Mansions, Country Houses and Chateaux

There were many images of similar-looking buildings submitted to this contest, but this one immediately stood out to me. First of all, I like that the building was photographed from an angle, and not straight on as the majority of the others were. The perfectly manicured lawn, with the curved edges and round hedges, certainly adds to the image, but it's the light to give this shot the upper hand. It's the low sun creating long dramatic shadows over the garden, the rich golden hue of the light, the slight haze over the smaller buildings in the right side of the frame; not-so-small details that differentiate a tourist snapshot from a well-thought out photograph such as this. A great capture. Well done!

It isn't easy for a shot of a large building to have great composition, but the photographer has certainly achieved that in this image. I love the way the curving road has been incorporated in the shot in a way that added interest and shape rather than being a distraction or a nuisance to avoid. Even the clouds appear to have gotten the 'great composition' memo, as they seem to be pointing to the castle, drawing the viewer's eye to the main focal point. The exposure is great and the colour grading works well in further enhancing the 'magic' within the image. A fantastic shot that truly deserves first place. Well done!

This photograph is an example of how thoughtful composition can unravel an image's full potential. The photographer here chose a very clever spot to stop and take this image. Even though the castle is undoubtedly interesting in itself, it is the composition with the hedges leading to the building and the arching hedge/tree over the top of the frame that make this image the great shot that it is. And the perfect blue sky behind it is the cherry on the cake. The more I look at it, the more I think it looks like a Disney castle. Beautiful and magical. Well done!