This month's choice was made by Justin Cliffe, who writes:

Just over a dozen images to consider this month - but a nice selection from right around the world.

Before I talk about my selections, I just wanted to thank Kath for taking over the organisation of this month’s competition from Sue - who’s having to deal with various challenges at the moment. 

Back to the competition - and my Image of the Month for May is…

Santeria Religion, Havana Cuba by Brian Houghton

This is an excellent travel photograph - even without knowing the title, one could assume where this was taken - in Cuba. The religious paintings on the wall, the cracks in the wall plaster and, what I do like, is the glimpse of another part of the house on the left, all look rather run-down. And yet there’s a vase of what appear to be fresh flowers on the right of the image adding a sense of normality and decor to the scene.

Particularly poignant are the, presumably, grandmother, dog on her lap, with her protective arm around the little boy - both looking straight at the camera - and therefore at the viewer. 

A really minor, picky, point we’ve lost the feet of the woman and the boy at the bottom of the image - though I’d imagine it was probably fairly cramped in the room and it was a question of including either the feet - or the top of the Santa Maria de Jesus painting.

I should add that there’s a nice finishing touch to this entry - a key-line in the same colour as the walls  - and, speaking of the main colours used - blue and yellow / pale orange - a lovely combination. 

An excellent photograph, well done! 

I have also awarded Highly Commendeds to the following, in no particular order:

Train through the Rockies, Banff National Park by Rob Evans

An imposing and impressive landscape made even more so with the inclusion of both the river and the train in the foreground. Both, but particularly the latter, create a nice S-curve, leading the eye through and around the forest, and the bottom half of the image, up to the mountains beyond.

What works particularly well here is the colour palette used, specifically the warm orange of the train and its headlights, contrasting nicely with the cold blue of the mountains and sky beyond. As with the previous image, these two colours, being on opposite sides of the colour wheel, work particularly well together.

I feel cold looking at this photograph - but also sense the power of the locomotive - as it hauls its many wagons through this majestic countryside. All credit to the photographer for getting this photograph in what were probably sub-zero temperatures!

Statue of Finley At Filey by Allan Hartley

This is a strong black-and-white architectural and environmental ‘portrait’ with several notable strengths. The statue is positioned effectively on the right third of the frame, creating a clear focal point while allowing the surrounding promenade and pavilion to provide context. The dramatic cloud formations are particularly successful, adding energy and visual movement that lead the viewer’s eye toward the subject. 

The monochrome treatment enhances texture in the statue, paving, and sky, giving the image a timeless quality.

A few refinements could strengthen it further. The pavilion, while interesting, competes somewhat with the statue for attention because of its central placement and similar tonal weight. A slight crop from the left side or a different shooting position might reduce this competition. The foreground paving occupies a large portion of the frame and could be trimmed to create a tighter composition. Additionally, selectively brightening the statue or increasing local contrast around it would help separate it more distinctly from the background. 

Overall, this is a well-executed image with strong atmosphere, excellent tonal range, and a compelling sense of place.

Different Kinds of Devotion by Jo Court

I hesitated over this one when I first saw it - and then, when I came back to look at it, and think about the title, it really struck a chord. The way that the man has been framed by the well-dressed women on either side, clutching at, or in one case, using, their phones, really emphasises the difference between religious devotee and what I presume to be tourists.

A couple of things help this image - the lower, waist, level from which the photograph has been taken (thereby capturing the hands and the phones), and the inclusion of the bare-footed woman in purple praying at the shrine.

A couple of points for consideration - a relatively wide aperture appears to have been used, which, rightly, puts the women on the side slightly out of focus - but this has had the effect of putting the main slightly out of focus as well - when he’s the centre of interest in this image. The plane of focus looks to be on the woman, who’s nicely sharp.

One other thought - darken down the women on the edge of the frame, they’re a bit bright, especially the one on the right - and draw the eye away the area of interest - the man.