Shoes

I think that there's a really interesting image in here which you've alluded to with the dancers at the front - but the onlookers spoil the overall frame with their complicated positions. Sometimes all we can do is move ourselves around to find a clear frame and although I like the blur of the shoes in this, we have to (ironically) also be part of a dance when we photograph these moments make sure we're where we need to be. Keep pushing.

This is well seen and I think it works decently enough: one foot sharp, the rest blurred to give a sense of movement. I like the multiple and confusing reflections (although the logo and bag (?) at frame-top/ single show is a little distracting - but overall, a pretty solid and wry look at passersby. Well seen.

I like this very much: often, less is more and this is a controlled and rather sparse image that does what it needs to do. The frame is graphic - emphasised by the monochrome - without being showy and I like the shape that the shoes make together and singularly. Overall, this is just well observed - a different viewpoint that forces us to reassess the theme of the competition and our relationship to how we see shoes. Well done.

This is a nice idea - a raking light examining the contours of a well worn shoe. In practice, it needs (to use a footwear idiom), a little polish. I presume that the main light is daylight (by its intensity and that the image is taken at a wide aperture). That's fine but there's insufficient coverage of the shoe away from the hot concentration of light. Either we might angle the shoe to get a light coverage that gives us a sense of its whole shape (or we might use a reflector of some sort to do the same) or concentrate solely (sorry) on the illuminated area of texture. Either way, this is a fair go but with a little thought, could be a cracker.

A really nicely balanced frame with the main third both a meditation on colour and shape - and of course, power. The second third - the disappearing figure - framed by the rope and architectural features. I particularly like the well caught moment of the red-gloved shoeshine and her nicely draped hair. Simple and balanced. Well done.

Well, this is nice enough: a decent composition with the lines of the bench and shelves leading us to the cobbler. What lets it down I think are the blown highlights on the lasts next to the window - and that's where the eye is first drawn. It's a shame because a little more careful metering might have solved that - especially as I can see that this is an HDR image. Keep pushing.