Steps and Stairs

For a long while during the judging, I resisted placing this image, as I felt there was something missing from the shot (maybe a focal point somewhere in the right third of the scene). However, I like it so much, it ended in the top ten. I especially like the divide down the frame, with one side inviting us to go up, the other to go down, both with thei own sense of the unknown as to where we would be taken. The HDR processing has been very well done and suits your subject, balancing the exposure and revealing lots of details. Pleasing and gentle colouring across the image add to the success too. Great work.

This image may not turn out to be a crowd-pleaser, but it was always in my placings. Key to the image is inclusion of the shadowy figure in the top corner of the frame, caught in the perfect mid-stride. Your quirky tilted camera angle makes the image a little more unusual, and for me caught my attention. The wide aperture you have selected works well here, choosing to focus on the shiny rails near the centre of the frame, with everything else falling out of focus, but not distractingly so. The decision to convert to black & white has worked well, as it is in keeping with the relative simplicity of the shot. Well done on your top ten placing.

This is a great abstract image, showing superb composition pulling our eye into the darkness. I imagine this shot was technically difficult to achieve due to the low light levels, but you have done really well to capture great details in the highlit areas of the elaborate ironwork. You have also done well to retain detail in the tiny area of brightest light at the top of the spiral, as it would be easy to have blown the highlights there. Captivating shot, technically very acomplished. Well done on your top ten placing.

Beautifully composed, this is a very strong architectural image. The figure on the stairs is well placed in the frame, and adds a vital human element, gives a sense of scale, and a focal point to a shot which may otherwise have been a little bland. The low tonal contrast adds a softness to the harsh concrete/ stone expanses. Technically very well acomplished with focus, exposure, toning, black and white conversion etc. Great work, well done.

The subtly contrasting blend of colours attracted me initially to this image. The colours are bright, but not overly saturated, therefore avoiding a more garish look. I quite like the composition which more or less splits the frame, and also the steps leading up and out of the shot, adding a bit of intrigue as to what would be found at the top of the steps. The soft lighting suits the subject, as there are no harsh highlights and shadows, so we can appreciate the details across the entire image. Very pleasing to view, well done on your top ten finish.

An interesting subject which has been made more arrtactive to view because of the choice of a very slow shutter speed which has softened the water, therefore contrasting nicely with the harsher lines and shapes of the structures and rocks. Composition is great, with the curve of the foreground sweeping across the frame and leading the eye into the image, and the horizon classicaly positioned on the upper third line. The black and white conversion works really well too. A very strong image, congratulations on your second place finish.

I love this image, and it crept up through the placings until it reached the top spot. For me, what makes this my winning image is the fantastic composition, the balance of the lighting, and the understated colouring and saturation. Whilst the subject is very mundane, the image could hold my attention for an age - a sure sign of a great shot. I don't know whether the pool of illumination from the light is real or digitally created, but whichever, it really adds to the feel of the image and creates an additional point of interest within the composition. Superb image. Congratulations.

What I find especially attractive about this image is the sheer simplicity - I asked for steps, and that is what I got! I like the abstract feel of the image - a set of different shaped blocks created by the varying strengths of light and shade. Technically spot on with focus, framing and exposure too. Being critical, I would maybe have preferred to see the image in straight black and white rather than the cream-toned, but that is only a minor issue and down to personal taste. Still worthy of a third place finish, congratulations.