Landscapes in Black and White

I love the composition in this image. The sense of direction is predominantly sent towards the top left of the image. The fact that the rocks are silhouettes gives them a slight sense of mystery; or drama. They are like spears striking through the sea. The seagull also adds a slight sense of scale. Great image and thanks for entering!

The contrast between the tones of the trees is a very pleasing sight to see. Especially with the rolling hills with subtle spots of light. The fact that the clouds are quite evenly spaced apart and are predominantly present at the top of the image, adds an extra element that also enhances the trees on the horizon. Thanks for entering and what a great image you have!

I love it when a square format comes together. I find it quite hard to find them when out as the image should be centre-weighted; as we don't have space to invite the eye anywhere else. I think this is a brilliant example of this technique! The sheer difference of scale between the Swiss alp and the town below is extraordinary! Thanks for entering and congrats!

This image is almost split with land and sky and it works really well. The unique, dynamic patterns in both the sky and land complement each other very well. The use of people also adds an element of scale to the image also. Thanks for entering and great image!

The double contrast between the horizon and the rock face creates a very interesting line of direction through the image. The sea is also a pleasant feature in this image with a nice texture. The people on the horizon also adds a slight element of scale. The lighthouse at the end of the cliffs also creates a 'doorstopper' to the direction I was talking about earlier. Very great image!

I do really like this image. It's just a shame that the sky and trees are not very clear. I will highly commend this image for its sense of vastness, with the lovely texture of the wheat/barley. The placement of the trees are optimal but complementary, and the clouds are lovely and spaced. This image would have been very successful if the image was clearer. Well done!

That road is not only an excellent use of strong contrast but also acts as the leading line of the image, leading you through the right hand side, eventually bringing you to the rocky mountain in the background, which I think is the subject of this image. Very great image!

I have seen this image many times before... I knew this day would come haha! Well firstly, there is almost only two tones in this image: bright white and a dark black. This use of white greatly complements the contrast of black. It's almost like a canvas painting. Secondly, The composition is very unique and very strong. The movement of this image starts off as centre weighted; directing your eye in a zig zag fashion. And finally, your eye is lead to the also centre composed house that the fence leads to! The horizon is also defined by the same fence, allowing an easier viewing for your eye. My grandfather once told me that a good black and white photo needs to have the brightest whites and the blackest blacks; which you have attained. Brilliant photo and well done!

Choosing the final image for my top ten was incredibly difficult. This image has been catching my eye since it was entered. The obvious forte of this image are the unusual and unique clouds. The use of the sky in two thirds of this image is powerful because of the interesting cloud formations. The raised mountains on either side of the image frame these clouds very well. Congrats on 10th place and what a great photo!

An incredibly dramatic and interesting image indeed! Almost all of the clouds and light beams in this image have a direction, sending your eye to the right. This is effective because it sends your eye across the land. This also gives the image a feeling of drama as the pointing clouds give a sense of motion. This image could relate to a disaster movie; it is very dynamic, dramatic and dangerous. Well done and thanks for entering my contest!

This is a very refreshing image! I haven't seen another very high altitude landscape like this yet. The river contrasts with the city and, draws your eye through the image. The photo seems to be cropped slightly, which also enhances the position of the river in the image. the use of clouds and their shadows are also a nice touch. Well done!

The swans in this image really brilliantly contrasts with the water in the image. This wouldn't have been as effective if it was in colour. The lighthouse adds depth and layer to the composition, and so does the distant city in the background. Overall, it's the swans that gets me, Very nice and thanks for entering!

There were many images that I wish i could have put in my top ten, (If you get what I'm saying). The low forming clouds mask a layer of the mountain, creating an extra layer of drama and interest. The black tones are very black, which creates a great contrast between the rest of the tones in the image. The composition is also very pleasing; evenly balanced in almost a square-format fashion. Very well done and thanks for entering!

There were many images that were entered that included mountain ranges in their image. However, you have used a very interesting foreground and without it, the image would not have been as interesting. The contrast between the people and the viewing platform is very appealing and, creates an individual photograph of itself! A very different image indeed. Also, I think this is an amazing location to spread one's ashes. Well done and Congrats on this image!

A great image with a sense of peacefulness. The lady and the dog (what's it's name?) are placed pleasingly in contrast to the bridge entering the image from the top right. The bridge also leads your eye through the image and to the background which is, also well balanced and not too distracting. A great image!

This image with its composition is very complex, but effective. The contours of the sand lead you to the centre of the image, but not to the mountains in the distance. So after this, you search horizontally for more interesting elements across the image. The snowy contrast on Vestrahorn is very nice, and a very different composition to a famous landmark!

There are striking features in this image, mainly because of the immense height I believe. This refreshing perspective of a mountain range can really show the sense of scale in a different way to ground level images. The haziness in the distance really gives the image a sense of vastness, and the blackness of the sky in the top of the image really gives a sense of being in space. Great image and congrats!

I love the use of a telephoto lens in landscape photography. It can isolate subjects, and place them on pleasing backgrounds. That is exactly what has been used here. I love the foreground of this image and how it is very clearly separated between the background. At no point of the image there is clutter or mess., just evenly spaced elements that are pleasing to look at. The fact that there is no contrast on the mountains until the peak of the mountain; this defines the foreground from the background even more pleasingly. Well done and thanks for entering!

This is a great minimalistic landscape which I first thought was in a desert. After reading your tags, I realised it was in fact a winter landscape. The placement of the tree in front of the right side of the hill complements the image and creates more balance within the image; which is quite an important factor when it comes to minimal landscapes. A very powerful image and thanks for entering!

The peak of this image is well presented; no elements are above it, and the entire composition leads to it. The band of clouds just before the peak not only add an extra interesting feature to this image, but enhance the peak of the mountain. For those who spend enough time admiring this image, you'll come to notice three people in the middle of the image in a pleasing line, with an accompanying shadow. Very well done and congrats!

This photograph has stuck with me since it being entered. It's the simple composition, the quiet background, the unusual fence. The image positioned in a portrait format enhances the vertical elements that is the fence, leading you from the foreground, right to the top of the cliff and over. It's the simplicity and oddity of this image that I love. Well done and thanks for entering!