Crystal Ball photography

This is a great photo, it's simple yet very dramatic in effect. I love the way this photo is lit with a low key feel. What really makes this is the strong expression so well captured in your model. That then leads really well into the ball, and really gives this photo a nice story. So many crystal ball photos are landscape based, it's tricky to get a good portrait. This is really well done, and a worthy winner.

This image is serene, one of the best photos in the contest. What really makes this photo is the juxtaposition between the spherical ball and the pyramid shaped glass. That gives this photo a unique edge, that elevates it above other photos of this type. I can't imagine how cold it must have been when you captured this beautiful image.

Great photo of the fireworks from Budapest. I saw this display once, and it's still leagues ahead of any other display I saw anywhere else in the world. I like the way you have included the bright colourful fireworks at the bottom of the frame, that bokeh is really beautiful. I think this is the best firework photo I have seen captured in a crystal ball, and this is unlucky not to make the top 10.

I love this, it's a fun and unique way for the glass ball to be positioned. The image works well because you have the monotone greys surrounding that blue car, which makes the image pop. I this you chose a good location with those bridge structures captured nicely in the ball.

Beautiful sunset photo from what looks like a beautiful location, I like the main subject of that tree in the centre of this photo. I think the image could benefit from being framed slightly closer to the ball, so more of that nice sky is prominent in the image, and the dark edges on the left and bottom of the frame are less prominent.

Great use of refraction in this image, the contrast in patterns is well captured in this still life photo. I'd like to have seen how this photo would come out if you had the intersection in the background lined up with the intersection in the ball. A nice photo with a good visual impact with those yellows and blues.

I really like the play on curves in this photo, that plays off well against the circular ball. I wonder if you could experiment with the floating ball technique, and position the ball more in the centre of that circular arch? In my opinion the glass holder I think detracts a little bit from what is otherwise a very nicely composed and thought out image.

First of all that is a beauty of a sunset, it's these skies that are made for crystal ball photography and you captured that well. If I was photographing this I'd look to avoid including the tripod, I think if you had found a natural ball holding position such as a rock or reflection pool this would be even nicer. I'd also like to see how this would look with the ball floating, and the tripod removed in post processing.

Very nice photo, and the way you have framed the ball with those hands is very effective. The colour vs black and white processing further enhances this excellent image. You're very unlucky to be outside the top ten with this photo.