Calm

I assume this image was an opportunity found rather than one created, but they couldn't have wished for the subjects to be positioned more perfectly. The empty step separating each animal, and the alternating colours of black and brown is superb. It may be that the photographer is also a dog whisperer and set the shot up, which would be even more impressive, but either way its appealing on many level. Personally I wish they had been a little bolder in the cropping, coming right in from the left almost to the fist dog, losing the distracting areas of green in the bottom corner which jars with the colour palette, and then doing the same from the top. This would then give the impression that there may be more dogs out of shot, and enhance the quirkiness even more. Regardless of that, its still a great shot and certainly one that raises a smile.

There were many many entries of boats on misty mornings, which feels a natural fit for the theme. This one stood out for me though as being a little bit different. The stillness of the background contrasts nicely with the movement of the boat, and I also liked the unorthodox positioning of it within the scene. The high key approach suits it, though I think maybe its a little too overexposed on the sky and would be tempted to pull this back a tiny bit. Overall though a pleasing shot with enough interest to keep you engaged in it for a while

This shot grabbed my attention right away, its beautiful in it's simplicity, composed almost entirely from the relationships between light and tones. It also plays effectively with your sense of scale, is it a faraway hill or a nearby ripple in the snow? A perfect example of a photographer finding a striking yet subtle image from seemingly so little, and in tune with the brief, it is calm in more ways than one.

When it comes to calmness, few conditions convey it as well as mist or fog. Like snow, it has a deadening effect on sound so there is always a great sense of stillness when you are in it. The sense of that is almost palpable in this image. The photographer hasn't been afraid to use negative space to great effect, with the majority of the image taken up by nothing, but this adds to the interests and intrigue formed by the scaffold. If anything I would have like to have seen even more space around it to give it a little more room to breath. Overall though a very simple yet effective image.

What an unusual and striking image. I love the relationship of the angular shadows and fence with the natural surroundings of the snow and mountains. The cloud inversion adds extra interest to the background, though really the shadow is what sets this image apart. Unfortunately the uploaded image itself is very low res, and therefore I cant view it in any great detail, which is a shame as it would likely have been in my top 10, but without seeing it in its full glory I felt it would have been unfair to place it. Images often look great very small, but fall down when viewed bigger. I dont think this one would have but I cant effectively judge the technical aspects of the shot at this size.