Here is the list of finalists for the 65th show & tell contest, on the theme of shapes, patterns and textures.
Thank you, all who entered. I have looked at many very varied images. You have introduced me to some very interesting galleries. I have enjoyed looking at them all, and have now drawn up the final short-list. I will choose one of these images as the winner, but I genuinely do not yet know which.
Click on any picture to take you to its original site.
A staircase (untitled) by Stuart JR
This really does work. I was delighted to see it here. It's simple and restrained. It's not symmetrical, and much stronger for that. It pulls my eye around the spiral and into the darker rectangle at its core (but positioned off-centre).
A structure (untitled) by Peter Eklöf
This did not appeal when I saw the medium-sized version. But it rewards study as a larger image. The specks at bottom left - previously just a minor mystery - resolve themselves into birds flying past an enormous structure. Now the picture has a story and I find myself asking what the structure may be. The two birds at the top are perfectly positioned. The composition is intelligent and creative.
(I'm limiting myself to a maximum of one picture from each person who has entered in this list, but do look at http://www.pbase.com/pse/image/66603811 too!)
by Ralph Whitten (or was it Kylie Whitten?)
I really like the fire image. it's unusual, yet it's clear what it is. I like the range of colours and shades. Finally, you have a very pleasing 'S-curve' in the dark centre of the image.
'Bridge 75th' by Thomas Fredriksen
I like the lighting on the domes, the tonal range from highlight to shadow, and you were right to put it on a diagonal, and place the seam where you did.
by Enrico Martinuzz
'Blue Steel Wave'. Shapes, pattern, texture. This picture has them all, in a deceptively simple composition too. It also has intense colour, and great lighting. A memorable image.
(And if I could, I'd short-list http://www.pbase.com/ee66/image/83437808 too!)
by Chris Kirk
I wonder if 'St Annes Pier Mono' is an HDR image? You have controlled the tonal range very effectively. The symmetry is very pleasing. The structure in your picture is impressive, mysterious, massive yet delicate also.
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by katie barnes
'Sand patterns'. This is a very strong image. The foreground dominates. The patterns are in your face, but the picture needs more than that. It has it with the figure in the background. The figure could be the main subject and it takes confidence to put her so far away. It would not have worked without that lighting on her. That adds a slight air of surrealism and makes me start to ask questions. Now you've grabbed my attention! Who is she? Why is she there? What is she doing? Finally the texture in the rocks, fading to black completes the image.
by Jeroen Bosman
I particularly liked 'hommage to Gursky'. I like the simplicity of it. I like the repeated shapes to make a pattern. I like the single figure to add interest. It is a very strong image. But I have a couple of critical comments? Firstly, I'd prefer to see the lines of tables perfectly parallel, rather than converging. Secondly, I wonder how it would look if the person at the table were slightly nearer the bottom of the picture.
by Kirkby
'Bic' is a simple composition, but strong. It's not quite monochrome; a very restrained use of colour. The sky is burnt out in places, but you've chosen to do that to stop it dominating. It retains enough texture to add to the image and contribute to the narrative. The hint of a book on the right of the desk also adds to the story. The reflection of the sky on the table brings out its texture. The depth of field is minimal. All that is in focus is part of the pen. The composition is flawless. I can't think how you might try to improve this photograph.
by Mary E. McCabe
'Caged'. I like the simplicity of this. What is it? The range of tones are good. The difference in light and dark between top and bottom is good. This works despite the lack of any main subject.
by Sam Bliss
'Mystery Paws In The Snow'. I decided to put this on the short-list right away. I'd like to see a it more definition in the paw prints, and perhaps have them placed a bit further from the centre of the picture, but that's all I can criticise about this. Who ever said snow is white? This snow is blue, golden, slightly purple. Each crystal is crisp and sharp throughout the picture. It's hard to go wrong with a clear 'S' curve in a picture like this. And you have all three themes in this. The texture of the snow, brought out by the lighting. The shape of the 'S' curve, again, a product of the lighting. The pattern of the paw prints.
by Ken Zaret
'Fall leaf studies'. This shot, of a back-lit autumn leaf is close to perfect. The highlight at the bottom edge balances the brightness of the top. The style is economical. Everything in the picture needs to be there. Nothing has been left out. The colours are glorious and the lighting brings out the pattern of the veins.
by Joy Buapromma
'Pattern' is excellent. I had hoped that photographers would use this theme to bring out texture, shapes and patterns with the lighting on their subjects. This does exactly that. It is not an abstract, but it is an image stripped to its simple essentials of light, shadow, colour and form. The model's head is just visible in the shadows and gives that crucial clue to interpret the rest of the image. [This image was entered by the model rather than the photographer, but, as the judge, I'm quite happy to consider any entries posted on PBase.]
by Xavi Moya
'gotes'. I like the colours in the water drops. I like the difference in tone from top to bottom. I like the different shapes and sizes of the drops. I like the contrast in the image. It is very striking. There is no central point of interest, no single subject. But I think this image does not need that.
by Mike Conroy Jnr
'Boarded Home in Logan County WV.' I feel this is the strongest of your three entries. I enjoy the texture of the peeling paint, the subtle shades of the walls and roof and the greens of the trees. The composition is nicely balanced across the roof, with the pale walls below and the darker more intensely coloured trees and chimney above. There's a mystery too about the air of neglect. I wish I knew how you got this effect!
by Shawn Kraus
'Wood' Your picture is 'on-topic'. It is absolutely delicious! It looks simple, and is the sort of subject that many photographers enjoy, but is surprisingly difficult to make into an effective and memorable image. The lighting brings out the shape and texture of the metal and wood. The tones are controlled with detail in highlights and shadows. The colours are very satisfying, with many tones, even a hint of blue from the sky. I really can't find anything I'd suggest you consider changing, so ultimately it comes down to my subjective emotional experience of the photograph.
by Claudia Schweizer
'Vienna-detail of the monument for the Jewish victims 1939-45-reversed books without name' is a brave choice of subject, Each of those books symbolises a tragic loss to humanity; wisdom, experience, learning, knowledge, poetry, all gone forever, not valued. Your picture is very powerful ,showing the texture of the stone pages, the pattern of the books, and hinting at the shape of the monument as a whole. The composition is excellent, and the lighting and tonal range are perfectly controlled. The pages of the books seem almost to glow.
by Joost Bossuyt
'Holocaust Memorial - Berlin'. A similar subject. The composition and lighting are flawless.
So there you have it. I'll now decide who has won, and post their details, but I'd like to think about it for a day or so.
Thanks to Srijith, Brian and Slug at PBase for their help in sorting out technical difficulties as they arose during this contest.