Identical

A really well-seen image but a good photograph is about making the viewer see what you want them to see and about the interplay between the foreground the background. Here, although the central idea is strong, the extraneous detail around the chairs. - the trees and greenery - are distracting. Capa's dictum about your picture's not being good enough if you're not close enough is not always true, but in this case, he was right.

Sometimes we're lucky and sometimes we're not. This is a good frame and doubly so because of the focal length the photographer's had to work at. However, I can't help feeling that there's a better image in there framed closer in. Obviously one can't just walk up to a herd of elephants and this looks like the best moment of the situation - and it's nicely captured - but sometimes, as I say - and within the confines of the theme, it's a 'nearly'. A real shame - but well done for a cracking frame in any case.

I really like this but everything that you put in the frame is your responsibility and must have a role. Although this is well seen, I wonder whether the horizon line could be lowered to exclude some of the extraneous shapes and also some of the (I'll admit very minor) overexposure of the pavement. Very close but it's sometimes the tiniest details that delineates a good image from a great one. Keep pushing.

Timing is all and sometimes, additionally, we need some luck. This image is a really good idea and it almost comes off. As photographers, we often say 'if only' and here is a case in point. 'If only' the three monks were alone; 'if only' there was perhaps more interaction between them and we might see more of their faces - and so on. That said, this is well seen and almost works really well. It's just practice and patience - keep going.

This is a delightful image that serendipitously speaks to both the theme of identity but also conversely to the birds' dissimilarity in their flight. I think it's that tension and the technical aspects of the image that makes this a winner. I love the graphic shape of the frame and its intense crop but also the motion that is signalled to and its starkness in monochrome. Overall I'm reminded of Ishida Yutei's Edo Period, 'Flock of Cranes' screen painting, such is the strong motif. Lovely.

There's a wonderful graphic quality to this image which is cleverly bisected by the sea wall that separating the two halves of the photograph. I think in terms of an image it's great (and I love greyhounds) although strictly speaking the figures aren't quite 'identical' in stride which would have made this frame sing. Delightful nevertheless.

This is a really good idea that combines the idea of 'identical' with more complex graphic notions. I like the black cat /(almost) white cat idea and I love the shadow that bisects the frame. The problem comes with exposure and I suspect that the camera has determined an average that renders the shadows in the black cat too dense. The only way around that is to more accurately measure the exposure. Bit of a shame but that doesn't detract from the concept. Well done.

Really nicely done. A dynamic composition that as you rightly say, utilises the curves of the track but also a selective framing that rather well isolates the riders in a sort of abstract way. Good overall exposure and a degree of proficiency in follow-focus to get the riders tack sharp in I what I image was quite a tight space. Lovely.

Clever, intriguing and well seen. This is a wonderfully graphic frame that takes the ordinary and elevates it into something special. I love the hint of movement but particularly like the silvery blue and yellow colours that grab the attention. It speaks directly to the theme and is a joy to look at. Well done.

Nicely anticipated. Half the time I always think, it's a good idea to visualise what you're trying to achieve and here, the photographer has anticipated figures walking between the elements of the bridge and had a bit of fortune/patience to find two figures that complement each other. Well conceived and executed.

I really like the sparseness of this and although I suspect that the final effect might have something to do with a preferential exposure (that's OK), it is additionally the framing here that makes the eye work a little harder to scan the rest of the image (in vain). Well done - almost a photographic sketch of what's important in the frame.

There's a real simplicity to this and, although some of that is the result of a deliberate exposure choice, it's successful. I like the graceful mirroring of the two birds and, again although this looks (by its shape) to be a slight crop, overall this is a cracking frame.

A really intriguing frame that combines a low-key exposure with two layers of 'identical' with the aid of reflections. I really like the repetitive shapes of the meringue built into an angle, contrasted with the reflection of the machinery behind. It's a simple visual construction but one that is balanced and requires a second look. Nicely done.