New Joiners - Landscapes #549

Lovely classic waterfall image that demonstrates competence and understanding of how to create long exposures. I like how you've decided to position the waterfall in centre, using the foliage on the edges to frame it. The blue tone of the water contrasts with the green tones of the foliage. It works well. Congrats on your top ten position.

This is a simple image that packs a composition punch. Keeping the land and light at the bottom of the image and the dark, moody skies above, really adds to the atmosphere. That line of light of the dying sun gives some much needed contrast to the overwhelming blue tones consuming the rest of the composition, and the colour bouncing off the clouds also works. Moody, atmospheric image that benefits from the white frame to help distinguish all the colours involved.

Oftentimes people are included in images without much impact, but this is an example of when including a person in the composition elevates the whole image. There is a relationship between the paddle boarder and the setting sun. They're the two main points of interesting in the frame and without the other, each one would be free floating. The angle of the boarder also works, as does the lovely soft tones. Nice work.

There's plenty going on in this image that made me want to include it in the commended section. The dramatic weather moving through is well captured and the way you've used the grassy knoll as a sweeping foreground helps to lead the eye into the image. The colours are a little off, however, perhaps due to over saturation, that makes the whole image feel a little muddy. Pulling back some of the those warm tones in post to even out the image would elevate the whole composition.

This is an absolutely fascinating image that stopped me in my tracks. There's so much about this composition that I love -- the sun creeping through the gap, close to the horizon, the light catching just the bottom of the icicles, and illuminating the scene and the ice itself, full of intrigue and texture. The angle you've chosen gives precedence to the ice, almost making it seem bigger than what it is. The contrast in the warm tones and the cool tones as adds something to this special image. Just pipped to the top spot by another image, but this is a cracking shot worthy of praise!

This is a fascinating image with a useful and illuminating explainer in the caption. I really enjoy the composition here, with the monastery positioned on the left side, and the amazing rock formations stacking backwards into the mountains behind. It's an almost alien landscape and a reminder of how diverse this world really is. The only issue is the blue hue at the top of the image that seems a little off. This may well be deliberate to contrast with the warmer tones but I think backing off the blues a little in post would even out the image.

This image has a timeless feel to it, a if it's the establishing shot of a 1970s Western before we see our protagonists move into frame. There's a quality to the photo that is reminiscent of analog film which may well be adding to those nostalgic vibes. It's a classic scene, but the light here is absolutely divine, helped by the thoughtful composition that pulls you into the scene to consider the rock formations against that clear blue sky. Gorgeous stuff.

Who can resist the ubiquitous SanFran fog? It's a natural phenomenon that remains eminently photogenic. This is a lovely take on it, giving the context of the traffic rolling over the bridge, the man made contrasting with nature. Having some of the bridge in the image helps to solidify the composition, and the sunlight picking out the contrasting colours also helps. There are quite a few dust spots on the image that distract, and they can be easily removed in post-production for a better overall result.

I really like what you've done with this image. Often we miss the small scenes, but they have a place amongst the canon of landscape photography just as much as the bigger vistas. What really works about this image is the converging lines of the path and the contrasting colours. The deep blues of the sky contrasts directly with the bright red of the poppy and both are softened and separated by the greens of the grass verge. Well seen and well captured.

This is a lovely, moody scene is evocative of the rugged Icelandic landscape. The tight composition that focuses on the mountain in the background and the river in the foreground works well. You've also done well to control the colours and not over saturate those lush greens. The rock formations add to the interest, and despite the lack of light, there's plenty of atmosphere in this composition.

Gosh, this image has all the elements that a landscape photographer could ever want from an image. Autumn colours, morning light flooding the scene, mist moving across the water and a perfect reflection. I can only image how excited you were when capturing this image. You've used your skill and understanding of composition to utilise that telephoto lens to great effect and the result is a beautiful autumnal image that is a deserved winner. Congrats!

Another image that uses scale to great effect. The skyline of Toronto in the background provides the perfect frame for the loan paddle boarder in the foreground, and the composition is tied together by the pastel tones of the low light both in the sky and reflecting in the water. The only issue for me is that the horizon isn't quite straight and that distracts from the overall impact.

This is a dramatic image from a location where you don't usually see imagery from. It's always nice to see landscape photos from diverse and different places. The shapes and textures created by the salt pans really add something special to the foreground and pull in the eye. The lighting created by that low sun helps to highlight all the textures and colours, and the soft pastel tones in the sky. An intriguing image that is worthy of a top ten place.

What immediately stood out about this image was it's lovely tonality. Those cool tones give the impression of the sea breeze whipping back onto the beach. This is elevated by the sea spray in the distance, caught by the light of the sun. What ties this composition together is the two silhouettes on the righthand side with the small wader to provide a sense of scale. The reflections in the wet sand also adds a little something extra. Evocative image that makes me want to go to the beach!

There's something about hot air balloons that seem to add something to landscape photographs, whereas something like an aeroplane might distract. Perhaps it's their improbability or the myriad of colour. Whatever it is, this is a lovely display of how hot air balloons can really lift an otherwise flat composition. They add an element of magic, especially when contrasted with the moon low in the sky. I think a tighter crop here might well have made it more impactful, but there's plenty to like.

This is one of those images that could be easily overlooked, possibly because of it's complexity. On my first look it didn't quite grab my attention, but when I looked again, I noticed all the nuances and skill involved. This is a rather lovely panorama that has plenty of interest from front to back and knowing that you captured it on your iPhone is just marvellous. I often say when judging that it's the photo that matters, not the camera, and this is a prime example. I love that you've managed to keep that middle peak in the frame, and you've managed the exposure well. The reflection is great, and the lines in the water help to pull together to whole composition. Magic stuff.