Toilet Rolls

This was an immediate entry to my “Toilet Rolls” contest, so clearly from an existing portfolio rather than one produced specifically for it. I can see why it was submitted without hesitation, as it fits the brief so well. If you don’t have a puppy to wreak havoc with a Toilet Roll, why not employ three cheeky elves instead? This is an inspired composition, the colourful elves draw attention to the rolls, there being no other strong colours to distract. The positioning of the elves, and their limbs, has been taken with care to create balance and a sense of action within the image.

There were several images of this nature and this one took the lead by a small margin, for the extra detail it contains. Not only that, but the title is also more imaginative than many of the rest of the field. There is no shame in copying a good idea, especially if you are able to improve on it.

I’ve selected this image, not only for its crisply detailed capture, but also for the humour. The simple title is more than adequate; this could be the subject of nightmares for some. Great lighting and I like the way that the last useful piece of tissue has been ripped from the roll with a sense of desperation.

Whilst most photographers have chosen black for their backdrop, this is an interesting departure. There is little contrast between the tissue and its background, requiring the viewer to pick out the detail of the Toilet Roll before following the gentle folds and delicate shades of tissue flowing from it. The whole is pleasantly positioned within the frame to create a most agreeable Toilet Roll image with an imaginative title.

I’ve said, elsewhere, that I like to see composite images in my contests, so I was very pleased to see this one. If you take your eye off the ball, you are likely to drop or miss it. I feel that you may have become a little too carried-away with the number of rolls in the air. Remove the lower four and you have the eye of a ‘juggler’ focussed on the subject. As it stands (or falls) this is an eye-catching image with great lighting. Maybe an alteranative title would describe this dramatic cascade of Toilet Rolls, although I'm struggling to suggest anything at the moment.

I like that you have experimented with the light source for this creative image. Not only that, the title has also been thought about. The light catches the lower petals in a delightful way, as it does the top of the roll. This all helps to draw the eye back to the subject of my contest, a ”Toilet Roll”.

My winning choice is perfect in every way: There are no distracting objects, this is clearly of a Toilet Roll so, as such, hits the brief without question. The composition is nicely balanced and it has an imaginative title. A bit more focus on the edge of the roll might have improved it more but I find the soft focus rather pleasing. Deliberate or not, who wants a rough tissue?

I like composite images and feel that this was the best of them in this “Toilet Rolls” contest, largely due to the glorious sky-scape. To address the title, I’d have sought a better trajectory for these falling Toilet Rolls (or changed the title). The larger ones should be the closer to the ground, which is not apparent here because of the perspective, but it was good enough to catch my attention and just made my Top Ten.

If it hadn’t been for the addition of a sailor man in this image, I might have missed the sailing boat created with the toilet paper. It’s a clever way to create attention to the very space that contains that extra detail. Those who stop to notice the sailor are then rewarded by the discovery of his ‘ship’.

This image of a wooden figure pushing a roll is a striking shot, thanks to the dramatic lighting. The figure and Toilet Roll make a great still-life composition on their own so I’m not sure about the need for ‘smoke’, other than to show-off an additional creative skill.

I love the simplicity of my fourth choice. I like the crisp capture of the roll centres, contrasting with the promisingly soft roll of white tissue sitting on top. The white contrasts with the black background, disallowing any distraction except, perhaps the unfortunate lump at the bottom.

The idea to place flowers inside a roll and use it as a vase was not uncommon in this "Toilet Rolls" contest, but I liked this particular one the most. The black background contrasts with both the white paper and well-lit lilies. Altogether a delightful still-life composition, employing Toilet Rolls.

My second choice is also rather different from most other submissions. Not quite an ‘Andrex puppy’, but I felt this was a much more credible situation. I like the title and also that this adorable dog appears to be winking at me! I don’t suppose my choice of a three-legged dog chewing the mangled remains of a toilet roll will attract as many followers from Crowd voters, but it gets mine! It’s advised not to work with animals and one reason is that you don’t get second chances. Well done for an excellent capture.

The Muppet-like character in this image is extremely eye-catching. Indeed, it is slightly more the subject of the image than the Toilet Roll but draws attention to it, almost as if a salesman trying to promote it. The lighting is excellent, providing strong contrasts between the three main colours. I would have liked it even more if you could have provided a stronger title.