The Colour Blue

I love everything about this image. The top down perspective which gives it a graphical feel to the scene, further enhanced by the appearance of the letters "P" and "I" which you have so amusingly (and accurately) described as "Popular" and "Ignored". The subject of this competition was 'the colour blue' and this image has this in spades. In fact it's got several shades of blue that dominate the frame, from the cool blues of the water to the turquoise colour of the poolside. This is aided by the strong directional lighting providing some interesting shadows and pulling out the bright and bold colours. I love the little details, such as the flip-flops left at the pool side. This was a incredibly strong competition and it was tough to pick a winner but I loved the strong, punchy nature of this image as well as the the thematic meaning you've ascribed to the "P" and the "I". Really impressive stuff, congrats!

I wanted to give this image a review because it was a really close second. The composition is perfect as far as i'm concerned, and it embodies the theme of the 'the colour blue' in so many obvious and metaphorical ways. Of course, the ice itself is blue in colour, but the notion of a colony of penguins standing atop the ice evokes a cold, blue feeling. We're put in mind of the 'edge of existence' like your title describes which means cold and cold signifies the colours blue in so many ways. I love the subtle colours throughout and the way you've excluded the sky so all our attention is focused on penguins and their precarious position. A marvellous showcase of composition, thank you for sharing.

There's a little slice of coastline in the North East of the UK that contains patterns in the sandstone like this and it's one of my favourite places in the entire world. I don't know if this image is taken in that specific tiny bit of coastline, but it put me in mind of that location and reminded me just how beautiful the patterns in sandstone can be. This is a wonderful abstract, the kind of image that makes people look twice and it completely embodies the idea of 'the colour blue'. Your composition works well, with our eyes following the lines that have been carved into the stone by nature over uncountable years. It's an image I could fall into that is masterfully composed and tastefully processed. Lovely stuff that deserves a spot in the top ten, thank you for sharing.

There is a rhythm to this image that is just rather satisfying. The way the boats are all leaning in one direction against the verticals of the cityscape of Abu Dhabi city in the distance. The composition is really well done, with the boats toward the left of the frame further forward than the boats in the distance, further towards the right of the frame. This leads the eye through the image from one side to the other. The cool tones ensure this meets the 'colour blue' requirements, with the deeper blues of the sea complimenting the blues of the sky and silhouettes of the skyscrapers. The panoramic framing helps to keep everything in perspective. Really nicely seen, captured and processed.