Houseplants

The light in this is divine! Such harmonious colours - from the pink and green of the wooden backdrop, to the same shades in the leaves and again in the decoration of the pot, it's been sensitively thought-out. You've added finishing touches to your composition with great care, as neither the decor nor the gentle light reflections detract from the begonia leaves being the main star. A very successful still life for the theme, congratulations!

This is a super macro, with fabulous focus and bokeh rendered in gorgeous soft pastel tones. You've really captured the enjoyment of taking in the tiniest details of plants. The rule of thirds has worked well for a pleasing composition. Great work, well done!

This harmonious photograph stopped me in my tracks. It's almost monochrome but I'm glad you kept the colour in it, as it gives the image a certain warmth as well as a good hint of the buildings beyond. The net curtain has worked in your favour to add a beautiful backlit translucency to the honesty seeds, highlighting their form. I really appreciate the fact that you've squared and levered all of the elements in your composition - with such a strong architectural feature as that window, it was very necessary and works so well. There is no doubt, though, that the natural element of the seedhead arrangement is the star of the show. It fulfils the brief perfectly - congratulations!

This is not only well-observed, but the composition really works in its favour too. From the lamppost in the corner to the net curtains at the top, and the balcony of empty pots, it's beautifully balanced to tell a story. It would have been tempting to focus solely on the red-and-green colour burst of the plant-filled window, but you've given your viewer so much more context, and it's very successful. I know which window makes me feel happiest! Well done.

A great interpretation of the theme, with enough background information to show us that it's in the home. The plant is captured in beautiful subtle light, where the white flowers - as the lightest part of the image - allow the viewer to focus on them immediately.

Such an eye-catching photograph! The idea of the potted fern being placed where the head and hair would be works amusingly well - not only that, but technically it's a beautiful clean image with crisp whites and true greens. Would it be improved by not cutting off the ends of the fronds? I'm not sure; I don't mind the tight composition, and it's been so successfully executed that it has to be awarded a top 10 place. Well done!

Fantastic detail on this Venus fly trap, on one of the all-time favourite lenses! The composition works really well, leading your eye straight in (as I imagine a fly might be!). I like that you can determine the textures of the leaf, and the bokeh behind is well managed. You could possibly experiment with a subtle desaturation of the background leaves to make sure they don't steal too much attention, and also a little tidy-up of a couple of dust spots. All in all, a very pleasing image.

I have to mention this one as it's fulfilled the brief so well - the plant obviously indoors in a home, with the hint of chair and the wall recess. It's nicely lit, cleanly handled, and fits the theme perfectly. I'm keen on keeping upright elements as straight as possible, and would be tempted to experiment with a vertical transform in Photoshop, just to prevent that slight feeling that it's falling away to the left. That being said, a very successful image!

This is the sort of photograph that makes my heart sing - where we can leave technicalities to one side, and just enjoy the artistry of the image. It's been processed with a beautifully cinematic quality, and I really enjoy the muted tones reminiscent of film. The playful reflections - where we know what we're observing, but not quite how - make it such an enticing and clever picture. Above all, it just feels joyful and emotional, the way that bringing plants into the home should do.

I wanted to include this because it more than meets the brief, putting the houseplant into the context of what is very obviously the home. It's a thoughtful composition where different textures and materials hint at the environment while letting the planting arrangement to shine. The light is beautifully managed and I have to mention the inclusion of the red fruit to the right, and the painted vase to the left, gently complementing everything very well without stealing the show. A very successful image for the theme, congratulations.

A gorgeous minimalist approach to the theme, making for a graceful image with just the right amount of playful tension. The composition including the full length of the trailing plant, and the gentle shaping shadows that give form, are perfectly handled. Congratulations.

Such a successful phone image! You've managed to capture that gorgeous golden hour daylight as well as the indoor plant display. The balance between reflections and subject has been expertly caught and deserves to be commended. The fact that the plants are very obviously indoors, versus the street beyond, means you've fulfilled the brief perfectly. Well done!

This is a really nice delicate rendering of the succulent blooms, and I think your focus stacking was a good choice. The pastel background is beautiful and the glasshouse environment has offered lovely filtered light, which you've kept beautifully under control. There's a slight shadowing on the top left flower which could be tidied up to make this even more successful - well done.

I really like the unique take on this - by incorporating the motion effect, it communicates something of the plant's growth cycle. The tones are lovely and the composition well-balanced so that the effect doesn't feel like an intrusion, but a clever suggestion of life. Well done.

Such an inventive way to interpret the theme. I love the compositional decisions - meaning that the plant is centre of attention, in spite of the lamp being the brightest point in the frame. Monochrome has worked perfectly here, and that tiny reflection in the shade of the lamp (and again on the angle-poise frame) helps to avoid it being just a dark blob. The texture on the leaves is caught in beautiful focused. I'm slightly distracted by the wall marks in the background and would be tempted to try and clean those up. A really stand-out image for the theme, well done!

The minimalist composition, monochrome treatment and bokeh really grabbed my attention here. Your black-and-white conversion is nicely done - the focus just above the centre of the frame means that the eye is drawn straight to those droplets. A very artistic interpretation of the theme.

I really like this restful interpretation of the theme, with beautifully harmonious and gentle tones. The composition is working really well and I love that my eye doesn't stop with the vase, but continues on to wander the landscape beyond. It's a great idea to combine the different elements in this way; I'd encourage you now to finesse the details, such as where the window frame is fading away at the top, and where the brickwork doesn't angle into the recess. You're well on your way though!