Light Painting

I love the concept. The association of the definition of photography being 'painting with light' is very appropriate. The colours chosen are bright and vibrant which demand attention and the hand clasping the brush forms a very small part of the image yet it is an important component in the narrative.

This is an image I really like. As I have said with many of my Reviews, it demonstrates planning and a high degree of technical skill needed to make the image. The image is sharp. The exposure is perfect with an air of mystery being offered by the shadow areas. There is just the right amount of sparks behind the light bulb to convey the effect of electricity. Very worthy of its place in the Top 10.

I love the framing of this image with Big Ben's clock tower being centrally positioned under the arch. I also like the way the artist has matched the green and white lights under the bridge with the colours in their light trails. This brings a sense of harmony to the image.

It is a really difficult image to photograph as you need to take into account both the ambient and artificial lighting. Where I think this image could be improved is in the balance of light between the different sources. As it stands I feel the lights under the bridge are too dominant in comparison to those in the light trails. So much so that the image appears to be a night landscape with a bit of additional illumination added as an after thought. I would be really keen to try this again but making the light trails more dominant in the frame (bigger, brighter) and have some connection with the scene. Give a bit more thought to what they may represent in the image and then try it again.

Lighting wire wool and spinning it around has been a popular concept with photographers in this competition. Many have been executed very well, some less so but photography is a constant learning process. In this image the photographer has taken the concept of spinning wire wool a step further. They have placed themselves in a dramatic landscape which enhances the spectacular lighting effect from the wool. We have a dramatic sky, a high cliff with a stone tower and a drawbridge leading the viewers eye into the image. The dramatic landscape and sky all work together to take this 'wire wool' image to the next level and in to the winners circle.

Once again another image that demonstrates great planning, execution and technique. The foreground has been sympathetically illuminated so as not to be too bright and be a distraction. The inside of the fuselage has been lit in a contrasting colour to add interest. The night sky and Milky Way have been beautifully captured. Then to give the image added interest we have the artists torch beam pointing up to a light painted circle in the sky. I would imagine this is almost certainly a composite image but it shows just what is possible with digital cameras, drones and modern processing software. Really well done.

This was one of a series of images submitted by this artist and in my opinion this was the best of the bunch. I am assuming it is some kind of light stick with a sparkler attached to the end of it. The patterns that have been created and the colours of yellow and blue are a wonderful combination. The flourish of the white light moving off to the top right of frame, following the positioning of the models arms adds a real sense of symmetry. As this is a creative image I would have been tempted to clone out the city lights in the distance as they can prove a distraction to what is a wonderfully thought out and photographed image.

Again another wire wool image but this time with a difference. Rather than the wool being spun overhead, this time it is spun vertically creating a tunnel for us to look down. This is an amazing effect so well done to the photographer for thinking of it. My only issue is that 'if' there was something for us to look at, at the end of the tunnel it would be so much better. You have created an area of the image for us to look at yet there is nothing in it. Maybe you could try this concept again, only this time use a flash to freeze the person spinning the wool. Or with modern processing applications you may be able to make another image and then blend the two together.

I love the creativity of this image. Using a bike as the main prop on an illuminated footbridge and then providing accent lighting around the bike. This gives the image a sense of flow and added interest. The exposure has been handled really well, the lights on the bridge haven't 'blown out' yet it needed to be long enough for the artist to work their way around the bike with the red lights. Really well done.

I love the way the photographer has merged the landscape and sky with their light painting.

The night sky has been beautifully photographed. I really enjoy the way the path unto the hut has been illuminated and then the photographer has added a subtle illumination to the trees. Really well done.

What I think would take the image to the next level is to consider your illumination a little more. The lightest part of the path is on the edge of the frame when I would like to see it at the entrance to the hut. This would draw the viewers eye in to the image more. Also consider the direction of light when you are illuminating the trees. Light from the side gives more sculpting to subjects. If you light from the front the appear flat by comparison.

If this location is close to you it is one I would definitely return to and try again.

Another studio image demonstrating great planning and execution. What I really like about this image is that the artists has restricted their colour palette to mostly shades of reds. While this could be overwhelming if not handled with care the artist here has shown great skill. All the colour shades are harmonious yet at the same time separate enough to create interest. The background tends to suggest a vibrant drink, I would just like to see a little more sparkle in the liquid in the wine glass. This would elevate the image to a possible winner of the competition.

There was another image with a similar colours that almost made the Top 10 but missed out due to the viewing angle.

I feel this viewing angle is so much better, the colours are lovely as is the detail in the background. With this image I would love to see a bit more sparkle in the glass bottles to make them stand out a bit more from the background.

When we make an image we as photographers must have a clear view of what is our main subject, what we want the viewers to see as being the main subject. We can make this stand out in many ways - sharpness, illumination, leading lines etc. In this image I am not sure is the colours, the textures or the glass bottles are the star of the show.

If we are using props (glass bottles) then I suggest we make them our main subject.

This is an excellent concept and with a little tweaking would have made our Top 10.

This image hovered around the Top 10 for some time but with 15 shortlisted I had to remove 5 and sadly this was one of them.

I love the objects used, the reflections and the colours, everything has been chosen carefully and the image executed tastefully.

My only concern is with the viewing angle we are presented with. I can see why this angle was chosen - to show the reflections but it still leaves me with an uneasy feeling. The overall image is one of beauty and relaxation yet the angle we are looking at these objects from just feels wrong. I know this is only my opinion but as I said, I had to narrow my choice down from 15 to 10 and this was my reasoning.

I thought this was a really clever image and well executed. It conveys the impression of some kind of magical power contained within the pages of a book. It is this kind of storytelling that elevates an image from a mere photograph to something the viewer can connect with. The most successful images often touch the viewer on an emotional level. This image makes our Top 10 but could have been higher up the 'leader board' if there had been some clue in the image to inform the viewer 'why' this book had some magical properties.

A really stunning image of the Grand Canal in Venice, sadly it doesn't fit the brief for this competition. The artist is not alone, there were over 300 images submitted that clearly didn't fit the brief. There were a good few more that I couldn't be 100% certain of and allowed through. My advice to anyone entering a competition is to carefully read the brief. For this light painting competition it clearly states that the photographer must be in control of the light source or sources. This excludes vehicle light trails, fireworks and photographs of city lights.

I will let you into a secret. Judging competitions is very difficult and to simplify the process most judges look for reasons which enable them to discount images. Not fitting the brief is clearly one of the major reasons. Others may include a horizon that isn't straight, large areas of blown out highlights or blocked up shadows, dust spots or the image being out of focus.

So don't give the judges the opportunity to discount your image at the first stage.