Textiles

A strong environmental portrait of a tailor surrounded tailored garments. I especially like that the subject has been posed to be looking towards the partially constructed jacket, rather than looking towards the camera, as it brings a greater sense of reality. Technically everything works well, with good focus and exposure, and the lighting well balanced to reveal plenty of detail. I especially like your capture of the folds in the fabric on the tailors sleeve. What also contributes to the success of the image is the muted colour palette, gently contrasting tbe blues and browns. Congratulations on your winning image.

This is just the type of image I was hoping to see in this contest, where the nature and properties of the textile are obvious, and the viewer is in no doubt how the textile would feel to the touch. Sharp focusing and accurate exposure reveal some great textures in the knitting, and the colours are nicely contrasty, but are not over-saturated. Being picky, the composition may have been even stronger had the knitting needles been slightly more angled on a diagonal across the image, but the close-in view works well, with the subject filling the frame. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

What I really like here is how you have so skillfully photographed this jacket in a way that really conveys the density and weight of the thick woolen cloth, along with some great detail and textures. The inclusion of the patterned silky lining adds contrast in both colour and fabric type, and lifts the shot. The shine around the edges of the buttons also has been well captured. Everything is in sharp focus and well exposed - not an easy thing when photographing dark fabric. A superb frame-filling shot, well done on your top ten placing.

The lighting you have captured here really highlights the soft wooly texture of this throw, also picking out the details of the shaping of the chair. Although I am sure this is a scene set up for the photograph, there is a lovely naturalness to the shot which I like. What also works for me is the relatively tight crop which allows focus to be fully on the subject. The colours are warm and rich, suiting the subject. Well done on your top ten placing.

As may be expected in a contest on the theme of textiles, there were many images filled with bold and brightly coloured fabrics. Of all those images, this was my favourite. Despite the strong colours, you have been able to bring a sense of lightness to the image, with all the garments appearing loose and summery and made of floaty fabric. With such an array of colours, it would have been easy to become carried away with image editing and oversaturate the colours, but you look to have avoided that temptation, instead resulting in a beautifully colourful and well executed image. I also like that the subject fills the frame, with no unnecessary distractions included. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I am unsure where this photo was captured as there is no location information supplied with the image, but it looks like a typical scene in a country around the Mediterranean, where the textiles are displayed in the street, often being sold where they have been produced. What I especially like about this image is that we see a glimpse of the surroundings as we can look beyond the hanging textiles to view a little of the street beyond, which gives some context to the shot. The relatively wide aperture used has created a lovely depth of field, with the foreground elements sharp, and the more distant parts still identifiable, but falling softly out of focus. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

The varied and bright colours were an initial draw to this image. There is enough similarity in the subjects across the frame to give a lovely abstract feel to the shot, yet enough differences to maintain interest, as there is plenty for the eye to explore. Technically very well executed, with focus, exposure, contrasts etc all spot on. This has allowed for the texture of the subject to be revealed, and there is no doubting how these balls of yarn would feel to touch. Super image, congratulations on your second place finish.

I am unsure how exactly this image was set up, whether the fine fabric was caught in the tree or more likely tossed into the air and allowed to momentarily hang in the breeze, but whichever, you have done a great job of capturing the nature and quality of this fine and delicate floaty fabric. It is an unusual subject, but full of interest with great shapes formed by the cloth. Your lighting has been well used to emphasise the folds and transparency in the material. Well done on your top ten placing.

This image was a late entry into my top ten, but once there it rose up thtough the placings during my final reviews. Composition of the shot works well, with the subject positioned over to the left, looking into the frame. Lighting is excellent, as her face is well illuminated - softly lit, but drawing the viewer to her face as an initial focal point. Due to the busyness of the shot, there is potential for everything to become confusing to the eye, but that has not happened here, and instead we have a wonderfully detailled and interesting scene to explore. Colours have been kept strong, but avoid being over-saturated. Congratulations on your third place finish.