Ritual and ceremony

There's a picture (actually several) here but the photographer's not quite found it. Kathikali performance is quite difficult to shoot because there's so much going on in terms of action and colour, and while this frame isn't bad at all it could be better. I'd like to see less extraneous background and more of the action of the make up. There's a very graphic frame to be made of the mirror and the brush (perhaps from above) but there's also an issue of framing - perhaps an image that didn't have the shoes in the background and instead had the figures 'within' the stone columns (a better interplay of foreground and background) might have elevated this from a pretty well composed scene to a real cracker.

A very simple image but one that holds the viewers attention because of that. One is drawn to the face and then the gaze wanders around the frame. It's pin sharp on the mirror which helps and the light falls away around the face which focuses our look further. Kathikali is of course extremely colourful so it was an interesting decision to make a black and white frame which reinforces the intensity of the process of make up. The image's quietness is, I think, it's strength.

I quite like this despite the lack of caption information so I'm unsure what I'm looking at... but why is there a tree growing out of the man's head? This is a really simple portrait but a little more time and movement on the part of the photographer might have elevated this from a snap to a photograph. Ditto, the sky detail is blowing out to a pure – and distracting – white. This frame could be more and the frustrating thing is that once you start to see the issues, it rather spoils the effect – that of a strong portrait – which, with a bit more thought it could really be.

I like this frame because of the interesting shape of the main character and his gesture. I can feel the movement as he swirls his light towards the river and this says 'ritual' in a way that many entries don't. The choice of isolating the figure and shooting slightly upwards (probably because of the large crowd) gives a heroic impression ( a device that reminds me of Socialist realism). His face is clearly delineated and his right arm frames the face - full of concentration) well. The table cloth at the bottom of the frame is messy and detracts from the majesty of the occasion and calls for a more concentrated framing in-camera. That said, the wide aperture throws out the background nicely and the use of natural light gives a naturalistic feel to the frame. Well done.

Sometimes luck plays an important part in photography and while I'd never suggest that one necessarily snaps away at a funeral through the window of a coach, in this case it has worked. The movement has been slowed and fortuitously the photographer has captured a clear frame that (pretty much) delineated all the main figures as well as arranging them in a 'pleasing' shape (if one can speak like that of a funeral procession). I like the abstract quality of the wall behind that seems to echo the direction of movement, and, ironically for a 'grabbed' image it retains a great degree of respect and dignity. It doesn't feel exploitative in the sense that perhaps the windows of the bus gave the photographer an anonymity and people weren't aware of being photographed (sometimes difficult in Islamic countries and certainly in Cairo). It seems a very matter-of-fact occasion/ritual - something common like death that we rarely see. The dusty streets, the rough wood of the frame and the concentration and solemnity of the bearers elevate this from a snapshot into something more profound and strangely intimate: a very sober account of a person's last journey.

What a bold and striking image – marvellously abstract and brave in composition boasting a strong vertical with the frame bisected by tight triangles of action. There is lovely colour – a deep blue and a small shutter speed has helped to freeze the action. The red of the figures against the azure sky is striking and I like the (near) symmetry of the swinging figures. A strong and interesting interpretation of the theme - the sparseness of the composition is why it's so powerful.

This is a lovely frame – full of energy, colour and joy. The photographer has chosen to be above the action rather than being at ground level and such an interesting angle has paid off. Simple in construction it leaves the viewer with space and time to meander around the frame examining different stories unfold individually but all part of the action. I love the shapes of the saris (and an umbrella) held open to catch the prasad, and they give a very pleasingly random nature to the image punctuated by the faces of the crowd.

I think that this is rather lovely and a moment of humour that is well spotted. The frame is made by two elements – the brave decision to shoot the graphics of the imam praying and the small boy who is caught chatting to his friend. I like the boy far left in profile and that makes one's gaze go back to the central action of the image. The image can be reduced almost perfectly to shape(s) – the roundness of the children's heads contrasted with the angular elbows of the imam, and I like that. Once again, technically, the imam's left shoulder has blown highlights but I suspect that careful processing might be able to bring that back noting how deep the shadows are (I think there's enough tonal range to save). Framing wise, it's a joy, the clock and the prayer times anchor the frame on the right and the simplicity of the image mean that we can relax and concentrate on the little moments of action. Lovely.

I like this frame for the intimacy that it captures and specifically for the lovely moment of the smile that flickers around the woman in the light coloured sari. There's something very simple about the moment which is difficult to capture. The subjects aren't looking at the camera (likely thanks to the long lens) and all seem completely caught in their own moments; several little dramas unfold at once as if a painting. Technically, it's on the edge of being ruined by the highlights details being lost and if the central figure was more central, the eye would go first to the burned out detail and ruin the image. It's just about acceptable in terms of the mechanics of the image but such a multi-layered joyous moment is well captured and I really enjoy looking at it – which is surely the point.

I really like this frame. It has drama and tension and made me stop to look at it again. I like the way that the main figure is slightly off kilter and I like the light on his face (fortuitous or not - we all need a bit of luck sometimes). The image gives the impression of a sea of people - a swarm of movement and this prophet-like figure serenely in charge but precariously balanced. It tells a story in a very simple but powerful way and structurally I like that the figure is accompanied by two other strong verticals (the spire and the sign). Technically it's well captured in low light and whilst I'd never suggest anyone shoots at 17mm this is a case where it's actually worked and not distorted too much. It's a shame that there's another camera visible at the bottom of the frame but that's just a niggle - it seems to capture the mystery of ritual very well and the charmer's gaze is hypnotic.

I like the idea of this image but it hasn't worked because it's confusing. I like the man praying and I like that the netting bisects the frame diagonally. What I don't like are the people walking past and staring. Timing is important to photography. Either you wait for a frame to come or you put yourself in a position that frames a situation exactly as you want it. Neither device has been employed here and it's a shame because the old man is a great figure.