Bleak landscapes

There were quite a few shots entered that were in black and white which I thought really helped to portray the feeling of bleakness, so I found it quite refreshing to see a shot in colour and taken in sunlight that also gave a sense of the bleak. It's very minimal in the sense that there is nothing but fields and small rolling hills, but because it's packed full of curves and shadows there is a lot for the viewer to see. I like the the snaking gully which helps to draw the eye into the centre of the frame but it's the capturing of the sunlight casting those terrific shadows that really elevates this entry. Not a shot I was expecting to give me a sense of bleakness but to be honest the more I looked at it the more the bleak seemed to come through. The lack of any additional object really does work well in this instance and it's a photograph that can get away without any particular focal point as the frame is filled with the shapes and forms of the land. Many thanks for entering the contest and congratulations.

This shot is the one that really summed up what I was looking for. There were so many fantastic entries to scratch my head over and view again and again but it was this one that to me really captured bleakness in all it's fantastic miserable glory. The presentation of the bleak and desolate is absolutely palpable, so much so that I was almost reaching for my coat to view this. Although the snow covered mountain is the obvious focal point and beautiful in all it's majesticness, the little cottage really gives the sense of scale to the whole shot and pulls your eye down to the muted colours of the foreground. I also think the cottage adds a certain aspect of comfort and sanctuary in the otherwise barren and open landscape. The fact that it's in colour really helps to emphasise the stark and cold conditions the photographer took the shot in and they've more than made the most of the revelation of the mountain in the slight change in the weather. It actually reminds me a lot of some of the conditions I used to experience when walking in the Cheviots many years ago. A beautiful entry that is perfectly composed and really makes you feel that you are there in the wild. Thank you very much for entering the contest and congratulations. A little extra thanks aswell for taking the time to add some information.

This really is a very striking shot and the photographer has struck very lucky indeed with the sun break in the clouds. I suspect there was more than a tinge of excitement when the clouds parted slightly. There's a wonderful sense of scale and vastness within the frame and with all the houses and buildings dotted about in the valley amongst the wide open fields there's a superb feeling of openness. The only reason it didn't make my top 10 was that there were other entries that had a bit more of the real bleakness I was looking for. I'm sure this will do very well in another contest and sorry it was just pipped this time. A really terrific capture. Many thanks for entering the contest.