151,164 Ratings
Although this image didn't make it into the final top 30, it deserves a special mention. Cropping to a square and excluding the entirety of the horse's head is a nicely creative approach. The detail in the backlit main and forelock, not to mention the eye, is just right, and it was important to wait until the ears were pricked. Had they been pointing backwards, the photograph would not have worked.
At first glance, this looks like a very simple image - and it is. However, spend a little more time with it, and there's so much to take in. The timing of the shot is lovely, with each child in a slightly different position while essentially carrying out the same activity. And the negative space they create is very pleasing indeed. The detail in the rippling sand and the wisps of cloud in the sky complete the picture. Beautifully balanced overall.
It's rare to see a macro shot in black & white, and what's so good about this one is it hasn't been simply converted to monochrome for the sake of it. The absence of colour allows the viewer to concentrate solely on the shapes of the fungi, with their beautifully delicate backlighting, and the eye goes straight to the woodlouse - which is as it should be. A very nicely executed close-up.
Brief
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When photographers remove colour from the equation, they are free to concentrate on other aspects of what makes a fantastic photograph. Composition, framing and lighting all take central stage once the distraction of colour is taken away. But it’s not as simple as merely desaturating your images – to successfully shoot in black and white, you need to think in a different way in the first place. There are no shortages of masters of this craft, take a look at the wonderful work of Bill Brandt, Sebastião Salgado, Michael Kenna and many more to give yourself some inspiration.
Meet the expert judge
It's been said many times before, but black & white photography is about graphic shapes as much as it is about the subject itself, and this is an excellent case in point. By converting the image to monochrome, we are instantly drawn to the 'outline' of the image - the shape formed by the little egret - from it's long, pointed beak, down to the triangle created by the space between its legs, and the delicate detail in the tail feathers. This image has exactly the right amount of information, and needs no more and no less.
