New Joiners - Landscapes #543

This image almost has a graphical feel to it, with more of a feel of a painting/pencil drawing than a photograph. Those lines of crops are really impactful and powerful, with their vibrant green colour. The early morning mist on the horizon adds some further interest, and the sky has a surreal feel to it, with a sort of purple hue, which works well with the greens of the crops. Interesting image!

This image immediately stood out to me and stood above the rest of the entries. Snow is a great leveller for landscape images, it creates a blank slate for the photographer to play with, and simplifies what could have otherwise been a chaotic scene. You've used this to create a compelling monochrome image, stripping the elements to their basic tonality and extenuating the shadows and highlights in an extremely effective way. The verticals of the woodland contrasts with the horizontals of the benches which is pleasing to the eye. Overall, a smashing image, and a worthy winner.

This could have been a rather standard beachscape at sunset if it wasn't for the intriguing sand sculpture on the left that adds just a little something of interest to elevate the whole composition. You've captured the sense of a big sky, full of evening colour, and the addition of the two figures helps to provide some scale. This image caught my eye for it's content and composition, but realising it was Noosa and I was there exactly 10 years ago made me feel somewhat nostalgic. The power of photography. Thanks for the memories!

I'm always a bit of a sucker for a photo of sunflowers (or 'tournesol' as they say in France, where I've photographed most of the sunflowers I've seen in my life). There's something really appealing about the bright, bold yellow colour, especially when the sun is out and the flowerhead are turned up towards the light. They remain a firm favourite with many landscape photographers. The cloudless, blue sky works well in this image, although the horizon is a little wonky.

This is a classic composition that has all the elements of an enjoyable landscape image. The pier in the foreground acts as a leading line into the heart of the image, moving the eye to the mountains in the distance and topped off with the hint of mist drifting across the water. The use of long exposure gives the water a milky appearance, punctuated by the reeds. A lovely image to look at, well done.

Some photos really take you to the time and place when they were captured. I can only imagine how glorious this sunrise was to witness in person, considering how glorious the photo is. The reflection in the water is almost painterly due to the gentle ripples in the water and the light is astonishing. Alas, the horizon is rather wonky which is a little off-putting and the side of the boat creeping into the image is rather distracting. A quick crop and straighten would have made this compelling image even more impactful.

There's something about this image that just made it standout from the rest of the cohort. There's the really nice framing which captures part of the boat, there's the gorgeous contrast between the bright red of the boat with the warm yellow of the sunset. There's the windmills stacking backwards through the sea with the speedboat traversing the image, which gorgeous light bringing it all together. Wonderfully seen and well captured.

Love the layers in this urban image. It feels like overtimes I look at it, I fall deeper into it, exploring all the different rooftops and balconies stacking backwards towards the coastline. There is a real nice feeling to the processing, something that evokes a nostalgic feeling, but also a hint of summer. It can be tough to convey emotion with such an image, but you manage it well. The sense of seaspray/mist at the back of the image also adds to the mood. Intriguing shot that demands a second look.

Some photographs just have a feel to them. It doesn't matter what camera they're captured on, it's all about the moment and conveying that emotion. This is one of those images. It has the feel of album artwork, with the gulls in various movements of flight, filling the frame. The emotion is further enhanced by the fiery sunset in the sky, turning the water below orange and red and evoking the feeling of a warm summer evening. I can almost feel and hear the sound of the gulls. The only criticism I would have is that the dark object in the top left is rather distracting and could be easily removed with a tighter crop.

This image has a really mysterious feel to it, aided by the fog that is consuming the sea beyond the rock formations. The reflection of the rock is rather luscious and there's a really small figure of a person that helps to give a sense of scale. I like the minimal processing and the thoughtful composition. Unfortunately there are dust spots all over the image that become distracting. It's a hazard of any digital camera which can be navigated by shooting at a lower aperture (f/11) or removing them with some great tools in programmes like LR or PS. Still, an image that made me want to look closer!

Sometimes having a human element in a landscape scene can add something to the composition. Whether that's some hikers in the distance, or people walking along a beach, the human adds scale. This is one of those images that benefits from this. I rather like that the gentleman is looking out of the frame rather than into it. It's a little uncomfortable but it makes me wonder what he is looking for, what are we missing? It's helped that there is a lot of interest provided by the mountains on the right side of the frame. I would have liked to have given a little more room to the chap on the left, but overall I think this works well! I hope he spotted what he was looking for.

Probably one of the most famous vistas in Scotland, but for good reason. I've often wondered how annoyed people get staying in the cottage with all the photographers using it as a composition point? They can't really blame anyone. Winter is one of my favourite times of year because of the luscious cool tones and the hope of frost and snow. This image is everything I love about winter in the Scottish mountains. I love how you've composed with the cottage on the left and the snow covered rocks on the right to balance out the foreground. The light permeating the image adds something extra as well. Lovely shot.

This image has lots going for it. There's plenty of drama in the sky with that fiery sky, and you've managed the exposure well to ensure those gorgeous colours filter through. The still water provides a lovely reflection of the sky and the tree-line. I also like the foreground, as you've used the rock and the foliage to give some interest rather than just relying on the reflection. Overall, a classic landscape image that has lots of personality.

I really enjoyed this image and all the layers in the landscape that you have captured. The stream that moves from the image pulls the viewer from the sparse foreground to the rich, illuminated mountains beyond. The deep blue of the sky and the bright moon add a sense of romanticism to the scene. I've never been to Colorado but this feels very much how I would imagine the landscape.

You've captured a really interesting scene here, and the way you've composed this image shows an understanding of how to work with different elements of a scene to create a compelling composition. The yellow flowers in the foreground add a much needed dash of warm in contrast to the blue sky and snow-capped mountains beyond. Although I'm fan of bright colours, some of the tones here feel a little over-saturated and therefore a little unreal. Backing off some of the blue in post may well give the image a more natural feel, but I appreciate that colour is a personal choice. Lovely scene.