderful. The use of the horizon line breaks up the space well and gives a different softness against the lines of the plane. The angle of the jet works well and gives a sense of power and movement within the frame. A great captue and a photograph that would look great framed on a wall. Well done.

This is simply stunning and was so close to the top prize. Everything works so well. The muted colors, the way the depth of field takes our eye straight to the oryx which is perfectly positioned and the fading horizon line. It's a classic of its type and I could easily see this in National Geographic. We get a real sense of space within the photograph and it's hard to see how it could be bettered. Really wonderful. Congratulations.

It could be a film still from a classic movie. This is a unique and quiet photograph that tells a story. The story is whatever the viewer brings to it. For me I love the darkended edges that bring the structure to centre stage. The flat greys work well as does the misty background. The space around the house again really gives a sense of the background and isolation. It feels old and the pure snow on the ground acts as a barrier to walking into the frame and close to the house. It feel like a scene from a horror movie. Love it.

Could you get any more central to the wonderful opening of the space between the trees. Great use of lines and camera angle which is additionally complemented by the tonality within the photograph. It's almost black and white but not quite. I love the fact that visually it looks flat yet I know that the distance between the edges and the centre is several metres. Photography plays with scale and perspective so well and this is a great example of both. Clever and well seen.

Beautifully crafted. It's so simple and thats why it works so very well. The framing used by the Lido sign and beach opening which then is used to position in the center the isolated individual works well. The colors and tones complement each other from the light blue of the sky to the pale sands. Everything is in harmony. It takes us back to a simpler time. It's a quiet nostalgic photograph and all the stronger for that. It really was unique within all the entries. Great photograph.

On the one hand. It's a small child holding a red balloon behind a panel of frosted or wet glass. On the other it takes me back to my childhood hiding behind the sofa when a scary film was on the TV. This is a photograph so loaded with visual meaning that we can't simply look away. Out of over 5000 entries this was the most intriguing entry that allows the viewer to go on their own journey. The blurring of the main subject works well against the norn as we still see and read the main subject perfectly. The internal domestic setting measn we are looking in. The question this photograph could raise is who is looking at whom. Lovely and i'm still behind the sofa with my hand over my eyes.

The colors are so well balanced from the illuminated central buds to the darkening outer edges. The green hues work very well and the quietness of this image just allows you to keep looking. The sharp center works well against the blurring background and out of all the entries of flowers. This held my attention the longest. It's not flashy but it is so beautiful and it makes me think about what is around us and what i miss out on. Lovely.

This is such a clever and well constructed photograph. The attention to detail is immaculate from the sharpness of the dogs eyes and hair to the white line that frames the center of the image to the individual standing in the background.. The catchlights in the eyes are wonderful and the black and white taken on a foggy day really elevates the tension and suspence within this photograph. Truly a one off. Nothing else like this in all the competition. Fantastic.