Narrative

I kept navigating away from this image and then kept coming back to it, largely I think as it reminded me so much of Northern Exposure.

In the legendary TV series, one of the main members of the cast seemed to be a moose who would occasionally be seen nonchalantly walking down the road while the residents nonchalantly ignored it. This image has exactly the same feel and I love that, as I think that is the non-aggressive and trusting relationship we should be having with nature.

I like the idea of someone sitting in the chair fishing and passing the time with the elk who is standing next to them. What were they talking about? This image made me happy and I enjoyed the many trains of thoughts and narratives it conjured up. Well done.

When I was a child we had a reproduction of the image 'Echo and Narcissus' by John William Waterhouse in our bathroom. I would spend hours looking at it. It was stunningly beautiful but also intriguing - a narrative within a narrative.

"In Ovid's version of the myth, Narcissus was the beautiful son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. His parents were told that he would live to an old age if he did not look at himself. He rejected all the nymphs and women who fell in love with him. One of these was the nymph Echo, who could only repeat the words of others. She was so upset by her rejection that she withdrew from life and wasted away until all that was left was a whisper. Her prayers were heard by the goddess Nemesis who caused Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. He continued to look at his reflection until he died. A narcissus flower grew on the spot where he died." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_and_Narcissus_(Waterhouse_painting)

This image is equally engaging but it is not an image of beauty. There is something very strange about this creature, I think I would feel fearful if it disengaged from its self worship for a minute and looked up at me. I wonder what it would become if it it withered away and died? Some peculiar Japanese anime or Minecraft animal perhaps?

It is an extremely creative and modern interpretation of an ancient theme that is beautifully shot and full of the narrative requested by the contest brief. Even with the title of the work and the back story of Echo and Narcissus removed, it would be an fabulously strong, standalone narrative piece. Brilliantly thought through and executed. Well done.

This image reminds me of the early days of cinema. The sepia colour adds to this feel. I love the grain (or noise it is hard to tell) and soft focus. It is exactly like the images that come from my box camera but has the surreal feel of old manual stereoscopic View-Master reels or the 1922 film classic Nosferatu.

The cat is sphinx like and reminiscent of a statue on a plinth. What is it gazing at?

The small child looks creature like creeping towards the unsuspecting cat. Or does the cat know it is there but it is unfazed by the strange child/demon's approach.

A simple idea with a small cast of characters, assisted by leading lines of shadow and clear shapes, creates a strong and intriguing narrative. Well done.

This image has the feel of a work by a new and emerging film-maker.

Although it has focusing issues, this doesn't actually bother me as it adds to the gritty realness of a captured moment. In this scene, the young woman's heart appears to have been utterly broken, you can see the hurt all over her face - her feelings are completely exposed and raw and she looks young and vulnerable like she needs protection. While the man's body language seems matter of fact and logical in contrast.

The black and white treatment removes all distractions and the composition, with the distance between them, adds to the tension of the piece. Really well done.

There is something so monumentally creepy about this image. The fact that you can't see the doll's eyes but we know the doll can see us is very disturbing. This is further enhanced by how real it looks.

The clever blurring of the banisters and use of orange, green and blue light add to the dark and surreal feel of the piece. Imagine walking up the stairs to see this and being scared out of your skin!

The scuffed doorways and skirting boards reinforce the story - this is this creature's regular domain.

Very cleverly thought out, staged and beautifully shot. Brilliant work.

There is something so joyous about this image. It is like the end of a musical when someone dances off into the sunset punching the air after a moment of great happiness or success to some wildly uplifting music. The warm colours of the sunset surrounding the dancer help add to this happy feel.

The angle of the telephone poles tell us that this is San Francisco, with its steep hills, without reading the location. So we are able to add further to the narrative in our minds without being given instruction - the picture tells the story. Well done.

This image reminds me of the most famous short story ever written: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." I guess, like all good narrative photography, for some this photo might represent the joy of a new life or the precious smallness of a child. For others who have had a miscarriage, lost a child or never been blessed with a family this could be a very sad and poignant image to which a personal narrative could be applied.

It is a beautifully shot image with even the individual hairs of the wool showing. I think I might have been inclined to crop it to remove some of the black background.

Brilliant job. A wonderfully simple image with a strong narrative which I feel fulfils the brief perfectly.

A wonderfully composed and executed image with a very strong and positive apparent narrative.

The subject's beautiful expression looks to be the joy of new love. This is enhanced by the light captured in her (perfectly in focus) eyes, making them sparkle.

The rule of thirds is cleverly applied with her left eye being the first place your gaze falls, which then leads you around the rest of her face and then down to her hand drawing your attention to her phone. Who is she in love with? Is she on her way to meet them?Is she talking to them or a friend? Where is she?

The people sitting behind give context and add to the cinematic feel.

The contrasting colours of the blue of her bindi and shawl and rusty red of the bars finish the image off nicely. The framing of the face by the bars is also a brilliant visual aid.

An outstanding image that far exceeds the brief. Really well done.

Although I think it is probably unintentional, this image visually reminds me of a modern take on 'Un bar aux Folies Bergère' by Édouard Manet. The framing is similar and the orange lining of the bag matches the positioning of the bowl of oranges in the Manet piece. However, the woman here does not engage us in eye contact although we are very much in the shop with her.

She seems to be having quite an animated conversation, perhaps with another member of staff and appears to be a strong character.

It also reminds me of the film Chocolat with all the sweet treats on offer and the feeling of the lady very much owning her space. You can really sense the hustle and bustle as she confidently manages her domain and all the people.

On a very minor technical note, it bothers me that the racks holding the shelves at the top are not quite level and I think I would be inclined to crop or rotate it slightly as it is also affecting the bottom right of the picture. Also, when viewing it closer, the processing has been very overdone leading to orange colouring in the eyes and a very cartoon-like quality to her face. I would have liked to have seen a more straight from the camera image I think.

Other than that, I think it is a fabulous narrative piece that tells a very engaging story. Well done.

This clever portrait uses netting to create texture and areas of light and shade. It is reminiscent of the chiaroscuro (strong light and shade) used by early Italian artists like Caravaggio and Artemesia Gentileschi.

The way the figure appears to come out of the background - at once part of it but also separate - adds to the strength of the piece. The 3D and almost sculptural feel of the image seem to take much from ancient marble pieces such as Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna in Florence, Italy (also known as the Abduction a Sabine Woman). Small details such as the mole on the arm and soft golden hairs near the wrist give it a human element though which tell us that she is real.

The subject has captured a moment of true, raw and overwhelming emotion.

It is not only an amazing portrait but fulfils the narrative required by the brief perfectly. Really well done.

There is something very akin to the 1953 French film 'Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot', starring comic actor Jacques Tati, about this image in the way the black and white is used. It has a starkness and almost creamy, smooth feel to it that it shares with scenes from the aforementioned film. The hat and coat add to the similarity.

There's a slightly more sinister edge is in this work though as the main character looks like he has been burying something behind the sand dunes. What could it be?

As there is no additional information to indicate that it is a composite, I am going to trust that it isn't and that it therefore falls into the parameters of the brief.

An intriguing and visually beguiling photograph that fulfils the cinematic and narrative theme well.