Good Luck - Bad Luck

We’re always told that a broken mirror means seven years bad luck and this photographer explains that the superstition goes back as far as the ancient Greeks and Romans. I love that the photo taker has put themselves in the frame but wonder if by breaking the mirror they’ve ironically put themselves at risk of the very bad luck they’re depicting. Surprisingly this was the only entry featuring a broken mirror so well done for choosing this unique subject and for your smashing photo.

There were many number thirteens entered into this contest and for good reason since 13 stands for both good and bad luck depending where you come from. This simply elegant minimalist composition really packs a punch with its contrasting blue and yellow colours. One can feel the sharp grainy textures of the woven fabric giving this photo an extra dimension. It took imagination to shoot a close-up of what was otherwise a nondescript back seat of a bus. Well done.

A powerful minimalist composition with very strong complimentary colours and a much appreciated explanation why this is a lucky omen on Maltese fishing boats. This photo would have had a higher placing had it been cropped below the two triangular shapes at the top of the frame. I assume you included them to accentuate the prow of the boat but in my opinion that was unnecessary as it distracts the viewers attention from the Eyes of Horus. Nevertheless I had no hesitation including this excellent photo in my top ten. Well done.

Out of all the black cat submissions this one featuring the smallest cat has the biggest impact. It was the only entry showing a feline about to cross someone’s path which, as the photo entrant explains, is a sign of bad luck in Germany. Adversely it’s considered a symbol of good luck in other countries. The black cat certainly bought good fortune to the photographer with its very timely appearance. Well done.

A very strong but simple use of an abandoned banana skin waiting for an unlucky individual to come along. The use of a low ISO to blur the background and keep the yellow skin in focus was a wise choice. The positioning within the frame of the unlucky accident waiting to happen is crucial to the story. I trust you took your prop away with you and didn’t leave it behind for some unfortunate individual to step on - mind you, had you waited for that to happen your photo would have become a real slip of a thing. Well done.

This entry intrigues me. It looks a bit like a painting or maybe a realistic dummy or, more likely, a real person from a battle re-enactment. The photo poses more questions than answers because the photographer hasn’t given away any clues within the description. Whichever of the above I’m sure the spear was added in Photoshop to exaggerate the point (sic) of the soldier wearing the unlucky number 13 emblem on his hat. Your creativity, post-processing skill and weird sense of humour made this a no-brainer as my number one choice. Very well done.

I love the intricate staging of this composition with it’s attention to detail. The minimal colour palette enhances the sense of an old-time Western misadventure. This photographer has gone to great lengths to re-enact why the dead man’s hand is unlucky to be dealt in a game of poker. The detailed explanation that accompanies the entry in the photographer’s blurb is worthy of a top ten placing in itself. Well done.

Rusty horseshoes, painted horseshoes, different sized horeshoes and a distressed barn door canvas - this photo has everything. Within the cacophony of hanging lucky horseshoes is a well balanced photo centred on the discrete black metal fixture in the middle of the composition. I like the crop with its subtle suggestion of more horseshoes beyond the frame. This is a great piece of fine art which I would gladly hang on my wall. I envy you your good fortune in coming across this wonderful derelict old barn door. Well done.

At first glance it’s not evident why this photo is entered into a good luck contest. Until the photographer tells us that eight represent good luck in Chinese culture and white horses bring good luck in the Czech Republic. Standing in front of galloping horses for this perfectly lined-up action shot must have taken some daring but that courage has paid off by making this entry a worthy top ten inclusion. Well done.

An unusual composition cleverly composed by being shot from behind and filling the whole frame with a section of the female’s torso. Despite the close-up of the body one’s attention is still drawn to the tiny flecks of salt being thrown over the shoulder by the blurred movement of the hand. A bad luck superstition we’ve probably witnessed or performed ourselves at some time or other. A nicely understated photo with fine attention to detail. Well done.