Life on the Road

A striking photograph and depiction of Life on the Road. At first I thought it had a Cartier Bresson feel to it but the looser composition has perhaps more of a hint of William Klein. The strength of this image for me is it's spontaneity and simplicity. This is all about boys having simple fun on a road presumably in their neighbourhood. It has a timeless feel to it enhanced of course by the choice of black and white. Colour wouldn't have worked well as the colours of the adult figues in the background and the Cuban walls would have drawn attention away from the action. The blurriness of the football and the apparent noise or grain adds to to the rawness and dynamism of the image in my opinion. A full tonal range as well.

I'm not a great fan of star trails. Once you've seen one you've seen them all is kind of my take on the subject. But this one is different. I find it quite touching and if a photo evokes feelings in you then it's working. The story here is of a couple or family touring Spain and Portugal in their Motorhome. Motorhomes are largish vehicles but here the photographer has managed to make his vehicle seem very small against the vastness of the universe. We are being invited to peak into the Motorhome's side window at a cosy holiday scene whilst just outside we have millions of stars millions of miles away. The contrast between the two subjects couldn't be more extreme and I think it works very well. Also we are reminded that whilst the Motorhome is stationary the Earth on which it is located is constantly spinning. Wow!

A stunning, bold photograph in my opinion and a worthy winner of this competition. The timing is brilliant with the sunburst peaking through the figure on the left's arm. I love the way there is a strong leading line from the head of the person on the right going down the road and culminating in the two motorcyclists (who would have disappeared behind the figure on the left had the shot been taken a fraction of a second later). There is a depth and drive to this photo with the photographer getting down low for a cow's level view of the scene. This is apt and a good way of telling the story that cows are sacred in this society. This a fantastic example of how to use a 24mm focal length to its full potential, filling the frame but providing a panoramic view with plenty of depth of field at the chosen aperture. I love the strong contrast and lack of detail in the shadows which provides a real punch to the image. I might have been tempted to add a thin white border to the frame. A brilliant depiction of Life on the Road.

I can't remember the last time a photograph made me laugh out loud but that's what won me over with this depiction of Life on the Road. Yes it's totally set up and it's full of all the dreadful cliches and stereotypes under the sun. The man's left hand is chopped off as is the woman's right knuckles but this somehow adds to the spontaneity of the scene. I just love the expression on the woman's face who is acting as though she is totally oblivious to what the man is getting worked up about. If a photograph can engage with you on a feeling level then it works and for me this photo makes me smile and chuckle.

This photo leapt out at me. A bold, striking and graphic image of Life on the Road. I don't know whether the vehicle is parked but the composition is spot on with the right arrow pointing at the vehicle which is perfectly placed in the frame. The very real risk of pushing the contrast and saturation in colour photographs is that they start to look over processed. But not here with the boldness of the processing working wonders for the impact of the photo. I love the frayed paint on the double yellow lines which brings a sense of reality to what is otherwise a quite surreal image. I think the photographer has shown immense skill in producing such a graphic image from what is in reality a fairly mundane scene - which most people might just walked past without a second glance.

Not normally a great fan of montages but this one is very good - although I was somewhat alarmed to learn that the photos were taken whilst the photographer was simultaneously driving! The photos individually, although well exposed and processed, are a bit mundane. But the complete magic of this take on the Life on the Road theme is that the montage works brilliantly. It's a striking composition in itself but you get more from it the more closely you look at it, the blurred movement through the car windows being one example. Extremely clever and well thought out entry.

A quirky take on the Life on the Road theme. It's a desert but we suddenly realise that there must surely be some sort of road here - hence the vehicle peaking over the the dune. This a simple, minimalistic and effective photo contrasting a bleak, wild scene with some evidence of human activity.

A lovely rendition of the Life on the Road theme. A young boy is apparently showing off his skills with the cycle wheel to the photographer. He contrasts nicely with the adult figures in the background. The muted colours work well. I like the V shape of the valley and it gives a focal point to the environment in which the little boy lives. I like also the look of pride and concentration on the young boy's face which the photographer has skillfully captured. I just wonder whether a slightly tighter crop -missing out a little of the foreground and the right side of the picture might further enhance a great image? Just a thought.

A great image taken from a fairly extreme wide angle. This tells an interesting story of Life on the Road. I love the use of the slowish shutter speed which both helps to provide emphasis to the sacred place of cows in this society and also emphasises the hustle and bustle of life on this road. The 1/15 of a second is spot on allowing for just the right amount detail and blur and contrasts very well with the static cows. They are not flustered by all the movement around them. The 20 mm focal length has been used very skilfully as the frame is full from a few inches from where the photographer is standing, to the far distance and the f.20 setting means we a have detail everywhere. A compelling and powerful image.

A lovely image of Life on the Road . The 200mm focal length and the f 2.8 stop makes the subject of the image stand out very well from the background. I wonder also whether the background has been made slightly softer in post processing. But whatever it is the crowded bus stands out beautifully from the background. The 200mm choice of lens has compressed the perspective and has made the passengers seem even more packed into the back of the truck. When I was in Myanmar a few years ago I tried frequently to take a similar type of picture with abysmal results so I'm envious of this shot! Focussing is spot on with little depth of field to play with and the expressions on the faces are excellent.

A dramatic action packed scene of Life on the Road. The 500mm focal length is a perfect choice for compressing the perspective and the shimmering air is also emphasised. The horses and cows fill the frame and it feels so real you can almost feel the heat and hear the noise of the herd. The two front men contrast nicely with the 3 less clear figures in the background. The panoramic crop also enhances the image very nicely.

A bold and striking depiction of Life on the Road. Although the girl in the middle is smiling it is clear that they are involved in an arduous work routine on this road. The frame is filled beautifully and the 90mm focal length chosen allows the subjects to stand out from their background. The hidden figure on the left of the image and the exhausted expression of the girl on the right emphasise that this is a real life situation. The photograph has been processed very well with a huge amount of detail throughout and is perfectly exposed. The subject matter fills the frame and each of the figures mirrors each other whilst retaining their own individual traits.

This is a striking and mysterious take on the Life on the Road theme. This is the work of a bold photographer who is not afraid to push things to the limit - a wide open aperture, a slow shutter speed, very contrasty processing with plenty of grain added. The whole image has a dreamlike quality. I love some of the details like the profile of the rider and a sense that the horse is going through a puddle. The vignetting isn't subtle but is very effective and gives a kind of claustrophobic feel to the image. A fine example of how bold and determined processing can transform what in reality may have been quite a mundane scene.

A bold and striking image which works perfectly in black and white. Colour would have been too distracting . The slowish shutter speed is a perfect choice for retaining detail and sharpness whilst adding a sense of movement. The subject stands out perfectly from the muted background. There has obviously been a lot skill deployed in the processing of this image. Personally I would have been tempted to add a thin white border because as it stands it's difficult to see where the frame of the photo ends in certain parts.

An epic Life on the Road scene with a twenty first century twist to it. The use of a drone (something I know nothing about) means that this photo has been taken relatively recently. The photographer has made good use of the muddy flood season water which greatly adds to the impact of the photo. The bold diagonal line of the road which goes from one corner of the image to the other is another striking feature of the image. The vehicles and boats give a sense of scale to the picture.