Someone Carrying Something (no bags)

I’m not sure if your composition is an unaltered self portrait, or if it’s a skilfully executed Photoshop compilation. Either way it’s a uniquely funny photograph which must have taken quite a bit of forethought. I also appreciate that your entry is supported by a good double-entendre title. Unfortunately, many photographers fail to grasp the importance a title has in helping sway the judges in their final selections.

What drew me to your photo, wasn’t so much the lamentable sight of a doubled-over old woman, supported by her walking stick and carrying a begging bowl, but the reaction of her fellow human beings. The man on the right has turned his back on her; the lady in the white blouse looks shamefully to the ground as she nudges past; the female listening to music on her mobile is completely oblivious of her surroundings; and the people who have walked past the crippled woman, are relieved that they’ve got away without acknowledging her. Your poignant, winning picture, will draw criticism from certain quarters, that as photographers, we shouldn’t be taking photos of vulnerable people. But, it’s precisely because such people exist, that we should be photographing them in order to shame governments into doing something to help the unfortunate. Yours is an exceptionally well-shot street photograph, thoughtfully taken from the woman’s eye level, which I’m glad you didn’t shy away from taking.

Your graffiti photo of the Neanderthal carrying a tray of coffee, has been perfectly pastiched by the bearded, Cheltenham man, carrying a similar tray of Costa coffee. Wether your photo was a case of ‘being at the right place at the right time’ or it was purposely stage-managed, doesn’t matter - you’ve carried off a doubly impressive carry-out photo which I had no hesitation placing in my top ten. Mine, by the way, is the skinny, decaf latte with no sugar - thanks.

At first glance it appears that the man holding the huge red picture, is also the driver of the scooter. I disagree with your too-ready dismissal, that your photo has no technical merit. Zooming in on a moving object in a photo, is difficult to do in the hustle and bustle of Hanoi traffic, so being able to focus on your subject in such conditions takes real skill. There are purists who insist that street photography has to be shot in black and white, but your photo disproves that view because without the clash of the complimentary red and green colours, your photo would have lost all of its dynamic impact.

There is something highly amusing, about a national football team’s goalkeeper, helping to carry his own goal onto his country’s stadium. Your photo has neatly captured the Ukrainian goalie’s embarrassment by having his head bowed down in apparent shame. I particularly like the placement of the football - it’s like one of those newspaper competition photos, where they remove the ball for entrants to place an ‘X’ to show where they think the ball might be. Your carefully selected camera settings have resulted in a very well-observed, sharply focused, enjoyable photo.

This is a great, newsworthy piece of documentary photography, taken at one of London’s extinction rebellions. Within the ensuing mayhem, you’ve managed to capture the resigned look of the protester’s face, seen between the yellow-jacketed police bodies. He’s being hauled away, no doubt to get his hand lightly slapped, by a too frequent forgiving judge. I fully expected to see photos of children being carried in this contest, but never imagined seeing a civil disobedient man being carried off. The added bonus to your shot, is that you’ve caught a cameraman filming the scene which could well be, a modern day sequel to ‘Carry On Constable’.

When I first saw this photo I thought it was a Western Indian from America wearing an elaborately feathered headdress. But, it turns out, that they are brooms being carried by a Far Eastern Indian, from completely the other side of the world. Your aerial shot momentarily fooled me into getting my continents mixed up. I love your vibrant photo with it’s vignetted halo effect surrounding the brightly-coloured figure. If it was my photo, I would have removed the slightly confusing concrete crack above the salesman’s head, but that’s just me being pedantic.

Your silhouette photo of people carrying equally distributed loads of weight, on their shoulders, using wooden yokes went straight into my top ten. There were many more colourful and detailed entries of people carrying loads, but your photo, has perfectly caught the oriental aura by capturing a simply beautiful, two-tone, setting sun composition.

From the many entries of women carrying something on their heads your simple shot, taken from behind, stood out because of it’s vibrant vertical colours. The woman, is carrying what is endearingly known as a ‘Carmen Miranda fruit hat’, so named because the Brazilian actress introduced it to the world through her movies. The blue and yellow striped colours of the Jamaican woman’s dress, perfectly echo the colours of her Caribbean surroundings. This is a well-grabbed chance photo especially as you had very little time for composing from inside your moving Montego Bay coach.