Sports Action (no motor sports or animals)

I love the vivid colours of this image, capturing a scene played out on streets and open spaces every day across the world. The composition and framing work well as we are close enough in to be able to see the action and concentration on the player's faces, but the shot is also wide enough to give a good sense of the place, with the buildings lining the street disappearing off into the distance. The image looks to have been shot late in the day with long shadows and warm golden light picking out the rich colours in the architecture and clothing. Congratulations on your second place finish.

What initially attracted me to this image is the overall mood of the shot, with the processing of the image accentuating the sombre grey of the sky and the gentle pace of the running man. The slightly unusual composition and lowish viewpoint works well, with the runner close to the edge of the frame and an expanse of sky, but the composition does not jar and and is harmonious with the overall mood of the image. The runner has been caught in a good mid-stride pose as he runs steadily onwards. Great image, well done on your top ten placing

Whilst the subject of this image is obvious, I really like the more abstract look of the shot, in part created by the curving diagonal bands of colour and lines running across the frame. The exposure of the image brings a lovely crisp brightness to the shot, further accentuating the bold contrasts between the colours. The fast shutter speed has frozen the action of the tandem cyclists as they speed around the track. A striking image, well done on your top ten placing.

This images perfectly captures the speed and the potential chaos of a sprint relay change-over, and looking at the image it is no wonder the baton is sometimes dropped. Shutter speed is spot on, as we get a great combination of sharpness on the upper bodies and faces, but the legs describing the speed of the action. The conversion to black and white has been done well, with a good range of tones and contrasts. Well done on your top ten placing.

This image was in and out of my top ten for a while, and I eventually decided it should be placed as it is such a great documentary shot. The subject overall is nothing especially dramatic, but it is that record of day to day events in a gym that I find so appealing. I am sure the image was not intended to be amusing, but I find some humour and like the contrast between the couple in the background looking quite calm and relaxed, while the man in the foreground is exerting to the maximum to complete his lift. There is good clarity across the image, revealing plenty of details within the structure and the equipment of the gym, and the conversion to black and white has been done well and suits the subject. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

Wow. This image caught my attention as soon as I saw it when initially reviewing the entries, and it was always the one to beat. The setting and the nature of the sport is clearly dramatic, but the way the image has been captured adds to the overall feel of the shot and creates a stunning action photo. Lighting is lovely, just picking out the climber and some of the textures in the slate to provide plenty of detail without being distracting. Composition and framing is spot on, with the figure well positioned to make the most of the negative space which gives a sense of scale to the vastness of the rockface, but likewise the climber is not so tiny in the frame as to become an unidentifiable speck. The colour contrasts are great too, with the cool steely bluey grey of the slate broken only by the pop of contrasting orange of the shirt. Love it! Congratulations on your winning image.

There were a good number of entries in this contest showing windsurfers and other watersports, but this one was my favourite. I especially like the capture of the combination of the natural elements of the breaking waves and seaspray, with the dramatic action of the surfer. The subject is well placed within the frame, and the conversion to black and white helps the subject stand out from the spray and sky behind to perfectly document the action. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.