Hot and Cold Drinks

A bright, vibrant image which captures the pint of beer in a way that looks tempting and refreshing. Use of a very wide aperture has created a shallow depth of field with some lovely bokeh highlights in the background, but the subject remains in sharp focus. Colouring across the image works well to give a great feel to the shot, with mainly shades of brown and orange in various hues. I am not usually a fan of broad digital frames as they can often be a distraction and compete with the subject as the focal point, but the strong contrasts and brighter areas within the photo part of the image help tie everything together nicely. Congratulations on your second place finish.

I like this image a lot and it captured my attention as soon as I saw it and it was always in my top ten. The subject is well lit to ensure the coffee pot, cups and arm are the focal point without becoming lost against the background. The colouring of the shot helps too, with the backdrop being a monochromatic brown, allowing the subjects in other colours to pop from the frame. Whether added or natural, the steam rising from the coffee cup adds to the shot and invites the viewer to savour the aroma of a freshly brewed coffee. Being picky, I may have been tempted to have the arm coming into the frame at a bit of an angle, rather than dead straight which looks a little strained, but that is not a major issue. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A beautifully lit image, creating a lovely mood and inviting the viewer to write their own story of the subject as she thoughtfully stares out the window over a coffee. Whilst the drink is very small within the frame, it is literally in the spotlight to ensure it remains a key focal point of the shot. Colouring is lovely, with a variery of hues which all work in harmony to help create a warmth and gentle softness. Good composition and framing with just enough surrounding interior visible to give context, but close enough in to ensure the subject does not get lost. Congratulations on your winning image.

There were a number of images in this contest which has coffee beans and other items magically dropping and dancing around the shot, some in a rather bizarre and puzzelling way. Here however, the inclusion of the beans seems wholely appropriate to the set-up and compliments the main subject of the steaming cup of coffee. Lighting is superb, with just a touch of light catching the rim and handle of tbe cup to clearly identify what we are looking at, and then spills gently across the coffee beans, again by just enough to reveal them. Super image, well done on your top ten placing.

A natural looking image of a tempting breakfast and probably the first coffee of the day. The set-up looks to be as found in the cafe, but the bits and bobs on the table add authenticity for me, rather than distract. Being picky I may have been tempted to lift the exposure slightly on the foreground elements of the shot, and maybe slightly warm the tones there too to neutralze the colour balance, as the white crockery looks to have a slight bluish tint. Still a great image however, documenting a simple but tempting breakfast. Well done on your top ten placing.

This image attracted me as soon as I saw it and was one I kept coming back to when finalizing my top ten. If this is a 'found' scene then is is likely the drink is no more, but for my judging it satisfies the brief and is more than a shot of trash. I really like the processing effects of this image which creates a nice mood to the shot. The shallow depth of field has kept the take-away coffee cup in sharp focus, and the backdrop is softly out of focus which allows the subject to stand out, without such pronounced differential focus the background would be rather 'busy' and distracting. I love the contrast between the warmer and cooler tones, and the composition works well. The more I look, the more I like. Well done on your top ten placing.

An interesting capture of the action behind the bar as the beer is poured from the tap to the tankard. Lighting conditions in such a setting were probably rather challenging, but the light has been well balanced, with some subtle highlights on the shiny metalwork, and the darkened surround ensuring the subject stands out. Unless the shot was posed and captured as a planned photoshoot with a tripod, you have done well to keep the scene sharp at a relatively slow shutter speed if hand-held. Great documentary image, well done on your top ten placing.

Something about this image drew my attention as soon as I saw it, and everything hints at lazy summer days, with the wide-brimmed floppy hat, over-sized sunglasses, sunkissed skin and a cold beer. The capture looks to be candid, and the slightly low angle of view suggests it may have been shot 'from the hip', and it gives the image a slightly different feel. The woman carrying her purchases is clearly the focal point, but there is plenty else in the background for the eye to then explore and hold the attention. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

This image really sums up what the pub is for some people - somewhere to sit quietly with a nice pint of beer whilst catching up on the newspapers. Use of a wide aperture has enabled the drink to be in sharp focus in the foreground, and the background is softly out of focus, but retains sufficient detail to enable the gent reading the paper in the background to be a key part of the story, not just a distraction in the background that you are trying to blot out. The light coming from the window and shining tbrough the ale is great. Simple but very effective, well done on your top ten placing.