Toilets (no people)

I almost dismissed this photo as a white lidless, soiled toilet standing on a textured linoleum floor. On further examination and on reading your blurb I saw that the lavatory pan was a receptacle for pitching money inside in order to raise funds for an artist’s retreat. The textured floor is actually made up of coins that had missed the toilet pan. What an ingenious way of spending-a-penny - It looks like the fundraising idea was flush with success.

I’m a great fan of photo titles. They show that the photographer has thought about what they were shooting and how to verbally convey their vision to the viewer. Your three monkey mantras of ‘see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil’ perfectly sums up your crossed-legged, porcelain composition. The modern day hieroglyphics of the pink gaffer-taped urinals can be interpreted by all as “Do-Not-Use”. That just leaves the question - whereabouts, in your office, did you eventually go to have a pee?

You tell us nothing about where this photo was taken but I assume (by looking at the logo on the bin) that it was shot at some kind of sailing establishment. As further evidence of my assumption I recognise the nautical alphabet spelling out ‘women’ and ‘men’ on the back of the wooden toilets. You’ve captured a cool colourful composition expertly aligned within the frame and made taking the photo look like plain sailing.

It took me a while to figure out that these copper-coloured receptacles were three hand dryers hanging on a ladies’ toilet wall. Initially I thought your photo was an aerial view of urinals standing on a gentleman’s toilet floor. Either way it’s a well-spotted piece of what looks like a framed art installation and however one interprets your creative composition it definitely can’t be mistaken for anything but a toilet - men’s or women’s.

This is a very clever piece of street art painted on an outside public toilet building. Your photo-positioning angle Is just right in capturing both eyes and the upturned loo seat resembling an animal’s nose. Your choice of low aperture has kept the graffiti windows in the foreground sharp whilst keeping the background windows a distant blur. I’m not sure what the animal illustrated on the breeze block wall is but it’s certainly enough to keep the wolf from the door.

The most obvious go-to-lens to photograph the smallest room in the house is the fish-eye and I’m surprised more entries didn’t make use of it. The two sides of the door frame act like a pair of opening arms welcoming one inside the convenience. At the same time there’s a comical air of voyeurism about your semi-circular view making it seem like the start of a ‘what-the-butler-saw’ peep show sequence.

In any other photo challenge your composition would be considered a blot on the landscape. But in the context of this competition your photo is an aesthetically pleasing addition. I particularly like the way you’ve centred the chimney between the valley of the two hills which gives your photo a balanced point of interest. The trodden path alongside the shack suggests that the placing of the toilet is a welcome relief to many hikers walking this isolated part of Scotland.

The regimented line of blue and green portaloos perfectly match the regimented lines of gold and white museum windows. The same shape and size of both features makes your comparison photo even more powerful. You did extremely well to spot the juxtaposed similarities and to record your architectural find. In my opinion had you straightened your buildings around the edges in post production - it would have elevated your composition from being a good one to being a great one.

This is a beautifully-observed, fine art study, of a gentleman’s toilet. The juxtaposed colours and textures of the red brick wall and the ornate turquoise pissoir offset each other magnificently. The top and tail of wispy white clouds in the blue sky together with the warm grey pavement slabs further serve to enhance your photo’s equilibrium. Finally the two extra elements of the black street lamp and the white phallic-looking bollard (conveniently pointing to the men’s toilet sign) strategically line up with each other to give you and your photograph a well-deserved winning combination.

This certainly is a room with a view. I like how you’ve managed to keep everything in focus all the way from the tiled floor at your feet to the distant view of St.Paul’s cathedral on the horizon. If another good reason to visit the Shard was needed then the positioning of these urinals in the men’s toilet must be it. I wonder if the ladies individual toilet cubicles managed to get the same window facing view as the gents - somehow I doubt it.

What a remarkable view of two parallel toilets on two parallel floors. This view was made possible by being caught in the process of the building being demolished. Although your composition could have been cropped a little tighter I like how you’ve used the compartmentalised sections to divide your photo. What defines your shot are the five upturned toilet seats looking like giant horseshoes displayed on porcelain plinths - without these it would have been difficult to ascertain that this was an actual toilet block building.