Soft Furnishings

This is just the sort of image I was hoping to see in this contest. The composition and set-up looks simple and natural and the lighting you have captured on the subject has been used well to emphasise the colours and texture in the cushions. The shallow depth of field works well to focus on the pom-pom tassels, and the out of focus areas are still recognisable to avoid being a distracting blur. Congratulations of your winning image.

This is a great close-up capture of the details of a woollen blanket. Focus is maybe not the sharpest, but the nature of the subject, being soft to the touch, allows for a little less precision in focus. The shadow areas are lifted enough to allow detail to be seen, but there is just enough shadow retained across the image to show the form of the subject and avoid the image looking too flat. A simple composition, but one which works perfectly for the theme of the contest. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were quite a few hdr-type images of grand rooms and furnishings entered into this contest, but this was the stand out one for me. Never easy to capture images successfully in this type of environment, you have managed to balance the bright lighting from the window and the lamps, with the dark shadowy areas, to give an image full of details. I like the gentle colouring, and the rather limited colour palette adds to the softness of the image which is in keeping with the subject and the gentle folds of the drapes, curtains and bed linen. Great composition too. Well done on your top ten placing.

This image perfectly captures both the colours and textures of these lovely soft furnishings. The side lighting has enabled the gentle folds in the fabric to give form and shape to the subject, and the image appears to have a slight diffused quality which has enabled the softness of the fabrics to be conveyed. A lovely blend of rich colours helps the success of the image too. Congratulations on your second place finish.

Your capture of the coarse woolly texture of this rug is what attracted me to this image. Being picky, I would have been inclined to crop off the lower section of the image to remove the little piece of the label, or otherwise have the label fully in shot to be more of a focal point, but that is not a major issue. You have successfully captured a close up shot of a woollen rug which perfectly conveys a sense of the textile, so we can get a good impression of how it feels to touch, and what the entire piece would look like. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

What I like here is how you have been able to show the smooth texture of the silky fibres used to form the flower design on the fabric, with the highlights just bright enough to allow the silk to glow, without being too harsh and brash. Lovely capture of the rich colours and the gentle folds of the fabric too. Well done on your top ten placing.

A simple composition which allows full focus on the subject, with no distractions. Lovely lighting emphasises the textures of the weave on the surface of the cushion, and the shape and form of the soft dangly tassels. Suitable choice of aperture to allow a decent amount of the subject to be in clear focus, with the focus gradually falling away which helps show the softness of the subject too. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

What a great close up of some woven woollen threads. The contrasting colours of the blue and red/yellow make the image nice and bright, and you have avoided any temptation to oversaturate the colours. The shallow depth of field and close focus gives a focal point for the eye to initially settle on, in an otherwise abstract image. Great image, spot on for the contest theme. Well done on your top ten placing.

It can be challenging to photograph a subject which is all one colour, but you have effectively used the lighting to show the gentle ripples and folds in the fabric. I like the darker tone to the image, as it avoids the red looking too brash and garish and gives a nice richness and feel of luxury to the shot. Beautifully captured textures, well done on your top ten finish.

For me this is one of those images which gets better the more I look at it, and it rose through my commended images until it reached a top three placing. This is a very subtle image which is all about the lighting. A good decision to present this shot as a black and white image, as it allows the eye to focus on the shapes and lines cast by the highlights and shadows, rather than be distracted by colour. A simple, but well seen and well captured image, great choice of subject for this contest. Congratulations on your third place finish.