Decisive moment

From the moment I first saw this photo I was there, feeling the fun those children were having, and feeling the passion of the photographer using his or her skill with split second timing as the dog flew through the air. Wonderful picture, where this very decisive moment remained in my mind during the whole judging period. Very well done.

Another one that stuck in my mind from the beginning. Clearly some spontaneous reaction with arms flung in the air in the crowd of football supporters from opposing sides, kilted on the raised level and the opposition in the foreground. The strength lies in the bare-topped lad with arms extended to either side of the image - even the lad bending down beneath his outstretched left arm has well-defined space to move. A truly joyful moment in time.

The perfect light, shadows, orange tones, the slightly out of focus enormous old tanker, serene-looking gentleman in a turban and wonderful exposure, altogether create a fascinating back drop to the young lad who completes the story, creating tension in this old versus new picture as he acrobats into the water. Very well timed.

Another picture which planted itself in my mind during the whole judging period. It's full of questions. What is that sofa doing there on rough land? Who does the child's toy belong to? And if the lady is using both hands to knit, where did that umbrella that's taking off into the sky, come from? Beautifully timed contemporary picture.

Beautifully timed and atmospheric moment as the man steers the beasts through the water. Tension in the man's face, the angle of his head, and the central position in the frame captured head-on make this a truly memorable and powerful image. It's accentuated by the minimal colour palette and frothing water surrounding the skeleton-like harness and ropes.

A simple yet effective-looking image with three key elements that form a powerful composition against a foggy background. Emphasis on the nearest boy, the ball he's just kicked coupled with his body position, and just enough detail of the second player about to receive the ball and almost disappearing in the mist, give this well-timed shot wonderful atmosphere.

Taken from a low angle I felt the tension of the child as he watched, probably his mother, coming out of the building at quite a pace with one foot in the air. Was the boy in trouble? Who knows. Superb timing from the photographer in this understated yet powerful image.

The minimal tones of this picture create a feeling of a 1940s black and white movie, with its tension and shapes in the light and shadow. The figure is captured at just the right moment, as he moves through the shaft of light with his well-defined shadow creating more drama on the wall.

The photographer has captured a tremendous expression on number 306's face, who clearly wasn't happy with the whole judging process. I like the way the bull almost fills the frame from top to bottom, accentuating its size, and almost turning the animal's character into a comic strip. Caught just at the right moment. Daren't think what happened next!

Taking photos of people taking selfies is very popular. This young lady is engaging with her phone and the photographer obviously felt the scene had the makings of a good photograph. It's tricky though to create a well composed picture when there is so much going on in the background. In this case the 'extras' are distracting and also not helped by the very light pavement particularly in the front right of the image. How could the picture be improved? I rather like the Paul Smith bag that the young lady is holding on her wrist, and also the dark clothes she is wearing. And it's these elements that I feel may have made a stronger portrait-type picture. I appreciate that the young lady may not have been known to the photographer here, but I think it's always worth asking a stranger if they'd mind having their photo taken. With a bit of manoeuvring the photographer could have positioned him/herself differently and captured the young lady without too many distractions, creating more of an environmental portrait. Alternatively, with more practice, and wider aperture selected on a suitable camera, the background could have been blurred, thereby giving more focus to the young lady. I hope this helps, and I enjoyed looking at your picture.

A very special moment, carefully captured by the photographer, when the open-mouthed fluffy chick appears to be cuddling the hard beak of the parent bird. This is all about timing and careful observation, and the photographer's skill to create a memorable pictorial wildlife shot.