Performance

This image of a firework display has been very well executed. The mix of light and dark can be quite technically challenging in order to keep detail in the highlights and detail in the shadow areas. To show off the fireworks the photographer has used a long exposure so as to catch the light trails – this five second exposure has given just the right amount of movement in my opinion. By positioning themselves behind the audience, the photographer has given the viewer a sense of participating in the performance; we stand looking at the image as part of the crowd. The backlight that the fireworks have created on the heads gives a pleasing overall look to the crowd in the foreground.

I like this image because of the energy in the image and the fact that it’s a slightly different viewpoint than what one usually sees in gig photography. Because the photographer has shot from within the crowd using an extremely wide angle lens it draws in the whole scene. However it is the framing of the hands which really make the image for me – they seem to wrap around the light coming from the stage, giving the whole image a slightly magical feel.

I love this image for the feeling it conveys. I get a sense of supreme calmness from this photo - maybe it’s the colours or the simple nature of the composition. The plane seems very remote and yet also confident as it hangs in the big blue sky. There is something about its elegant shape that appeals to me, and the way that the sun flares through the image, guiding your eye to the plane and beyond, is very graceful. Proof that sometimes less is more!

This a great action image that keeps my attention because of the detail in the scene and the emotion I take from it. The photographer has frozen the action really well and so we can read a lot from the central character's face as he is about to hit the deck. In the background children look on at the performance, adding a real sense of drama and suspense . The viewer is left in a constant state of tension – we are looking on, just as the children are, at a scene that will never end: we will get no closure or answers from the image because we don’t know what happened next - and so we’re left hanging, much like the rider, in mid-air.

The digital composite is a good effort in my opinion – the photographer has captured the planes individually in a museum and then built them into a composition to recreate a specific acrobatic manoeuvre. I think they’ve done this really well, creating a dynamic image which reminds me of something you might see in an Hollywood action film; the framing puts you right in the centre of the action. In order to improve the image, all the panes would have to be lit in a way that looks realistic and in keeping with the surroundings - but saying that, the photographer has paid attention to small details such as the reflections of the clouds on the planes' bodywork, so all in all I think it’s a great effort!

This image of traditional Southeast Asian dancers appeals to me because it has managed to capture the spirit and energy of the dance. The dragging shutter at ¼ second has allowed just enough light at motion to creep on to the sensor and capture an essence of the action. For what was probably a quite colourful display the choice of black and white was a brave one, but I think it works well with the shape and movement in the composition.

This image of a cycle race in London has fulfilled the brief by looking at elite athletes performing. The focus on the central rider has been enhanced by using a panning motion. This keeps her sharp whilst those around her become blurred objects. This not only draws our attention to the rider, but it helps visually communicate the sense of speed and drama of the race. The dark and de-saturated colour palette also adds to this drama and allows the crowd and other riders to be included without becoming distracting objects in the image.

This dynamic scene from India shows a harvest festival in full swing. The photographer has created a sense of drama with a slightly off-centre and tilted composition. The eyes of the crowd draw us to the main character and the shape of the snakes holds our gaze. The photographer dealt with the low light by using a fellow photographer's focus beam (hence the reddish light on the subject's face). This successfully punches in enough detail to give us a sense of the intense concentration on the face of the subject, which in turn holds the whole image together. I love this image for its real and gritty nature. It shows a performance that many people will never have the fortune to see with their own eyes - and so it does what photography does best: it communicates and brings us closer to things we may not be able witness ourselves.

This shot incorporates some dynamic action, a strong composition and some beautiful lighting. The airborne rider is suspended in mid-air whilst the sunlight picks up the backlit cloud of dust and the pursing rider behind. The action is frozen well and the depth of field gives just enough detail in the rest of the frame. It is well composed, with the main rider residing between trees and leaving enough space for the other rider to sit well in the shot behind him. Overall it's got a great feeling to it because of all these elements coming together.

I thought this image was a good effort to fulfill the brief. The photographer has tried to create an image showing a different viewpoint than one we normally see, leading to an interesting composition and image. I would say that the shadow of the camera is a little distracting for me personally, but the only way to have avoided this would have been to shoot back into the light so the shadow wasn’t cast – and this would have created its own set of challenges.

This shot from a rally driving race is a great action sports shot. The photographer has positioned themselves in a great spot and chosen the optimum moment to fire the shutter - when the car is finishing the turn and has kicked up a beautiful arc of dust behind it. The trail gives the viewer a real sense of the speed of the vehicle and of its transition through the frame. The fast shutter speed of 1/800th is sufficient to freeze the action whilst giving the dust cloud a defined and dramatic shape.

For me this image has a really interesting composition, with strong lines and strong shapes which are emphasised because of the silhouettes. The colours and the shapes give the photograph a dynamic nature even though it is a frozen moment in time. The interaction of the silhouettes joins all elements of the image together, guiding the eyes through the image. This relies on the photographer's positioning and timing to capture the decisive moment, which they have managed to do here really well. I love how graphic this image is.

This shot of a cowboy shooting balloons has a great energy to it because of the blur and panning which has been used to great effect. The cowboy has remained sharp but the horse has become a fantastic blur of energy, power and speed. It’s a little bit of a shame that the frame is not slightly wider so that we can see what cowboy is shooting at, and the blue object behind the cowboy is a little distracting, but aside from that I love the energy in this shot.

This shot of a body boarder from Hawaii really captures the power of mother nature. The surfer seems very small as he is suspended in mid-air amongst the crashing surf; you can almost hear the echo of the booming waves. The fast shutter speed has frozen the action of the surfer and the droplets of water and the spray from the wave - in doing so it gives a real sense of the elements that the surfer is up against.

This image of camel racing in the UAE has the potential to be a really great image. The photographer has used the barriers as nice leading lines into the centre of the image and the subject. Personally though I think it would have benefited from a slightly lower angle which would have allowed the other contenders of the race to creep into the frame a bit more. It also would have emphasised the size of the camel and the height of the riders. I also feel that shooting straight on at the riders makes the image feel a bit flat and perhaps detracts a little – a slight angle could make a big difference.

The shot of an American football match is technically strong, with a strong composition too – the player on the ground looking up and the position of the main subject are all great. I personally would have liked to have seen the frame shot from lower to the ground to really elevate the player in the frame and add more drama to the image – we would for example have seen the player's feet off the ground, something which is lost in its current framing. Really strong image though and it shows great potential.

I always like abstract shots which take you a while to work out. In this image the photographer has created a double exposure by shooting through a window at the subjects. The reflections of the tree explode out from the dancers mind, and in that sense the double exposure and the symbolism it creates is quite effective. Aside from that I think the composition could have been a bit stronger, perhaps incorporating a bit more of the performance. However, I think the photographer was on the right track.

I think this is a nice shot of a dramatic performance – it’s a very graphic image. Personally I would like to have seen a version in black and white or with slightly more nuanced grading; the bright blue sky is a pleasant background but it does take away a bit of the impact for me. I think that with the harsh sunlight and the shape of the bike, this image would have worked well in simple black and white as it would have really emphasised the shapes and graphic nature of the composition.

This is a great action shot of a kingfisher feeding and must have been a real challenge to capture! It’s not an easy thing to get a decent shot of a bird, and quite another to catch one mid feed like this. A shutter speed of 1/2500th was needed to freeze the bird and the water droplets. In doing so that photographer has captured a real performance in nature - one that would be very difficult to appreciate with the naked human eye.

I like the strength of the composition in this image. The photographer has chosen to shoot the frame vertically which really suits the composition, and the lines lead the viewer's eye through the frame to the four leading planes. Great positioning and planning has meant the photographer was in the right place at the right time, and the back-lit vapour trails of the jets really adds a punch to the image. The choice of black and white over colour also really focuses the viewer on the strength of the shapes in the image.

This shot has the potential to be really interesting - the photographer has had access to a very dramatic activity and has managed to capture an element of the excitement and risk involved. I think if I were to offer some words on how the image could be improved I'd say that I would have liked to have seen a bit more context in the picture. This would have meant either pulling back to get more into the frame or getting closer with a wider lens (although this may have been difficult to do). If there was a horizon or an element of the drop below the climber, it could have been even more dramatic. Good effort though!

I feel this image fulfills the brief in a clever way – it incorporates the performer and his audience in one shot by using the reflective sunglasses to show us what the performer is seeing. In doing so it gives us an insight into his world and how he must be feeling – it’s like we are looking at him but seeing through his eyes at the same time - and it does this all in the one shot! It was a clever idea, and was executed pretty well.