Performance

This month’s winner is beautifully lit and perfectly sharp, but the real standout feature is the dancers’ dynamic poses. The graceful lines and shapes formed by their bodies are aesthetically pleasing and the couple’s faces haven’t been obscured. To top it off, the woman’s dress has been frozen while billowing beautifully, adding to the pleasing selection of shapes and conveying movement.

The timing of this image is perfect. The red dress was a good choice as it stands out among the surrounding colour palette. We also like the location, a dancer jumping over a zebra crossing is a great idea. A stunning image!

This is a fantastic portrait of a musician. Many would have focused on the guitarist's face, but the subject of the image is definitely the guitar and the point of focus reflects this. The harsh lighting really works with the mono conversion, allowing the highlights to really pop against the dark background.

The dancer in this perfectly timed image was flanked by two softboxes that were triggered as he jumped into the air, throwing handfuls of flour. A sharp shot with the face in focus, would have been impressive enough, but the dynamic pose and well-positioned plumes elevate it to the next level.

Dancing is all about creating aesthetically pleasing shapes with the human body, so using backlighting to form a silhouette has worked really well here, allowing the viewer to focus purely on the shapes created by the dancing subject. A fantastic image!

A super-fast shutter speed has been used to freeze the performer and the plumes of fire in the act. Care has been taken not to overexposure the flames and we like how the fiery spiral leads the eye towards the performer in the centre. The black background tops the image off, removing all distractions and accentuating the orange flames.

This is a fine example of how dance photography doesn’t always have to be a dynamic, full-body composition. Cropping into the ballet dancer’s pointe shoes has provided a more intimate portrait. The gritty walls contrast against the dancer’s delicate footwear and tutu, but are softened, thanks to the gentle lighting.

It looks like the shutter drag technique has been used here to capture sweeping lines behind the subject, conveying movement in a still image. The subject is perfectly sharp and the billowing dress further emphasises the sense of movement. A great image!

There’s more to this vibrant portrait of a maiko (an apprentice geisha), mid performance, than you may have spotted at a glance. Flash has been used to freeze the spinning fan in mid air and care has been taken to ensure it hasn’t obscured the subject’s face, which is perfectly in focus.

This Super Hornet is part of the US Navy’s famed Blue Angels flght demonstration squadron. We like the unusually intimate depiction of an aircraft in flight, thanks to the tight crop. Not only is the plane sharp, but it’s been captured breaking the sound barrier. This conveys a sense of speed, something that’s hard to achieve when photographing an aircraft without a propeller.

The delicate theme pairs perfectly with the gentle window light that spotlights the ballerina and channels the viewer’s gaze via a natural vignette. Light illuminates the dancer’s face as she looks out; this adds to the narrative as the viewer ponders what she’s looking at. Finally, the off-white leotard and walls create a subdued colour palette that complements the natural lighting.

Music photographers have to work with the lighting and stage setup they’re given, which is why capturing exciting and dynamic poses is so important. This guitarist leaning back and feeling the music during a solo is a classic rocker pose and the way he’s pulled from the dark background via a spotlight makes this all the more prominent.

This is a neat performance-themed image. Instead of focusing on the tuba player, a tight crop has been used to get close to the instrument's flared bell with the crowd reflected in the polished brass. The mono conversion has helped to remove any distractions.

It’s easy to blow out a shot like this, but the lighting is perfectly exposed, with the crowd shrouded in silhouette. Capturing a handheld image at 1/30 sec is no mean feat, but the slow shutter speed has captured the green lazers perfectly. The near-perfect symmetry should be applauded too.

Multiple exposures are a great way to convey movement in a still image, and this depiction of two lovers embracing is a fine example. Three images have been combined to create the finished article and we really like the use of two different coloured gels, which mirrors the couple's embrace.