Dance

Great commitment to the shot from the dancer at full stretch to the photographer low in the road at Oxford Street. There are some similar pictures in the competition but this one has the edge on full stretch pose, dancer's face & expression clearly visible, city centre location & the surrounding environmental detail. I like the angle the photographer has used & EXIF information shows a logical capture of the scene with the wide aperture giving good background blur & fast shutter to capture crisp action. The photo might be improved further with the removal of some highlights from the background traffic which compete for attention. Thank you for entering the competition. It's a wonderful shot.

A beautiful image with so many features coming together to make it my winner. Technically the balance between light & dark areas has been well managed with just enough detail on the dancer to avoid a silhouette. EXIF information shows the capture has been designed for the conditions with a shutter speed just fast enough to avoid blur on a portrait type picture, ISO lifted a little for the low light areas & aperture not a full stop setting so presumably chosen to balance the other elements. Even the darkest areas just manage to retain enough detail. Compositionally I love the lead in lines of the cobbles & walls, the texture of cobbles & walls adds massively to the picture as the light catches them & everything leads to the elegantly posed dancer. B&W appears a good choice for the final image taking away any distractions from the overall composition. If I could ask for more, it would be for a title or background to give the story behind the image. I've made up my own - but am I correct? I have enjoyed viewing this shot. Thank you.

What a great image from a show. Thank you for entering it. It's just crying add to become a publicity photo. Lack of detail in the title & notes leaves me desperate for more background. I'd love to know what processing has been added too. There are tremendous in camera or post effects going on to add to the atmosphere. I like the camera settings which show the challenge with light to capture the image. B&W is a marvellous choice for the final picture capturing the contrast of the stage lighting & outfits. I love the way the image suggests to me this is the dead stop at the end of a frantic routine. I can hear the audience cheering & applauding. Great shot, well done.

Fantastic action with wonderful movement blur which, from your shutter speed, I can see is deliberate & skilful. The lady's eye contact is intense whilst the male dance, even from the back, exudes arrogance, confidence & commitment. I do hope 116 went to the final & home with a prize. Also, just enough focus on the audience to pick up a sense of the action at this event. I'm guessing there were many couples on the floor at this point, but few can have had this link & intensity. This picture has really appealed to me. Thank you for your entry.

What a capture? Great timing to catch the performer just airborne & stunning in the way the main character has been isolated from the background crowd in light & clarity. The group of spectators has formed an excellent framing for the display. On a documentary note the muscle definition of a street performer has been wonderfully captured. F4 has created the splendid background blur. If there had been a 2nd chance of the shot, perhaps ISO to 200 & shutter to 1/250 would have just lost the slight blur on the right hand - but that is all hindsight. I would love to have been able to bring this great shot back from Paris. It gives me another dimension to look for when I come across street performers in future. Well done.

Thank you for entering this photo. It shows dance from a completely candid angle. Clearly the dancer gets peer respect from participating. Everyone seems to be engaged in the performance from, I guess, a teacher through a whole range of schoolmates. The lighting challenge has been well handled & saturation has been kept at a realistic level. I would have felt privileged to have been present to witness this & have certainly enjoyed judging it. Well done.

What a well composed shot, supported by the title & description. Just wonderful to know the tango was captured in Buenos Aires. The picture & the background has me thinking of the dancers in their youth setting the floor 'on fire'. Years on the passion & enjoyment in their dancing is still obvious to see. I love the way you have shown just enough of the environment but made the dancing couple by far the dominant feature of the image as well as the way the stand out from the background. B&W is a wonderful choice for the final image, making the most of their dress & greying hair & setting the atmosphere so well. I judge from the EXIF information that you prepared well for the shot with the ISO & aperture allowing a shutter speed to capture sharp action. Despite this, the picture appears totally candid with no thought from the dancers of the photographer. Yet the suit, the medallion, the rings all suggest this is an important event for the dancers. Cracking shot. Well done.

A great studio shot of an accomplished model & dancer. The movement of body, arms & dress are perfectly titled as the dancer does look to be about to take to the air. Camera settings are classic studio numbers to freeze the action with flash & capture good depth of detail. The lighting has given detail throughout the picture & any post processing has been subtly applied. The designer has also matched colours throughout the image to fit together well & enhance the image. Thank you for entering such a marvellous portrayal of dance.