Washing lines around the world

I know from bitter experience how difficult it is to capture an image such as this when the sunlight is so harsh. To our eye the scene looks great, but once the shutter clicks, I am usually left with a disappointing mix of blown highlights and black shadows! You have successfully managed to retain wonderful detail in both the lightest and darkest areas, and your colours are strong and rich without being over saturated. Your image is sharp throughout, and there is plenty of interest in the scene to hold the attention and then wander around the picture. Well deserving of a top 10 placing.

Despite the harsh metal shutters, there is a softness to this image which I find attractive. The limited colour palate of the green and the grey works well. I may have been tempted to crop off the area above the shutters to focus the attention fully on the clothing, but that is only a small point. For me a very attractive image.

This shot stood out from the start, and it has the look and feel of an old classic. The framing of the lady and child in the window is very strong, and you have done well with the exposure as you have been able to control the deep shadows and strong highlights caused by the bright sunlight. The line of washing is key to the success of this image as it not only adds interest, but the diagonal line draws further attention to the figures inside the building. A well deserved 3rd place.

This is a fabulous image with so much to look at and hold the attention. The colouring is wonderfully rich and the HDR-type look suits the subject well. You have done really well to balance the shadows and highlights in what I suspect were difficult lighting conditions in the strong sunlight, and the whole image seems to capture what I imagine to be the essence of Havana - the colours, the flaking architectural grandiosity, the bright sunshine and a sense of everyday life on show for all to see. A great image, well done!

This image was very close to a top 10 placing, and I wavered for quite a while. The colouring of the red shutters, and the overall composition I like, with the slightly off-set placing of the windows which keeps the washing in a key position. What kept it just out of the placings was that in my opinion, the image would have been enhanced by the exposure or brightness being slightly toned down, which would have resulted in richer tones of blue of the wall, which may also have allowed some more of the textures in the wall to show through. Still a great image, which I am sure will do well in the crowd vote.

The vibrant smears of red paint initially drew my attention to this image, and I love the contrast of the strong red on the walls and the deep blues of the door and the denim. The clothing has been well positioned on the right 1/3 line and creates an instant focal point, set against the bright wall. My eye then wanders around the rest of the image taking in all it has to show. The drying corn adds further interest to a simple but pleasing scene. Well done.

A tatty wall, a peeling wooden door shutter, and some grey broken old pegs ought not to have any appeal whatsoever, but for me you have succeeded in making them look truly beautiful!! Your composition and the soft pastel colouring is spot on for me. The whole image has been very gently handled to allow details to show in the old wood, the pegs and the flaky plaster wall, but nothing has been over done. It is this subtlety which makes this my winning image. I think it is beautiful. Congratulations.

As with many of the top images in this contest, you have done well to control the exposure of the photograph under the bright sunny conditions, and have retained both shadow and highlight details. You have captured great detailing across the scene, from the soft creases on the clothing, to the crumbling brick and plaster, and the tangle of wires. A well taken image.

I like this image and it is clear from your composition that you saw the washing line against the building as a photographic subject in itself, rather than an accidental inclusion of washing in a general street scene. What kept your image out of the placings for me was the partial de-saturation - I would have liked to have seen either complete black & white, which I think would have worked well, or just a little more overall saturation in the scene to avoid a "colour-popped" look. However, still a great shot, and a good choice of subject.