Stairs

I very nearly awarded this shot first place as not only is it a very technically competant shot of this contemporary spiral stair but it's been given a wonderful twist by flipping it so that the stair appears to be going nowhere. At first glance this maybe isn't obvious but it gives the image an intriguing edge. The slightly green tone also works well for me, presumably suggested by the colour of the glass stair treads.

Perhaps unsurprisingly there were a large number of similarly composed shots of spiral stairs entered in the competition. This one for me stood out for the dynamic use of a wideangle lense, the lovely rich tones and the perfect placement of a figure ascending the stair. The relatively long exposure has given just the right amount of blur to show movement whilst still being quite distinct.

An unusual composition for an unusually shaped stair. The placement of the figure right on the edge of the frame exacerbates the movement created by the sweep of the stair, she almost seems to be about to escape from the frame due to the momentum created by the 'sling-shot' curves.

This strikingly composed square format image seemed to suit the architectural style of the stair. It also creates a strong geometrical abstract image that has echoes of the artist M. C. Escher in that the laws of Physics seem to have been suspended. I suspect that this is actually a composite image which if that's the case it's been done expertly.

In my eyes this is a worthy winner and an image that benefits from repeated viewing thanks to the subtle tones and textures.

I'm guessing this shot will divide opinion but I really appreciate the different approach taken to the subject. It's so far removed from my own approach to photography that I admire it greatly. I'd say this is another shot with a hint of M. C. Escher in here if I'm not mistaken.

A strong black and white image that uses the symmetrical composition and square format for maximum effect. The high contrast treatment distills the image down to the bare essentials of the stair and the mysterious figure.

Initially I wondered if it might work better cropped to a letterbox format to add to the cinematic feel but I've concluded the visual weight of the foreground and the almost featureless upper third of the frame seem to 'compress' the image thereby adding to a sense of claustrophobia.

I know this beautiful staircase in Tate Britain well having photographed it several times myself and in my opinion this high key monochrome approach to the scene has enhanced the futuristic and yet somehow quite 'retro' architecture.

If I were to make any constructive criticism it would be that the slight converging verticals don't add to the 'message' of the shot and could easily be corrected in post-production software.

A superb B&W shot of the Tulip Stair at the Queens House, Greenwich. I had to include a shot of my own personal favourite spiral stair and it's hard to see how this one could be bettered. The high key exposure is beautifully controlled with the composition winding from the botom left through the shot to a strong focal point.