Jumping

This a well exposed black and white image. It has a sense of balance and depth as a result of the subject placement, and framing of the buildings in the background. The tonal range of the sky (with the exception of the upper-left corner that's a bit too dark) matches the range in the tattoos on the subject's arm, creating a good harmony. Content-wise the photographer captures the moment just before the jump, and extrapolating from the look of fear on the subject's face, I'm not feeling too confident about the results!

The composition and subject matter of this photo create great dramatic tension. By framing the subject with the bold architecture on the left, and a sliver of another building on the right, the focus goes directly towards the jumping figure. The bright white cloud creates a natural vignette, directing the viewer’s focus towards the action. Since the camera is slightly below the building, the angle created by the top of the structure gives a sense of depth. In viewing the photo, we can also identify with the seated subject, who is watching the other one jump. I have a sense of immediate anxiety, worrying about whether the jumper will clear the gap successfully.

This is clearly a gravity defying shot, and I love the contrast between how serene the background is and the athletic pose of the subject. Because he is shirtless you can see how taught his muscles are, and since the foot is slightly blurred, you know his legs are moving quite fast to get up and around. If I were directing this shoot, I would request one more shot and try to have the subject relax his hands a little more as those are often a giveaway of any internal tension. The subject could also benefit from a little brightening of the skin tones, to give the overall lighting a bit more dynamism.

Visceral is the first word that comes to mind. The photographer made a great decision to shoot this from a low angle to show the very small separation of space between the ground and the man’s head. He’s either about to smack very hard, or he’s in complete control and we’re witnessing one moment in a longer span of choreographed movement and he’ll be just fine. The ambiguity is what made me pause with this image. I do wish that the entire body was in the frame inclusive of his back foot, and a bit more post-production could be applied to make the colours pop or create a vignette around the subject.

Sensations from the annual summer fair come back to me when I look at this image. The composition adheres rigidly to the rule of thirds, which creates a dynamic, well balanced photo. As the girl’s hair is fully extended, it appears that she’s at the height of the bounce, and just about to descend again. Judging by the look on her face, she doesn’t seem too sure if she’s scared or excited, and that’s exactly the point of subjecting ourselves to these experiences - to take us out of our comfort zones and away from the pull of gravity for a few seconds. In this case, just viewing the photo is enough to give me a sense of these emotions and experience them right along with the girl.

The line, form, and centred composition of this photo all contribute to its strength. The dancer’s arms create a vertical line down the center, and the line of her shin is exactly perpendicular. By placing her in front of trees and a level horizon line, this strong perpendicular axis is accentuated. As the dancer is nude, it was a smart choice to shoot this in black and white to draw attention to the overall shape and form of the body placed against the darker foliage - colour may have been a distracting element. I would like to see a version with the dancer’s hair off of her face, as everything else in the photo is so clean and intentional.

Having never gone off a ski jump, I think the use of the zoom blur is an effective device to communicate a sense of vertigo and terror of a first jump. While the actual jumper is no doubt practiced and proficient in the sport, it seems the point of this photo is to heighten particular emotions in the viewer and I think the photographer was successful at doing it. The dark background accentuates the main figure in red, and the lighter area in the lower left corner moves your eye from the right to the left of the frame, as the action proceeds in real time.

The photo captures a moment of an everyday dance - an anonymous figure that could be leaping over the puddle in a hurry or enjoying a casual stroll broken up by a nimble jump between dry spots. Rather than focusing on the identity of this particular person, the photo is more a study of shapes and tones, reflections and solid ground. There seems to be an oil slick on the water in the foreground, and leaves beneath the surface. It could be any industrial city after a rainstorm. By cropping the top of the frame mid-body of the main subject, and only including the legs of the second, there’s a nice sense of depth. The viewer can anticipate the second subject jumping a few seconds later, and make up their own story about where these people are going.

The quality of light captured here is really lovely. By keeping the colours within a very limited palette of soft blue, green and shades of brown the overall effect is somewhat delicate, even though the subject matter is two young boys tumbling around the beach. As the boys’ faces are turned away from the lens, we see their bodies more as overall shapes and forms, and the play of deep shadows and brighter highlights accentuates the geometry of how the two intersect and overlap. I would like to see another few inches of blue sky at the top of the frame in order to shift the subjects slightly downward. But overall, the painterly quality of this image makes it a favourite.

This submission is a very thoughtful interpretation of the ‘Jumping’ prompt. Leaving a known, safe space can be terrifying, and to jump is to let go of this safety. The photo captures a universal feeling of apprehension and trepidation felt by many prior to jumping, whether physically or metaphorically speaking. The photographer used a shallow depth of field and an exposure just bright enough to capture some detail in the subject’s face. This allows the viewer to immediately focus on their expression, and be pulled into the quiet moment. Placing the subject slightly left-of-center also implies their subsequent movement off of the diving board, and we’re left to wonder how the dive will go.

While this wasn't necessarily a favourite when viewing the submission thumbnails, I appreciate the sense of comedy in this shot upon closer viewing. Exposure for the building on the right and capture of the man in silhouette makes him a type of sculptural figure, and the photo reads like a comic strip. It begs for a caption or thought bubble. There is a sliver of white between the top of the building and the sky which makes me wonder if this is a composite shot (which is fine, but could be handled with more nuance). Perhaps it would be stronger overall if the blue of the sky was toned down for a bit more variety of colour in the image.

The photographer made an excellent choice to take this action shot from below the biker, capturing their expression and using a nice, tight frame. The athlete seems to burst out of the confines of the photo both above and below. This shot could benefit from a bit more post-production - I recommend increasing the clarity and contrast on the subject to highlight the face, and bringing back some of the detail in the background sky. By having more tonal range captured in the clouds, the photo would have a greater sense of depth and place.

I am sure that many people can relate to the joy captured in this photo. This was a smart choice to use a shallow depth of field, thus highlighting the dog as it runs directly towards the photographer. As the overall mood is so exuberant, the overhead bright sun feels appropriate. In order to draw more attention to the dog and tighten up the image further, it could benefit from vignetting, toning down the highlights towards the edge of images and making the brightest part right on the dog's face.

I have no idea what type of training or ritual or parade I’m privy to in this photo, but I quite enjoy the ambiguity. At first glance, I notice the smile on the faces of a few of the jumping women, in contrast to the look of consternation and concentration from the musician in the foreground. Then, due to the fluorescent colour, I’m drawn to the official-looking men in the far distance. Are they guards? Or off-duty observers? My eye continues still, and I see the legs of chairs on the right, and a seated onlooker with a camera, so this must be a performance of some sort. While the overall frame could benefit from increased vibrancy and contrast, I love how many small details the viewer can find in there. After getting lost in the image looking for clues, I still have questions but am happy to remain curious.

Multiple-exposure composites are a wonderful way to compress a variety of moments into one frame. My overall impression of a dog's energy is illustrated here very smartly by the photographer. While the subject matter is fun, this photo could benefit from more attention to other areas as well, such as eliminating other distracting background elements in the shot, and finding a more evenly lit space to shoot in. This would enable the entire focus to stay on the dog and its action and personality.