Contrasts and opposites

This photo is more than just the contrast of the soft against the spiky, but there's a degree of pointed resonance, too. In part, that's what drew me to it: the similarity as well as the difference. What might have made it a stronger photo? Better subject placement. The leading lines of the leaf edges have been used to wonderful effect to draw the eye to the soft fronds, but the subject is awkwardly placed in the frame. It is neither adhering to the rule of thirds, nor quite radical enough to break free of the rule's shackles. Be brave! Go very high and very left; or keep it on the same vertical plane, but drop it down so that it is running along the middle of the image horizontally.

When it comes to the competition brief, there is a very strong sense of contrast oozing through this: hard against soft, living against inanimate, sultry against solid. I love the story and I love the composition. The exposure is very good. However, for me, it feels too heavily processed. This is, of course, a very personal thing and other people might not be bothered as much as I am. It is something to be wary of in your photography, though.

There's a wonderful sense of movement that I enjoy in this photo. The swoosh of the caught-up hairs drags the eye right-to-left across the frame, before it's confronted with the twisted barbs of the wire. That's very effective, but so is the use of light, and the contrast of darker and brighter throughout the image. Sadly, I'm not convinced by the aspect ratio in this photo and might have preferred a greater variation in angle, too. It is, however, a good interpretation of the theme and a lovely photo.

The story behind this photo is compelling. I want to know so much more about whose home this is and how she or he came to be living in a converted train carriage. I also appreciate how this meets the competition brief: the concept of 'home' is meant to include stability, but how much stability does a train afford? Then there's the industrial nature of the train pitted against the softness of someone's living space. It's a clever, and moving, interpretation. The exposure and saturation looks good to me, and the off-centre subject placement works, but I would have liked the image to have been straightened; the slight incline is a little disconcerting.

Red against green is a perfect contrast, and I was immediately drawn to this photo because of that. The eye-like markings on the caterpillar give a quirky sense of fun to this photo, too. However, it's the central subject placement that lets it down. By thinking about where in the frame you position your subject, you have the ability to create a much stronger photo. I would suggest something more angled and less confrontational. It was a great spot, though, and well-exposed, too.

I very nearly skipped over this image, thinking that it had been processed for selective colour. It was the woman in the sheepskin coat at the top of the steps who prompted me to look again. This wasn't a case of photo manipulation, but rather a well-spotted street image. The central placement of your subject within the square crop is very effective, as is the use of lines to draw the eye to her and the rough diagonal division of the frame. This is a great example of street photography. Well done.

I wasn't sure about this photo at first. I wasn't convinced that it was 'doing enough'. But I kept coming back to it, which is a sure sign that it's doing something right and that it is 'doing enough': obviously I want to keep looking at it. Clearly the photo uses the perfect contrast of the orange against the blue; but it also goes deeper, highlighting the gorgeous textures of the building against the pristine sky. The exposure is terrific and the use of triangles makes this a strong image. Well done.

The contrast of golden sand against azure sky is a classic one, and indeed we have seen plenty of examples of it in the contrasts and opposites competition. You have, however, managed to introduce something a little different to your submission with the breaking wave breaking up the frame. You've shown great shutter control here, and achieved good exposure, and I would like to commend you for that. I just feel that it needs a little more 'oomph' to make it stand out.

First prize - congratulations! I selected this image because it is a wonderful embodiment of the contrasts and opposites theme, and it works on multiple levels. You have the contrast of the thaw against the frost, the red against the green, and the light against the shade. There's a great deal to look at and enjoy in this image: the eye wants to absorb it rather than skim over it. That's a hallmark of a compelling photo. You can almost feel the warmth battling the cold; you have an image that works.

Vivid yellow rape seed against a blue sky is a typical summer scene here in the UK and the colours form an obvious and very strong contrast. I like how you've punctuated the expansive horizon with the imposing wind turbines, too. They are very effective and are well-placed in the frame. The clouds on the horizon add an interesting dimension to the landscape and you've clearly spent some time setting up the photo. It's a shame that there isn't a little more originality here to make this photo stand out yet further from the other rape seed field photos submitted to the competition.

The bright yellow against the vivid blue is a striking contrast that meets the brief perfectly. Adding the organic plant against the man-made wall strengthens this notion, too. I was pleased to see that you didn't opt for a central subject, which would have made the image look dull and flat, despite its wonderful colours and textures. However, the inclusion of the sliver of tiled floor toward the base of the photo detracts from this. There needs to be either more of it, or none of it. And it needs to be straight, too!

London offers such fabulous photo opportunities when seeking out contrasts and opposites, especially amongst its older and modern examples of architecture, which nestle side by side. You've picked out one such example here. So in terms of the competition theme, you have done very well. When it comes to technical execution, the photo needs to be better exposed and composed. The buildings are rather too dark and the frame feels quite squashed and awkward. I would suggest focusing on one of those elements and getting it right, before moving on to the next. Perhaps think about your composition first. How can you make these two buildings sit comfortably, but still dynamically, in the frame? Would getting closer, and shooting upwards, one masked against the other, perhaps be something to consider?

I adore the contrast of the smooth, shiny, colourful ladybird against the rough, monotone background. It's a brilliant interpretation of the idea of contrasts and opposites. When it comes to composing your frame and placing your subject within it, try to think about introducing some balance and tension between subject and background. Placing your subject in the centre of the frame doesn't really do either of these things justice and it's dull for the eye. It's much better to consider the story that you want to tell (how far does the ladybird have to travel across this infinite expanse of white, for example) and place your subject accordingly (bottom-right, in that instance). You might want to think about controlling your exposure a little more tightly, too. This feels a little over-exposed to me (unusual, for a white background image), with a loss of detail in the highlights and loss of saturation in the colours. Dial it down a touch!