Hiking

There were quite a number of snowy landscapes in this contest, but this was one of my favorites. A simple, but stunning scene, well composed and well exposed - not easy when photographing bright snow. Despite the sunshine there is a wonderful sense of the cold, with the icy blue tones on the snow and the muffled hikers. Well done on your top ten placing.

This is another image which for me is successful due to its naturalness, as it shows the fabulous Lake District scenery as it is. The glimpse of the green valley below demonstrates the distance climbed, but a climb well worth the effort! Even if this had not been a "hiking" themed contest, I feel the figure is vital to the image, as it gives a sense of scale and depth, and brings the scene to life. Great work, well done.

For me this image has a real "wow" factor, which makes it my winner. The scenery is stunning, and you have captured the essence of the utter remoteness of this snowy wilderness. You have been able to retain detail in the landscape, which is not easy when shooting the bright white snow. Whilst the figures are tiny within the overall scene, they are vital to the story and bring the scene to life. The nearest hiker is captured in a great pose - maybe taking a much needed rest, maybe taking in the breathtaking surroundings. A great image, which seems to capture both the sheer exhaustion but utter exhilaration which can be experienced on a long expedition hike. Congratulations on your first place.

This is another image where I really do wish I was there! The hikers have been caught in just the right position, not too tiny or too large within the frame. The image has captured a real sense of the pleasure of hiking in the great outdoors. The slightly wide crop works well as we get a good idea of the surroundings, perfect image for this contest. Well done.

This is an unusual, but striking image. The wide-angle gives it a quirky feel, with the strangely patterned foreground dominating the scene. The absence of colour gives me no clue as to what makes up the terrain here, and whether the walker is hiking through snow or otherwise. However that does not matter, and for me is the appeal of the shot. Well done.

This image captures the simple wonder of hiking in the great outdoors. There is the pain of the climb, but then the immense pleasure from the simple moments such as you have captured - the descent ahead and the magic of nature with appearance of a rainbow in the valley below. I like your composition, with the figures being shown clearly as hikers, but not so close to the camera as to be dominating the landscape. What I especially like is the naturalness of the scene with no harsh processing or colouring. Congratulations of your third place.

This was a late addition to my top ten, but one I kept coming back to. Whilst the spacing of the hikers is deliberate in terms of safety during the glacial walk, it does make for a great photo, as the line of hikers zig-zag across the ice into the distance. A fair amount of detail has been lost due to shooting into the strong sunlight, but that does not matter here, as we get a great sense of the place. Well done.

This image crept up through my placings through the judging, and ended in a worthy second place. The key to the success of the shot for me is your low viewpoint, which gives dynamism to the scene, with the bridge on a diagonal leading into the scene. Lovely bright colours, well exposed, with good punchy contrasts. A perfect advert for group hiking! Well done on your second place.

One of my criteria for judging this contest was whether the capture of a scene made me wish I was there. Your image gives me that feeling - I really do wish I was there, striding down the gentle slope to this stunning Cornish bay. The lady hiker has been caught in the perfect mid-stride pose, and is well positioned in the frame.
The classic composition of placing the horizon and other key elements on the thirds works well. Beautiful, natural image - the very essence of coastal hiking. Well done.