Horizon

This is a really well executed landscape, one of those moments when it all comes together and the conditions suit the scene perfectly. The composition is excellent, drawing the eye through the image to the lighthouse. Shooting directly into the sun like this can cause havoc with flare and exposure, but it has been handled superbly here. I particularly like the patch of sea reflecting the glow of the sun, and the waves crashing against the rocks. I often see shots of this type given a heavy HDR treatment to lighten the shadows created by the backlighting, but this is a far more natural looking photograph where the beautiful scenery comes to the fore rather than the processing.

I debated long and hard over whether to include this image in my top 10. As soon as I saw it I recognised it as being very similar to an image by well known photographer Joel Tjintjelaar. The photographer in this case has obviously taken it with this in mind, as the composition, and particularly the processing is almost identical. Having said this, many photographers emulate the work of other photographers, and here it has been dealt with excellently, but I decided not to include it in the end as I feel it is just too similar to the original. If the artist behind this image can utilise their obvious skill and talent, but add a touch more of themselves next time then I'm sure they'll enjoy success.

I was in two minds about this image for a while. My initial reaction was that it would look better in black and white, but then upon reflection I think the photographer made the right choice by leaving it in colour. The absurdity of a bridge that is completely surrounded by water is reinforced by the very ordinary colours of the brickwork. It just looks like any other utilitarian footbridge, apart from its quite surreal setting. Overall it's an image that you just can't help but notice.

As unusual coastal locations go this has got to be up there with the best of them, and the photographer has really made the most of it. Given the slightly surreal nature of the rusty old wheels in the water, the slow shutter speed to blur the water was the perfect choice to add to the fantastical feel. The light catching the rocks under the misty water borrows the warm colours of the sky and tie the image together really well.

This image grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it. The muted colour palette and slight softness really fills it with atmosphere. The composition is slightly unconventional, with the shipwreck positioned centrally and quite high in the frame, but this cuts out the sky which is the least interesting part of the image, and also forms a pleasing triangle with the two stones. The photographer sites the wind as one of the technical difficulties encountered, but the shot really conveys the weather in the movement of the water and the high key processing. To me this is one of those occasions when an image is all the better for breaking many of the 'rules' of landscape photography.

This shot has the real 'wow' factor. Although at first look it seems as though it may have been over-processed, I have a feeling it's one of those sunrises where nature has set the saturation slider to full. The clouds rolling over the top of the mountain and the texture of the rocks are what make this shot. The composition does feel a little awkward to me with everything heavily weighted towards the bottom left and I wonder if there was the opportunity to alter position slightly to solve this, but still, an impressive image.

This is a well executed seascape. It looks like it was shot early in the morning, so there is nice subtle light and the kind of brooding sky you often get shooting at this time of day. The shutter speed is just right to add movement to the water whilst retaining enough detail to form some interesting lines in the surf. The turquoise rope is very noticeable amongst the muted tones of the image, so I would clone it out or desaturate the colour on it to stop it being so jarring. I also think the composition could have been improved a little. At the moment the entire right-hand side of the image is devoid of interest. The boat isn't really near enough to see clearly and just breaks up the crisp horizon line, taking a few steps to the right would have brought the groyne much further into that part of the shot. Alternatively, getting closer to the first post and pointing the camera down a little would have utilised the qualities of the wide angle lens by filling the foreground more, and taking the horizon up to the top third, adding even more drama to the photograph. Having said that, I think the existing shot would benefit from either a square or 10x8 crop from the left-hand side to cut out some of that empty space and make for a stronger overall image.

This is a striking shot, but falls down on composition for me. The ripples of sand in the foreground are excellent and make a great lead into the image. The light is very nice and the photographer has done well to cope with the tonal range and the risk of flare shooting into the sun like this. Overall though, the image lacks a little purpose. If they had pointed the camera down more then they could have filled much more of the frame with the ripples and made the shot all about them. Alternatively, if they had got closer to the rocks or jetty they could have picked out a smaller area to concentrate on. When shooting with a wide angle like this, its always worth bearing in mind that anything in the background appears to be much further away and less prominent in the shot than it appears at the time.

I love a moody seascape, and this is a great one. The composition is excellent, with the direction of the rocks and sky all pulling you into the image. The quality of light suggests it was taken early in the morning, and the blue tones reinforce this. The shutter speed used has given just enough movement to the water to get a sense of the waves breaking over the rocks, without being flattened and smoothed so much that it takes on a surreal look. The rock on the far left would benefit from a little dodging in processing as it's quite dark compared to the rest of the image, but other than that it's a fine image.

This image is a perfect fit for the theme of 'Horizon'. The photographer has been bold in their use of composition, with by far the greatest part of the image being a featureless grey sky and the horizon placed so low in the frame. But this works perfectly to add a sense of scale to the two figures. There is just enough detail showing in the areas of shadow at the bottom for it to retain some form. A strong graphic image where the photographer has conjured up an interesting shot from a seemingly unpromising situation.

This is a really impactful shot, which was a strong contender for 1st place. The black and white treatment works perfectly to make the most of the menacing looking clouds and very graphic lines of the foreground, adding to the real sense of drama in the image. At first look this is an image of an unusual lighthouse, but in reality it's all about the ripples in the sand reflecting the sky. If you cover the lighthouse with your finger you will see that the image still works perfectly, the lighthouse is simply the icing on the cake that anchors it all together.

There was a lot I liked about this shot, but unfortunately it was let down by a couple of things in the execution and processing. The idea of putting the deckchair in the sea is great, and I like the shadows cast by the strong sunlight. I'm not sure about the rainbow though. I can't tell if it's been added in post, or if it just looks odd because of the long exposure, but it seems a little awkward. If it was actually there then a few steps to the left would have stopped it being immediately above the chair and helped the compositon. Maybe an exposure for the rainbow and then one for the foreground blended would have worked better. The image has also been cropped to include an area of black background at the bottom-right, which means the square crop isn't quite square - a small detail which can easily be fixed.

I was disappointed when I saw this image as I think it has the potential to be a far better shot. The light catching the tops of the snowy mountains is superb, and really highlights the strong diagonals of the composition. The atmospheric haze gives great layering with the mountaintop in the background adding further interest. Unfortunately, all this is far overshadowed by the brown colour toning which dominates the whole image and is the first thing you notice about it. When converting to black and white, adding a colour tint can often be very effective, but it should usually be done sparingly. This photograph would look far better in black and white with maybe just a hint of sepia or blue if desired. I'd also be tempted to crop out much of the sky in a panoramic crop, as this isn't really adding anything to the shot, which has great potential.

I picked out this shot for review for one main reason, but it was a common problem on many other entries in the competition, and that is a wonky horizon. If you don't get it right in-camera, it should always be the first thing you put right in processing. It's very easy to correct in Lightroom, Photoshop, or whatever other image editing software you are using, but it has a profound effect on the image when it's not straight. Even more so when shooting the sea, as there is never an occasion when the horizon wouldn't be level. Other than that, this is a striking image, with good contrast and movement in the water, but with the angled horizon could never really be in contention.

The photographer has spotted a good opportunity here, but for me has fallen victim of a common problem of trying to include everything. The shot is all about the track lines in the crops and the sky. The foreground field with the cows and the road don't really add anything very interesting, but do detract from the graphic nature of the rest of the shot. This could easily be remedied with a letterbox crop just above the road, simplifying the image to concentrate on its two strongest elements to make a much simpler but more impactful image.

There is some magnificent light in this image, especially the area on the lake, combined with the great layering of the background hills caused by the atmospheric conditions. There is a nice leading line formed by the wall, and to a lesser degree the path on the grass, but for me this area is what lets the image down. The background is full of light and darkness and drama, but the bottom half of the image is very lifeless in comparison. When using a wide angle in areas like this, it's easy to inadvertently ignore the foreground. If there had been something to add interest such as a lichen-covered rock, then the image would have much more depth. As it is, I would experiment with a few tighter or wider crops to close in on the more interesting areas of the shot.

This is a great idea, and would have made my Top 10, but for a couple of things. The photographer says they lowered the camera to achieve the desired angle, but if they had got just a little lower then the water in front would have obscured the rather messy and distracting second horizon, and enhanced the illusion even more. The tones in the image are also all very flat - a little more contrast and tonal range in processing would give it a little more punch.

This is breathtaking view which is the stuff of dreams for landscape photographers, but they haven't really made the most of it in this shot. The key element to this image is obviously the spectacular clouds rolling down over the mountain. In an ideal world there would be a lovely dramatic sky as well, but if there isn't then don't be afraid to close in on the action. A third of the image is taken up by flat blue sky which does nothing for the image. The sun is also very distracting, and there is flare on the left-hand side which is quite noticeable. This shot could be much improved to my mind by using an 8x10 portrait crop in the centre bottom of the image, to include the lovely flowers in the bottom left, to just above the clouds on the horizon, to really focus the image on its main points of interest.