City Competition 5 - all cities! : Entry Number 319

Judges Comment

Photographs have often been applauded for their ability to "capture a moment in time". While that certainly does happen, it is those photographs that go beyond a simple capture that pull the attention of the viewer. In this image the photographer was able to create a series of unique relations within the frame. This moment will only exist within this photograph, which is what is captivating and magical about this image. A very dynamic triangle is created between the mystery of the men/women under the umbrella, the man with the bottle, and ultimately the viewer. A great image that asks questions rather than answer them. 

Photographers Comment

I am honoured to receive first prize in this competition. My name is Samuel Mortimer and I am a 20-year-old Philosophy student from the UK. This photo was taken during the final moments of 2013 at the New Year's celebrations in London. It was a fantastic opportunity to take photos, with so many people and so much emotion. I used a Ricoh GRD III (a small-sensor compact with a fixed 28mm-equivalent prime lens) to take this photo, as a black and white JPEG at ISO 1600 (my favourite setting for this camera - I love the rendering). Post-processing is limited to a slight change in brightness - otherwise, this is simply an un-cropped out-of-camera JPEG. I am very grateful to the judges, both for the award and for their kind comments on the image. The prize looks excellent - I look forward to taking photos with it!
www.flickr.com/samuelmortimer