Steps and Stairs

I find this image fascinating, trying to work out the perspective of these intricate shadows. The subject is obvious, but captured from fairly close with little context, along with the strong shadows, brings a great abstract to the shot. Black and white suits the subject, as the image becomes more about the shapes, lines and patterns than the building itself. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I love this mind-bending set of angles and lines formed by the downwards rectangular spiral of the stairwell. The image has been carefully processed to ensure the contrasts of the cream and blue are well differentiated from the darker blue of the surface of the stairs and landing. Some shots similar to this can work well with an appropriately placed figure ascending or descending, but I think with all these angles and straight lines, keeping the stairs empty works well. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

Although the subject here is obvious, I love the rather abstract shapes and lines that make up the scene. The red is a draw for the eye; I am unsure whether it is as-found, but it has not been over-done and does not dominate. Framing is good, with the stairways matching top and bottom, with the verticals and horizontals are nicely levelled up, which further strengthens the abstract of the image. Well done on your top ten placing.

A strong play of light and shadows is the key strength of this shot, both well seen and well captured. The composition works really well, with the strong straight diagonal lines running up across the frame, contrasting with the zigzag effect of the shadows of the railings falling on the steps. I also like the glimpse of the second flight of steps and the colonnade on the top right of the frame, giving a hint as to what lies beyond where the steps are leading. Excellent conversion to black and white, with bold contrasts emphasising the lines and shapes. Congratulations on your second place finish.

Such a simple composition, but one that is extremely effective. A strong photographic eye has realised the potential for a great shot, from something as simple as a coloured wall and a ladder. The angle of light is spot-on, as the shadow shows the ladder as it would look viewed from head-on, giving an unusual perspective. Lighting has been well controlled, with the shadows strong but not too deep as to loose detail. Congratulations on your third place finish.

By capturing this photo with a long lens to compress the perspective, combined with the face-on viewpoint, the image has taken on a rather abstract look, with figures and textiles initially looking to be in a state of suspension. The groupings of the subjects works nicely, and I like that the lengths of cloth are not perfectly laid out, as the wrinkles and folds where they have blown or slipped adds to the interest of the composition. The light colouring of the steps works really well, as it allows the subjects and the colours to stand out. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A well-seen shot of some red metal steps in the snow, that has taken on a lovely abstract look. The covering of snow up the staircases outlines the line of the steps perfectly, and even the heap of snow on the ground has a nice balance. Red can often be a difficult colour to represent in a photo, but it seems to have been well presented, as the colour is rich and strong, but has not become garish. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I love this shot, and it stood out as the likely winner as soon as I saw it. A definite nod to Andreas Gursky (although sadly unlikely to command his eye-watering price tag!!). I can understand this style of image will not appeal to everyone, but I love that it is somehow simple but complex at the same time. Being picky I may have been tempted to adjust the colours slightly for a more natural look, as this looks to have a yellowish tint similar to a Polaroid filter which may look a little odd, but still a very attractive composition. Congratulations on your winning image.

I love the simplicity of this image, with the rustic lines of the architecture and the soft whites of the paintwork. Filling the frame with what is basically all white is often not easy, but you have retained good control over the lighting to make sure any highlights are not over-exposed nor the shadows too dark as to be distracting. Nothing flashy, just a beautifully simple scene, well captured. Well done on your top ten placing.

A superb monochrome architectural image, taken from the perfect viewpoint to create both a documentary and a rather more abstract look. Some may not agree with filling virtually half the frame with a bare wall, but even this wall has hints of pattern and textural detail for the eye to explore. The three figures are well placed on the steps; together as a grouping but each well separated from the other with no overlap. The conversion to black and white works well, and you have brought a lovely lightness to the shot despite the heavy stonework. Well done on your top ten placing.