Musical Instruments

This capture, so intimate and elegant, is my favourite still life shot in the competition. What I love the most about this image is the light. Coming from one side, beautifully soft, it gently highlights and enhances all the different textures, creating depth and bringing details to life. The objects' positioning is well thought-out. From the chair, angled slightly away from camera, to the violin and bow in a 'V' shape, and the open book: every element helps to build balanced composition that is extremely pleasant to the eye. Lastly, the aperture of F5 is enough to slightly blur the items closer to camera, enhancing the shot's depth and softness. A successfully executed still life image that was a pleasure to look at.

I love how this image doesn't just capture a music instrument, but how intense playing one can be, both emotionally and physically. The angle is not common for a drum shot, and thankfully so. From here, in fact, we see not just the drums, but the player, too - the better part of a music instrument. The composition is balanced and the sharpness pleasant, and both these elements draw the viewer's eye straight to the glimmering sweat and tattoos on the drummer's back -key details in the success of this shot. Lastly, the black & white grading allows us to focus right onto the emotion the image evokes, all whilst enhancing the smoke that beautifully frames the scene. A great one-of-a-kind capture. Well done!

Interesting subjects, vibrant colours and great contrast make this image one to stop and look at. The composition is well-balanced, with the sitting-down men positioned at an angle and the people standing up framing the shot on either side. I wished the aperture had been a little narrower in order to blur the background more and visually separate the band from the houses behind them, but I understand the challenge of getting in focus a group of people who aren't on the same focal level. This is a joyful and visually striking image that deserves recognition. Well done!