Landscapes with impact

There’s a lovely, muted palette here – soft blues, gentle oranges and a splash of green give the picture a nice painterly feel. The composition is pretty good, but as the sky takes up so much space it would be nice to see a little more going on here. Generally speaking, the fine detail in the house and landscape is a little soft – using a smaller aperture would help.

The road leads the viewer's eye nicely into the picture here, but the expanse of rough ground at the front is distracting. The sky has been overworked, which draws the eye away from what has the potential to be a lovely shot. Concentrating on the action in the mid-ground and holding back on the processing would help. It’s nicely observed, but lacks subtly.

This image feels like a series of textured and richly coloured waves moving across the top half of the frame. The vertical spire of the church mirrors the peaks of the mountain range and acts as a wonderful anchor for the eye. The light is superb, and the sense of movement is inspired.

Beautifully composed and exposed, this image of The Wave in Arizona is a masterclass in technique and observation. Shooting at f/11 has kept everything from the foreground driftwood to the background rock sharp, while holding the ISO at 500 has stopped noise from appearing in the shadows. It’s a fabulous image.

Horseshoe Bend in Arizona must be one of the most photographed locations in the world, but it’s rare to see it captured this well. There is lovely separation between the river and the rock, and the sunburst is perfectly positioned. Using a wide-angle lens has allowed plenty of foreground and surrounding rock to be included, which mirrors the circular path of the river.

This composition is simple and yet incredibly effective. The line of orange trees contrasts beautifully with the snow-covered trees, and the top-down view makes us feel as though we are soaring above the forest. Pictures like this are only possible a few weeks every year, and the photographer has made the most of the fleeting opportunity.

There’s a real sense of mystery to this shot – the mist conceals half of the landscape asking the viewer to imagine what might lay underneath it. The shock of green works brilliantly against the grey mountains and sky and the peak has been given just enough space to ‘breathe’ at the top.

Reflection shots can sometimes feel a bit static, but the photographer has worked hard to make sure there’s plenty to see here. The cloud above the central peak is ideally placed and its reflection is clear of the rock under the water, which is important. Crucially, the shot has not been overworked in post: the colours feel natural, and the level of detail feels right.

Compressing perspective with a telephoto lens has transformed miles of grassy fields into smooth waves that appear to be on the same plane. The light helps to provide separation and gives a lovely sense of the gentle undulations of the hills.

There’s so much to like about this picture – the light, the colours, the panoramic crop – but for me it’s the finger of sand in the foreground that makes it. There’s so much space on the right, which is an excellent call, but the sweep of sand keeps your eye from wandering out of the frame. It’s a wonderful, moody landscape.

The graphic nature of this picture is appealing and the composition is pretty good : the viewer’s eye follows the lines through the picture, bouncing off the edges of the frame while heading towards the back. Unfortunately using a high ISO and a large aperture has meant that fine detail is a little lacking

Upside down reflections can work well – they encourage us to question what we’re looking at and make us spend a little more time exploring all the details. In this instance, while I like the idea, I think that isolating a section of the reflection might be better. There are so many areas of interest in the frame that multiple pictures might be had from some bold cropping.

There’s so much potential in this scene – beautiful light, rich colours, plenty of lines and curves to direct us around the frame – but the distracting blue triangle, the railing and the bikes drag our attention away from the landscape. It’s a well observed scene, but needs a little work.

Many photographers head to Durdle Door in Dorset to try and capture the sun bursting through the archway as it rises in winter, so it’s nice to see a different take on the subject. Here we are treated to a glorious sunset after unfavourable conditions – a fitting reward for the photographer’s patience. The steps lead the viewer’s eye perfectly into the scene.