Curls

Natural curls are all around us but often the curls of peeling bark from a birch tree are relatively unnoticed or are detached to form a studio still life study. I liked that this was left naturally so we see the natural process and that the curls have formed as the the thin bark has detached. A good use of depth of field has thrown the background nicely out of focus and softened the closest parts of the trunk. Congratulations on gaining 9th place in the Curls contest.

This is an excellent image both for originality of interpreting the contest theme and for the technical production. I liked the use of curls from pencil sharpening as the subject and the colourful edge strips contrast well with the dark background. The curls are neatly but informally composed making for a well balanced image. Choosing curls with a black background will have made the image tricky to light. However you have got the light just about perfect with enough light to show detail and texture in the dark areas but without washing out the edge colours or significantly blowing out highlights. Technically and artistically an excellent image that fully deserves to win the Curls contest. Congratulations.

Classic interpretations of themes have to be very good to engage with the viewer who may be very familiar with the subject. You have acheived this very well by taking your model outdoors and using the setting sun to highlight the curls and colours of the models hair. She has the perfect hair colour for this type of light. It is of course a very good portrait too. I thought the lighting balance in the image overall was first class and you also used depth of field very effectively as well to separate the model from the background. Congratulations on gaining 3rd place in the Curls contest.

There were a great number of stylish portrait entries in this contest as expected. The very best made it into the top 10 and this image is deserving of its inclusion. This is a beautifully subtle portrait where skilful use of the lighting was key to success. I liked the way that the curls of the models hair are seen both in almost silhouette as well subtley directly lit. The balance of the light is generally very good and enough to give good separation of the model from the background. As with all good portraits there are nice catchlights in the models eyes. Congratulations on gaining 8th place in the Curls contest.

Curly ribbons I thought might have been popular subject matter but there were hardly any. This delightful image caught my eye when I saw it and it chose itself! Although an apparently simple subject it has been nicely composed to show off the curls of ribbons very effectively. The lighting is excellent. The black background and the reflection are effective elements of the image. This is another image where careful attention to colour has reaped the dividends by avoiding any over saturation of the red. Congratulations on gaining 7th place in the Curls contest.

A striking portrait, that conveys an important message, but which in the context of the Curls contest is a very good example of hair photography. Hair photography is not necessarily easy and it takes skilful lighting as here, to give life and depth to the curls. The overall balance of the lighting is very good as the mesh over the eyes is potentially very reflective and could also have made the eyes appear dark. However super lighting has made the eyes clear with nice catchlights and has given great depth, shape and texture to the curls through the patterns of light and shade. The background was a good choice as it allows even the finer stands and monofilament curls to show up, emphasising the separation of the model from the background. Congratulations on gaining 5th place in the Curls contest.

A tremendous fusion of photography and digital art that makes for a very imaginative and creative image. I like the background curl which gives form to the whole and the subtle choice of colours. Many might have been tempted to saturate the background colours but less is most definitely more. I liked the almost 3D effect you created with the curl of floating spheres which focus the background and draw out the Curls theme. Congratulations on gaining 2nd place in the Curls contest.

You found the perfect young model for this portrait and contest entry. This young lady has such a lovely and engaging smile that lights up this image. As far as Curls I liked the fact that her hair was just natural with curls forming and falling where they wanted. The lighting was very nice too with good sidelighting but also the essential catchlights in the eyes. You either posed her well or she has a natural ability belying her young years! Congratulations on gaining 4th place in the Curls contest.

I was expecting there to be quite a few images using curled paper as a subject but there were surprisingly few. This is a beautifully conceived and executed image using a curl motif. I liked the composition, the black background and the partial reflection. The image is nice and colourful without relying on over saturation for effect. The whole is nicely lit. Although the image may appear simple there will have doubtless been a lot of effort in setting it up and getting the lighting right. Congratulations on gaining 6th place in the Curls contest.

Possibly the most unusual curls I have seen! I didn't know one could make ribbons from courgettes let alone curls. Photography is such an education. I liked the delightful simplicity of this image and the clever way it uses the skin colour along the edges to guide the eye. The lighting is nicely done and just enough to stop the black background sucking colour out of the subject. The composition has a neat informality that makes for a great curly abstract. Congratulations on gaining 10th place in the Curls contest.