Magical/dreamy atmosphere

I was amazed by the quality of images in this contest, but this was a clear winner for me. The depth of field is absolutely perfect, creating a beautifully blurred background forcing the viewer to focus on those otherworldly mushrooms and the lovely detail in the moss.

The bit of the photo that sets this apart for me, and which hits the brief so strongly is the bright background lights which suggest something (many somethings) are there shining light on the scene. If background fairy lights aren't magical, then I'm not sure what is!

Fantastic image.

I must have spent a good 2-3 minutes staring at this image. The attention to detail is fantastic. Technically speaking this image is (almost) perfect - or as close as I've ever seen in anyones work.

The slow exposure creates beautiful white lines leading out the left hand side, while the leaves give our eyes something to wander along before they reach those warm reflections in the water and the bridge. But despite all that, the bit of the image that really called out to me was that gorgeous orange illumination under the bridge making me wonder if something magical and mysterious was hiding on the other side.

A worthy top ten image, amazing find indeed- and what a cracking edit.

There are a couple of reasons why this image was going to be in my top ten from the start. Light and subject.

The light is gorgeous, and the exposure is just right to lose some but not all of the highlights and create a powerfully contrasting image with tremendous light rays.

The subject is ideal for this contest. The magical atmosphere is enhanced by the little girl playing on the tree reminding us all to play a little more, and worry a little less. The mist blocking our view of the future only serves to add more mystery and magic to the scene.

Great shot! Hope this gets the credit it deserves in some big competitions this year.

When I created this contest, I was hoping that we would have some entrants attempt a foreboding / dark magical scene. This is the top performer in that sub category of magical.

Where to start? The best thing about this shot for me is the angle. I can't explain why, but my eye starts in the trees on the right hand side, absorbs all the fantastic mood in the image and then spends ages scanning further and further left to see what else I can spot.

Another great element of this that I imagine took quite a bit of time to bring out is the reflection in the puddle which really emphasises the mood of the trees behind it. Most times you see a reflection you'd want it at least 2-3 stops darker than the scene it is reflecting - but in this instance it works really well to have it bright.

Additionally, the other puddles in the image help create interest in the rest of the photo and keep the viewer fascinated. This really is an amazing shot. Well done.

This image was just outside my top ten. I love the dark and moody edit.

I love how sharp and detailed the rocks are in the foreground. There is also amazing colour and clarity in the rock pool. The long exposure adds a huge amount of character and works really well with the blue hue of the edit.

This photographer is clearly a class act when it comes to post processing and technical expertise in camera.