New Joiners - Landscapes #609

Although the quality of this image is rather poor (as I imagine you're zooming in quite a way) there's something about the feel and atmosphere of it that pulls in my attention. I love the swirling low cloud in the background framing the rocks that have been piled up in the foreground. It's a little window into another world, and I'm glad you shared it.

For me, Castell y Gwynt is a place of legends and imagination, one of the most impressive peaks in Snowdonia so it's great to see it crop up in this batch of competition entries. There's really only one word that can sum up this image, and that's 'dramatic'. The spiked ridgeway in granite grey contrasts with the fire in the sky, evoking notions of dragons and mythical beasts. You've done a good job at pulling out the contrast and colour without overcooking the saturation and the placement of you or someone else on the summit grounds the whole composition with a sense of scale. Magical stuff.

I love to stand at the top of Newlands pass and stare down towards Blencathra in the distance. The thing about the Lakes is that the weather can be cruel but when you get a few moments of light breaking through the clouds makes it all worth it. This looks like one of those moments, and the results are gorgeous. Lush greens of the hillside being lit up on one side and drown in dark clouds on the other. The pass itself (and it's treacherous road) help to lead the eye through the image and your processing accentuates the drama that the sky has provided.

When you think of Australia, I'm not sure many people would believe that parts of it could be this lush and green so it's fabulous to see an example of such greenery and conditions. The composition works well, using the tree on the left to lead to the rolling hills on the right, the strong sunlight highlighting the foliage, alternating varying shades of green and yellow, ending up at the hills in the distance. The blue sky works well in contrast to the bright colours, and the clouds add interest. Although the fence in the foreground isn't something I would have included, I can see why you decided it would work. Overall, a very pleasing image.

This is a classic waterfall shot that uses the low angle to accentuate the elevation of the waterfall and give it prominence in the frame. I like the contrast between the fresh green foliage on the left hand side and the darker granite on the right. This is a good example of how to use a wide angle lens in a way that produces a dramatic result.

One of those famous scenes that I rarely tire of seeing (possibly because I've yet to see it I'm real life yet). It's one of those natural wonders where all the different elements work together to make something more impressive than the sum of their parts. The snowcapped mountain takes centre stage, framed by the foliage and the turquoise colour of the water below. The light catching on the sail boat is a nice touch, as is the slightly different angle from previous images I've seen.

This image has an abundance of glorious autumnal tropes, all combining to create a neat, lovely image. The hut on the hillside acts as an anchor for the whole composition, providing scale but also leading the eye into the rolling hills beyond. The side light is catching all those gorgeous warm colours of the foliage and adding texture to the scene. The mist in the mid-ground creates a little separation and makes the image seem more 3D. The bright blue sky contrasts with the yellows below, but doesn't add a huge amount to the composition and I would be inclined to crop the sky a little so the eye focusses more on the foreground.

This is a nicely processed panoramic of a mountain range of which I've seen few images. The side light entering from the left of the frame is highlighting some of those dramatic slopes and creating texture in the scene, pulling out those fresh greens and yellows. Although there is some sky visible, you've made the wise decision to limit it in the frame and give centre stage to the mountain range instead which is a wise decision.

This image is all about the emotion it conveys. It could be a scene from a prestige fantasy TV show like Game of Thrones with the rolling, snowy hills jutting out through the composition, almost uniform in their individual coating of snow, covering any identifiable features and making everything new again. The emotion is heightened by the the ethereal light escaping the low cloud to illuminate the far peaks, creating an appealing glow. It must have been a rather amazing scene to witness so thanks for sharing.

This image has a surreal feel to it. I almost feels like I'm looking at an alien landscape which is accentuated by the low angle which gives prominence to the cracked and dry soil, dappled with lines criss-crossing the landscape. The spindles of the trees reaching towards the sky add to the ominous feel, which is made even more dramatic by the monochromatic processing. There are a couple of dust spots that have made it into the final edit that could be easily dealt with during processing but overall this is an image that has a lot of mood.

There's plenty to enjoy about this image. There's the hint of autumnal colour breaking through the uniform green trees. There's the reflection of said trees along with some colour in the sky bouncing off the clouds. There's the hint of mist and the driftwood appearing from the water. All those elements combine to make something rather lovely. My only observation would be that the horizon is wonky which is detracting from the overall effectiveness of the image. A quick adjustment in post would fix that and give your image even more kudos and power.

What drew me to this image was the real and dramatic variation in different habitats compressed into a single frame. Firstly there is the beach in the foreground, leading to the rocks and palm trees. Then there is the hint of human interaction with the housing just off the beach. Behind that is a dramatic mountainscape, made even more impressive by the low cloud clinging to the peaks. I like that you've used all the elements in the image as layers that build up to an impressive composition.

A wonderful depiction of a famous scene that demonstrates why so many photographers are drawn to these particular rock formations. The lines that undulate through the sandstone lead the eye from one part of the image to another, and the variation in the colour, deep burnt oranges and browns is pleasing to the eye. The colours and the shapes in the rock contrast well with the blue sky and textured cloud. The right composition eliminates any potential distracts and the overall outcome is a very impressive image.

There are certain 'dead trees' that I regularly pass and consider how I could create a composition using one, and I think this image here is a good of example of how to do this well. My instinct is always to shoot during winter to elevate the sense of bleakness but what I like about this is that you are contrasting it with the abundance of summer, making the lack of foliage on the tree even more stark. This combined with the dramatic low cloud and lighting behind make this image rather pleasing. Thanks for sharing.

I rather enjoyed the simplicity and yet complexity of this particular image. It could ostensibly be anywhere so doesn't require specific geographical knowledge, and yet it captures a moment in time that in itself was once very specific to you. The beauty is found in the way you build up the composition through the layers in the landscape, from the reflection of the pink and purple pastel tones of the sky to the intersecting green hillside on the opposite shoreline. It shows you have a good eye and a naturalistic processing style. Thank you for sharing and keep at it!