Light and shadow

I found it so difficult to choose between the top few images, but in the end I felt this glorious image best addressed the brief I had set.

The golden light through the mist is not blown out and there are details in the dark trunks of the trees. The key thing I wanted alongside that is a natural feel the image - something where the processing has a light touch, allowing the viewer to feel that they're standing there. This shot absolutely meets that criteria.

The compositional; touches, while subtle, give the image breathing room - the curve of the tree on the left third acts to frame the brighter areas and holds the eye in the frame. Care has been taken to not cut off its branches, and also to include the fallen log in the foreground.

I'll admit, I had expected to choose one of the many wide vista shots which had been entered, but this delicate and intimate scene caught my eye, and is my winner.

Many thanks for entering it, and congratulations.

A very striking image, and a great curve of the river through the scene. I do find the glow quite appealing - even though it obscures the distant areas of the scene, it's certainly a strong representation of how the scene might look to the eye. It's only a very little thing, but the reason it didn't make my commended list was that the image does feel a little tilted to the left. Feels a petty thing to raise, but a lovely image overall.

Simply stunning light, and matches the brief to a tee with fantastic detail throughout. This was SO close to finishing higher, but the competition was so close, that I had to decide on very minute things. In this case, I'm afraid that the deciding factor was that I wished the image was taken slightly to the left so the sun wasn't so near the edge of the frame, and that flatter sky to the right was less dominant. But the golden hues and the sheer scale of the vista made this a very strong contender indeed.

This image really jumped out for me. There were very few images that made use of strong rim lighting, and that approach has been used to great effect here. The key thing I was looking for in images was the ability to retain details in both shadows and highlights, and this certainly ticks that box. The composition with the near flower framing the other, and the simple background and bokeh work together with the lighting to make a very strong image - not at all what I expected to see, but one that deserves a top 10 spot.

I'm big fan of super wide images, and this is a cracking example. Fits the theme brilliantly, with details in both the light and shadows of the image. The delicate tones of the processing have a wonderfully light touch which I find very appealing - I felt a real sense of connection with the scene through the way it was captured.

One of the most interesting aspects of this contest has been the wide range of interpretations of the theme. I was obviously expecting landscapes, but this wonderfully shot and processed maternity image was an unexpected surprise. Great work. Being picky, I do find the gull a little distracting and wonder if removing it might simply and the balance the image just a touch. Only a very minor thing, and very subjective too. The peach and turquoise tones are beautiful and the delicate glow works very well with the model.

A really spectacular image - perfect shutter speed for the motion in the water, and so lucky with the conditions giving that glow in the sky. The breaking waves lead the eye right up to the famous Durdle Door with its sunstar.

Fabulous light, and the beams really set this image off. Often in woodland images, the trees are the subject with the lighting and mist playing a supporting role. In this case, that's reversed. The strong uniform lines of the trunks provide the structure, but that burst of light (which reminds me of ET, if that's not showing my age!) is the star of the show.