Man-made & partially submerged

This contest was a lot more difficult to judge than I first anticipated. I'd been backwards and forwards over many of the entries but this was the one I felt met my criteria the best. I was preferably looking for items that wouldn't normally be found in water and this one hit the theme right on the head. It's taken a rather mundane man made object and been blended with the skill of the photographer to create an exquisite shot. I really like the minimalist feel to it which is enhanced by the silky smooth water but what I really like is the fact that the photographer has left pebbles in a section of the shot. They add a sense of balance and a little extra texture to compliment the long exposed water. The whole palette of colours work terrifically well together with the lovely lighting picks up the handle and wheels on the trolley perfectly. A fantastic interpretation of my brief and congratulations on the judge first place. Thank you very much for entering the contest.

Shopping trolleys seem to be a popular choice for ending up in water as this one shows. This was one of a handful that showed a trolley and I like the composition of this with just the handle showing. I also like the fact that it shows raindrop ripples which adds a little extra to the picture, but it would have been quite nice if the whole shot was in focus rather than just the trolley. The trolley sides under the water draw the eye to the centre of the shot which gives it a good balance and the fact that the handle is straight is a plus. I'm not sure if there has been any post straightening or not but level lines are something I like. A nice shot overall and thank you for entering.

This was so very, very close to being the winning shot but it just missed out in the end. I love everything about the shot from the subject matter to those beautifully smooth, silky waters. You've then got leading lines, angles, a fantastic array of textures and all complimented with understated, muted colours. The red at the end of the hand rail is perfectly positioned and just pops out from the centre of the frame. The only reason it didn't get first spot was because I was really looking for an item/object that wouldn't normally be found in the water. With these steps getting a dousing at high tide I felt that this is what just nudged it into second spot. Thank you very much for entering.

Now this may not be the most technical of masterpieces but I've picked it out to review because of 3 reasons. (A) it fits the brief with the road bollards and bust stop being partly submerged and man made (B) for the memory of days when fuel was still in the 70 - 80 pence range and finally (C) for the great title. I think a title is an important part of a photograph and this one is spot on.