Landscapes without sky

I absolutely love the impressionist feel to this image. The scattering of red through the grassy field looks like a flickering of paint over delicate brush strokes. There's a subtle depth created by grouping of smaller flowers at the top and the larger details in the foreground. The bright red near the top draws the eye up, while the few lone flowers allow the eye to explore more of the shot. I can picture this in a gallery with an ornate frame and a little bench in front of it to sit and admire.

A cluster of buildings huddled together to keep warm in the winter. The soft warm light scattering in the frosty air gives the whole scene a dreamy feel. The macro details in the foreground add a distance to the micro details of the little human figures contrasting against the white snow. The line of buildings from the corner of the frame remind me of penguins returning to the huddle mass to conserve warmth. The muted earthy tones of their facades give a subtle contrasting colour to the overall monochromatic scene. A wonderfully composed and exposed photo expresses a sense of place exceptionally.

The way the silky smooth texture of the long exposure water contrasts with the sharp icicles on the cliff is amazing. The tiny barely seen warm interior of the ice laden building captures the eye as if the viewer is seeking warmth to escape the cold wintering surroundings. The soft glow and texture of the water adds so much of a calming element to this scene that cannot be overcome by the harsh environment it is in. This photo couldn't have been taken any better. Well done!

While most people would have taken the photo of people walking on the beach with a straight horizon, you've gone with an alternative that works brilliantly in this situation. The layers of water overlap each other like paint pouring down a sand coloured canvas. The people give the scene a surreal element, almost as if they are sticking out of the picture. There is even a subtle symmetry to them with the breaking wave in the opposite corner. Great work taking a chance with this one as it has paid off.

There's a certain satisfaction in seeing a photo of phenomenal conditions of light, captured in just the right way. The way Bled Island is backdropped by the golden sunrise light reflecting off the water, gives it the impression of floating in air. This brief is all about landscapes without sky, and there is no sky in this shot, yet you've put the viewer up in these golden clouds with the island. From a technical point of view, the exposure, composition, details, and colour are all spot on too. An awe inspiring photo!

I really like how the debris and bubbles in the puddle give the image a similar effect as a textured overlay used for artistic purposes. Either that or a scattering of clouds or even the moon with the discarded mask. The inclusion of the "real" world at the very bottom of the frame literally turns this view upside down showing the viewer what's really going on. The more time I spend looking at this photo, the more I feel everything is in its place and adding to the narrative. Great work!

There is so much going on in this scene I feel like I'm looking at jigsaw puzzle set to "Expert". The chaos of Bayrakli district all blends together in a jumble of details that just works. So many straight lines and little squares draw the eye towards the contrasting domed structure with minarets in the centre. The larger green façade holding its own against the smaller buildings. The photographer has done a great job at cutting out any sense of boundary, leaving the viewer to imagine the buildings extending forever. Great work!

A powerfully emotional scene with minimal elements, fine details, and a well executed use of negative space. The wintery scene has a feel of permanence to it that wars with the minds insistence that the snow will melt and people will sit in those seats again. This also sends the viewers eyes searching for what the purpose of these seats is, only to be met with an emptiness and sense of isolation. I love the windswept texture of the snow, the little seat under the big tree contrasting with the bigger seats by the small tree and the monochrome contrast. A really great image! Well done!

When it comes to aerial abstract photos, it can seem like composition doesn't matter in the chaos of unstructured details. But this is where composition matters even more in order to create a visually compelling narrative out of visual disorder. The balance of vibrant cyan to neutral sandy colours is just right here. With a offshoot curve of water that helps anchor the broader portion to the rest of the frame. While this image would work without the boat too, it adds a direction and scale to the scene, giving it a element story and life to an otherwise purely abstract shot. Beautiful work!

This is a masterfully created image. A surreal foggy atmosphere through a forested hill side with golden light bathing the top and cool almost wintery tones at the bottom. The lines of the trees add a structure to the scattering of mist. Despite the duplicates that run throughout the image, you've created depth and a randomness that works beautifully. Great work!

I absolutely love the play of colour tones and highlights and shadows in this shot. The dark blues are pushed aside by pockets of warm lights, blending into magenta tones in some places. There are so many little details to explore from potted plants and cacti, to an alfresco restaurant scene. A great image that hits the brief perfectly.

This is a lovely verdant scene with some wonderful light bathing the front façade of the church. The exposure is bright and uplifting without being over exposed. The grassy vegetation in the water gives the impression of a long exposure of swirling water despite being a fast shutter. Further exploration reveals a person taking their own photo from a different vantage point. I do find that everything is happening in the right half of the image. A tighter crop to just include the large tree to the left of the person, and maybe even cutting out the sky reflection in the water, would keep all the essence of the photo without any distracting filler. I wonderful shot either way!

A great shot with big shapes of colour and lots of finer details. The brightly lit autumn trees on the hill side definitely capture the viewers attention. The rest of the sunny scene with the empty boats and those with people further in, contrast nicely with the looming snowy mountain scene in the far background. I feel as if the close tree on the left, while framing that side of the image, is more of a distraction than a necessary element. A square crop to just include the rest of the scene might work better. A beautiful scene well captured none-the-less!

A wonderful autumn scene with captivating story elements. The boat making its way with its spreading wake to the castle on the waters edge gives the viewer the sense they could just un-pause the scene and journey into this little fantasy. While the central position of the boat is a good choice, it leaves a distracting element of the water in the top right, and an imbalance to the left of the image with the castle. A tighter crop to cut out the top right water and have the centre of the image the midpoint of boat and building would keep the story with none of the distractions. Great work!