Nightlife

A shot of this type is more a test of restraint than of excess; the photographer must frame and expose the shot well enough to get the desired light trails effect and an otherwise sharp image. This is a superb example of that, and has all the trappings of an experienced photographer taking a well thought-out, frequently practiced image. The fact that the struts either side of the wheel can be seen so clearly shows a confident eye and an impressive level of mastery over the controls of the camera.

There's a great photo here, fighting to get out. I just think you've overdone the editing. The clouds are too sharp at the edges, and the touch of motion blur on the boat in the background looks distracting. If you compiled this from multiple exposures, less is more. Try and balance your exposure by using an ND filter to get rid of the unworkable highlights from the lights, and get the best shot you can in a single exposure. Background motion from clouds shouldn't be avoided, but embraced. You've got a great eye, and taken a well framed image, so with a couple of tweaks it'd be spectacular.

I love the energy and colour in this image. The lack of sharpness really adds to to the feeling of the mosh pit and the crowd surfer above. My only criticism is based around the framing as there's a bit too much of the ceiling in the image and not quite enough of the crowd. I'd also try to include the face of the crowd surfer if possible, but I understand that can be almost impossible. Good work though, and keep it up!

Light trails can become too caught up in form and structure, disappearing into cliched shots of dark roads with moving headlights. This image discards convention taking on a far more artistic look, resembling flames licking up from the crowd. Motion blur is normally shunned by photographers, but this image shows how it can play into your hands with a creative eye and some intelligent framing. It also shows how turning your head away from the stage at a gig can reap huge rewards.

Dance is difficult to capture while retaining the emotion of the situation. Many photographers opt to balance out the poor lighting and mass of motion with flash, often freezing the subject by erring on the side of caution. This image shows what discarding the rulebook can achieve; a stunning end result showing the chaotic, beautiful combination of movement and music without losing an amount of detail. The black and white tone removes any distracting colour, drawing the eye even more to the couple in the foreground.

Light trail shots aren't particularly tricky for a decent amateur-level photographer. It's all about getting the balance of shutter speed and aperture at a level which doesn't minimise the effect of the light trail, or entirely remove the background from having any significance whatsoever. This image favours the backdrop over the moving train in the foreground, giving a far better overall impression of the environment without losing the essence of the light trail effect. A great take on a style of shot in danger of becoming a cliché.

There's so much in this excellent image to admire - from the stunning architecture of the building through to the skaters in the foreground. There's so many difficult elements to manage within the image it's highly impressive it's so sharp, well exposed and doesn't have any unfavourable elements showing a strong vision from the photographer. It's easy to commend such a well taken image from what is clearly a technically accomplished photographer at home with his chosen DSLR and lens setup.

This is a great take on an often-captured angle, using the movement of the cloud and striking blue lights to create a marvellous nightlife image. Although it's almost unthinkable for the bridge to be empty at any time of day, the lack of any major crowds shows the skill of the photographer. A truly eye-catching image that makes our nation's capital look all the more photogenic than it is, mixing the iconic landmarks with some of London's newer additions to the landscape.

You've almost got a great shot there. Your framing is just a bit off - you needed to be on the balcony rather than overlooking it. As a result you miss the wonderful skyline in the background. It's always worth considering the light; you should always favour one strong light source, and in this you've got the purple light on the balcony and the sky. As a result it looks a bit muddled and confused. I'd have taken one shot at the edge of the balcony looking out, and perhaps a portrait shot using that really interesting purple light.

Gig photography should show the emotion of the crowd, reacting to the intangible audio, giving the viewer some impression of the experience within the venue. As shown in this excellent image, you can quite easily throw out all the standard tropes of framing and exposure to capture the best possible shot within the environment. In what was most likely an incredibly cramped space the photographer still managed to grab this unusual, eye-catching shot. There's plenty to cause the purists to turn their noses up, but far more to admire.

The lights at a gig are normally the bane of a photographer's life, rather than an element to include. This photographer has clearly considered the stage lighting as well as the on-stage smoke. This gives a sense of the full show, rather than just the artist, and uses the lighting to emphasise the shadowing on the face and body of the artist. Rather than using flash, which is often not allowed in gig photography, the photographer has wisely increased the ISO to compensate for lack of light and used black and white to draw attention to the range of tone and shadow.