New Joiners - Landscapes #537

You've managed to capture some delightful light in this image, permeating through the mountain peaks. The light catching the rock formations really elevates the composition, filtering out to the landscape beyond. The crop itself is a little off, as there is a lot of clear sky at the top that doesn't add anything to the composition. I'd be inclined to a 8x10 crop to make the frame a little tighter. Overall, pleasing image and I agree, there is little like a sunset in the mountains after a nice hike.

I'm a sucker for a rainbow shot. They're cliches, but they're cliches for a reason. It sounds, from your description, that this was quite a moment for you to witness and capture, and that enthusiasm shines through. Sometimes, with rainbows, we end up focusing on the rainbow itself and ignore the composition of the rest of the image. I would have liked to have seen a little more foreground to give the rainbow a bit of context. A little tip for shooting rainbows is to use a circular polariser which will really help to pull out all those colours. Great attempt and great story behind it.

This image has a little bit of everything; incredible setting, magical light and thoughtful composition. You've done really well to capture the elements here, with that thunderstorm rolling in from the left of the frame. The light that is catching the rock formations to the right of the image is absolutely divine. I get pulled right into this image and it makes me want to be standing on the precipice taking it all in. Amazing stuff, well done.

Having tried to capture the northern lights on several occasions, I know how difficult it can be to get the settings right in the dark. You've done well to get the colour coming through in the sky and some of the stars behind. The foreground is a little off-putting, but I kind of enjoy the low perspective. It would be good to have a more defined focal point in the foreground, but otherwise this is a good effort.

This is an appealing frozen landscape that demonstrates understanding of how composition can be used elevate a scene. If the image was just the colour in the sky and the reflection in the water then it would be pretty unremarkable, but the inclusion of the broken up ice in the foreground adds a little bit of something special to the photograph. You've done well to keep the ice in focus and it acts as a compelling lead in to the scene beyond. Good work!

There's plenty to enjoy about this image, from the golden hue of the sunset to the road traversing the middle of the composition, to the horses on the left hand side. As humans, we're programmed to enjoy things in groups of odd numbers, which is why the group of three horses works well and is nicer than if there had been two or four horses. To improve this image, I'd have cropped out the tree and the horse on the right hand side. They don't add anything from the composition and distract the eye. Good stuff.

This would be an unremarkable landscape if it wasn't for those hot air balloons traversing the scene. I like that they are both contrasting colours, red and yellow, and compliment the warm hue in the sky. There is a little bit of a vignette visible a the top of the image, and some dust spots too, which can be easily gotten rid of in post-production. However, the light in the image is warm and inviting, and it makes me wonder about the view the people in the balloons would have been experiencing at that time.

This is an imposing image that demands attention when you first look at it. The reflection of the snow-covered peak in the frozen lake really makes the image sing, and the small flashes of colour in the morning sky work well. I would have been inclined to leave a little more headroom for the mountain peak to breath and the top and also the bottom of the image. There's also a little bit of distracting ice in the bottom left that pulls me out of the image. That aside, this is a pleasing image and an interesting back story.

What drew me to this image is the colour contrasts between the rocks and the sky. The green moss on the rocks in the foreground is the most impactful part of the image, contrasting with the grey clouds above. I enjoy the light that streaming through above the offshore wind farm, bringing some diversity to the composition. Nice angle, interesting light, good use of post-processing.

You've used that classic landscape trope of a long, straight road leading into the mountains to great effect in this particular image. I like that you've kept the road low in the composition, but revealed enough of it so that the eye starts there and ends up in the snowy mountains beyond. The road and trees add an important element of scale and make the mountains seem hugely imposing. The light on the side of the peaks and the road itself adds to the power of the composition and overall, this is a super landscape shot. Well done.

Absolutely love the different layers in this image and how they all work together. It's a struggle not to enjoy a lovely field of poppies in the sunlight, and the setting for this field is nothing short of spectacular. I love that the poppies are in the foreground leading into the rolling waves of the sea, beach and dunes behind. All the colours work really well together. My only suggestion would be that there's too much sky in the image that doesn't add much to the composition. The image might work better as a 16:9 crop. Still, cracking shot, worthy of a top ten position.

There is a great mood about this image, with the crashing waves, the hint of sea fog and the lighthouse permeating from the murk. The tonality is at the cool end of the scale, which works well against that clear blue sky. The image has a real sense of layering, with the rocks in the foreground stacking upwards to the main part of the image. The only thing I would recommend changing is implementing a tighter crop to get rid of some of the sky, which is unbalancing the image slightly. Overall, not bad for a morning of failed fishing!

There's so much going on in they image and as the eye scans over the various parts, there's plenty to enjoy. The different shades and variations in greenery are permeated by the occasional flash of warmer colours from different foliage. This is a great example of how powerful it can be to frame an image without the sky, which can sometimes act as a massive distraction. The tight framing here serves the image well, although the reflection is slightly cut off at the bottom. Intriguing image full of depth.

This is one of those images that could easily be overlooked on first glance, but has so many lovely elements that combine to make a really rather delightful composition. The use of the two trees to frame the boat works well, and the whole scene is elevated by the autumnal leaves clinging to the branches and covering the foreground. The boat is the main part of the image, and where the eye eventually lands. The grey skies and neutral tones of the background help to remove any other distractions. Overall this a lovely, quiet landscape photo worthy of a top ten position.