Repetition and order in nature

Spider's webs can be some of the most beautifully constructed things in nature. I love their geometric precision. When photographed in this way with backlit water droplets, they always remind me of sparkling diamonds on a necklace. Had the photographer photographed the foreground web in isolation, the image would have been excellent in its own right, but the inclusion of an out-of-focus web in the background adds another level altogether and gives the photograph so much more depth. I also rather like the placement of the web's centre in the frame and the way it breaks all the rules of conventional composition - this adds a drama to the image that it deserves. Also note how the background web has been carefully positioned so that central ring is in clear space. The light defraction creating subtle rainbow colours in areas of the frame is a bonus. Great shot.

This image really speaks to the competition theme. Note how the Starlings are so neatly organised on the wires with consistent spaces between them, like a row of perfect teeth. There are a mixture of body postures, speaking of the interactions between individuals, but nothing that distrupts the overall flow. Three is always a good number in photography, and I think the three lines work really well, with a slight off-centre bias to the top of the frame balanced by the vertical wire on the right edge. The single bird on this vertical wire is the perfect anchor for the frame and balances the composition by filling that space. I also really like the bird under the top wire to the right edge which is framed by that square of wire - every space has been filled by these birds. The high key and silhouette combination would have screamed out to the photographer for a black and white conversion to emphasise the graphic nature of the composition.

Leaf close-ups were a common theme in this contest, an obvious choice for their symmetrical and graphically interesting structures. Most centred around the central vein of the leaf either dividing the frame horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. I like the move away from that with this photograph, those strong primary veins placed diagonally across the frame dividing it into sections that balance so well without the need for a central anchor. The contrast between the vein structures and the rest of the leaf makes the veins really pop out of the frame as they form interesting mosiac patterns that I could spend hours exploring. What has also been accomplished well here is the depth of field that ensures everything remains in focus across the frame, emphasising the two dimensional format and concentrating attention on the patterns and compositional structure.