Light painting

This subject has been well chosen and composed. I particularly like the subtle colour of this landscape which, I imagine, has been shot shortly after dusk. It has been well executed using a tripod to describe the fast moving water through a long exposure. Since there is no evidence of ambient light, I imagine that the trees in the centre of the picture have been "painted in" with a powerful torch. The perspective of the clouds provide the drama of a Spielbergian sky. Balancing remaining daylight with ambient street lighting and perhaps a powerful torch or spotlight can require extensive testing. I would be surprised if this lovely image has been achieved by luck rather than judgement.

This image stands out as well planned, well executed and atmospheric. It has all the mood of Ron Howard's film "Backdraft" describing the life of Chicago firefighters. The solitary man appears to be standing in the middle of an inferno. I have always considered photography to be an exercise in painting with light and this picture really demonstrates what can be achieved by opening the lens of a camera set on a tripod whilst the photographer orchestrates the lighting by building up the required effect bit by bit.

This well-populated fun fair image really captures the drama of the scene. The people all appear to be remarkably sharp, which suggests that a very long exposure was not required. The girl's face on the left turned to camera provides a critical link from the subject to the photographer. The rich saturated colour produced by the lights against the black night sky really conveys the excitement of the event. In recent years digital photography has really advanced to become a media where instant results enable us to tune our screens to provide the optimum result.

There is always at least one... The author of this image is truly gifted and I would like to make an award, but I'm not sure which part of the term "light painting" was not understood? I'm undecided whether totally ignoring the brief completely OR decorating submitted images with poorly crafted "corporate" identity or logo's should command the highest distinction. Although nice, there is surely has no place for a mountaineer lit by the sun in this competition! Participants really should read the brief.

This is Canary Wharf at night as viewed with a zoom lens and a time exposure. This is a really interesting composition, well observed and shot using a very solid tripod. My eye was drawn to this image because it is one of the few submissions where the subject is totally inanimate and there is painting with light in straight lines of colour drawn by the lens. This image deserves a commendation for its originality suggesting yet another slant on the term 'painting with light'.

I am unable to guess what provides this cascade of coloured lights from above. The effect is a graphic composition worthy of a commendation. Without insight into the subject matter I find it difficult to write about, which probably adds to its mystique. This is a great image that once again provides material to demonstrate what a great brief has been given to experiment with. Open the lens and let the waves pour in - photography IS painting with light! Celebrate and experiment!

Great to see some "light brush" work again. It was very "in vogue" in the 80s and 90s until digital photography took hold. Then early digital cameras had a problem with long exposures so people forgot about the technique for a while. This is a bit of a crude attempt, particularly as we no longer have to wait two hours to see the results back from the lab! Full marks for giving it a go. Being one of very few still life subjects submitted its definitely worth a commendation.

This is a great opportunity clumsily executed. I think a great deal more could have been achieved with this subject. The child's scribble can be argued to be fun, but as I have already commented on another image, I wrestle with the grey line of "intent" that can separate craft from abstract art. Painting with light using a hi-tech glossy automobile lends itself to creativity to experiment with reflections, form, the car's own interior and exterior lights. I think it would definitely be worth re-visiting this subject.

Raining sparks falling to ground and bouncing off the walls of this railway arch reflected in the puddle in the foreground produce a really interesting composition. I love the little spiders of light that are created as the sparks bounce on the floor. This is one of the simpler shots sharing no ambient light with which to balance the main exposure. Sparks flying towards the camera provide depth to the composition, which I think could have been improved by choosing a lower angle to make more of the reflections of the subject in the puddle.

This is a great image and has only just avoided getting an award due to there being a lot of good work submitted. The best thing about it is that I am unsure how it has been produced. We do appear to be seeing the source of light to create the trails, however it maybe reflected or refracted. I like this image and, although, like with many of the submissions, I am seeing the "brush rather than the painting" it is in itself an interesting composition with a good use of colour.

I have been asked to comment on several "un-awarded" images. Nicely composed this could have made an interesting image. One wonders what happened? Did the author run out of gas? Did he/she get moved on by the police? Did he burn himself, spontaneously explode or got bored and just went home? I find these burning questions unbearable in this day of instant gratification provided by the digital camera. I probably will never find out what happened so I guess I am enchanted by the mystery. With a little tenacity this image could have been great - definitely worth a revisit.

This image has a great sci-fi quality, it has been well observed and well photographed. Timing to balance the sky exposure with the moving lights of what I understand to be a fairground ride would have been quite critical. The overall effect is quite surreal with the painted circus girls and Donald Duck occupying the panels below the giant windmill structure. Absence of humans add to the drama of the scenario which could make great subject matter for an entire project of moving structures at night.

A spectacular effect! But it's been around for a long time. I guess it's hard to go wrong with this technique. I love the way the sparks bounce off the ground. A good choice to find a high point for the subject to make the most of the cascade of light trails. Full marks for effect, but loosing points for originality. Time of the evening or dawn could contribute enormously to achieving a variety of exposure balance of sparks to ambient light.