Sounds Being Made

Although this trio look very young, I have no doubt from this image that between them they can make a lot of noise! The facial expressions look to show real pride and passion in their team as they offer their vocal and visual support. The simple colouring across the frame of mainly blue and black adds to the impact. Well done on your top ten placing.

An unusual but striking composition, with the subject placed far over to the side of the frame, creating impact by the use of negative space. I love the lighting on the instrument and the way yhe musician's face has been captured in deep concentration. The image works especially well in the high contrast black and wehite, which despite the contrasts avoids looking too harsh. Congratulations on your top ten placing.

This image really captures a sense of the atmosphere and sounds of a street jazz band. The slow shutter speed captures the movement perfectly, as the degree of motion blur is just right to show the action but is neither too blurred nor not blurred enough. The selective focus on the face of the musician in the foreground is great, showing the concentrstion on the production of sound. Lovely tones across the whole image too. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

Some may find the background subject a little distracting, but I like the effect that the two "layers" of depth bring to the composition. The eye is initially drawn to the musician in the foreground, but by including the other performer in the background, rendered our of focus through the use of a wide aperture, we are given more context to inform the viewer this is not a soloist performance. Lighting is great, and I love the simple colour palette of the black background and clothing, and the golden brown of the instruments. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

The unusual viewpoint and composition initially drew me to this image, and once the eye is drawn there is more to appreciate on longer viewing. I love the little details adding harmony across the image aside from the similar musical instruments, such as the matching striped tops being worn by both subjects. The conversion to black and white has been done very well, with a good range of tones revealing plenty of textural details in the textiles etc. Congratulations on your winning image.

This image just goes to show how positioning the lighting can have such a creative effect on an image. Here the subject is lit from behind, producing an entirely different and far more magical shot than had the exact same scene been lit more conventionally from the front. The rim lighting around the hair and face is beautiful, and there is sufficient illumination on the hands and piano to show the shape and form of the piano. Great black and white work too. Congratulations on your top ten placing.

What a great shot. Shooting into a crowd is always a challenge, but here you have really managed to convey the atmosphere of the wild and joyous celebrations of the loyal football fans, rewarded for their support. Some may consider the two partial faces included in the foreground to be a mistake, but by focusing through the foreground subjects to the supporters behind gives an added dynamism to the shot. Great monochrome work too. Congratulations on your second place finish.

What a lovely close-in study of an older gent playing his violin; no doubt a skill he has crafted over many years. The expression and posture you have captured is great, and it seems to portray the man being completely as one with his instrument. The tones of the image are great, and whilst everything is in sharp focus there is a gentle softness to the image, cresting a lovely mood. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

This image is a perfect example of what I was looking to see in this contest; images where I could really imagine the sounds being made by the subjects. Here I can clearly imagine the sound of the delightful laughter of these two charming little fellows, who look like they have rather infectious giggles. The conversion to black and white works well, with the dark vegetation also providing a suitable backdrop to allow the subjects to stand out. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.