Calm

How I wish I could have been there with you. If peace, calm and silence would be visible - that's how it would look, for me, anyway. This early time of day, spent in nature, is so special. If that doesn't restore your equilibrium nothing ever will. I just love everything about this image, the composition and light, which exude such peaceful calm. Congratulations for being my winner.

It doesn't always have to be the 'big scene', fully immersive nature on a large scale, to portray the brief of calm. The intricate detail of the amazing spiderweb on the vegetation, together with the misty, blurred background make a wonderful composition, greatly enhanced by the exquisite pastel colouring of the sunrise.

What a beautiful cat in beautiful surroundings. Of all the various napping animal entries, this was my favourite right from the start. It reminded me of our cats whom I remember seeing so often in exactly this position, always feeling slightly envious of their apparent calm and relaxed existence. In contrast to us busy humans they don't feel any guilt just lying there, enjoying the sunshine and life in general. So clever.

There were many excellent golden water images, but it was this that captured me most. The simple composition with its natural foreground leaves the viewer to engage their imagination, it's a photo for dreaming. The daily hustle and bustle become irrelevant as the soul relaxes, maybe even the blood pressure lowers, and the pulse slows down. Thank you.

Although a large percentage of the entries were waterscapes, dry land too has its calming images, none better than this beautiful forest scene. Who wouldn't love to walk slowly along this path, forgetting time and place, just breathing and being. Great photo, thank you.