Weekly Competition #143 - Curved Surface Competition

Recently I have been trying to photograph several subjects that contained curved and reflective surfaces. I found it a lot harder than I imagined, particularly with managing the reflections. For most of this work the reflections were a nuisance and I put effort into minimising them. However it also showed me that the reflections could be used to enhance some shots. So with the opportunity to set a competition subject I thought I would see how others manage curved surfaces and reflections.

Therefore from my direction I think there are two approaches to this competition subject. The first is to exploit the curved surface reflections to enhance the shot and the second is to control and minimise the reflections so that they do not intrude on the shot. Perhaps there is also a third way that does a bit of both.

I would like to say thank you very much to all of you that have submitted entries for this competition. You have certainly given me a difficult task but it has been both fun and a privilege to review all you pictures.

Just a reminder that I'm no expert at this and everything here is just my personal opinion and the results reflect my personal tastes. I have tried to make useful comments for each entry and hope that I have not upset anyone as this was definitely not my intention. It is a terrific collection of photos and you are all undoubtedly brilliant at interpreting these competition subjects.


Having set the subject I had all sorts of worries as to whether it was reasonable and if anyone was going to enter anything. However my fears were unfounded as only a few hours in we had our first entry:

Womble – Tuba Christmas

Wow this is amazing . As a close follower of these competitions I have the distinct impression that Kris has built a reputation on submitting his entry in the closing stages of the competitions. Yet this time he is in first. However looking at his picture you can easily see why:

This is a brilliant picture and well exceeds my expectations. It contains loads of shiny curved surfaces and you have managed the reflections in a superb way. Where we can see into the bells of the tubas you have very cleverly positioned yourself so that there is a central refection of St Paul’s. As well as producing a fantastic effect it adds provenance in a way that makes GPS obsolete.

There are other fantastic reflections as well. In the two horns where we can see further in, beyond the lip of the bell, there are some fantastic linear reflections that for me enhance the feeling that sound is being produced. There are also some very good reflections on the outside of the tubas, particularly the silver one in the middle of the shot.

It is a very well composed shot which must have been achieved by the positioning of the camera rather than the subjects. The depth of field captures all the musicians and the reflections are outstanding. Very well done.


The outstanding quality of the first entry gave me a second fear that the game was over and no-one else would bother but again these fears were short lived:

TOZZA27 – Living Curves

We get squirrels in our garden but I have found them very difficult to photograph. Our’s tend to leg it up the nearest tree on sighting me with camera. So from my experience you have achieved a fantastic shot. Closer study of the eye, which is the curved element in the submission, shows that you have achieved a pin-sharp focus and I can make out a reflection of a building and probably the photographer.

So this shot definitely well meets the criteria for this competition. However looking at it in its larger size does seem to show that it contains quite a lot of colour noise. Unfortunately the exif does not reveal anything other than it was shot with a K20D. The noise might just be a result of cropping and resizing but I suspect it is probably due to using a high ISO and could well have been necessary to create the high shutter speed needed to capture these nervous creatures.

It is, though, a very good example of a squirrel shot and certainly far exceeds anything I have managed to achieve.


Hyram – American Pop Art

When I set this competition subject I was rather hoping that we would see some automotive glossy bodywork or chrome and Hyram has, of course, delivered and exceeded my expectations:

I think this is a very interesting picture. What ever you have done to create the pop art effect is very clever. It seems to have been selectively applied as it keeps many of the reflections intact. We can clearly see sky, buildings and even a person. There are also a few water drops which also add an extra element. I have to admit that I don’t normally like posterisation effects but this shot definitely grows on me and it would be very interesting to know how you achieved it.

I love the way that apparently reducing the dynamic range of the darker elements of this shot have highlighted edges, particularly the rings in the round light, the water drops and the grainy reflection of the ground surface.

This shot certainly meets the criteria for this competition and has taken an excellent slant that creates an unusual and unique effect.


Pentaxophile– Neon Squiggles

Here we have a shot of an internal structure in “The Public”, an arts and community centre, in West Bromwich. This is an award winning, rectangular, building famous for its irregular, blob, shaped windows and vibrant interior.

This shot shows an internal structure illuminated by a lighting scheme which, I believe, is called the squiggles. It is an interesting picture. The irregular shape of the lighting in further distorted in the reflection creating an almost alien effect.

There is no doubt that this meets the criteria for this competition, it has a curved surface and exciting reflections. To me though this photo is more of a record of a visit and could have possibly been made more artistically appealing by not including the ceiling lighting and possibly going landscape to include more of the structure. I believe this structure has doorways and perhaps it would have been nice to include one. Right at the bottom of the shot we also get a hint of a reflection of the surrounding interior and, perhaps it would have been good to see a bit more of this although this will stop the image looking quite so alien.

It is, though, a well crafted picture, in what I imagine is quite a difficult environment for photography. It is sharp, has an excellent depth of field and certainly qualifies as a competitive entry to this competition.


snakey – Self Portrait……in a kettle

First congratulations for being the first person to take a shot specifically for this competition. Secondly I would also like to congratulate you on finding a solution to this competition’s subject by using your immediate surroundings. I think this displays the extra imagination needed to exploit something you can easily lay your hands on to produce a competitive photograph. I’m sure you could put these skills to good use in the fortnightly competitions, found in the discussion forums, that insists on shots being specifically taken for the competition.

I think this is a well thought out idea and certainly well worth the effort needed to polish the kettle. I like the way the composition captures so much of the room detail as well the two archways into other rooms.

I’m not so sure that the blue flash at the back adds anything to this composition. Although it sort of highlights yourself I think it might be a bit over the top and if the flash was necessary to illuminate the back of the shot then, perhaps it might have been better without the blue filter.

As a portrait I think you could have smiled . You don’t really look like you are enjoying yourself but I suspect we are seeing concentration in action. I also notice that you are using a remote. My experience, doing something similar, was that it is worth setting the camera to a 2s delay so that you have time hide the remote and compose yourself before the shot is taken. This then creates an element of mystery on how the shot was achieved.

The exif data indicates that you were using some manual settings and I guess this was done to achieve the excellent depth of field and exposure demonstrated in this shot. I assume it took some experimentation to achieve this result so you earn a 3rd congratulation for dedication .

Many thanks for putting the thought, time and effort into specifically achieving a fully compliant and competitive entry.


PeterMac – Final Resting Place

This is a very special, well crafted shot. I was a bit concerned about the reflective element but after some careful consideration I think it meets my requirements for this competition.

[You did not say what you used to take the shot and there is no exif data but I went and had a look at your gallery entries and find, via similarly dated pictures, that you are using a K20D so I’m happy that we have a compliant entry.]

While looking in your gallery portfolio I found that you have another example of this subject. I think, though, that the competition entry here displays a better composition. I like the way that the tail of this wreck points towards the bottom right corner of the picture almost creating a diagonal effect in the sand in the lower part of the picture. I also like the sparkle from the sunlight through holes in the wreck and that you have included a little more of the sky with some wonderful clouds.

We have a curved surface of the wreck and while it is not very reflective the bright, direct, sunlight is being reflected and creating some exciting effects. We also have some lovely ripples in the wet sand, also curved, reflecting the sunlight so I believe this picture meets the competition criteria. I assume we are looking into the setting sun and this seems to enhance the feeling that this wreck has settled into its history.

The sunlight has created a little lens flair and it would be easy to argue that this enhances the shot but I think, if it were mine, I might just have a go at cloning out the two green blobs on the sand if not the ones on the wreck.

I think it is an excellently composed shot, enhanced by the setting sun and captures the history and spirit of the place, well done.


Aluther – A blue legend

Here we have the highly polished body work of an exotic racing machine on display in a museum.

[You have not said what you used to capture this shot and there is no exif data. However I found that late last year you posted a question about your K20D so I’m assuming that you used the K20D for this shot and therefore also assume that your entry is compliant.]

There are lots of curves here and scope for all sorts of reflections but I think you have the image well under control. I can see why you wanted to shoot this from a low aspect. It certainly enhances the elegance of this exhibit.

The machine appears to be illuminated from both below and above. The under lighting creates some wonderful reflections on the lower edges of the car and as you told me where to look I can see you and your family being reflected as well.

It is an interesting shot as I feel the reflections are needed to highlight the curvature of the car body and without them the image would probably be a bit flat. I like the composition. I like the way the long headlight tunnel is diagonal from the bottom right corner of the shot and the way the wheel is off centre.

There is something a little odd going on. I think you have probably blacked out the background above the car. There is no doubt that this enhances the shot but it does just create a little confusion when looking through the windows of the car onto a background that only exists through the windows. I have no idea what you could do about that but possibly just cloning out the lines in the background seen through the windows might just hide the anomaly.

I also guess that there was probably some spot lights on the ceiling that have also been removed as we can see them reflected as little points of lights. However these don’t disturb me at all. Again their absence removes clutter and enhances the shot.

It is a fantastic shot, very much complies with what I had in mind for this competition and I think demonstrates some excellent composition, camera and editing skills.


timcx500e – Kerb appeal

I can see we are building a car theme in this competition. Here we have the photographer, what I think is a late MG Midget in fire engine red, and a picnic in progress all cleverly reflected in the hub-cap of another car. I therefore suspect that we are at some sort of owners club, or other car group, meet. This is reinforced by seeing that at least two cars have their bonnets up.

It is a very well executed and clever, opportunistic shot. I see from the exif data that this is using a focal length of 200mm and we can see it is hand-held so I think you have done well to control any shake which would have been obvious in blades of grass close to the hub cap.

The composition is good and as well as the sort of fish-eye effect the domed hub cap creates I also like the framing effect it achieves. The colour of the car is also complemented by the green of the grass. The depth of field is also very good. We can see individual blades of grass close to the hub-cap as well as detail of the reflected subjects. It was obviously a lovely day. In retrospect I think the hubcap might have benefited from a polish and while this is easy for me to say now I know it would have been much harder to spot on the day and is really only trivial.

It is a lovely, interesting shot and fully complies with the criteria for this competition and must have created a terrific memento of the day, - very well done.


bramela – Cala Lily

I’m afraid this image is giving me a problem. It is undoubtedly a superbly crafted presentation. I can imagine it being one of a series being publicly displayed. However while it is definitely a curved surface it does not really contain the reflective, or partially reflective element that I was looking for in this competition. So apologies from me if I have not made this requirement clear enough in the wording for this competition.



bforbes – Four in Line

The motoring theme continues. I have no idea what car this is but this is a well composed detail shot that think verges towards the abstract.

We have multiple areas of reflection here. There are well controlled reflections on the intake ports and red bodywork. We then get some terrific, blatant, reflections on the rear of the chrome headlight that give some wonderful distorted reflection detail of the car and a few hints about the environment, not the least being a cloudy sky, and a suggestion that this car is probably in line out with some others.

I think it is a nice detail shot, well composed from an unusual angle. The prominent reds are also well controlled with just a slight amount of over saturation of the right hand side.

There is no doubt that this image meets the competition criteria and the prominent bright red makes it leap out from the other entries. Well done.


patrick – thermal baths

This is a nice, well composed, shot of what I understand is the pump house in the French spar town of Royat which I guess could be a French equivalent to the UK’s Bath.

My first thoughts were, ok I can see at least one curved surface but where are the reflections? However it slowly dawned on me that there is glass between the pillars of the pump house and there are indeed some subtle reflections. So this picture falls into the “well controlled reflections” end of the competition criteria.

If this was a little item I would say that the reflections had probably been controlled via soft lighting or even a photo tent. That obviously does not apply here so what I think it comes down too is either luck or good planning and I’m happy to assume the latter. It appears to be an overcast day and this has certainly kept the reflections well under control not just for glass but the fountain as well.

Composition wise I think it is fairly good. I like the way the sides of the fountain pool creates diagonal lines that draw you into pump house. I think I might have experimented to see if a shot could be made with the pump house off centre and thereby improving the composition but I suspect the surrounding trees would have prevented this.

A nice example, and probably the first here, of well controlled reflections .


hijackie23 - Teapot

Here we have a very well crafted and subtle composition using a Gx10.

There are quite a few curved reflective surfaces here including the tea pot , what I think is a spice rack and parts of the cooker hob.

I think the composition is brilliant and I like the way that the smallish depth of field makes the soft reflections of the cooker hod such an important part of this shot.

The choice of colour, with the white teapot, and the rest of the shot largely in dark shadow highlighting the chrome reflections, then the golden/brown contents of the spice jars, and what might be the handle of a pan is terrific. I think it all helps to capture the subtle intimacy of this place.

I think this is a fantastic, carefully composed shot using controlled reflections and like it very much. Very well done.


jdanko1451 – Look ‘ear!

It is so good to see a shot here that has been taken with a compact camera. These competitions get dominated by DSLR users and this shot shows you don’t need a DSLR to compete here.

We have a cat peeking its head over a curved object on which we can see a reflection of the cat.

I think this shot is a great idea and obviously needed the co-operation of a cat which from my experience is no mean achievement.

The sharp focus and depth of field at such a close distance is very good. You can clearly see individual hairs and whiskers. I guess this is an advantage of using the compact.

The bottom right corner is burnt out. Is this the flash just catching the top of the reflective object? I do though think this probably creates a balance with the dark corners at the top of the shot and enhances the composition. However I think the hard edge of the shadow across that cat’s face is a little disturbing. I guess this is being caused by the reflective object. I’m not sure what you could have done to prevent this without loosing the dark shadows at the top of the shot. If this was a shot using the flash I think I might have tried to soften it a bit by holding a hankie or tissue over the flash as a diffuser but I find that this too can be problematic as you have to make sure you are not obscuring the lens or other sensors. You also have to make sure you don’t overheat the flash.

Apart from the hard edge of the shadow the lighting is very good and overall makes an interesting and original shot.


conexus – Custom Bike

This is an interesting shot. I have to say I have no experience of HDR but I think I can relate to the benefits of an increased dynamic range. I also think you have also done quite a bit of post processing to blur out the background.

This image in the competition, unlike the other entries, does not seem to allow me to see a larger version. I assume that this because you have posted a low-res version. This does create a constraint making it harder to review and I have concerns that this puts you at a disadvantage against other entrants.

From the competition criteria viewpoint the fuel tank is the primary curved and reflective surface. There is definitely a hint of reflections here and I think these fall into the “well controlled” category.

There seems to be almost a halo effect around the bike and the rear end almost looks like it has been posterised and I have ask why go to all the trouble of an HDR shot if you are going to apply so much post processing particularly when it appears to be reducing the dynamic range of at least the black parts of the photo?

I think further up, in another entry, I explained that I don’t really like posterised effects and I’m afraid while here it is a lot more subtle this shot does not really work for me. This is a shame as obviously a lot of work has gone into it. The blurring of the background and the halo effect seems to overdo the separation of the subject and its surrounding. I can see the intensity of this post processing by looking through the spokes of the front wheel where I can see some unprocessed background. To me the subject and background no longer correlate and create a dream-like effect which I find a bit disturbing.

Composition wise I think I would have liked to have seen all of the front wheel in the shot. Otherwise the composition is very good. I like the way the bike lines up diagonally with the bottom right corner and also like the way the handle bar curves around to become parallel with the top of the shot.

So apologies from me in that all the effort that has so obviously been put into this shot did not really work for me. I’m sure it probably works fine for others.


steveplowman - curvature

Setting this competition out I had a feeling we might see a shot of Selfridges in Birmingham. I think it has such an attraction particularly for abstract photography.

I have not actually seen this structure first hand and your picture shows that these discs seem to have semi-mat finish so while there are plenty of curves I think it is pushing the boundaries for reflective element of the of the competition criteria.

It is though such a wonderful shot to look at. I love the way you have captured a double curve against the sky. The discs also create all sorts of curves. I can see new ones each time I look at it. Composition, focus, depth of field and composition are excellent.

A very well presented shot but perhaps just a little lacking in the competition refection criteria.


johnriley – Self Portrait

“Self Portrait” is somewhat of an under statement as I think there are at least 16 John Rileys in this shot .

It is a brilliant photograph. I guess these multi-faceted bits of glass were in some sort of wall. They don’t all seem to be quite the same size as there are differences in the some of the gaps and I think this adds extra character to the shot.

There is obviously a rounded surface on each glass facing towards us giving us a repeated fish-eye type view of the surroundings and the photographer. I like the way the reflected roof beams create a linear effect to draw one into the background detail. There appears to be a little bubble in each piece of glass making each one unique and this makes me look at each reflection to see what difference it makes.

I think we can see proper shot taking techniques in action here, at least 16 times over: Legs apart, elbows in, compose the shot, take a breath, hold it, press the shutter .

Looking at the enlarged shot it does look a bit noisy but I guess that this is probably unavoidable as a consequence of using a high ISO because you are inside, obviously can’t use flash on this subject and using a tripod, even if you had it with you, might get you evicted.

From a competition criteria viewpoint this shot is fully compliant. Reflections on multiple curved surfaces exploited to form a major part of the purpose of this photograph.

As usual John, a well thought out and executed submission.


Dr. Mhuni – Islamic balustrade

Thank you very much for taking a photograph specifically for this competition.

You have created a very elegant shot that contains many reflective curved elements, not the least being the curved pieces of glass between the balustrade posts.

This shot definitely falls into the controlled reflection category. There are a lot of sources of light here and I believe you have carefully positioned the camera to minimise intrusive reflections.

The composition is wonderful. You appear to have shot this from fairly low down and this creates a fantastic follow-round for the eyes along the top rail of the balustrade as well as indicating that there is another floor below us. All the verticals are perfect and, as I would expect, it is all so clean and precise. There is almost a B&W feel to this shot but it is enhanced by the blue tint in the glass.

A perfect, fully compliant submission. Very well done.


mattcambs – Cheeky Vista

Here we have a cleaver shot using a Gx20 where the reflections are definitely used to enhance the shot.

You have said that this is a fluke shot. I think I would have called it opportunistic . You also said that it was achieved by using the camera at waist level and I guess this creates quite a challenge, particularly with framing and composition, for what I think is a “stolen” shot.

The reflections are very good and I think it is interesting that the depth of field behind the subject appears to be far shallower that than in the reflection which also looks much sharper. I think this reinforces the dominant aspect of the reflected element in this shot.

I appreciate the difficulty with framing this shot but I think just a little bit of a shame that did not manage to capture all of your wife’s face. I agree though that it does indeed encapsulate an element of comedy. Many thanks for letting us share it with you.


i-Berg – Chopper

Engineering and art come together in this shot to create what I think would make a fabulous poster.

I think this is a very well executed shot. I like the way that while the reflection are an important component of this shot they don’t dominate.

We have a fairly shallow depth of field that excludes the spring & shock and immediately draws you into to the highly stylised wheel spokes. I also love the way the DOF includes the chain links on the other side of the wheel.

The lighting looks great and there is red light in here which adds some fantastic highlighting. I think the composition is perfect. Very well done.


Goliath_Uk – Gehry Buildings, Dusseldorf

Here we see an example of the work of award winning, Canadian-American, architect Frank Gehry. I think this is “House B”, one of three buildings that form the “Art & Media Centre Rhine Haven” in Dusseldorf, better known as the “Gehry Buildings”. This building has a mirrored external surface and sits between similarly designed, red, “House A” and, white, “House C” using a design methodology which I think is called “deconstructive architecture”.

This is obviously a fantastic subject to photograph. The various curves and angles of this building create some splendid reflections captured in this shot. I suspect that the red reflections are from the adjacent, red, building. Some reflections create some wonderful confusing effects. I like the way, on the left hand side of this shot, some windows get mixed up with their own reflections.

I guess control of the reflections is quite limited here and assume that the only option you had was with the positioning of the camera. I think you have succeeded very well and the composition, using just part of the building, makes this shot almost abstract.

A brilliant shot. Fully compliant with the competition criteria and with the added fun that I have had finding out about it and it’s creator.


davidtrout – Polished Brass

This shot is showing the identification plate of a very old, but lovingly preserved, steam locomotive.

While I think the shot is concentrating on the brass identification plate it also adds provenance telling us that it is indeed still attached to its locomotive.

The curved and reflective element is the shiny brass plate. The reflections show the care that has been taken in preparing this loco. I think the reflections are very well controlled. The upper part is catching the sky, in the middle we can see a hint of the surrounds and the lower reflections form abstract distortions that emphasise the wording on the plate.

The exposure is perfect. I think it would have been very easy to burn out the upper reflections. There is a good depth of field so that when we explore the rest of the shot we see fantastic detail, like the rivet heads below the funnel and the control linkage on the dome.

A lovely, fully compliant and well executed shot.


Glover – Spice

This looks like another shot specifically taken for the competition.

I’m no expert at spices but I do hope this is not saffron that you have sacrificed for this shot. I think I would get killed if it were in my kitchen .

This is another photo that oozes with a subtle, dark, character. We have a soft refection on some vertical surface toward the rear of the shot that enhances the depth of the photo. We have a narrow lighting reflection along the spice jar and its top. The surface it is laying on was initially a little confusing. It almost looks cobbled but a closer inspection seams to show a flat reflective surface. I can only assume that we are looking through a fat glass surface onto some other detail. All put together I think it really works.

A shallow depth of field contributes to the mysterious feel of this shot. I love the way that the out of focus crumbs of spice at the bottom of the picture create some little rings.

The primary, curved, reflections here are all derived from the lighting and this is extremely well controlled giving a tight line along the spice jar and also highlighting the raised spots on the top.

I think this is a well presented, well thought out shot and again demonstrates what can be achieved using something immediately to hand. Many thanks for the time and effort you have specifically put into this excellent entry – well done.


Belinda B. – April Globules

A photograph taken on the day it was submitted so I’m assuming you took it specifically for the competition.

It is great to see a macro shot here. It was also exciting to me as I have tried something similar only with nasturtium leaves, latter in the year. It therefore feels familiar and I think I understand the issues that you have had to address to create this picture.

I have no idea what these leaves are but here we see water drops, probably rain drops given the weather conditions, on some leaves. Surface tension of the water, and possibly a waxy finish on the leaves, help create these pronounced drops. Some of the drops have combined in the centre of the leaf and create some beautiful silvery highlighting of the leaf structure.

The curved surface here is the water drops and the reflection element is the silvery effect created by light reflecting off the inner surface of the water drops. These are very subtle reflections but are a primary element of the shot.

I think it is a good macro shot. I didn’t do as well as this. I tried to shot my equivalent from the side and then had all sorts of depth of field problems. Here I think you have shot this from above and controlled the DOF by reducing the aperture to f16. The lower edge of the main leaf is still a little soft but I guess that actually the point of interest is the central blob and this is perfectly in focus.

Thank you very much for giving us a completely different approach to this competition with this wonderful opportunistic photo which I think you have shot specifically for the competition. Well done.


GaryJohn – Glass of Marbles

I was so pleased to see this shot. This is exactly like the sort of things I have been trying to photograph and found that it was so much harder than I imagined.

You are either an expert at this or gluten for punishment. This is another shot that looks like it was specifically shot for the competition. Not only have you used a glass but you have filled it with reflective and translucent marbles.

From my limited efforts at similar items I think this is a very well and carefully prepared shot. This is all about control of the reflections using the lighting and environment. If I had to try this then it would be a single soft light and some sort of photo-tent and it would take me ages to get anywhere near this result.

There are no external, intruding, reflections. Everything in this shot is about the subject. I love the neutral background and the way that the light comes in from the top right with very subtle shadows at the bottom right and the subtle colour variation in the background. This all used to emphasise and enhance the primary subject.

It looks so simple and I’m sure I’m going to get criticised for going over the top but I know how difficult it is to achieve this. I have recently been doing a series of abstract shots with round items but had discounted marbles as being too difficult so used aniseed balls as they were less reflective. I’m now going to have to go back and try marbles .

Not only do I think this is a fantastic shot but you have anticipated and captured the exact thing I was thinking about when I set out the brief for this competition. Many thanks.


Anvh – Iron

This is a well composed photograph of one of the nine spheres that make up the Atomium in Brussels. I understand that this was originally built for Expo ’58 and was refurbished in 2004 – 2006, replacing the original aluminium surface with stainless steel. It was then re-opened to the public. Its shape symbolises the arrangement of atoms in a unit cell of an iron crystal.

It certainly looks like a great subject for photography, particularly in the weather conditions shown here.

The reflections here are definitely used to enhance the picture. The composition is excellent. I love the way the edge of the cloud falls down the centre of the shot with sphere on the left-hand side. The reflections then carry the clouds into the right hand side of the shot. You also see a hint of the rest of the structure in the darker area of refection. The connecting struts of the also anchor this sphere into the lower LH corner.

Then as a little bit of extra spice the sphere is dissected by a contrail in sky.

A very well executed and crafted shot, fully compliant with the competition which I think looks brilliant.

As an aside while doing the research for this photo I came across the quite horrendous copyright restrictions for images of this monument, link and I hope that we are not infringing them here.


aliengrove – Hanging ball

You have definitely beaten me here. I have been unable to identify this building .

I can’t work out if this hanging ball is fixed in this position or, perhaps, travels up and down the indent in this building and might be some sort of external lift.

We have two elements of reflections here. There is the bronze, flat surface of the building and prominent, silver, reflective surface of the sphere. I think the two generate quite a nice contrast. The curved reflection capture the sunlight, some of the adjacent landscape and a gold element which I guess is the sunlight being reflected from the bronze glass.

There are some interesting details, like the way we can see some of the buildings internal lighting.

I’m pulled a little in two directions. I like the gold, bronze and yellow reflections of the flat surfaces of the building but I think this shot is a little spoilt by the intense shadow under the sphere. While I guess that you were probably constrained by time you were in front of this building I wonder if waiting for the sun to set a little more would have reduced and softened the shadow.

A fully compliant and interesting shot. Please could you tell us where it is .


konrads – Curved

I think the “curved surface” element is very subtle and perhaps pushing the limit of what I was looking for in this competition. We have waves reflecting sunlight, a slightly curved shore line and a horizon that might contain some curvature but is certainly going up hill .

Sloped horizon aside it is a nice picture. It well demonstrates that folk law about not pointing the camera directly at the sun is there to be broken. We get some nice radial lines from the sun, a diagonal pair of which are more prominent . I think this definitely complements the composition. I also think the lens has performed very well with no hints of blobs of lens flare or internal reflections.

A very nice shot but I think it is not really main-stream compliant with the competition criteria.


Prieni – 1.5 litre Porsche

This looks like a very posh kettle and we are looking at a nicely presented detail.

Competition criteria wise we have the curved surface of the kettle, which being a brushed finish is not terribly reflective. However cleverly positioned here, off centre, we have the upper part of a water level gauge. This appears to consist of two vertical columns of small spherical lenses so I think this is primary reflective element of this shot.

I think lighting has been carefully applied to control any unwanted reflections from the water gauge. This has been done by putting the gauge in partial shadow but it is then framed by two soft, vertical, reflections in the brushed surface of the kettle. A hint of refection on the right hand edge of the gauge emphasises the edge. The printed legend tells us what this shot is about and provides some context with title of this image.

For me this is a good presentation, using classic composition, of a detail from a master of B&W, brilliant, many thanks.


Solas – Waterfall

This looks like a well crafted, night time, shot using a long, 15sec, exposure. I guess that it was actually a lot darker that we see in this shot.

From a competition criteria viewpoint we have complex fountain, in a pool creating a combination of reflective surfaces and while none of these are blatant I think it is safe to assume we have some curved surfaces here.

At this exposure duration it obviously must be a tripod shot or perhaps you sat the camera on a wall.

I think the composition is good. The fountain is off to one side and the edge of the pool extents to be just inside the other side of the shot. I would guess that with all the different light sources, from the soft purple illumination of the fountain to the street lighting, that this is quite a difficult shot to achieve. Certainly the purple and yellow lighting complement each other.

I love the little star points we get from the light sources. Focus and depth of field is also pretty good. I do like the details of the trees in the background and I like the soft, out of focus, reflection of the street light in the foreground. I think the only thing that spoils this shot is the lens flare hexagon. In these circumstances I believe that it is very difficult to detect and control this. I think if were my shot I would try to clone it out but this would not be easy given that it falls on an area of detail.

A carefully executed, long exposure, night-time shot of a fairly complex subject. Well done.


rayhood – hobbytime

What a fantastic object to see. You have brought some fun into this competition. Not only have you put a ship in a bottle but have also included a model of what I suspect is yourself, actually building it! Marvellous .

From a competition criteria point of view we have a glass bottle in some fairly strong lighting, so fully compliant.

I think you have found some of the issues of photographing curved reflective objects. I had a very similar experience when I had a go at shooting a light bulb for one of the fortnightly competitions. I think it would be fair to say that you have unwanted reflections here that do detract from the purpose of the shot.

I think there are two ways of trying to tackle these reflections. The first is to use a soft light source. This could a desk or table lamp and it could be softened by putting a hankie or cloth over it. You have to take care, though, particularly with filament lamps that it does not get too hot. You probably have to exclude other light sources so pull the curtains of try it after sunset. This may well, of course, reduce the amount of light available to the camera and you may need to support the camera.

The other approach is to enclose the object in some sort of tent to diffuse the lighting and create bland surroundings to minimise reflections. For my light bulb I eventually built a tent using a clothes horse and a couple of sheets on the kitchen table, much to the amusement of my other half.

Lighting and reflections aside I like the wooden surface background. I think I might have moved the subject around a bit to remove the edge of surface and other background details in the top right corner. I think I might have also turned the bottle a little to make it more diagonal from corner to corner of the shot. I think this might have reduced the impact of the writing on the bottom of the bottle and perhaps shown us a little more of the man, which after all is the unique part of this object.

Many thanks for giving us a window into your tremendous model making skills, and the fun, associated with this fantastic object.


Bluejohn – Evening Ferry

This is an interesting shot using the refection of some people who look like they are in a boat with background of the setting sun over some water.

This is obviously fully compliant with the competition criteria and falls into the category for reflections that enhance the shot.

To me the interesting element is the way the refection merges with the texture of the skin below the eye. I like the way the eyelashes are on the boundary between the two. There is also a nice soft refection of the sun and clouded sky.

I think we can also see the photographer and at least a couple of other camera users in this shot . If it were mine I think I might just want to level the horizon and I think the image is a little disturbed by marks on the lens of the glasses.

A nice interesting refection picture with a different slant.


dougf8 – Cabot’s Circus

This shot might be from your archive but it certainly meets my requirements for this competition.

Here we have a curved glass roof over a shopping centre in Bristol.

Reflection wise I think this shot has a foot in both categories. The reflections are definitely not overpowering, enhance the curved nature of the structure and therefore could be considered well controlled. We do though also have some very interesting reflections of the brickwork of an adjacent building that is out of shot. I think this adds something to this shot so falls into the enhancing reflection categories.

I think the composition is good. I like the way the top of the dome discets the bottom left corner of the shot caries on to be parallel, but just below the top right corner. Apart from the dome there are quite a few little details for the eye to find and explore, like the baloneys on the building in the background and the linear reflections of some sort of vent in the bottom edge of the shot.

Exposure is well controlled given that we have both shadow and brightly illuminated parts to this image. Focus and depth of field are also good.

A good, fully compliant and competitive entry. Well done.



Bill_And – Sage and Newcastle Quayside

I think this is a great photograph. It depicts the Sage Gateshead which is a music performance and education centre designed by the architect Norman Foster at Newcastle Gateshead Quays on the banks of the Tyne.

Competition criteria wise this shot is obviously fully compliant.

This is another building that is screaming out to be photographed. I think it is an interesting composition because it is sort of divided into two, or three, different parts.

The lower glass panels are reflecting the environment along the quay side. These are great and could be used for a “spot the well known Newcastle features” competition. You can easily spend ages looking and searching through these.

The middle to upper part of the shot do justice to the Sage Gateshead itself. A well controlled absence of refection allows us to see into the building. We can see the internal structure and even some people through blue tinted glass.

At the very top and mainly toward the left side of the picture we get some bright reflections of the sky which reinforce the edges of the glass panels.

Composition is good. The bright sky in the top left is offset darkness in the bottom right and there are lots of lines for the eye to follow.

A very well presented and competitive image, many thanks.


mikew – Bottle in the Sand

I think Mike gets the award for the most creative shot in this competition.

It is not like anything I imagined I would see in this competition. However as Mike says, it is a fragment of curved glass from a bottle. It is therefore fully compliant with the competition requirements.

I think this shot definitely sits in the controlled reflection category. There are virtually no reflections here apart from a hint needed to tell us it is glass and a little highlighting of the upper edges. This shot is all about shadows and how they are laid out on the textured surface of the sand.

I suspect that there is some very carefully positioning of lighting and/or subject here. We have shadows both under and behind the glass fragment. I think the harder part of the shadows is of something out of shot and the translucent shadows are obviously from the glass. One of these making an impression of a tower in the sand.

There is no doubt that this is a very clever photograph, taken specifically for the competition. Definitely in the required criteria but pushing the boundaries of imagination. Very well done.


Jo – Reflection in Wales

Jo has given us a shot of a waymarker on the cycle path through the millennium costal park at Llanelli in South Wales. I believe there are five of these elegant stainless steel obelisks along the route designed to catch the eye by reflecting sunlight.

The example we see here, specifically captured for this competition, is definitely catching our eyes with reflected light even on what initially looks like a fairly overcast day.

It is an interesting composition concentrating of the shiny reflective surface of the hole through the structure rather than the whole structure. It is viewed from a slightly offset corner giving us some sort of follow-through or connection with things out of shot like, perhaps, the cycle path. We also have a little soft-ish coastline giving us some context of the of the surroundings. There is a hint in the lower refection that we do indeed have patches of clear blue sky and so it was probably a great day for a cycle ride. It is also one of the few entries here that depict reflections from an internal surface.

It is a great shot and I think captures very well the purpose of this obelisk – many thanks and well done.



And now we come to the hard bit. Judging this competition has been so difficult. There are so many fantastic, fully compliant, images here.

I decided that for the first two places I would pick one each of my two categories, one that uses the reflections to enhance the shot and one that controls and minimises the reflections. What I considered the better of these to come first. For the third place I would choose my next favourite shot of any category.

So this is it:

1st – Womble with Tuba Christmas for his tuba players where the well positioned reflections of St Paul’s provide provenance and considerably enhance the shot.

2nd – GaryJohn with Glass of Marbles for using the lighting and environment to remove all extraneous reflections and demonstrate, so well, exactly what I was thinking about when I set out this competition.

3rd – Anvh with Iron for such well thought out composition.

Commendations to the following:
Dr. Mhuni with Islamic balustrade for such an elegant, well composed and controlled shot.
hijackie23 with Teapot for such a dark, sophisticated, picture.
i-Berg with Chopper for what I think would make a fantastic poster.

Special award - mikew with Bottle in the Sand for the most creative shot of the competition.

I think this completes my responsibilities here and hand over to Kris for the next round.

Glyn

Well done Glyn, a really detailed look at each image, full of thoughtful and relevant comments.

Well done womble, you now take up the next task!

Glyn, thanks for the amount of work you obviously have put in to this weeks judging. Womble, well done, you have got yourself out of worrying about when to enter

I think Glyn wins the prize for the most comprehensive (and interesting) set of comments I have ever seen, well done! There so were so many excellent entries this week that first place comes as a complete surprise. I'll sleep on a topic and post something in the morning.

Best wishes, Kris.

Thanks Glyn for the very speedy, detailed judging, and for my Commendation. Well done Womble, GaryJohn and Stefan, and Dr M, HiJackie & Mike also. Plenty to appreciate and talk about in this round!

Glyn thank you for the great judging, it was superb =]
Congratulations Kriss very nice shots, can't wait what you dream up with

Wow, that is one heroic piece of judging! Many thanks for taking such time and care over the task Glyn. Congrats to Kris and the other winners, and thanks for the commended! It was an interesting subject with some great entries.

Well done Glyn to provide quite such comprehensive judging, it must have taken some considerable time and organisation. Well done Kris for his tubas.

My own shot was untouched by human hand. I was walking on the beach at sundown so the sun was low and creating superb contours on the sand and saw this broken bottle. So a true objet trouvè as the French would have it (well I think so)!

Mike

Well judged Glyn and congratulations to womble!
Thanks for your kind words on my entry, "master of B&W", I wish that were true. Only very occasional I do a B&W conversion and I can't really say that I mastered it, yet. (There's always hope).
For the time being I just sit back, relax, and try to learn from the true masters (e.g. our very own Lilly).

Prieni

Congratulations to Womble for his tubas and a big thank you to GlynM for incredibly detailed and well thought out judging notes.

Having posted my entry, I started having second thoughts particularly when someone posted a less than flattering comment below it (kindly removed by JR) so I am pleased that you like the subject and the treatment

An excellent competition.

Very well thought out, detailed & fair judging - so many thanks to GlynM for that and conrats to Womble for entering first and coming first

My shot was taken for the competition but unfortunately was not my first choice of subject matter.

I tried to photograph a really nice single raindrop clinging on to the feathery fronds of a conifer, which looked just like a jewel (with great reflections).

But it was swaying too much in the wind and I just could not achieve focus - the perils of outdoor macro work

Very well done Glyn and thankyou for the most extensive comments I've seen in one of these competitions. And hats off gentlemen to Womble for not only being the first to enter but also winning a very classy competition.
david

This comp has been particularly fruitful, photographically. Congrats Kris and well done Glyn for his extensive comments.

Thanks Glyn for a great subject,amazing judging and extensive comments.
Good on yer Womble

Well done

Tony

Many thanks for all your kind words about my judging. It was a lot of fun to do.

Re-reading my comments I have spotted a few typos so apologies from me for not picking these up.

Glyn

Typos - I'm afraid that really is inexcusable, Glyn!

hard one to judge - congrats GlynM

well done Womble

Great judging as usual, thanx. Great pics as usual everyone. Good luck for next week.

Apologies, its a failing I blame on being a 3rd generation hands-on engineer .

Thanks for the comments - you really did think about them!