February 2006 Theme Competiton Entries

This months theme is : PERSPECTIVE

Clicking on the image will open up a new window with the original size submitted entry

Critiques this month by Di and Mark.
TOWERS
Di says: These look massive from this angle. An excellent shot to open the competition – great perspective – echoing the theme for February excellently. I would have liked to have seen the sky a deeper blue and I feel that this could have been adjusted slightly in photoshop. The towers look hollow – and I do wonder what they really are.
Mark says: This one is mine. It fits the theme, but I do find the sky wrong. In fact it is wrong because it was originally white.
 
Corridor - JOINT 1st
Di says: this was my entry, and as such I refrain from comment………I only add that it was taken whilst I was away for a few days, and I thought that the shot fitted the theme rather well for the month.
Mark says: The first time I saw this one, I thought WOW! It fits the theme absolutely. The exposure is very good overal and I like the bright and dark spots. The biggest problem is the fire extinguisher. The second thing I would have like to have seen slightly brighter is the red pot on the cupboard, just a little too much in shadow. Good shot, could well be a winner
 
Milton Keynes
Di says: this shot certainly does fit the theme, and the central line draws the eye into the shot – the lines either side look as though they will converge rather beautifully too. It’s a good shot for the theme.
Mark says: Nice shot which fits the theme well. I would have like to see less sky with the skyline higher up or cropped
 
Ceiling: Bell Harry Tower
Di says: I don’t know where this is but it sure is beautiful. Gorgeous colours, and so much detail. It certainly looks very high, and the photographer has caught the detail in the shot perfectly. The only criticism I would make is that the sides don’t match. I think I would have tried to make the left and right hand sides the same. Other than this, a wonderful shot.
Mark says: Interesting shot this one, because on firsts view it almost looks flat, but as the eye travels around the picture from the cross in the centre, you realise that its a view looking upwards. I do wonder if it would have worked better within the context of the theme if it had been cropped tighter to lose the arches and just leave the square.
 
Quire Entrance.
Di says: I suspect this is the same building as the previous shot. It looks as though the photographer was either squatting down, or going down a flight of steps at the front of the building. Either way, the angle is great, and the use of perspective quite amazing. I love this for the detail.
Mark says: Another well exposed shot, which does fit into the theme. Again I wonder if it would have been better cropped to the archway around the door. although this may not have been possible. Good effort
 
Temple
Di says: A temple to music perhaps? It’s nice the way the instruments recede from the eye. It’s a good use of colours, and perspective. Was it taken at 10 to 4, or 20 past 10 I wonder……
Mark says: This is an interesting take on the theme, but none the worse for it. Exposure on the objects has been very well controlled. Its a shame that the background is so distracting. A tighter crop of just the objects would have been better together with the stool at the back being moved out of shot. There was nothing the photographer could have done about the columns which is growing out of the first object. I like it.
 
The Salon
Di says: Shops at an angle. A picture that could do with some framing. The white of the buildings is lost in the white of the web page. Try to remember when you submit shots that you can lose the edge of your pictures in this way. A little thought goes a long way. However, I do like the way the spot colour works, and the way the shops furthest away are just blurry enough to emphasise distance. It’s excellent, and fits the theme perfectly.
Mark says: I'm not sure what this shot is trying to be. The red door and name don't do anything for me, sorry. The angle has made the shot more interesting, but I think the lamppost should have been cloned out along with the stuff above the windows. A polariser should have helped to remove the reflections from the windows.
 

The Bridge - JOINT 1st
Di says: This shot I do like. It works perfectly, with lines of the planks running into the distance. The photographer has followed the rules of thirds perfectly, with the colours being beautifully balanced. I also like the way the lines run diagonally across the planks. Well done
Mark says: This is the second of my shots and I prefer it to the first. It is actually a little blurred due to the bridge moving due to the people walking on it and a very slow shutter speed.
 
Tower
Di says: Love the way the clouds emphasise the stark column on which the circular top sits. Perfect use of perspective, and a good use of an unusual camera angle.
Mark says: This is a good shot that fits into the theme well. I like the diagonal composition, but would have prefered the tower a little brighter. It might have benefited from a polariser to darken the sky and bring out the tower more.
 
Boxer
Di says: Not sue whether this one fits the theme to be honest. The shot is honest, and pulls weight, showing good reflections on the metal. Good to see that the buildings behind are out of focus – throwing emphasis on the foreground figure. I might have blurred out the word ‘cleaners’ a little more, as I find it somewhat distracting from the main image. Good shot though.
Mark says: An unusual shot in the context of the theme. Its not obviously within the confines of it until you look a second time. I would like to see the boxers feet and this does detract from the shot for me.
 
The Football Stand
Di says: Good shot – but I think it should have been a portrait shot, and not a landscape. Cropping a good deal off from the left hand side would have emphasised the length of the stand for me. Good use of colour, and an original shot. Well done.
Mark says: This is Simons second entry and it works a lot better for me. The sky is a little bland. I would have liked to have seen a single person sitting in the stand, probably an older man just looking onto the pitch to add a reason for the picture.
 
Suez Canal
Di says: who is it that’s been on a world tour. It’s a great shot of one of the wonders of the man made world still in daily use. Its great how the canal seems so narrow, yet we know it’s capable of moving large ships from one side to another. Lovely shot, and nicely presented.
Mark says: This is a nice shot which does fall into the category very well. The right hand side is a little bleached but is clearly taken around midday. Whilst I do like this image, I wonder if it would have been a little better if the view point had been farther to the right to have the canal cutting diagonally through the picture. It would have also lost the overexposed right bank. It may also have cause flare due the position of the sun.
 

Italien walkway - 2nd
Di says: Good use of a portrait shot – I think the football ground would have looked better cropped like this. Love the colours, and a good sky makes all the difference. Excellent use of perspective. Well done.
Mark says: I like this picture a lot. It has an interesting sky and the pathway running up does take the eyes into the picture very well. I would have liked the car to have not been there.
 
The Old Quay
Di says: it’s a beautiful light on the struts of this old quay – but it looks cut off on the left hand side. I wish the photographer had left a little more for us to see. Having said that, it’s an excellent use of perspective and fits the theme for this month perfectly.
Mark says: My first thought is that the horizon isn't straight! The levels could perhaps just do with a tweak to bring more colour out of the timber and the rust and steel girder. The shadows and highlights on the girders really adds to the shot and accentuates the theme.
 
Weather Worn
Di says: the photographer here has caught the light perfectly. It’s a great balance between sky and main object. Being able to see all the detail right the way to the top of the tower was a feat in itself. Lovely soft colours, and good focus make for an excellent shot – fitting the theme for February.
Mark says: -

 

General comments – most pictures submitted this month fitted the theme. I would always say to people entering shots into theme competitions to really think about the shots they enter. Make sure they really do what the competition requires before you enter it.

Please remember that the comments made here are only the opinions of two people. Please take any criticism in the spirit in which it is written.

Thanks

Di and Mark