Construction Sites

This image captured my attention as soon as I saw it, and it was always in my top ten. Sometimes images captured at night (or in the cliched sunrise/sunsets) are for some reason favoured in rating despite some often mediocre photography, but here the image is very strong photographically. The pipes act as natural leading lines to draw the eye into the scene, to view both the buildings under construction and the completed architecture in the distance. The narrow aperture has kept everything pin-sharp throughout the frame. Great capture of the artificial lights, with sufficient illumination throughout the scene to avoid any over-dark areas. Super night-time image, well done on your top ten placing.

This image has slight echos of the iconic 1930's 'Lunch atop a skyscraper' photo. Whilst the workers are nowhere near as high above the ground and are working rather than eating lunch, it is still an impressive image. Although I have not seen a colour version, I think the image probably works best in black and white, as it takes on a slightly more abstract form of lines and shapes which are not complicated by colour. Some would have been tempted to ramp up the contrast to make the shot very white and very black, but for me this slightly gentler contrast works well and doesn't look forced. Composition is great, with the three figures well placed in the frame. Well done on your top ten placing.

This is a really interesting image that I like more the longer I look. Composition is key here, and that has been really well done. You have done well to frame the worker surrounded by the various bits of construction machinery, which looks naturally done and not clichéd. The pops of colour, with the yellow and red on the machinery and the workwear bring the shot to life. I like the effect of the subject filling the frame, which draws us into the story of the construction site, with the surrounding city architecture in the background. Well done on your top ten placing.

Captured using a telephoto lens and a wide aperture, this has created a shot with a degree of compressed perspective and relatively shallow depth of field, which for me makes this image really stand out. The subject is a common-enough scene played out in towns and cities throughout the world on a daily basis, but the way the image has been captured gives us a perfect little insight into the road works on this city sreet. The workers in high-viz clothing are the obvious focal point, and the composition and differential focus further emphasises them as the key subject. The eye can then explore the rest of the scene to get more of the story, and there is still sufficient detail in the areas with softer focus to be interesting. Lighting and colouring look nice and natural. Congratulations on your second place finish.

A great image, full of interesting shapes and details. The eye is initially drawn to the raised area outlined by the green safety fencing, which has been well-placed on a diagonal in the composition. The eye can then expolre the smaller elements of the shot, such as the machinery and the tiny figures of the construction workers. Everything is pin-sharp, and photographically well executed with regard to lighting and tones, composition, colour balance etc. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

The figure of the construction worker positioned near the centre of the frame is a tiny but vital element of the composition. Inclusion of the figure not only provides a sense of scale, it also brings the image to life by adding the human element. The verticals and horizontals look accurate but not artificially straightened, and the conversion to black and white has been done really well and for me makes this image a triumph. Lighting looks a little tricky, with some of the enclosed area looking to be in shadow, but the light has been well balanced to show detail throughout. Good tones and contrasts make the image pop. Congratulations on your third place finish.

I love this abstract image of a simple scaffolding tower against a rich yellow wall, along with accompanying shadow. The subject is simple and some would find rather mundane and lacking interest, but the lighting has created the fascinating shadows that are a delight to study. The composition is spot-on, and the square crop works well too. I don't know if the colouring of the wall is as found or altered in processing, but that matters not, as the warm golden yellow is gorgeous and enables the lines of the scaffolding and shadows to be nicely contrasted. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I love the harsh contrasts in this shot, with the bright sunlight picking out the lines and shapes on the building under construction, and the three individual figures spaced across the frame. There is no obvious focal point, but for me that does not matter, as wherever the eye falls, it can then wander around the scene to take in everything that has been captured. Great high-contrast black and white work, makes the most of the subject. Well done on your top ten placing.