Hit the streets

What an image! It's just so intensely cinematic in its atmosphere. It's an image that's almost difficult to talk about. It's just speaks for itself so well. I really enjoy every part of it, right down to the square frame, and even the washed-out tones of the subject's coat. This is a great slant on street photography and by a mile one of my favourites from this round - OLIVER ATWELL

A great action shot of young men playing basket ball in their local neighbourhood. They are so focused on the game that the photographer goes unnoticed giving a sense of timelessness. The light is fantastic and brings the scene to life. While there's a good amount of contrast, I do feel the processing is a little overcooked. I also find the far right side of the frame is a little distracting and takes the focus away from the main action.

I love the graphic composition and use of angles and lines in this image. The monochrome conversion enhances this further and adds great contrast, lifting the tones and texture. The composition works well and you can tell the photographer has really thought carefully about where to position each element within the frame and the clever use of symmetry. The lone cyclist on the escalator below gives it that pop of life the scene needs, without it it would have looked too clinical and with more people it would be too much. This is a well thought out street scene.

This image features great uses of colour tones and layers. I love the fact that the ball has been thrown at the wall by the guy at the back, but it looks like the guy at the front has thrown the shadow at the viewer. It adds that great extra dimension the image - OLIVER ATWELL

It's always interesting to see the diverse images that are entered into Photography competitions. I love the little details in this winning image, things like the sandals on the little shelf. It's a great story with a good use of colour. I wonder how many customers this guy had. It's also great to see the photographer kept it real and was not tempted to clone out all the rubbish. Well done and congratulations - MATT HART, GUEST JUDGE

Here we see how choosing an unusual angle can really elevate a scene. Many of us would have chosen to shoot head-on. But here the photographer has found an overhead vantage point and rendered the subject as an abstract array of forms - OLIVER ATWELL

This shot could almost be said to be a 'best of' when considering the genre of street photography. It contains all the key elements that you'll find in any great example of street images: the location, the graphic nature of the location, the subject and, most importantly, the strong light contrasting with the shadows. It's perfectly executed and the photographer has wisely allowed some detail to creep through in the lower tones. Many of us would have thrown them into darkness completely. Not so in this example. It's a great shot - OLIVER ATWELL

There's something so haunting about this beautiful black & white image. Street photography doesn't have to include people. Sometimes, the traces of them are just enough. It's such a silent and lonely image. It's almost a scene that seems to be waiting for its performers to appear. This gives it a strange tension where almost anything could happen at any moment. I really love this image – OLIVER ATWELL

Here we see how the confluence of subjects can lead to dynamic and witty street photography. The old woman, as she slowly makes her way up the incline, contrasts beautifully with the graffiti that waits ahead of her. Converting to black & white was a great choice. It really brings out the textures and forms of the scene - OLIVER ATWELL

An image of mood, drama and atmosphere. You can almost feel the cold and damp against your skin, and hear the wind howling through the streets. It's almost like the camera is slowly pushing in to take us into the narrative of the person sat within the bus. Who are they and what's there story? I want to know - OLIVER ATWELL

This is so perfectly composed. In fact, it's only on a second or third look that I've come to really appreciate it. It's so beautifully captured. I'll leave it up to you to decide if the positioning of our central figure and the streams of water are as deliberate as I believe them to be... The colours are gorgeous – OLIVER ATWELL

This was a very popular shot with the judges. We saw an example of this photographer's work in round 1 (in fact, it's the same scene). However, rather than succumbing to repetition, the photographer has managed to draw out another utterly unique image from the scene. It's a great, almost futuristic, scene and an image to be very happy with – OLIVER ATWELL

An image Steve McCurry would be proud of. What would have made the image absolutely perfect is if the clouds were a little more to the right, giving us the illusion that she is throwing them into the air from her blanket. The colours are beautiful and fr some reason my eye can't help but wonder down to the woman with her hands rising to the air in the bottom half of the frame. It's a gorgeous image.

Again we see how contrasting elements can lead to great street images. It's such a sweet image and a great location. The subtle desaturation does so much to bring the scene to life. There's a good lesson there. Sometimes subtracting from a scene goes a long way - OLIVER ATWELL

An image so good it speaks for itself. Perfectly framed, composed and exposed. The snow is such a beautiful element. I feel like wrapping up arm just to look at it. While many of us would have chosen to photograph the subjects from the front, the photographer can gone for behind. It works perfectly – OLIVER ATWELL

If I didn't know this was taken at an installation at London's Tate Modern, I would have assumed it was taken during a riot and captured just as our foreground subject has lobbed a stone at police. However, what we find is an engaging and unusual scene that has found a perfect group of subjects in what must have been a troublesome image to get right – OLIVER ATWELL

The use of available light from nearby shops and stalls in this popular square in Marrakech is excellent. The little girl sat on the shoulders of presumably a family member is beautifully lit up, while the surrounding crowd is plunged in shadows. The addition of her white t-shirt to illuminate and help her stand out works to the photographer's advantage. The added detail of smoke swirling around the girl's head in the dark evening sky gives the image a wonderful atmosphere and adds another dimension to the scene.

Here we see how important it is to choose the time of day wisely. This image from New Zealand is saturated with colour, shadow and light. I'm particularly fond of the fact that it's an image that relies, not on people as the subject, but the light and colour, which become characters in their own right – OLIVER ATWELL

I like the layers and story within a story in this image. You have the main character and then the explosion of birds adding a new dimension to the image and filling the frame. I also really love the colour tones and simple processing - MATT HART, GUEST JUDGE

This is perfect example of what happens when a street photographer keeps their keen eyes peeled. It's a humorous scene found in Hyde Park as a woman faces off with a dog's iron will. I particularly like the unconventional framing as the woman stands awkwardly at the right of the frame – OLIVER ATWELL

Sometimes it really is a good idea to keep your eyes open for the more abstract and unusual details of scene. Southbank in London is a hotbed for street photography, especially in the warmer months. I really like this image a lot. It's one I would have been very happy to capture. The colours are such a great element of the scene. It's that that really makes it – OLIVER ATWELL