Gorges

There were many wonderful photos of this location and throughout the world, making it very hard to choose. I went for this as my number one because it showed more depth up the gorge than others at this location. The aperture of f16 gives a large depth of field from the front walls of the gorge, deep into the perspective. The photo captures a soft light on the left wall with a smattering of red leaves for colour in amongst the verdant moss and ferns. The 5 second exposure gives a pleasing sense of movement in the stream and the coloured streaks in the water. The little whirlpools on the right provide added interest. This photo has captured the brief perfectly.

A dramatic view of a very deep gorge, accentuated by the ribbon of winding road leading the eye into the centre of the photo. There is no doubt that the use of black and white adds more to the drama of this photo than the use of colour. The very wide angle lens used and an aperture of f8 ensures clarity throughout the image.

A beautiful dramatic image. You have obviously gone to a lot of trouble to establish the right light on the canyon walls and the use of the figure in the photo to provide a sense of scale. The capture of the milky way in the night sky adds to the mystique and drama of the picture. A fantastic example of a gorge and a very different image from anything else entered in the competition.

This gorge has taken out a few of my top 10 places as each image is so captivating and pleasing to the eye. This image stands out due to the way it captures the colour and texture of the moss and fern covered walls of the gorge and the contrast of the red leaves on the ground. It is the only image that allows us to see the sky, and although that gives us a clearer view of the depth of the gorge, the photo becomes a little washed out at this point. A very worthy place in the top 10.

I never tire of seeing images of this spectacular canyon. There were several photos if this area entered in this contest. I chose this over the others as it shows the depth and perspective of the canyon, much better. I can see from the floor of the canyon up to the light coming in from the sky. Interesting layers on the left wall capture the light and shade beautifully, and the eye is drawn to the light in the centre. The use of a smaller aperture of around f6.5 may have improved the clarity throughout the image, Assuming you had a tripod to allow a much slower shutter speed. Overall a wonderful image of a spectacular part of the world. (One of my biggest regrets is not having gone there when we were in the US. a few years ago)

Another photo of the Devils Pulpit which I could not go past. Fantastic capture of light on the moss covered walls of the gorge with the red, brown and yellow leaves on the ground adding colour. The aperture of f22 gives fantastic depth of field and the slow shutter speed provides silky movement in the water. Overall, a very pleasing photo of a very spectacular gorge.

Several photos of this location were entered in this competition and my first instinct was to reject them all as I had seen this image so many times before. However as I came to do the judging I looked at each image in more detail and this stood out in term of its clarity and colour. The several boats in the water add interest and the wide angle lens provides us with a panoramic view. The green of the river and the river banks provide a contrast to the redness of the rocks and an interesting sky completes a very pleasing image of a spectacular gorge.

This image captures the height and narrowness of the gorge even though we cannot see the sky. The vertical sides, covered in moss and ferns capture the light in waves as the eye is led into the centre of the photo. The scale of the walls makes me feel small as I stand at the base of a very deep, narrow chasm.
A somewhat mystical feel to this photo.

What a spectacular image! I noticed the title of the image before I saw the lone hiker. That put the scale of the photo into perspective. The eye is led deep into the photo to the two streams that feed the river at the base. The stark brown slopes around the gorge have fantastic shades and textures and the little patch of green on the right stands in contrast to the barren landscape of the mountains. Clarity is maintained well throughout the photo though some sections appear over sharpened in post processing. Overall a fantastic capture with a wide angle lens that leaves me wanting to see even more of this amazing scenery.

A spectacular image of a spectacular gorge. I love the layers and perspective in this image as your eye follows the cascading river through the narrow chasm. Nice light on the left wall of the gorge adds depth to the photo. The glimpse of the sea in the distance provides a conclusion to the passage of the river. An awe inspiring image.