Mines and Quarries (exteriors)

A lovely low key image showing a beautiful little waterfall tumbling down across the cuts from where the slate has been quarried. I imagine the scene was already fairly monochromatic, but the conversion to black and white has been well done. The overall tones are dark and moody, but there is sufficient brightness in the cascading water and the edges of rock running down the rockface to enable the setting to be identified as a quarry. Slow shutter speed waterfalls can often be rather clichéd, but here the effect works well and adds a sense of abstract to the shot. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were naturally a fair number of entries in this contest of the Cornish tin mines, but this one stood out for me. The composition is well balanced, with the tall chimney placed on the far right of the frame, and the rest of the elements leading all the way down to the sea on the left. The black and white conversion works well, and there are some lovely textural details visible in the stonework. A striking image, well done on your top ten placing.

What a spectacular capture of the industrial landscape of this surface mine. The conversion to black and white has been executed very well, and it really helps capture the mood and emphasises the scars on the landscape created by the industry. The overall dark tones offer a real sense of grim, but the areas of highlights created through shooting into bright sunlight prevent the image looking so dark as to be not recognisable. I like the wide view, but we are also close enough in to see details too. Congratulations on your winning image.

This image of a shared landscape really drew my attention. Although the sheep are in the foreground, they do not become the subject of the image. The quarrying area is highlighted somewhat, so draws the eye into the frame. I especially like the layering of the composition, with distinct foreground, middle distance and background. The limited colour palette gives a great feel to the shot too. Congratulations on your third place finish.

The blanket of snow gives this image a chilly wintery feel, but also serves to make the industrial landscape a little more appealing than the scene of a vast open-cast mine may be without the covering of snow. The cold weather also allows the steam from the train to billow up and out rather spectacularly, which has been well captured within the wider landscape. Well done on your top ten placing.

This rather shabby location of the disused quarry structures has created an interesting documentary image. Composition is the key here, with the buildings avoiding looking too dead-centre, and the reflection in the water adds greatly to the success of the shot without looking clichéd. Lighting is good and the image looks to have been carefully processed. I love the cool bluey-grey tones which suit the subject. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

I love this grim yet dramatic capture of this large limestone quarry. Here we get a good overall view, with the yellow truck well positioned in the frame. I also like that we can see the tiny quarry buildings gathered high on the hill above the cuts, which give a sense of scale. Being captured on a grey cloudy day somehow suits the subject better than would have a beautiful blue sky, and the processing has also added to the mood of the image. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

A great abstract view of the varied colours of the rocks that have been cut away, presumably to find the gold. The subject is obvious, but by filling the frame and focusing in on the curving tracks and the patterns of the rock, the image works on another level. With the rich colours, it could have been tempting to ramp up the saturation, but you have avoided that temptation and everything looks natural. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

I love the graphic nature of this image. Whilst it is recognisable for what it is, by filling the frame with the steep slopes and access tracks, the image takes on a pleasing abstract look. A good decision to convert to black and white helps the abstract, as the eye is drawn to the mesh of intersecting zig-zags without any distraction that colour may bring. Congratulations on your second place finish.