Open wide

I like the fact that the bird is facing away from Parliament, suggesting that even he (she?) is fed up with the shenanigans in the Palace of Westminster. The detail in the sky is well held in this shot and the background recognisable, adding useful information. Lightning the bird would help it stand out more and a lower viewpoint might place it against the sky and crop out more of the wall it's standing on, but it still works against the darker buildings on the right. A well-observed moment.

There's a good sense of movement in this picture. It looks as if the leaves are being blown along, captured by a quick-witted photographer. The clean background in no way diverts one’s attention from the leaves themselves – it seems as if they're falling through space, conjuring up childhood memories of autumn and happily kicking piles of leaves down the road. There could be some advantage in a slightly different spot as the main point of focus: the front of the main leaf rather than towards the rear of it. The picture would also gain from the wall on the right-hand side being more out of focus, or its being removed by cropping or using Photoshop. But these things don't detract from this photograph's successful capturing of a particular mood.

This is a good abstract image that nicely answers the brief. The positioning of the vegetable skin (I’m guessing it’s the skin from a red onion) is really elegant – this would make a great shot for a high-quality cookbook. Removing in Photoshop the stray hair-like strands on one part of the skin would likely benefit the shot. The clean background highlights the skin well and was a good choice. The connotations of fresh, healthy food contained in the image plus the clean ‘look’ of the picture would likely make it a successful stock image – stock is a useful source of extra income if you can regularly supply images of this quality. The lighting is also well thought through, with a soft, even illumination perfectly rendering the texture of the skin.

Great lighting and keen observation here. The solitary nature of the leaf in the centre of the frame and delicate back lighting really make this image stand out. Being sensitive to the light – where it is falling, the ratio between background and foreground lighting, and being aware of how the camera interprets these factors – can dramatically alter the success of a shot. The choice of aperture (f2.8) here is just right for this scenario. It allows the background to be sufficiently out of focus while ensuring good sharpness on the main point of interest. Altering the point of view slightly (by moving to the left or right) may have helped to eliminate some of the highlights in the background, thus giving a more uniform green backdrop for the leaf to stand out against, but the sensitivity to the lighting conditions and choice of aperture certainly make for a memorable shot.

Lovely soft lighting and an excellently judged combination of point of focus and aperture. The marks on the flower at the bottom of the picture might be worth removing as they're a bit distracting, but I’m struggling to make further suggestions. A skillfully taken shot.

Being from Liverpool, I can’t resist a shot of the Pier Head. The monumental nature of the building is implied by the out-of-focus close-up on the right-hand side, while the building is shown clearly on the screen of a mobile device, reflecting the technology of today. Cropping out the finger at the bottom of the picture and lightening the image of the building on the screen would improve the picture, but overall this is a good answer to the brief set.

I really like this image; it fits the brief perfectly and demonstrates very good control – shooting wide open can be very tricky, especially in a shot like this, which is essentially an action shot. The position of the bird about to land is spot on and the decision to keep the focus on the other bird works well. There is the hint of a story in the picture – this could be a frame from a Hitchcock movie, a signal that something ominous is about to happen. The wealth of background information adds to this interest, capturing the viewer’s attention. The colour palette of the image is very attractive, with the muted tones meaning there is no distraction from the key elements of the shot. The only potential improvement I can see is that there is a little colour fringing, which could probably be corrected in post-production. This is a stand-out picture for me, though – skillfully put together and combining a number of elements in an accomplished manner.

An inventive still-life shot that uses simple materials to demonstrate how, with a little imagination, you can make a good photograph. This conjures up the enticing mood of Christmas and has a warm, cosy feel. Picture libraries favour shots that have connotations (or concepts) that are immediate and variable depending on context, and this shot fits the bill. The point of focus would be better placed on the very front of the main ball, although the texture of the foregrounded ball contrasts well with the smoothness of those in the background. I also like the fact that the main subject is off-centre; generally it feels instinctual to place the subject in the centre but it's always worth considering alternative positions.

There’s a lovely seasonal feel to this shot and the exposure is well judged: slightly over in the background, which helps the rosehip to stand out. There aren’t many ways in which this shot could be improved; perhaps getting a little closer would help to throw the other elements more out of focus, or a higher point of view could eliminate the washed-out sky, but the subject and colour palette is very attractive and the shot nicely judged.

I like this shot as it offers a different interpretation of the brief and reminds me of the corporate work I’ve done for many years. The absorption of the man engaged in his solitary work is intriguing and the picture the modern office setting clearly shows how we work now – there are small details echoed in thousands of offices round the country. This photo also reflects photography’s use as 'evidence' and 'documentary', provoking interesting questions about these loaded and somewhat difficult terms.

Good exposure, good choice of aperture and well composed. This crop is quite tight – perhaps a wider shot to include more of the top and bottom of the plant would work better. The light is direct, but a small amount of diffusion might bring out the delicacy of the flower more. Even when you have got a good shot – as here – it’s still worth trying a few more variations to see if the scene can be improved.

An effective environmental portrait of a donkey that answers the brief well, giving a hint of the background without it being too distracting. A point of view that was a little lower would eliminate the fence in the bottom right of the picture – with digital it's now easier to shot around a subject, trying out alternative viewpoints to see which works best. But it's often difficult to achieve this with animals as they tend to be more difficult to direct; Photoshop can be helpful in removing (or blurring) any distracting elements. The decision to make this a black-and-white shot helps keeps the photo clean and uncluttered, so is to be commended.

A well-cropped shot of a swan, added to by the fact that the photographer has caught the water falling from its beak. The background is neutral without any distracting elements and the focus is spot on. The picture looks a little underexposed – the white of the swan may have fooled the camera meter here. This issue would easily be corrected in post-production; a calibrated screen (a must if working professionally in any way) helps immensely when judging this kind of thing. But overall this is a well-observed, well-executed photograph.

All the elements of this picture are well balanced and it answers the brief well. The natural light highlighting the central gravestone is perfect, as is the decision to make this the point of focus. The only potential improvements I can think of would be to lower the viewpoint a little, so that the gravestone is directly in the viewer's eyeline. This might also have the added benefit of being able to use more of the trees as a backdrop and avoid the highlight caused by other gravestones in the background. But the observation of the natural light available and how it is falling is first rate.

A simple shot very well executed. Simple shots can sometimes be difficult to pull off but this shot manages it well. The cool blue tones surrounding the candle contrast nicely with the red/orange of the flame, and the wax shapes around the top of the candle are great, as if they are dancing round the flame. Attention to detail in these types of still-life shots can really pay off. The position of the candle against a dark central triangle is also excellent, really making it stand out. It might benefit the picture if the candle were a little sharper – perhaps it was shot hand-held which can sometimes result in a little softness. Shooting on a tripod with a cable release can help eliminate this kind of problem. The distance from the background is just right, giving a beautifully soft effect for the aperture that's been used. Getting all these elements to work in harmony is what makes this shot successful.

There's a hint of mystery in this shot that's aided by the red colour cast, making for an intriguing shot. Despite a relatively small aperture (f5.6), the plant is nicely isolated from the background. It's also slightly soft in areas – seemingly caused by a soft-focus effect – creating a dreamy, otherworldly atmosphere. This unexpected sense of otherness lends an alien quality to the photograph. The lighting is a little harsh, though this is negated to some extent by the colour cast and soft focus. This combination of strategies aids the picture, raising it above a normal plant still life – so the approach was well thought out here.

This picture makes me want to know more, which is always a good sign in a photograph. Who are Felix and Jenifer? And why have they put a lock on this wire fence? Are they still in love? I like the fact that on the lock below Felix and Jenifer's, the trade name of the manufacturer (Am-Tech) is far more emphatic than the initials that seem to be faintly inscribed above it – this lock stands out, so it was a great choice to locate it at the point of focus; and the faintness of the writing in comparison to the others is nicely emotive, too (is this love less strong, or just more modest?). The focus works well here, with the falling away creating an effective point of view. The lens seems to be quite wide angle, which is useful for including a lot in the shot but offers the slight disadvantage of distorting perspective. Trying a variety of lens lengths (start with a standard length, so 50mm or equivalent) and positions when shooting could perhaps eliminate this. But this is still a good shot, with an effective use of depth of field. This kind of shot can be very good in editorial pieces where you want to build a narrative.

This shot demonstrates that you can find photographic subject matter everywhere – noticing the possibilities in the everyday is a key skill. There's a tradition in art concerned with materiality in which shots featuring dust or dirt are used as allegorical references to mortality. (This is expressed in the work of artists such as Moyra Davey, who exhibited at Tate Liverpool this year.) These kinds of shots quietly arrest our attention and remind us of the passage of time. The tones in this shot perfectly express this idea – it's beautifully lit with the highlight running across the centre of the image and darkness at the top and bottom, which seem to signify mortality. These zones of darkness give the picture a double emphasis and help create a more successful image, a type of modern momento mori.

Everyone – well, nearly everyone – loves cats. I’ve chosen this photograph because with a few adjustments it has the potential to be a good shot. The camera meter seems to have been fooled by the predominantly white background – a common problem – so the black cat has been underexposed a little. Modern cameras are fantastic but they can be fooled by some scenes. It's always worth thinking about which tones dominate in the background to a shot – and to be aware of, as here, when the main subject is in complete contrast to the backdrop. Using spot metering on your camera (if you have that option) can avoid such problems as it meters from a very small portion of the subject, ensuring that the exposure for the subject is correct. If you don't have spot metering then using exposure compensation can resolve any problems – when you have a white backdrop (e.g. snow scenes) add 1 or 2 stops of exposure; so, for example, if your meter says f5.6 then shoot at f4.0. For this shot I’d also have used a wider aperture to make sure that the lines of the radiator behind were thrown out of focus. A good idea that nearly made it.

The beautiful soft lighting in this picture really helps the colourful leaves stand out, especially as the fall off in the light makes the background somewhat darker. A well-judged exposure means this is effectively captured. The only improvement I can think of would be to use an even wider aperture to throw the background even more out of focus. It's an image that shows great awareness of the possibilities of the available light.

This shot certainly fits the brief. The central figure is sharp while the rest of what's in the image is nicely out of focus. I think it could be improved by less harsh lighting on the central figure. I appreciate that it’s good sometimes to have a spotlight effect to concentrate the viewer’s attention, but it would benefit from a little softening here. Using white card to reflect light can be an effective, cheap way of achieving this; a small mirror (or silvered card) can be useful if you want to keep a spotlight effect. As a still-life shot this is on it’s way to success.