Extreme weather

This really is a very striking image. I love the use of negative space and the grading to draw the eye in and around the image. The (I assume) extensive use of post process to construct the image is in the most part very effective and I really had to explore the details to work out how it was done. However there are some points here that I feel could be improved. Attention to detail is key when creating an image like this and my main issue is the way the branches have been merged at bottom with the "snow". Here is where the illusion is lost for me and I can see the blurring and smoothing quite distinctly. You need some way to lead the focus out, perhaps some actual snow merged around the base of the branches. That said This is a really lovely image, you have created something quite striking, well done!

You used some great technique here to capture some astounding imagery of lightening I must say. The exposure is perfect. What I'm not so keen on is the composition and I wanted to comment as I think it's so close to being really great. While I can almost understand the rationale of having the car in the foreground as a point of interest I really don't think it works here. I find it distracting and unnecessary, conceptually it doesn't link with the rest of the shot (unless you want to start talking about faraday cages I suppose, but that's a little far fetched I think). It's a shame because I really love the wall and particularly the fence which mimics the shapes in the lightening. It would have been great to see an image concentrating more on these attributes. Overall you really should be commended for capturing something so difficult to shoot, so many things are done well here. And with some minor and easy compositional tweaks this could be something great. Well done.

I wasn't expecting to see an image that would make me laugh in this competition but you managed it! Getting humour into photos without them being cheesy is very difficult, but you've managed it here. Jokes aside that does look like a pretty catastrophic flood, the sign certainly takes on a whole new meaning. The slight movement in the water is nice, it would have been interesting to see the results at both slower and faster shutter speeds. Water can be really tricky, you need very fast shutter speeds (1/1000 minimum) to make it completely freeze but the results can be incredible. The composition is good too, stepped back so you can see the enormity of the flood. A lovely image, well done.

I really love the contrast in this shot. The absolutely barren landscape with the almost bizarre addition of the chairs. I really makes me think and create something in my own head which all great images do. The colours of the two also complementing each other. The composition is good but it does feel a little heavy bottom right. Perhaps a slight shift of camera position to the right would have helped or even moving some of these chairs across and back in the frame. I know the latter is tempting not to do as you want to show something "real". But remember by taking our cameras and choosing our framing we are already choosing our own reality to show the viewer. That said I really love this image and the only reason I haven't awarded is I didn't really feel like the weather was "extreme" but I wanted to write a review to commend you nonetheless.

Firstly I feel I must congratulate you on capturing such a rare cloud formation! Especially in the UK. Those colours are just incredible. You'll also probably be pleased to know you were the only one to capture this kind of formation in the competition. I also like the composition with the cranes at the bottom of the image which really adds some interest to it. This is something I think you could have made more of but I appreciate timing is key and it's not always possible to explore this as much as you might like. My only slight issues are technical ones. You could have reduced your ISO to an optimal 100 and still have a fast enough shutter speed to get a sharp image, this would have helped your colours too. And unfortunately the image itself is not completely in focus (this may have been an autofocus issue, in dark conditions it struggles and it's often better to use manual, especially here where focusing on infinity would have produced a sharp image). Overall though a lovely shot producing something truly unique! Well done.

you've captured a really amazing moment here. I really had to do a double take and read the description to understand what I was seeing which I find really interesting. The composition feels nicely considered with use of repeating shapes (triangles made by the pines in the foreground and wedge shape of the land above the falls) which really ties the image together. I'm not entirely sure about the use of HDR though, whilst it's hard for me to say unequivocally without seeing the original shots, it seems either you used to stop the falls themselves from over exposing. In which case I would have liked to see them a little brighter, they are beautiful but could stand out a little more. Or you used to brighten up the falls, in which case the surrounding area is a little dark and the whole image could be lifted a little more; it would have been nice to see some more detail and colour particularly in the foreground trees which would complement the colour of the falls. The main issue though seems the brackets aren't all perfectly aligned and as a result the image feels slightly soft. While I like that the image doesn't look very "HDR", an effect that can often look over done and garish. It's worth checking out how to do this manually, it's a little fiddly but gives you much more control and can yeild better results. That all said this is a really great image and you have captured something really magical, well done!

An interesting image and amazing it's shot on a phone. This photo makes me a look and wonder how you constructed it, is it all i camera or is it post process!? Either way it's great work. My slight issue is with the composition, it feels quite heavily weighted to the right. I can see the logic of the woman and the tree at the back being on the same side (but I think there could be more space between them too). What tips it is the small pine in the foreground on the right as well. It would also be good if there was something on the left to lead you in more. That said you've made a great image here, good work.

I really like the simplicity of this image. The complementary colours, repetition of shapes and a considered composition. Unfortunately beyond this it doesn't really speak to me of anything. You must remember the viewer doesn't have any point of reference beyond what you show them. It may have been extraordinarily hot but there's nothing in the image that distinguishes this for me from a normal sunny day. That said you clearly have a good eye and you have created a pleasing image, so please keep shooting!