Christmas cover star 2018

This is a cracking shot that was popular with all our judges. The train stands out beautifully against the white-out of its surroundings, and there's enough detail in the steam to separate it from the background. The diagonal of the track leading in from the bottom left is a classic compositional tool that works well in this instance.

A simple shot which works well thanks to the warm colours that stand out in sharp relief from the inky-blue backdrop of the door. It's eye-catching, and there's just enough space for the magazine logo and cover lines. What also helps is that the wreath is pristine. If it had looked even slightly tired or messy, the image wouldn't have worked.

A lovely high-key image that retains just enough detail to prevent it from being completely abstract. There's plenty of space for the magazine masthead at the top, and cover lines around it, although there would be potential for such a subtle image to become swamped once all the information is on the cover. But a nicely executed close-up.

In order for this image to work on the cover, it would have to be flipped, as it's typical for most of the information to be placed down the left-hand side of the page. However, it's a wonderfully captured image, with a clean background and a well-captured moment of movement, with the pony's hoof lifted and the tail swishing slightly.

This is one of the few landscape-orientation entries that had the potential to work as a cover, as it would have been possible to crop it either side to fit the correct format. The glowing cottage stands out well in its dark surroundings, and is framed nicely by the snowy tunnel. A pleasing, atmospheric shot.

The red and green tones of the leaves in this image give it a festive air, without shouting 'Christmas'. The edge of hoarfrost and shallow depth of field create a three-dimensional effect. The composition feels slightly off-centre, so a bit more experimentation might have paid dividends here.