Boats and Ships on Inland Waterways

Although relatively small in the frame, the boat is an obvious focal point in this city waterscape. Some lovely warm golden colours from the low sunlight, creating a mood of calm. Although not a classically pretty location, with industrial chimneys and a pylon, they add intesest and balance to the composition. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A great capture of the canal running through central Birmingham, captured in the evening light, creating a lovely atmosphere. We get a good view of the architecture, but the boats remain a prominent focal point in the water in the foreground. The composition uses the canal as a lead-in line to draw the viewer into the image and feel a part of the scene. Well done on your top ten placing.

I love this busy urban landscape, with great contrast between the bright and colourful boats and the apartments around the quay and the more distant highrise city buildings in the background. Plenty of details for the eye to explore and enjoy. Maybe not everyone's ideal shot of boats on inland waterways, but in my view a shot does not need to be classically pretty to be a great image. Congratulations on your winning image.

There were a few shots of HMS Belfast in this contest, but this was the stand-out one for me. The extreme purple does not look entirely natural, but it makes for a very effective shot, even if a little enhanced in post-processing. Being a little picky, I may have been inclined to crop off some of the foreground as there is little of interest in the bare expanse of water, and a slightly more panoramic format would have been impactful too. Still a great shot, in the pre-dawn of the city as it most are still sleeping. Well done on your top ten placing.

This unusual composition caught my eye as soon as I saw it, captured from low down directly in front of the boat. The slow shutter speed has enhanced the reflections of the boat in the water of the lake without looking too cliched. I love the overall colouring of the inage, with dark bluey-greys and pinky-purples, creating a gentle calming atmosphere. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

A rather stark image of an urban canal, but one nonetheless with its own charm. Well composed, with the canal leading the eye into the frame, with some nice reflections in the canal and the puddles on the towpath. The image works well in black and white, and there are a good range of tones and contrasts throughout. Well done on your top ten placing.

What I especially like about this image is the rather compressed perspective, with the boats and background buildings filling the frame. The eye is drawn along the canal and through to the bridge, before exploring the town beyond. The birds on the water help fill an otherwise fairly empty spot in the image. In my view the digital signature is distracting and takes away a little something, but that aside, a great shot with some lovely tomes and colours. Congratulations on your second place finish.

What comes to mind when looking at this image is a wonderful breath of fresh air. There is a lovely light, airiness with a mood of calm tranquility. Everything looks natural with nothing forced, and no heavy post-processing effects. The slightly panoramic crop works well to to give us a wider viewpoint of this stunning location. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A fabulous composition and well-timed shot, with the aquaduct in a striking position in the frame, and the narrowboat perfectly placed. Unless this stretch of canal is very busy, it no doubt too a good deal of patience to get this shot. What works well too is that the boat is moving towards you, and we get to see a glimpse of the 'driver' too, which adds a little human element without them being too obvious. Great moody lighting from the dark cloudy sky. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

(In this contest I have included images of Venice as being "inland waterways" as although parts of Venice are quite open, the lagoon has some separation from the open sea so I have considered it inland). I love this classic shot of Venice, captured with the sun low in the sky with the lovely golden light. The viewpoint is great, with the gondola being a key focal point, but the iconic architecture in the background completing the scene. Well done on your top ten placing.