We have a winner!

If you’ve been on one of my workshops you’re invited to join the StreetSnappers Collective which must be one of the most talented, lovely and engaged groups of street photographers anywhere. And I occasionally set the members a challenge - maybe to try something new or different or to step out of their comfort zone a little.

Last month the challenge was to spend the whole of August shooting only black & white. Some people had never shot monochrome before in any structured way and it was great to see how they responded. So with a sense of competitive spirit the entries were all posted in our Facebook group throughout the month and yesterday I had to pick a winner.

This wasn’t as easy as it sounds as there was enormous breadth and depth to the many images submitted. Some were what you would call traditional street photography, others fell into the category of what could be described as ‘lightscapes’ and some had a documentary angle. All the bases covered, then.

The winning image was from Steve Barnard (who’s on Instagram as 3_street_high_and_rising). I loved this for its balance and poise; the incongruity of the fluffy dress against the harsh formal architecture; the overall contrast and tone. And it reminded me of one of Vivian Maier’s iconic black & white images. For me, as a monochrome image, it was a winner.

My second choice was from Tony Lloyd Davies, who’s picture of the woman being led asked some difficult questions and I’d love to know the story behind it (Tony is on Instagram as manxreddotshots).

The winning image from Steve Barnard

Second place went to Tony Lloyd-Davies