Summer

Thank you for submitting this image which i felt was a stand out representation of Summer. I love the moment here - the sense of timing with all but one of the feet in the air and the balance of the water shapes alongside the figures. The pop of green adds to the sense of fun in the image. I appreciate the exposure, emphasising the Summer light on the figures and the detail of the water which seems as if to dance amidst the more structured movement of the waterfall. Congratulations on first place!

Thank you for submitting this image which stood out for me straight away. I was immediately drawn to a different perspective on Summer. The composition enhances the scale of the moment: the plane feels small; the water feels relatively big yet small in the scale of the frame filling clouds of smoke; the red flames just at the corner of the frame hinting at the scale of the actual fire. The small birds take a while to notice and bring the impact on wildlife into the story, as well as contrasting with the flight of the plane. I appreciate the technical challenges in creating this image and I personally feel that the slight lack of crispness in the plane works with the overall impact of the image. A pin sharp capture would have a very different mood. This feels like an impressionistic and immersive treatment of the scene; shooting what it feels like and not just what it looks like. The lighter and bluer tones in the almost negative space at the top left give me optimism. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for submitting this image. I appreciate the timing! The drops and the water bubble, together with the open mouth, are perfectly captured to give a sense of just having emerged from the water. I like the colour tones matching in the subject and the environment, giving me a sense of them being at one. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for submitting this image. I find it striking and beautiful. The eye contact combined with the depth of field and vertical perspective (being eye height to the deer) makes it an arresting image. I also like the monochromatic feel with a touch of blue in the eyes. I find myself wishing the deer was perfectly centred, as it so nearly is.

Thank you for submitting this image. It made me smile! The detail is naturally impressive, but what really draws me to this image is the playful sense of the insect posing with the leaf on the far right, and the meticulous composition of the subject with the background. The fade from green to black behind the head makes for a stand out portrait, whilst the alignment of the leg (arm?) in the centre of the image with the vertical stripe of leaf is perfect. The overall sense is of a creature in balance with its environment whilst standing out from it for a moment for a portrait. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for sharing this image which instantly drew me in. I love the composition and toning. The bold contrast feels natural in the light and holds detail in the highlights and the shadows. It's in balance with the strong lines; the wall separating the two halves and then each having a parallel line from an opposite perspective (the pointing arm and the film camera point of view). The contrasting line of the cigarette, bench and orientation of the foreground person add depth to this composition. These elements, together with the triangle of the people, make for a readable and story-rich image. So, the ground is laid for a good photograph, but it's the story within that really works for me. Two of the three human elements represent point of view - the figures are looking and sharing (or presumably intending to share in the case of the video camera) what they can see. I have a sense of the photographer and perhaps the photograph itself being part of the story.

Thank you for submitting this image. I get such a strong sense of immersion in the scene, balanced with a feeling of quiet observation. I appreciate the exposure of the figures, the monochromatic colour tones and the detail in both the water and the figures' outlines. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for sharing this image which I found myself drawn to straight away. I appreciate the aperture choice which gives a lot of detail in such a complex composition. The toning works very well to bring out the colours - which I feel is central to the point of view here - whilst retaining a documentary aesthetic. It feels like an image you could spend a long time looking at, all the while being drawn to the subject in the black coat. I feel it's a very strong image.

Thank you for submitting this image which I immediately liked at first sight. The vibrance of the yellow glow worms' light contrasts in perfect balance with the blue and green of the evening environment. I appreciate the variety of movement in the shapes: the still foliage and rocks; the water; and the mixture of still yellow dots and flying yellow lines which feel full of life and energy. The composition works to show naturally predictable movement flowing through the image intersperssed with independent and more chaotic movement bringing story to the scene. Congratulations on second place.

Thank you for submitting this image which I felt was very well seen. I love the richness of pattern, colour and form here, together with the playfulness of the point of view. I love how the colour and warm tones in the curtain and the stick match the yellow wall and tiles, and the clothing's cooler tones and colours match the rest of the environment, while the shirt and the curtain sit together with stripes in opposite directions. The suggestion of camouflage, while half hiding in full sun, is playful. I would personally prefer the crop to come in a tiny bit on the top to remove the slight sight of the curtain rail. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for submitting this image. I almost feel like I can see it moving. Your note that it was taken at Stonehenge during the Summer solstice gives a rich depth of story, but even without that I get a sense of long Summer evenings to be breathed in. Your gentle treatment of the subject in the environment is touching and beautiful. I love how much texture and pattern there is, both in the clusters of flowers and in the clothes and also in the natural grain and gentle lens flare. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for submitting this image. I appreciate the sharp focus, colour and highlight on the ladybird, falling away to the softer, painterly, more muted background. The composition is unexpected - the cluster of subjects including something very slow somehow balances out the busyness. Overall I get a sense of a refreshing and delicate balance. Congratulations on your placing.

Thank you for submitting this image which immediately made me smile! I love the combination of tourism and rain which is such an honest characterisation of Summer. The composition is strong and purposeful, with the figures slotting into the architecture and that in turn slotting into the skyline. The variety of umbrellas gives a quirky feel, as do the two yellow raincoats which feel like emergency on the spot purchases, adding humour. I love the moment of the hand reaching up to adjust the umbrella and the individual stances and leans of the figures. Overall, I love how you have artfully layered this scene, to make the tourists, the tourist attraction, and its city, into a single view for others to look at. It's a celebration of perspective. Congratulations on third place.

Thank you for submitting this image. I appreciate how you have filled the frame here and stopped down. The jam packed vibrance and detail make for an impactful image. I especially like the bits of dirt on the balloons. I feel an immersion in the aftermath of Summer play. This is a photograph that tells just enough to raise a smile, but that encourages imagination for what went before.

Thank you for submitting this image. I appreciate the different take on underwater photography, with the diver as the subject, seemingly in the position of an underwater creature. I feel that the black and white treatment helps this perspective and also helps draw attention to the eyes. I especially love the soft lines of light in the water and the subtle highlights on the rest of the subject.