Landscapes with Natural Rock Formations

Initially I wondered if the colours of this image were a little over-saturated, but on looking over the entire frame, it becomes apparent that these amazing colours are a result of some great lighting and stunning natural features. The image positively glows, and you have done especially well to capture the depth of the scene; we get a real sense of foreground, middle distance and background even with the same subject matter filling the frame. The balance of exposure really allows the form and texture of the spiky rocks to be revealed, perfectly describing the rocky subject. It is great that you have managed to include the trees, as these help give a sense of scale, and the green provides a contrast to the pinky orange. Congratulations on your second place finish.

When viewing a landscape such as this, it would be difficult to not be fascinated and amazed in equal measures by the processes of nature over millions of years to have created such oddities. I love the composition, which balances the isolated upstanding rock in the foreground with the softer mountain range a distance away in the background. Lighting is lovely, bright and sunny but not harsh or over-exposed. Simple colour contrasts between the blue sky and golden rock and sand. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A lovely detailled image, with great texture on the rocks in the foreground, with their flattened surfaces contrasting with the rougher spikey rocks in the background. I like the inclusion of the tufty grass, softened by the use of a long exposure, which gives a contrast in texture and adds a little gentleness to the image. Looking to be captured in the golden light towards the end of the day, the fading sunlight brings out the richness in the hues of the rocks. Well done on your top ten placing.

This is a real "wow" shot. The expansive vista is simply stunning, captured in a way that conveys the vastness and beauty of the location to the viewer. Lighting is lovely, with the low golden sunlight picking out some of the detals of the rock surfaces facing the setting sun. I imagine if captured at another time of day, or even just a short while before and after this shot was taken, the scene would be quite unrecognisable to what we see here, but you have caught the light and warmth just right for an amazing shot. Congratulations on your third place finish.

Giant's Causeway is not always an easy location to cature successfully. Although relatively small in scale (I know I was surprised the first time I visted how short a distance it extended out and along the coast), getting a viewpoint to do justice to the impressve formations of the rocks and the wider location can be hard. I think you have done well here, as the sunlit outcrop in the background balances the composition. Capturing the hexagonal columns on different levels nicely documents the landscape in a way that gives a good sense of the place. Well done on your top ten placing.

I love this image. The composition looks unforced, but works really well to give prominence to each element of the composition in turn, from the rocks in the foreground to the island peaks beyond. Exposure has been well controlled, with a good range of tones, also revealing penty of detail, especially in the foreground. What I especially like, which can be sometimes more unusual than maybe ought to be the case, is that the processing looks to be kept within a natural range, keeping everything looking as beautiful and fresh as the scene would look if actually there, rather than relying on heavy post-prcessing to achieve the wow-factor and carry the shot. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

There were many superb entries in this contest, but this fabulous landscape takes my number one spot. The composition is well-balanced, which helps ensure everything is easy on the eye. The horizon has been placed along the upper third line, which works really well, as there are so many interesting features in the foreground. The cloud formations and colouring of the sky are equally attractive, but the composition ensures the sky does not dominate. Instead we can feast our eyes on the smooth dark rocks on the shore in the foreground, and the snowy rocky peaks beyond. The lighting and colouring across the image are beautiful, and convey a mood of calm and freshness. Congratulations on your winning image.