I wanted to capture how quickly commuter traffic dashes around London, so I slowed down the shutter speed to freeze the background and blur the moving traffic.
Greg Funnell:
Tracy has managed to get a good sense of movement and strong use of colour. However, the composition is just a little too complicated – our eye wanders around the frame rather than being led through it. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
This shot was all about framing. I liked the idea of peeking through at daily life, so I used a sculpture as my framework. I wish I had increased the aperture for depth of field, so the subjects looked less blurry, but I like the abstract result.
Greg Funnell:
Tracy shows a strong appreciation of colour and a bold composition – but there needs to be more going on in order to keep the viewer's gaze. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
I stumbled across this retro frozen yoghurt van in a quaint churchyard so I tried to capture the contrast between fun and formal. Eye contact with the proprietor gives the portrait warmth, but I should have adjusted settings to compensate for cloudy weather and make the colours pop more brightly.
Greg Funnell:
This is a great environmental portrait by Tracy. The colours are complementary, and she has chosen a background that does not detract from the image; if anything it helps give it a sense of place. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
I genuinely think this looks as good as it tasted! The close-up preset (flower icon) on the camera helped me with this shot, but I should have used manual focus for extra sharpness on the object.
Greg Funnell:
Tracy has taken this food shot well: it's evenly lit, the background is not too distracting and it draws the eye right into the subject matter. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
This took a lot of experimentation with flash. In the end, using a tripod to stabilise the camera and a high shutter speed gave the desired spooky effect. I like the almost sepia tone and flash of the streetlamp.
Greg Funnell:
This urban night shot creates good atmosphere and is well exposed. I think if it had been wider, landscape-orientated and with more of a focal point, Tracy could have created even more atmosphere. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
I love street photography and really liked this girl's style. Taking on board Greg's tips about making the ordinary look extraordinary, I thought she made one of London's most photographed landmarks – the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus – look edgier than the usual tourist shot.
Greg Funnell:
This candid street portrait has potential. Personally, I don't think the background adds anything, but maybe Tracy could have gone in closer and focused more on the subject. However, she might have had to engage with the sitter, and risk losing the mood she was trying to capture. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
I spent a lot of time looking for what Greg termed the “definitive moment”. Here I liked the contrast of youth and maturity, enjoying culture side by side - a snapshot of two different sides of London life.
Greg Funnell:
This photo shows an interesting juxtaposition between the two groups and the statue. One technical point: when shooting with vertical lines such as buildings, it's often best to get as straight on to them as possible. This minimises perspective and distortion, and helps prevent all the lines from drawing the viewer's eye away from the subject. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
I set the camera to TV with a sharp shutter speed in order to freeze-frame the moving ball. I like the clarity of the frozen objects but the composition is a little dull.
Greg Funnell:
Tracy has played with the idea of freezing a moment of action. There are two quick ways she could have made this image stronger: shooting it at a lower angle would have given it a better backdrop, or following the player might have introduced some movement. Photograph: Tracy Ramsden
