Ancient Civilizations

This image hovered in and out of my top placings for a while, but the longer I looked at it the more I felt it should be placed in the top ten. Technically superb - love the composition, framing, the monochrome conversion and the overall exposure. For me, I think one of the successes of the shot is the inclusion of the bushy tree on the left, as it adds balance to the whole scene. Your low viewpoint shows us how delicately perched the upper stone is on the narrow points of the supporting stones. Excellent work, well done.

I kept coming back to this image, and it rose through my top ten, just being pipped for top spot. I especially like your capture of the texture of the rock face, and I think your post-processing work on contrast and colour were done to perfection, leaving the colouring rich, but not over-saturated. Lighting across the image is good too - crisp and bright, and the panoramic crop works well with the subject. Fabulous image, well done on your second placing.

Judging this contest was not easy, as there were a number of images of a high standard, but this was my eventual winner. The image is slightly showing the effects of a high ISO, but you have otherwise triumphed over what I expect were very challenging lighting conditions - dim candle light with bright natural light coming through the door. All have been perfectly balanced, allowing details of the artwork on the walls to be seen, yet retaining a mood of serenity in the dark golden glow. Great composition with the figure perfectly placed in the frame. Congratulations on your winning image!

This image caught my attention as soon as I saw it, and it remained as one of my top images throughout. For anyone who has not visited this or similar sites in the vicinity, you have captured these buildings and their positioning under the rock ledges wonderfully, and by including both the man-made dwellings and the natural overhanging rock face in the scene, we get an idea of how the rock dwellers in times past must have lived. Great image, well done.

This was a later addition to my top ten, and was an image I kept coming back to. Your subject does not contain the drama of sites such as Machu Picchu or grandeur of such as Stonehenge, but it is the understated subtlety which drew me to this shot. You have exposed the scene well in what I imagine must have been pretty dim lighting, and managed to avoid burn-out of the bright light peeping through under the rocks. Well done on your top ten placing.

I love this wide view of the ancient Inca ruins of Pisaq. Sadly there is no shooting information included with the image - I would love to know how the shot had been achieved, whether through extreme wide angle lens or multiple shots stitched together. However achieved, it works really well, and with views of both the mountains and the valley floor, you have conveyed a real sense of the place. Colouring across the image is nice too. Well deserving of a top ten placing.

This is one of my favorite images of Machu Picchu, and it is very unusual to see monochrome images of this ancient site. The view point you have chosen is also not the one usually photographed, and I think for those reasons this shot really stands out. The conversion to black & white has been well done, as there are a good range of tones, with the buildings and the landscape both easily distinguishable. If I were to be critical, I may be tempted to try and slightly tone down the exposure of the brightest area of the mist/cloud, but this is a minor point. Great shot, well deserving of its top ten placing.

I really like the colouring and mood you have captured here, but for me what looks to be the substitution of the original sky has not quite worked, as the lighting on the tower and the position of the sun in the sky do not seem to correspond. It would be interesting to see the image with the original sky, as the lighting you have captured is beautiful. Great potential with this image, with good detail captured, but unfortunately for me the mis-matched sky lets it down slightly and keeps it out of the awards. Otherwise a great image.

This is a well composed image, which for me has been rather spoiled by what looks to me to be the addition of a different sky, which to me does not match the scene (the lighting on the stonework is coming from a different direction and higher in the sky than the sun in this sky, which has disappeared behind the pyramid, and would therefore be casting entirely different shadows.) It would have been interesting to see the image as taken, as you have captured great detail on the wall and pyramid, and lovely rich colours. Great potential, sadly the sky substitution not working for me.

This was very close to a placing, but unfortunately I could only have ten in my top ten! The reason you have chosen this viewpoint may have been to eliminate the other tourists form the shot, but it has created a bold, strong composition which grabs the attention. The shadows have been lifted just enough for detail in the stonework high above to be seen, without rendering the image too flat in tones. I keep threatening to treat myself to a wide angle lens, and your image is further encouragement to me to get out and purchase one! Well done!

I find this image quite fascinating, and I am sure your decision to convert the shot to black & white was a good one, as I imagine it is a stronger image because of this. The conversion to mono has been well done, as details and textures are very clear. Many would have waited for the gentleman to pass by before taking the shot, but for me, the inclusion of the figure is vital to the success of the image... The added vignette keeps the eye on the subject. Congratulations on your top ten placing.