Abstract Nature

This is a real "wow" capture. Perfectly fitting the brief of abstract nature, it is at the same time beautiful and mysterious. The cool greys and blues fill the frame, bring a mood of calm. The image description is great as it does add some context, but still leaves the viewer with a sense of puzzlement as to what we are actually viewing and the scale of the ice cave. The gentle shapes and patterns are wonderful, all contributing to a stunning image. Congratulations on your winning image.

A simple subject of winter woodland, but captured here we get much more of an abstract composition of a mass of interesting shapes and patterns. The snow on the branches provides great contrast, which really brings the image to life and adds to the abstract, giving it more of an artistic flavour than a standard snap of some bare trees. I also like the hints of warmer colours, which contrast nicely with the chill of the white snow. Well done on your top ten placing.

A gorgeous abstract image, nicely contrasting the swirls of what looks to be algae/weedy vegetation, with the more solid structures of the upright stems. The aqua colour is beautiful, bringing a lovely mood to the image. There are so many shapes and patterns for the eye to explore, as it swirls and swooshes around. The image is a pleasure to linger over. Congratulations on your second place finish.

Such a simple subject, of trees reflected in a leafy puddle, but the resulting image is very successful and a stand-out shot. I love the strong contrasts in the water, almost monochrome in colour, with the little spots of bright greeny-yellow of the fallen leaves. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

It can be difficult to capture and present an image of such a commonly photographed subject as a flower in a way that makes it more of a creative abstract than a standard shot of a flower. You have succeeded here by a considered combination of post-processing style and composition. I love the softness and delicacy of the shot, with the beautiful purply-blues, with just a hint of green. The eye is drawn to the shapes created by the folds at the top of the petals. Well done on your top ten placing.

What a great overhead capture, beautifully showing the patterns formed by the land and the water below. I like that on initial viewing, it is not immediately obvious what we are looking at, as there is no sense of scale, which adds to the intrigue and the abstract. Great colour contrasts between the orangy-browns and the greens, highlighted by the touches of white. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

Stunning image of these massive dunes. By being portrayed as we see here, with play on the shadows and highlights, we get a great abstract scene with the ridge of the dun forming a pleasing snaking curve across the frame. I also like that we can see the textures of the little ridges formed in the sand, which help describe the subject rather than being a flatter image of simply a colourful shape. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A super abstract shot of sand and rocks, full of textural details for the eye to explore. I love the composition, with the two elements on a diagonal, and the ridges in the sand running down the frame on an opposing diagonal. The colour contrasts really set off the subject, with the warm golden hues of the sand and the cooler grey of the rock. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were a number of entries of sand patterns in this contest, but this was the stand-out one for me. Lovely definition in the deeply ridged sand at the bottom, with good balance of shadows and highlights to bring a 3-D feel to the image. This contrasts nicely with the softer feathery patterns above. I always find these features on the beach to be most fascinating, so it is a pleasure to see such a great capture. Well done on your top ten placing.

Murmurations can be a stunning spectacle at any time, but the way this image has been captured brings another dimension to this natural phenomenon. There is great balance between the capture of reality and the abstract, which makes for an interesting and beautiful composition. Congratulations on your third place finish.