lawrenceang
There was no doubt which photo would take first place when I saw this one. The tightness is so obvious that I can feel it. The composition is very effective, and not easy to accomplish given the speed and randomness of the subjects' movements. I can feel the pressure from the right, and down at the bottom, which is reinforced by the facial expressions. The pattern of arms and legs is artistic, if by chance. An excellent capture by all standards, Lawrence!
Second place is a powerful image by Jarek M, perhaps made more so by the stark black and white, and by the mother holding her child to keep him safe from the crevice below. The composition of this photo pulls me down in, and I can easily imagine being there at the bottom of a tight crevice, surrounded by unforgiving rock. One mark of a good photo is that it stirs the emotions, and this one does that for me. Even though it frightens me a bit, I can't stop looking at it. Every time I do, I am immediately pulled to the bottom and only want to climb to safety.
Third place goes to a shot by J Rayner. The long lens compresses the distance and flattens the image, so that the homes look much closer than they would appear if viewed from nearby. The canceling of normal perspective creates the appearance of a really tight apartment/condo complex, a place where I would not want to live since it appears so crowded and close. The composition and coloring is appealing too, and the subject is a clever choice for this challenge topic.
Choosing honorable mention winners was really hard, since there were so many good entries. If yours did not make the cut, it may be that you nailed the idea of tight spaces, but lost points on some of the other four judging criteria. Or the reverse may be true... pleasing, well-composed, artistic photo, but not quite capturing tightness as well as others did.
Honorable mention, in no particular order, goes to:
Carol, for this shot of a colorful tessellated blenny fish resting snugly in some sort of underwater lifeform (what is that?). I love how the thing forms a collar or a dress that is perfectly coordinated to the colors of the fish. And the small mouth of the fish and the lighting on her eye gives the impression of an inviting wink. It's an appealing photo with a whimsical quality.
Terry, for this photo of children in India packed into a rickshaw school bus. The image has wonderful color, almost entirely the three primary colors. The kids themselves don't seem to mind at all riding in such a small space and their expressions add to the appearance of relaxation. It's a delightful picture that illustrates the topic in an upbeat way.
Drr for the inside of a lighthouse in Maine. The colors and textures are striking, and I felt drawn upwards through a solid brick "well" to get to the light and be free of my imprisonment.
Bernd K for an architectural detail in Bremen, Germany, that says "tight spaces" to me more than any other photo here. This photo is well lit and well composed as well, but it's more of a lucky find than a photographic creation. Even so, it's a wonderful find!
Thanks to all who entered, and I hope you enjoyed the topic.