The Colour Brown (in colour)

Not the obvious subject for a photograph, but this image certainly caught my eye. Bang on brief, with differeng shades of brown filling the frame. Not only can we see the subject, but with the glowing tip and the rising smoke, it is also not difficult to bting to mind the smell of a cigar. Simple but effective, well done on your top ten placing.

An unusual perspective on the seating in an airport departure lounge, captured looking directly down for a slightly abstract image. Composition works well, with the two lines of double seats running on a diagonal across the frame. I really like that you have included two people in the shot, as this brings the scene to life and prevents it being a more sterile shot. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

A quick comment on the judging overall. The brief for this contest asked for photos where brown was the dominant colour thoughout the image. In judging I have not awarded any images I felt did not comply with this, such as images where the subect was brown but relatively large areas of the rest of the image were colours other than brown, brown subjects with black backgrounds etc.

On to the winning image. This shot stood out as a likely winner as soon as I saw it. It certainly fits the brief for the colour brown, and aside from the tiny white specks of the birds, brown fills the frame. Composition works really well, with more or less two thirds ridged earth and one third smooth. Great care looks to have been taken with ensuring the lines are all truly vertical, which adds impact to the shot. Congratulations on your winning image.

I love this image for its ordinariness and simplicity, making the most of the mundane in various rather drab shades of beige. A straightforward composition, shot face on to the doorway, allowing a little glimpse to the interior of the store. Textural details have been well captured, from the rough plasterwork to the gentle folds in the clothing of the gent. A fantastic scene of the everyday. Congratulations on your second place finish.

A striking image, on the face of it very simple, but the image looks to have been captured and processed with great skill to make it a standout shot. I pondered for a while as to whether the objects that are likely white and black in reality were too much for a contest looking for browns to be dominant, but I felt the toning was sufficient to give those areas a brown hue to match the brief. I love the slightly softened tones throughout, which help create a real mood of nostalgia. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A super image of what looks to be a sleeping juvenile king pengiin, filling the frame entirely with brown. What makes this image stand out for me is the way you have captured the textures of the silky soft down, making it easy to imagine how the little fellow would feel to the touch. Composition is strong, with the closed eye positioned on the left upper third intersection, and the line of the beak on a diagonal across the frame. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A lovely capture of this mighty deer, conveying a real sense of a chilly autumn morning at first light. The golden browns of the early morning are lovely, and I like that the exposure has been sufficiently controlled to allow some features of the creature to be visible rather than just a solid black silhouette. The capture of the steamy breath as he bellows is great, an image I cooud ponder over and appreciate for an age. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

A lovely study with nine details of an old leather suitcase. By seeing little individual parts we get a real sense of the case overall, without needing to see the whole. Some fantasyic shades of brown, all subtly different across each of the nine individual frames to allow each to stand out equally. All neatly assembled too, with the black lines of the frame being sufficient to separate the images, but not too wide as to dominate. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

This image was a late entry to my top ten, but is one I kept coming back to. I like that you have not felt obliged to include any sky in the landscape, as the image in my view is much the stronger for it (as well as meeting the brief for this contest). The bands of different shades of brown run horizontally across the frame, with the lighter stripe punctuated by the antelope trotting across the virtually barren landscape. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A fabulous portrait photo, full of a range of brown hues, from the light creamy browns of thd skin to the deep brown of the dress and backdrop. Lighting is lovely, making the most of the model's features, with a gentle softness suiting the subject. Great composition and framing, a portrait to be proud of. Well done on your top ten placing.