Seven deadly sins

The watch and the ring are distracting and unnecessary. A little effort would have simplified and made the image stronger. Photographing the subject in focus would surely have made the image even stronger? This image works well in black and white, but I am still unable to understand how this image fulfils the brief. The lighting is flat and unconsidered. It is a pity - from a distance the composition and the idea are nice.

I think this image could have worked well, although I don't quite understand the narrative. The image is let down by the make up. The "blood" seems to have been daubed rather than naturally leaked. Visual communication is the essence of good photography. Here, the photographer has clearly gone to considerable effort to compose and create this scene, but has not really thought through the story or message to be conveyed. However the model has been well directed in a fitting location.

This image seems to capture a host of sins: pride, lust, greed and sloth are expressed as gross, unadulterated, vulgar excess. Whether this image was styled to convey this degree of bad taste or whether it was just well observed is irrelevant - it fulfills the brief well and provides an eye-catching image worthy of an award. Interesting, well-chosen angle produces the reflections in the mirrors. The most inappropriate item must be the model: "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"..

My biggest reservation in finding award-winning material for this competition has been finding images relevant to the brief. In our times when child obesity has become such an issue, this image more than any other photograph fulfills the brief – it makes a social comment and is well executed. The use of black and white adds atmosphere. The image looks spontaneous, and I really like it. The only negative I can find is that the children appear fit and healthy which contradicts the concept.

This striking image has clearly crystallised from an idea that has been well conceived; it has strong narrative and has taken significant effort to style, prop and produce. The image is well lit and composed, and leaves enough to the viewer’s imagination to decide what sin is depicted. It is always difficult to judge and balance spontaneity on one hand, versus a stylised, well produced image, such as this, on the other. I love the chosen colours right down to the tattoos, and even the wallpaper reflects the gloves and stockings.

This non-awarded image immediately reminded me of a Dennis Wheatley occult fiction book jacket. Probably one of the more original concepts submitted to the competition, nicely propped and thought through. The inclusion of "Hell Fire" works with all of the props and brings colour and movement to the image. The only reason this image has not been awarded is purely an issue of poor execution. The angel's wings in the foreground are poorly cut out so the image is neither placed in front nor integrated with the flames.

Full marks for humour. "Alien baguette from France bursts unconvincingly through the man's t-shirt coated with tomato ketchup" (with a glaring absence of a sausage). The subject is well lit. The angle and drama of the shot are well executed. The meagre feast on the table does not suggest that our subject is being punished for gluttony so I don't quite get the narrative. Convincing make-up is difficult. An amateur attempt at make-up has badly let down what could have been a very credible, well produced image.

This image deserves an award purely on the grounds of fulfilling the brief. The peacock's plumage must be the most iconic symbol of pride. And even though, as far as the brief is concerned, the photograph meets the criteria, the lighting here is flat and, coming directly from the lens, makes the picture very two-dimensional. Nonetheless, the image certainly reflects the iridescence of the peacock's feathers. The image is vibrant, well composed and certainly catches the viewer’s eye. Well done.

Full marks for fulfilling the brief perfectly. Well done, not much imagination required here, and this image could not be more literal! So what did really happen to Snow White? Nice light on the image and a good tone to present it. The photographer has chosen a nice angle rather than shooting the frame straight on, adding another interesting dimension. It is a pity that the photographer did not get to the location half an hour earlier when the light would have been ideal. Nonetheless, it is a well-executed image.

It's got to be lust because it doesn't fit into any of the other seven categories. Many have tried to emulate Doisneau's kiss on a Parisian street and I think this is an extremely good rendition! It has a well-chosen background with nice back lighting, which separates the subjects from their environment, and an unsuspecting passer-by looking on. It has perfect use of limited depth of field, which throws the background well out of focus. This well-executed image works particularly well in black and white.

Although this is a clichè that we have all seen before, I do think this image really depicts the sloth of mankind and how we are churning out our detritus into the environment in which we live. I do not think the power cables add anything to the image itself, but arguably demonstrate just how far we will go to rubbish our environment. Not a lot of effort has gone into producing this picture, nevertheless it is powerful and well observed.

I like the atmosphere and colour of this image. The blue hue, which kills the usual bloody red of the abattoir, communicates an atmosphere of cold and chilling death. However, the message is a little weak, and I am not sure of the relevance of the model. The torso on the far left looks almost human. With a little more consideration this image could be exceptional. Clearly effort has gone into sourcing an interesting location and model. The make-up and styling are well executed and the lighting creates the right mood for the theme of sin. But what is the narrative?

I like this tongue-in-cheek well-observed shot, which I imagine to be of a shop displaying lingerie, but suggesting the sale of commodities more often displayed in a shop window in Amsterdam. Somehow for me, street photography seems to work best in black and white. The mannequin looking out takes our eye directly to the man crossing the road with the umbrella, who is juxtaposed with his own reflection entering the shop. Like Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau and other noted street photographers, the photographer here has established the composition and then waited for the action. It’s a lovely image - well done.

Is this what you would call a French kiss? I am not sure if I am going to call this image gluttony, lust or avarice. But whatever it represents this is a great shot and deserves an award, as does the ambition of the snake! The depth of field certainly takes the eye straight to the action and the composition works well. I know just how hard it is to shoot wildlife in a natural environment, so I can appreciate the patience required.