Live performance

We love this wide, fisheye shot because it captures the energy and spirit of the performance. We can't see the act, but the movement and enthusiasm in the crowd, plus the shafts of lights protruding from the stage draws us into the photo and places us in amongst the audience.

This photograph is simple, clean and detailed simultaneously. The two performers leans back outwards from the centre which gives the shot symmetry. A giant red lit-up wall behind allows the photographer to capture the people in silhouette, with a little highlight spill from overhead lights. There's also a few visual cues around the frame that tells us they're on stage, like the mic stand and drum kit off to the left.

A powerful stance from the singer in the front of this shot parallels the extraordinary plumes of smoke that explode in the background. With superb detail in the smoke and high dynamic range processing overall, this shot is gritty, (from the noise) punchy (from the definition) and captures the essence of the music.

The magic of this photo is the extraordinary vibrancy of the colours, from the multi-coloured lanterns that hang in the trees, to the homogeneity of the monk's orange robes. A low camera angle makes efficient use of the reflection in the water in front of the photographer to keep the foreground of the image lively.

This shot shows an intimate portrait with the performer side-lit to cast deep, harsh shadows towards the right of her body. Smoke and piercing stage lights create a a blanket of negative space, textured by noise that actually improves the quality of the photo.

At first this image seems like a safe street scene of a busker playing a flute, but in the bottom of the frame we see two snakes being 'charmed' as the flautist performs his tune which immediate ups the ante. The background is filled with bright turquoise walls and buildings to provide a well-structured image.

The strength in this photograph is not really being able to resolve the image in one's eye. A pile of nude bodies on the stage, as seen during a play, create a textured geometric shape that is replicated by what we believe may be a projection up above them. Processing in black and white keeps viewers focused on the shapes.

Decent drummer shots are always hard to come by due to the low light at the back of the stage during performances, but when a drummer literally sets his sticks alight, it's hard to ignore. The photographer has framed this image confidently with a tight crop around the kit and licks of flames.

This on-stage view reveals what the performer faces when singing. The crowd uses their mobile phones to create a sea of lights that stretch out into the darkness. The singer is centrally framed and lit buildings in the top of the frame help prevent the eye from dropping out of the image.

The photographer has managed a nicely balanced exposure with foreground, background and everything in between within similar exposure values. Two talkback speakers either side of one performer frames the scene, and eye contact at eye-level draws the viewer into the shot.