Industrial and Commercial Architecture

I love this image, and it is good to see entries of older architecture into a contest such as this, which can become dominated by the scale, and shiny magnificence of ultra-modern architecture. Good choice of viewpoint and well composed, with the lower roadway curving into the frame. The coal pile gives context to the shot, and great foreground interest too. The post-processing is very effective too, with the low tonal contrast black and white suiting the subject very well. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

By using a wide angle lens you have captured this hotel building in a way that adds interest. The foreground lower wall has been used creatively as a lead in line into the image. Shooting conditions look fairly challenging, as the sunlight looks to be very strong, but you have managed to lift the shadow areas sufficiently to enable detail to be seen there too. Great use of the wide angle view, well done on your top ten placing.

This image was always in my placings, and it is a shot which has been very well captured considering the challenges offered by the natural and artificial lighting, and the window reflections. A great viewpoint as the walkway sweeps away into the distance, and the view is wide enough to allow us to get a sense of the structure and its surroundings without becoming too abstract. Being picky, I may be tempted to try to adjust the white balance on the upper sections of the shot, as the whites appear a little pinkish, but that is a very minor point. Fabulous shot, well done on your top ten placing.

This is a superbly composed architectural image, using the softly curving lines of the overhead canopy to contrast with the verticals of this tall office block. The sky looks to have been digitally smoothed, but that suits the feel of the shot and avoids any distraction. Being very picky, I may have liked to see just a fraction more on the right of the shot to avoid the upper curve being cropped into, but that is easy said after the shot was captured, as I am unaware of all the other shooting constraints you faced. Great architectural image, well done on your third place finish.

I find this type of architectural abstract very appealing, and this image has been very well composed. The isolation of the three windows, and their placement within the frame works really well. You have also done well to keep the verticals and horizontals true, which tends to be important in more abstract images such as this. Great use of what looks to be soft diffused lighting. Lovely image, well done on your top ten placing.

There is something which kept drawing me back to this image during the judging. I am generally not a fan of selective colour, but I think it has been applied quite sensitively here, and maybe even enhances the image over a straight black and white? The composition and viewpoint works well to give an interesting perspective on the architecture. The image captures the essence of so many of these similar seaside attractions, which have suffered turbulent times in recent years following their heyday in past decades. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

This is a refreshingly different viewpoint of this much-photographed store facade in central Birmingham. By using a fisheye lens you have captured a very wide scene, showing the entire structure in its immediate surroundings. Your positioning on the connecting walkway gives added interest to the perspective. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

There were a few images of this structure in this contest, but this one was my favourite. Due to the extremely long exposure time, it is difficult to know whether the shot was taken in virtually full darkness, but I like the light levels you have shown, as we get to see a lot of detail in the architecture, and also some sense of the surroundings. Great viewpoint to creatively use the curving edge of the paving to help lead the eye into the frame, and some nice gentle colour contrasts between the cool bluey grey and the warmer yellow lighting. I also like how we can see just a glimpse of the illuminated entrance which invites us into the building. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

This was a late entry to my top ten which I had bypassed on my first reviews of all the images, but once it was in the placings it kept rising until it reached the top. Composition of the shot is magnificent, a great lesson in how to compose an architectural image for maximum effectiveness and impact. All the elements work very well, and it is especially good that you have avoided any overlap of the more distant roofline with the lower edge of the foreground curve, keeping the different structures separated by a slither of sky. The two figures are tiny within the frame, but add to the composition, giving a sense of scale and a vital human element. Very well balanced exposure across the frame too. Fabulous work, congratulations on your winning image.