What just happened?

This is a very literal interpretation of the brief, and I mean that only in a good way. Rather than seeing the protagonists or leftovers of some action, we're looking at the observers. The photographer who steps out of the given frame and shoots the other photographers shows the ability to look at things from a different angle. I'm also willing to bet this is part of a series of shots rather than a lucky one-off. I also like the fact that the only one who's noticed our photographer is the guide in the background - the other shooters are far too caught up in what they're doing to notice anything out of the usual...

I enjoy the mystery of this shot. It hints at things rather than depicting them. We don't know where we are - though the floor and the fan suggest a mediterranean country. We don't know whether the woman, whose face we can't even see, is moving towards something or away from something or someone. The black and white, together with the blurred movement, make for quite an abstract picture that still hints at a story. Well done for using a tripod too.

Hmm. I'm probably going to get stoned for having selected this image, I know. But there's something very down-to-earth and unassuming about it that I like. Even though we all know what just happened it is still another way of interpreting the brief. It also works for me graphically - the framing, perspective and composition are basic, but well executed. But I don't think there's much more to say about it either as I'd risk overinterpreting something very simple!

I had to smile when I saw this picture, which is always a good starting point. It's an imaginative way of interpreting the brief. The photographer has shown initiative in coming up with an idea and staging it - and the idea isn't too obvious either! Nor does it look contrived - who knows, those stormtroopers might have even been hanging out there. I like the bright colours and selective depth of field. The fairly offhand way of shooting suits it too.

Well, this is interesting. The picture is called "Zombie attack", so either there is something that's escaped me (the blurred shapes in the foreground?) or it's a very imaginative interpretation of the situation. And it's true, something in the way the girl is holding her shoulder is reminiscent of having been bitten. Either way, I like the composition. The blurred foreground gives depth to the shot. The other thing I like is that it looks real, i.e. convincing, which is more important to me than whether it was staged or not.

There were obviously quite a few pictures of extreme emotional reactions among the submissions, and while they fit the brief, I like that this one is a bit more contemplative and subtle. No crying, shouting or punching someone, but still we wonder what the boy is looking at and why he looks resigned in an almost grown-up way. The shallow depth of field and composition work for me too, which goes to show that sometimes it can be good to stay away from your subjects and use a long focal length.

Another great shot that lives from having captured one of those moments - great presence of mind! It leaves me wondering why the woman is suddenly turning round... Did someone bump into her? Did someone shout her name? Did she lose something? Did she stumble? Or perhaps she didn't appreciate her picture being taken ;-) In any case, it leaves us with more questions than it answers, which works perfectly for the brief. Again it's useful to turn the picture black and white as it makes it more graphical. And it's another nice example showing that it's worth getting close to your subject rather than using a tele lens.

Congratulations to the winner! This was hands-down and easily the most convincing image for me. Everything about it is right - the composition, the tones and the way the man is captured. It shows how important it is to shoot not just one picture, but rather a series, changing the perspective, getting close, and trying out different things, as well as capturing the right moment. It works really well in black and white too, keeping the focus on the man in what might otherwise be a confusing and hard-to-read image. Well done!

I've always had a thing for old posters... Layers upon layers being added and torn off, thus creating new and unforeseen shapes. In terms of the brief it's not entirely convincing, as it's less about something that "just happened" rather than about traces or evidence in general. But it's a nice shot and shows an eye for something a bit unusual. There's also just enough of the original poster left to make it about more than just some torn off paper...

I see there were two shots from this series among the submissions so the photographer has obviously made an attempt at finding different points of view and trying a few things. You're on the right path! However both of the shots fail to really grasp my attention. Maybe try some more extreme perspectives or focal lenghts. The fireman in the little basket is great, but everything on the street is quite confusing and seems to distract me. Even just getting closer to the fireman looking at you might have helped.

Hmm, this is not a bad shot, but it feels as if the photographer could have taken more time to compose the image. Try a few different perspectives and shoot for awhile, then later select the most interesting moment and composition. This way we learn a lot about what we like and don't like in our images. For instance, shooting just the people at the water's edge without the car could have been interesting. Or perhaps waiting for the two people walking towards the camera to pass. Or maybe showing more of the surroundings to make the situation clearer. It's all about experimenting to push the boundaries!

It's hard to tell if this picture was staged or whether it's just a snap. There seems to be an attempt at telling a story, but the ingredients aren't quite clear to my eye. The black and white and the black overcoats as well as the (possibly) isolated location near the water suggest something a bit sinister, a secret meeting or something. But we can neither really make out what the crouching man is looking at nor what the other guy has in his hand. Is something happening? Has something already happened? Will something happen? We just don't know. It's only from the brief explanation that I know that the real point of interest are the circular patterns in the grass. But these would have otherwise escaped me, so try to show them more with your composition. You might consider leaving the guys out?

Ss such this is a well executed shot. The moment has been caught, the focus is right, it looks dynamic, and of the many submissions in this vein it's one of the ones that caught my eye. The fact that I wasn't inclined to select it has more to do with my interpretation of the brief than anything practical regarding the execution of the image. It's just my personal preference - I look for something more subtle in pictures, and the situation here is maybe a bit too obvious for my taste. Perhaps try and look for inspiration away from the usual, point your camera in the opposite direction, or look "behind the scenes"?