Grand Interiors (Non Religious)

This competition was an eye opener for me as I viewed it on my laptop then once again on my large UHD monitor I use for editing. The difference in delivery to the viewer or judge is vast. My biggest tip to entrants is to make sure the entry is large enough to compete at least 3000 dots on the longest side at 300dpi and watch out for that grain which occurs at high ISO numbers. This is territory where a tripod rules. The top two choices here may be fundamentally different yet they both ooze quality, perspective and technical excellence in the finishing process. This black and white ticks every box I wanted to see in this competition with added extras emanating a mood of the old engraving plates that adorned great books of the past. To top it off I love the starlight emanating chandeliers and the reflections in the polished surfaces that just add to huge amount of detail that kept me looking at this shot. Well done!

This shot has the makings of a great interior, full of leading lines, muted colours and historical opulence. The slightest thing at this high level can just make the difference between a good shot and a great one which in this case is the need to slightly straighten the perspective. The doorway on the viewers left and the window line to the right both lean in towards the top of the picture. The carpet line at the bottom is straight but the panel ceiling lines are slightly out. This can be easily rectified in photoshop or camera raw software. However this is still a great photo.

I have judged this competition without wanting to know the author and in the main I have managed to avoid finding out who took what. In the case of these first two images I can be fairly confident they are by the same person just as if they were signed. Firstly the quality of the finishing process is superb (Check this on a quality monitor!). The perspective is spot on with perfect centralisation that places all lines in a perfect mirroring. The wooden panelling cuts through the centre yet the table dominates the lower third leaving the chandelier and paintings the space they need without letting them dominate. This is pure class! Lets face it, this is a Dave Unwin picture because he has stamped his photos with his style not a signature.

I wasn't really looking for staircases when I opened this competition yet it soon became clear to me that I am a much bigger fan than I thought. The structures and central importance they play in the grand design of interiors is undeniable. This one certainly has its opulence despite the garish pinks, reds and gold braid that I could easily believe was in a posh brothel if I wasn't told that it was a National Trust property. However it works so well in all its glory and the photographer has taken great care to get the quality, perspective and balance between light and shade needed to make this a great image.

I was in two minds over this one. Not because it is not a wonderfully composed architectural masterpiece of a photo but based on my own biased prejudice of London's underground that I have found, through experience, is far from grand. Fortunately the author of this photo has shamed me into the realisation of how splendid this station is and how it must have looked at its conception. Fabulous!