Made from Glass

This is a strong, bold and vibrant image of a fantastic collection of glass bottles - whoever thinks glass bottles are a bit dull and only come in one "bottle" shape and colour only need look at this image to be proved wrong! Great focusing and lighting has brought a super luminosity to the glass, and the different colours contrast and complement nicely. I especially like how the direction of the lighting has cast a strong, dark outline to each bottle, which further emphasises their shapes. I also really like the difference in colour and shapes in the transparency where the bottles overlap. A superb way to show off these lovely bottles, well done.

A bold, abstract architectural image, filling the frame with glass. For me, what works especially well is the strong contrast which emphasises the shapes and lines of the building and the multiple glass panes, and gives a clean, sharp feel to the shot. The simple colouring suits the subject, blue, white and black. The angle of view gives a true sense of this structure towering away above us. Great work.

A striking graphic image, where the viewer struggles to fathom where the building ends and its reflection begins. For this subject I think the decision to convert to black and hite was the right one, as it brings a more abstract focus to the shot, making the image as much about lines and shapes as it is about showing a building. It could possibly have benefited from a little more contrast to show a full range of tones from black through to white however. You have done well to avoid any unwanted reflections in the glass, and the plain sky completes the simplicity of the scene. A well seen image, great work.

During my judging of this contest, there was a good deal of switching of the final placings, but this beautiful still life image eventually got my top spot. I am not usually a great fan of images processed in this way, with added textures and digital frames etc, but this one has won me over!! I love the harmony of the different shades of blue, similar, but different enough to allow each object to standout sufficiently from each other and the background. The addition of the tiny white flowers to the composition add a little touch of contrast, in terms of colours, textures and shapes, which works really well. The lighting you have used has just the right balance for me, casting soft shadows, yet allowing some stronger highlight glints on the glass to show its characteristic nature of being a hard, shiny substance. A lovely image, sensitively and artistically processed. Congratulations on your first place.

Very close to the top spot, this is a super image of a varied collection of vintage bottles. It can be surprisingly difficult to arrange such items to form a pleasing composition, but you have achieved success here. The contrasting blues and ambers works really well, and you have avoided what may have been a temptation to some to completely blacken the background, instead retaining a more natural feel to the scene. Likewise with the reflections, natural and not overpowering. Lighting is great, with the strong highlights bouncing off the shiny glass, but you look to have done a great job of avoiding any stray reflections from within the room showing on the surface of the bottles. A well composed, well lit and beautifully natural looking image, well done on your second place.

The tight crop you have opted for here makes the shot for me, as we are in nice and close to the details, but with just enough information to put the subject into context. It is often difficult when photographing reflective subjects to avoid reflections of unwanted objects, but such is the pattern on the surface of the headlamp glass that there is nothing distracting in the reflections, just an interesting blend of shapes and colours. I love the little hint of blue crazed paintwork, which gives some colour and also tells a story relating to the age/condition of the vehicle. A simple subject, but a well executed image. Well done on your top ten placing.

This is a lovely crisp, clear image, monochrome save for the little splash of red which adds colour and interest to the shot. Well composed and well focused, with everything looking sharp. The key success for me with this image though is the superb lighting you have used, and myself being a long way from an expert on lighting, I cannot work out what systems you may have actually used to light the scene. Whatever, it has been done very well, and gives an extremely pleasing result. A beautiful, artistic image, well done.

A portrait image is possibly an unusual choice to enter into a "made from glass" contest, but for me it fits the brief well. The focus is on the lady delicately drawing on the glass pane with her finger, and in doing so takes the viewers focus between her face and the the glass window pane. The model is beautifully lit with the soft natural light coming through the window. You have done well to draw the viewers attention to the heart being drawn in the condensation on the glass - if you had taken even a slightly different angle of view, the heart would have been invisible against the whiter part of the background outside. Whether it was luck or judgement, it worked! Well done.

This image crept up through my placings through the judging to end in third spot. It may not be the technically perfect, but I somehow find the image quite captivating. The inclusion of the tiny cyclist is vital to the shot and without the pink-jacketed child, this would be a simple architectural image. Looking at the scene, we seem to be surrounded by glass with reflections in the reflections! I like the wide crop, as it allows a good expanse of the architecture to be captured. The only thing I would suggest altering in the image is possibly the white balance - I wonder if the tones are a little too "warm" and too yellowy/pink, and whether it may improve the image further if the colours were cooled a little to show more bluer hues Only a minor point, still a great shot, well deserving of its top three placing.