Water sports

This was such a striking image. The simplicity, movement, symmetry and balance all worked so well together to create a winning image. To achieve a shot like this requires either a lot of preparation, time, luck, or a combination of all three. I especially liked the crisp shadows of the oars on the still lake. I would have liked to see a couple of changes; more contrast to accentuate the shadows on the waters surface, make the whites a little stronger, as well as a bit of minor editing to clean up some of the imperfections on the lake.

I'm a big fan of the slow shutter shot in sports, especially surfing. It really helps tell the story of the act of surfing, giving an otherwise unrelated audience an insight into the mechanics of what is involved in the sport. The poise and stance of the rider contrasted with the flow and movement of the wave. The photographer could have even pushed the shutter speed further to accentuate this movement, but it is hard to find that balance where you can keep the subject sharp but have the background moving.

Although this shot isn't a standout image, there are a lot of things I do like about it. The photographer has timed the action well. The framing is nicely balanced by showing where the rider has come from and where he has ended up, with the poise of the subject reflecting this nicely by having one arm pointing to where he has come from and the other pointing to where he is going. There could have been more pop to the highlights and it looks as though it might have been cropped in to achieve this framing, which has reduced the overall quality – but a nice frame overall.

I just want to be in this photo. Warm blue water, a rickety old wharf to jump off and not a care in the world. It's hard to tell what is actually going on to be honest, the splash indicates another person jumping in I guess? The warm tones are a little over saturated for my taste, I think the blues work well but the skin tones and wharf are too extreme. It's reminiscent of velvia film though, so if it was shot on film please disregard my previous statement. A really nice balance to the frame.

There is a fine line between a successful, impressionist style of photograph and something that looks like a mistake. This is a good example of something that I think works really well. There is enough form to the subject to give an understanding, the muted tones illustrate the haunting mood, the blur accentuates the movement of the activity and the background is ambiguous but interesting; You can't quite figure out what is going on, but there are indefinable shapes that are left for interpretation. Good balance in the framing also.

This was a really striking image, great action and form with the body positioning of the subject mimicking that of the water splash. I would have liked this more if there was a bit more detail in the background, or even a bit of colour (like the deep blue hue of dusk, if it was shot outside that is) as it's hard to relate to what is going on without a bit more context. The description said it was a synchronised swimmer practicing techniques and without too much knowledge of the sport itself, perhaps I am missing something here, but still a nice image overall.

What seems like a family holiday snap is heightened by the dramatic landscape and relaxed nature of the subjects. This contrast between calm and power offers a great balance to the photo. I like that it looks like they've just casually paddled up to this glorious waterfall, are in the process of taking the obligatory 5 minute view and will then head off on their way. What I love about shooting water sports is it opens you up to these sorts of scenes on a consistent basis. Being afforded the opportunity to witness these awesome feats of nature up close is what keeps me coming back for more.

This was another image that was just very relatable for me. I've spent a lot of time looking for cliffs to jump off in my travels and it's never easy to find a workable frame, especially one that offers a sense of scale in relation to the location. There's a great layering to this shot, with the water, rocks and sky well balanced against the subject and where he has jumped off from. Good colour, good action and an inviting location all add up to a successful image. Simple but effective.

This is a relatable, well framed and emotive image. You can put yourself in the scene quite easily. It evokes memories of summer, travel and youth. I'm not sure if this is accentuated by the fact that I see a lot of myself in the subject (I had the same haircut and affinity for water at the same age as the boy pictured) but regardless, it is successful in drawing a response for that exact reason. It reminds me a bit of a Ryan McGinley image. It's a good example of not always having to have a sharp image to have the best effect.

As I've said in a few other reviews, I really like the use of motion blur when shooting sports – especially water sports, though. It's a real test to find a frame that is well balanced when shooting a scene such as this.

I think this photo is a good example of that. I like that there is a definable subject in the foreground that is relatively clear, it gives context to the scene and offers a nice balance to the chaos that is surrounding him. There could have been a bit more care in the editing, as the whites in the top left quarter are blowing out and making those figures a bit too ambiguous.

This was very close to coming in the top three overall, but ultimately I wanted to choose between this one and the eventual second place getter for variety's sake. This was just a little too heavy in the bottom right corner, so the other photo edged it out. I loved the impressionistic style, successful use of tone, movement and balance of the frame. The photographer has done a great job with their subject and I can see this being a part of a really nice larger body of work (if in fact it is the same photographer as the second place getter). I'm a big fan of using movement when photographic sports, whether that be in a stylistic realism, or abstract way.

Lets be honest, who doesn't love dogs? Well, not everyone I guess but I'm a big fan of animals so I couldn't go past this shot. As far as technical aspects, this photo could do with a bit of work, but the subject itself is fantastic and I've always been more interested in a photo's ability to tell a story than anything else. It's really open to interpretation as to what is actually going on, but I think that is why this photo works. Why, how, it's just confusing fun really.

There's a few things I liked about this shot.: the action happening so close to shore, the swimmers in the foreground to set the scene, the stance of the subject and the layering of the overall frame with the rock / water / sand all add up to tell the story of the image. I've spent a bit of time at this beach also and I know it doesn't break like this very often, so that fact alone made it an impressive image. It could have work better in black and white perhaps.

I didn't really classify this image as a water sport, so couldn't put it in the top 10 for that reason alone. It's an amazing capture though, to freeze that movement at that exact moment and have it sharp is incredibly hard to do, especially for such a small subject. Nice tones, would have liked to see a touch more contrast. The way the water is splayed out like that, reflecting the symmetry of the wings of the bird is just remarkable.