Abstract Nature

Such a simple subject, but one which creates a strong impact when captured in this way. With such a long exposure time and captured with the added consideration of a ship in motion, it is never possible to predict exactly how the image will turn out, but that adds to the fun of in-camera abstract photography, and the outcome here is great. I like the textural detail in the sky, and the cool colours reflect the setting of the northern seas between Iceland and Norway. Being picky, I may have been tempted to slightly bring down the level of the highlights on the lower half of the image in processing to slighly reduce the brightness there, but that is just my personal view, as this is still a fabulous image. Well done on your top ten placing.

A beautiful abstract image, obviously recognisable as a woodland scene, but with a strong sense of abstract through the use of camera movement which adds a lovely artisrty to the image. Such images are surprisingly difficult to achieve as it involves so much experimentation, the effect is unpredictable and is difficult to replicate. The colour contrasts really make the image for me, with the gorgeous deep greens and dark browns contrasting with the bright golden leaves in the foreground tree. A beautiful image, congratulations on your third place finish.

A fascinating photographic study of the top of glacial ice. Well composed and framed with the strongest lines of the fissures in the ice running on a diagonal across the frame. Everything looks to be sharply focused, and the chilly blue tones of the ice look very natural. On one level a very simple pattern image, but one with so much to hold the intetest and for the eye to explore. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were so many great images in this contest, and this was another that immediately drew my attention, and there is something about it which generated a real "wow" response. What I especially like here is that on initially looking at the image, there is no obvious sense of the actual subject or scale of the shot, which is all part of the delight of abstract images and invites closer inspection. Colouring is naturally muted, with some gentle contrast between the warmer and cooler tones. Super image, well done on your top ten placing.

This image is everything an abstract image should be, as it demands the viewer take a closer look to try to decipher the scene in order to understand what we are looking at. Viewed from afar, it is an interesting image of smudgy shapes and patterns, but on closer viewing, the forms of the animals are slowly revealed. In my view it was a wise decision to convert the image to black and white, maybe not for a record shot of wildlife, but for the creation of a more abstract composition it works wonderfully well. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

Something about this image grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it, and it remained the likely winner throughout my judging. What I especially like is that the sense of abstract has been achieved purely through great photography of the natural elements, rather than adding special effects and gimmicks on a computer in post-processing. What I love is the complete absence of a measure of scale; the shot could equally have been captured a couple of feet above the waterline of a beach of tiny pebbles, or likewise hundreds of feet above a vast rocky seahore. The slow shutter speed has softened the water by just enough to still enable the lines and swirls of the water movement to be seen, contrasting with the rocks at the bottom of the well composed shot which are in sharp focus. The overall colouring is gentle and natural and adds to the feel of this beautiful abstract photo. Congratulations on your winning image.

Although the subject of this image is immediately clear, it has a strong abstract look due to the shapes and swirling patterns on both the sand below and the sky above. I love the colours across the image, with the warmer golden tones of the sand, blending to the purply brown in the middle and the cooler tones of the blues. An image where it is not possible to establish a sense of scale, which all adds to the sense of abstract. It is also an image I could enjoy looking at for an age, exploring the gentle shapes and patterns. Congratulations on your second place finish.

A strong image, identifiable for what it is, but with a great abstract feel due in part to the simplicity of the subject and the composition of the shot. The colouring of the deep blues is lovely, which allow the lighter highlights to shine out to create an interesting pattern of shapes and lines. I do not usually see the value in adding digital frames to an image as they usually distract from the main subject and can sometimes become the main focal point in itself, but in this abstract artistic image it works well, and helps lift the overall dark tones of the photo. I may have been tempted to further crop the image to square, with the divide line across the water running exactly centrally, which may add even further to the creative and abstract feel of the image. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I find patterns in the sand created by the receding tide absolutely fascinating, and this image is a fine example of the rather bizzare shapes and forms that can be created, the physics of which I do not pretend to understand! Great composition, enabling the feathery shapes to look like vegetation growing from the rippled area below, cropped to square which adds to the abstract feel of the shot. Good control of the light, especially on the ripples, which really accentuates the forms and shapes. The decision to convert to black and white has worked well too. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

Inverting the colours of this image seems to have brought an additional feeling of lightness and movement to these grasses, even though it is a static shot. Many images converted to abstract in post-processing are often over-done and are so removed from the original subject, ie nature, that the whole essence of the subject is lost. Here however, although clearly unnatural, we can still get a sense of the nature, which brings an added dimension to a straight shot of some blades of grass. The colours here are beautiful and add to the floaty feel of the shot. Well done on your top ten placing.