Chosen by Batsceba Hardy from our Facebook Galleries and changed every Monday morning.

In today's society, recognition and appreciation have become significant to many individuals. In our group and on our website, we recognize noteworthy accomplishments such as Photo of the Week, but we do not claim superiority. We proudly display your award-winning photos in our galleries and share them with you. Although we acknowledge our imperfections, we strive to provide you with the best possible experience using our intelligent features, magazines and books. Our ultimate goal is to help you appreciate your own photography as well as that of others whilst also encouraging thought and contemplation.

Monday 08.19.24

Pascal Colin

I was born in a period in which most artistic expression produced this type of image, between the conceptual and the surrealist. The limits of modern societies were denounced, but in a kind, intellectual way. This image of Pascal tells us everything we want to hear, but softly. It talks about loneliness and consumerism, defeat and hope. It speaks of these and more, there’s more to discover.

Monday 08.12.24

Theodoros Topalis & Ouarzi Ouarzi & B.D. Colen

This week, I selected two images that impressed me with their composition. The difference between a beautiful image and one that stands out often lies in its composition. The image by Theodoros may appear somewhat harsh as it depicts a person who lacks wealth and may be different from the norm. However, it's not the primary focus. What catches the eye is the connection between the woman and the sign behind her. The red cup, scarf, skirt design, and coffee beans add a unique touch to the photo. Even the face of the man on the reflected poster plays a compositional role. 

A photographer, especially one with a strong passion for the art, instantly recognizes what an image conveys. They may be fortunate or not, as seen in Theodoros's case where a small part of the foot was inadvertently cut off, but at the moment of capturing the shot, they understand the significance of what they are seeing. 

The same applies to Ouarzi's photo. In this instance, the photographer is even more observant and perceptive, as he explores reflections, shadows, and colours. The vivid colours capture your attention initially, but then you notice the woman and sense the mood.

The composition of B.D.’s image, with its exaggeration of negative space, helps us to imagine a long journey towards a bright unknown... guided by the moon. Journeying ever onward. An instance where the photographer applied a choice, he saw first what we see later.

Monday 08.05.24

Pacho Coulchinsky & John St & Keef Charles

Three different black and whites, which have nothing in common other than the fact that they are beautiful and meaningful images ;)

Monday 07.29.24

John G. Hoey & Wally Rae

These two images are completely different but both are connected to childhood.

The first image is a still life that sparks our imagination about the hidden and adventurous lives of two puppets. John G. Hoey has created a captivating image by skillfully working with colors, immersing us in another reality.

The second image is in black and white and it takes us back to the historical images of Henri Cartier-Bresson or Helen Levitt. Wally Rae captured a child who seems to have come from a distant time, leading us to imagine that he may have been the victim of some form of bullying, based on his angry but also offended expression.

Monday 07.22.24

Pranay Kantal & Christian Stops

Two unusual scenes in beautiful black and white. The image of Pranay conveys the message that life should be taken as it comes; there's not much you can do about it anyway. The image of Christian communicates the same message to us, with an additional note: some are better off than others.

Monday 07.15.24

Mario Barrela Tony Keyworth Don Springer Figueredo Véliz

This week I have chosen images that may seem totally different, but they have two things in common: they all tell a story and they are all exemplary in their composition.

In Mario's image, we are inside the hotel, waiting for someone to arrive. It could be a love story or a spy story. Like Don's expressionist one, in perfect balance, with the disturbing hand visible on the right. Tony's interior is so theatrical in its composition. One watches, one eats and one reads, leaving the viewer with a feeling of anticipation. And finally, the gigantic boxer in Figueredo’s communicates to us a sense of defeat, in contrast with the audience behind him. The toothless face on the right will remain imprinted in the memory of those who see this incredible black and white story.

Monday 07.08.24

Don Scott & Victor Borst

Two images captured in a subway, a place where many inspirations can be found.

Don Scott titled his image Modern Family, explaining his thoughts with this title. The image is perfect, composed without frills, showing three identical expressions: all three are bored but hypnotized by the medium in front of them. I don't want to add anything else. I think we should make blow-ups of this image and wallpaper the subways so that maybe some parents will start thinking.

The second image of Victor Borst tells us about an episode that happened in the Tokio subway. A raven entered the carriage (without stamping the ticket), creating panic among the travellers. For a moment they put their cell phones aside. It is strange that they didn't use them to immortalize the moment.

(Thanks it was in Osaka this metro but the raven didn't stamp. Fun fact the raven and I were both in the wrong metro. I took the wrong one cause I needed to go the other direction, so got extra lucky with the raven that also took the wrong turn somewhere)

Monday 07.01.24

Roberto Bartolini & Karlo Flores

This week, I selected two images that demonstrate the significance of composition in creating beautiful and intriguing images. Both photos suggest compelling stories that capture the imagination.

In Roberto's colour image, the perfect composition creates two vanishing points, reminiscent of Jan Vredeman de Vries's perspective studies. The architectural chiaroscuro and column in the photo evoke memories of my youthful studies of drawings and photography. The meeting of glances in the image reminds me of captivating spy stories from the last century, adding an intriguing layer to the composition.

Karlo's gritty black and white images immediately transport viewers into a similar noir scene, reminiscent of "Stand by Me". The dog's questioning and slightly frightened look mirrors our own gaze, drawing us further into the composition. Once again, perspective plays a crucial role in this image.

Monday 06.24.24

John Gill, Juancho Domínguez, Samuel Ioannidis

This week, I have selected three black and white images. My top pick is the beautiful image of John Gill. It captures a quintessentially English scene that transcends national boundaries, conveying the sense of disillusionment experienced by a man who is no longer young. His body language, with his abandoned arms and open hands, effectively communicates his lack of defences against the challenges of life. The presence of an old telephone sign in the image creates the impression that the man has emerged from a bygone era. Although the sky appears threatening, a father and his son are depicted moving forward, seemingly unaware of the looming danger, driven by the spirit of life.

A photograph should go beyond the limits of the street, just like all of Gill's images. Photography should be communicative first and foremost. It should tell a story and make you think. There are countless ways to communicate, whether through abstraction, the use of symbols, or raw reality. Of course, the composition and processing (if applied) should be correct.

As well as the second image of Juancho Domínguez, which lacks the perfection of Gill's. The styles and technical approaches are different, but the intention to capture something in our reality that compels us to pause and reflect remains unchanged. The city is dirty, with traffic all around, but the child already dreams of driving his own car. The life model of adults has already shaped him, yet we can't help but smile when we see his determined expression. It's a moment, a meeting, and a shot.

So, the image of Samuel Ioannidis is symbolic, with the black colour appearing to consume the train. The disoriented reflection of the woman, almost a white spot in reality, transforms the train into something different, like a mode of transport to an unknown world. The man is measuring the time it will take to disappear. 

Monday 06.17.24

Bruno Lavi & Sam Benari

Lodolf Von Der Graus

A boy and a girl who ask themselves questions about the reality that surrounds them, both isolated in their own world, as if in a magical sphere that makes them invisible.

Two captivating images, one in colour and the other in black and white. The movement of the figures around them accentuates the immobility of the two protagonists.

Lodolf Von Der Graus

I was immediately struck by the black and white tones of this tender image. It reminded me of the way an image magically forms in liquid. It feels like an analog image, where everything is blurred yet so perfect.

The figure in the background adds a mysterious element to the story: are they exhausted from running away from someone?

Monday 06.10.24

Tejal Mewar

An image depicting hard work speaks volumes about the workplace. Beautiful use of the light and black and white, atmospheric and emotive.

Monday 06.03.24

Niklas Lindskog & Juancho Dominguez

I chose these two images because, in addition to both having a thoughtful and perhaps worried subject, with his gaze turned away, they both have an unusual composition. They are definitely 'crooked'.

Niklas's colour image is perfect and balanced. It offers multiple vanishing points but guides us towards the figure through the lines. It is really an accurate image.

The black and white image of Juancho seems to create a little confusion, but by duplicating the subject with the play of the mirror, it re-establishes a perfect balance. Perhaps they are not images of great emotional impact, but they certainly show us great compositional mastery.

Monday 05.27.24

Runar Holen & Christian Stops and Keef Charles

This week I chose two beautiful black and white photographs. Both allow us to enter an imaginary world in different ways, inspiring us to invent a story. They both share a perfect geometry and an admirable use of light.

I also selected a decidedly more street image that is beautifully composed and needs no comments.

Monday 05.20.24

Lucio Vallieri & Tina Manley

Two beautiful, totally different blacks and whites that tell us about caring for our children.

Monday 05.13.24

Federoco Borobio

Petros Kotzabasis & Ziv Zadok

I have chosen three images that have caught my attention with their simplicity and perfection.

This picture by Federico is flawless - from the colours and composition to the connection and story. Even the lighting is spot on.

In Petros' photograph, his children are playing with light in a carefree and free-spirited way, filling the space with their energy and joy.

In Ziv's still life, the image captures the moment of pause before the arrival of consumers. It almost seems as if the women in the painting on the wall could come to life during these moments.

Monday 05.06.24

Barry Hill

Theodoros Topalis & Mario Barrela

Bruno Lavi & Nadia Eeckhout

I chose this particular double profile because it caught my attention. It's a candid shot that's different from the usual, where the characters' expressiveness is evident even though they're not facing the camera directly. It seems like there are two heads for a single state of mind. His head is slightly bowed while hers is straight and haughty, but both communicate the same feeling of defeat by looking at the ground as they walk. The photo is perfectly captured in black and white

Additionally I decided to include four other images as they are all situated at the edge of the street and are quite evocative.

In Theo's photo, there is a play of colors and shadows that made me imagine a knight with a sword who is coming from another time, who knows, maybe to destroy the cell phone.

Mario's image brought to mind a bridge that can lead us to a world of hope, which seems like a utopia in the present times.

Similarly, Bruno's stunning photo is also an invocation to hope.

The hand in the picture reminded me of Nadia's image, which is quite dark and represents the ambiguity of our current era. Nadia's photo is thought-provoking, and I could talk about it for hours, but I don't want to bore anyone ;)

Monday 04.28.24

Simone Christina Sander & Наталья Суслова

There are two images that feature the sky as the protagonist.

In Simone's image, the sky takes up most of the scene and appears to overwhelm the earth. It is leaden with rain, but a bright light illuminates the kite, which flies calmly. The colours are stunning. This contrast between the vastness of nature and the smallness of human figures is truly remarkable.

In Natalia's photo, we can imagine a little child's emotion as he faces the closed sky inside the plane. The photo is black and white, with a magical light.

Lyn Hollenbeck & Daniel Ewedan Slominski

I also wanted to highlight these two images for their strength. Both have beautiful black and white.

Lyn's image tells us something we all have to experience and does so in a way that the photographer doesn't seem like an intruder. It is a painting, the representation of farewell to someone dear to you. The light that illuminates the sheets but leaves the dying man's face in shadow makes the scene even more intimate.

In Daniel's image we have a mannequin which, due to a play of reflections, appears to be lying on the pavement while a hidden man observes the scene (in reality the reflected shadow of the photographer). In this futuristic world, even mannequins can die, why not?