Minimalist Rural Landscapes

This image stood out for me as soon as I saw it during my initial review, and it was always going to be the one to beat. There is something about the image which for some reason makes me smile! The mainly white colouring, with relatively small areas of black shout minimalism, and the subject choice and composition further reinforce the theme. I like that you have broken the "rule of odds", and the inclusion of four trees, instead of a more commonly used odd number, for me strengthens the shot. Maybe the placement of the horizon in accordance with the rule of thirds compensates for the rule breaking! The little tufts of grass showing through the snow on the hillside break up the harsh whiteness and add interest, without becoming too "busy" and ruining the minimalistic look. Super shot. Congratulations on your winning image.

This image was in and out of my placings several times, but in the end I decided it should be placed. Great choice of subject for this contest theme, basically turning the landscape into three bands of colour. The inclusion of the dark fence adds to the shot for me, preventing the scene looking too bland. A well seen image, simple but effective. Well done on your top ten placing.

The use of a very slow shutter speed and the cool monochromatic blue gives this shot a very minimalist feel. By turning the water into a total milky mist, there is a sense of mystery to the image, as initially we may wonder what we are looking at. Focus on the rocks is sharp, which shows them in contrast to their soft surroundings. A beautiful gentle image, congratulations on your third place finish.

This was a late addition to my top ten, but was one I kept coming back to. I like the way the image has been processed, as it gives a lovely moody feel to the simple rather featureless landscape. For me this image is about a series of stripes, with three horizontal bands on the lower half of the image, and the diagonals formed by the wisps of cloud on the top half. I love the colours too. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

This is a perfect choice of subject for a minimalist rural landscapes contest. It suits the theme on so many levels, from the contrast of just the two colours of the deep brown and green, the simple stripe, and the uncluttered composition. Interest is provided by the undulationd of the land, causing the green strip to ripple across the shot, giving a sense of gentle movement. Simple but beautiful, congratulations on your second place finish.

There is a lovely tonal quality to this image which shows some great textures in this simple landscape. For me, the composition gives the shot its minimalistic feel, with the straight high horizon, and the vertical edge between the sand and the water bisecting the lower portion of the shot. I like the contrast between the two elements, with the soft fluidity on the right and the little ridges in the rough sand on the left. Beautiful work, well done on your top ten placing.

There were a lot of entries of snowy and misty landscapes, but this was one of the stand-out ones for me. The minimalistic feel is added to by the square crop and central composition of this very photogenic cluster of trees. The exposure has been very well handled, as the snow is still showing as white rather than grey, but we can also see some details of the land beneath, so has not been over exposed either. A wonderful, natural looking image. Well done on your top ten placing.