Tiles

Although the large vessel in the foreground is initially dominant, the composition of the image then draws the eye to the display of tiles, making this an ideal image for this contest. I especially like the framing of the shot, with objects of interest filling the frame, but still giving a good sense of the place. The colours are rich and vibrant and add to the appeal of the shot. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

If the bathroom installation and tiling are all your own work, then your skills certainly extend beyond photography! This is just the type of image I was hoping to see, as so many of us will encounter tiles somewhere in the home on a daily basis, but most do not think to photograph them, often opting for more exotic or far-away destinations than ones own bathroom. Lighting has been handled very well, as shiny surfaces abound, but you have managed to control any unattractive glare or overblown highlights, whilst still retaining the smooth glossy nature of the surfaces. Great image (and great tiling!), well done on your top ten placing.

The capture of the wonderfully rich colours is what initially attracted me to this image. There is often a fine balance when capturing bold colours between under or over-doing the saturation, but here I think it is just right. There is enough of the subject included in the composition to give a sense of the place, and the lighting of the scene has revealed good details and textures in these wonderful decorative tiles. Congratulations on your third place finish.

Some people may find images such as this quite dull and uninteresting, but I love them. It is not easy to get the right subject for these shots, and sometimes such repeating patterns can lack interest, but here there is so much variety within the individual slate tiles, there is plenty for the eye to explore and hold the attention. There is no obvious focal point, but that does not matter, as wherever the eye settles there is a wealth of subtle variation in colours and patterns in the slate, it makes for a very attractive image. Everything looks in sharp focus too, which highlights some of the textures in the tiles. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A super image of some tiny blue pool tiles, captured in a way to make a great abstract shot. There are three distinct horizontal bands running across the frame, each taking up more or less equal proportions, which adds to ths abstract look. A maze of patterns and lines to explore within the tiles and their reflections/refractions, with the blue and white colous across the entire frame keeping everything simple but effective. Well done on your top ten placing.

A superb abstract of floor tiles and shutters, certainly having a rather hypnotic effect through the tricks the mind can play when viewing such geometric patterns. Due to that effect it is not an image I can look at for long, but when I do look, I like it a lot. Composition of the two elements is simple but well executed. With all verticals and horizontals true, which adds to the impact of the image. I also like the tones and colouring of the shot, with the rather desaturated effect suiting the subject. Congratulations on your second place finish.

Photographing in harsh sunlight is often tricky and the results can be less than desirable due to the strong contrasts etc. Here however, the strong sunlight has been used to best advantage, as one of the main elements has come about as a result of such lighting, namely the deep shadow of the bicyclist. Capturing the subject in this way also means the actual bike and rider is in near silhouette, which adds to the abstract of the shot. The brightly coloured tiled paving adds to the appeal of the shot, with bold contrasting colours, strong but not over-saturated. Well composed with all elements optimally positioned within the frame. Congratulations on your winning image.

These tiled pavements are a beautiful feature all over Portugal, and this is a fine example. Consisting of light and dark stone tiles, here they have been laid is mesmerising curves which have been captured to great effect. I am not sure if the inclusion of the birds was intended or accidental, but for me they add to the image, giving context, a sense of scale and bringing life to the image in a light-hearted way. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

This was a late entry into my top ten, but one I kept being drawn back to. Whilst a lot of the appeal is in the skill of the artist who created the mural, the work has been captured to best effect to highlight the subject, and the textures and colours of the tiles. Well composed, with the face positioned over on the left 'third' line, allowing other patterns and details to be included in the frame. The capture of the little shadows cast across the mural gives an indication of the textural relief of the artwork too, making it look very touchable. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were understandably a number of entries in this contest of Gardi's tile mosaics, but this one was my favourite. The square crop works well and framing and composition is just right for me to allow the subject to be seen in detail, but wide enough out to capture the curve and see some variety of colours and shapes. Everything is well focused allowing good textural details, and the colours look bright and realistic without being over-done. Well done on your top ten placing.