Landscapes Without Sky

The contrast between light and shade in this image is magical, it seems to follow the line of the buildings almost perfectly. A dusting of snow on the rooftops has reduced these to bold shapes, while an aperture of f/16 has helped retain enough detail in the brickwork and windows from the front row of buildings right to the back. The sweep of trees at the bottom of the frame encloses the scene, giving the viewer a good idea as to the size of the settlement.

Over the years I’ve seen hundreds (if not thousands) of pictures of canyons in Utah – usually they show the landscape as a mixture of abstract curves and shapes, with shafts of sunlight bursting through gaps in the rocks. However, this image offers something a bit different. By including the tree ladder the photographer allows the viewer’s eye to travel through the image from the bottom left, up the ladder, and out at the top right. It feels like a journey and makes you want to visit the location. The highlights have also been handled well.

There’s a lovely sense of atmosphere to this picture – the light, the leaves, the curves and dips in the stone all carved out by the river. Using a 24-35mm lens has allowed a wide view, permitting the photographer to include the small waterfall on the left and the similar arc of rock on the right. The shaft of light coming from the top is beautiful, but it does make the picture feel a touch unbalanced as the eye is drawn primarily to the right-hand side of the frame. It’s a small price to pay for such a memorable image though.

Perched atop a rocky ledge in the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle is wonderfully picturesque and it’s easy to see why it became the inspiration behind Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. It would have been easy to zoom in tight on the castle, but the photographer has taken the trouble to provide valuable context: tree-lined slopes, sun-kissed snow and steep mountain sides leading down to the gorge. But it’s the neat division of the frame and the positioning of the castle that really gives this image impact. The frame is divided corner to corner by the trees, but also by the change from light to shadow. It’s a spectacular image.

A bright but overcast day has provided ideal conditions for a spot of waterfall and woodland photography. The colour in the foliage is richly saturated and there is no glare on the leaves to spoil the shot. The eye is naturally guided from the bridge at the top, down the waterfall and then back up the waterfalls on the left to start the loop all over again. There has clearly been a fair amount of planning involved in this shot, and the photographer’s efforts have been rewarded.

Woodland scenes are notoriously hard to capture. Ideally, you need to find some sort of order in the chaos – patterns, rhythms, repeating shapes etc. Sometimes it helps to find a ‘hero’ tree and then base your composition around that. Fog, and in this case snow, can often help to simplify the scene, playing down distracting elements. Here the dark trunks contrast well with the snow and green leaves, and the photographer has created enough separation between individual trees and branches to give the picture a restful vibe.

The position of the spire, the route taken by the tree silhouettes through the picture and the decision to frame the scene in the portrait orientation have all worked brilliantly here. There is a hint of colour, but the largely monotone palette gives everything a restful air. By keeping the ISO low, any noise has been well controlled. If I were to be picky, I would have given the image just a touch more contrast in post processing.

Drone shots are becoming less of a novelty now, so it takes something special to stand out from the crowd. This picture showing a section of Countesswells forest in Scotland has just that X factor. The pop of colour provided by the orange tree-tops lifts the colour palette and gives the eye something to settle on. Also, the bare branches poking out of the top give the trees the appearance of fireworks exploding towards us.

The tight crop of this image works really well – it makes the viewer feel as though they are squeezing in between the rocks, holding their breath until they reach a wider opening. The natural light has given the water at the bottom a lovely green tinge, while also emphasising the texture of the rock. I can’t help wanting to see the full course of the waterfall though – having it visually blocked two-thirds of the way down is a little jarring.

There’s something pleasing and yet oddly disturbing about this picture. Positioning the road on the diagonal gives the shot a lovely sense of energy, while allowing the road to disappear into the fog at the top right corner keeps the viewer guessing as to its final destination. The overcast light adds to the strange sense of foreboding while reducing the contrast enough to reveal all the detail in the architecture. It’s really well observed.

The shutter speed (1 second) has provided a satisfying level of blur to the water, the overcast light has given the leaves a lush, saturated colour and the focal length (28mm) has enabled plenty of the environment surrounding the falls to be included. However, including both of the waterfalls makes the viewer’s eye jump from one to the other before trying to rest in the middle, which can be unsettling. Plus, the leaves poking in at the bottom of the frame are a touch distracting. It might have been better to focus on one waterfall at a time, rather than trying to showcase both. Having said that, it’s a lovely shot and gives a wonderful sense of this particular location.

The stone barns and walls that decorate the valleys of the Yorkshire Dales are a rich hunting ground for photographers. Here the power of three has been used to brilliant effect, with a trio of barns leading the eye through the picture and plenty of separation between them. The light gives the grass a lush green look and the inclusion of the section of trees at the back is a satisfying end point.

This image has a number of wonderful elements: firstly, the rock on the left invites us into the scene as though it’s revealing a secret. The splash of green provided by the fern at the base of the rock works brilliantly, and these spots of vibrant colour appear throughout the image leading the eye towards the back. Secondly, the highlights on the water, glistening rocks and the canyon at the back have been expertly controlled – there is no loss of detail. Thirdly, the long exposure has transformed the water into a racing blur, without losing too much detail. Finally, the composition is superbly judged.