New Joiners - Landscapes #625

This is an interesting image that demonstrates how to create something different with an ostensibly ordinary frame. The silhouette of the city against the gradient of the sunset is a classic landscape/urban landscape trope, but the inclusion of the powerlines works really well to lead the eye through the image. I like that you've gone for a 1:1 crop, but the part that really works for me is the bird. It's just a little detail that elevates the whole scene.

You use the word 'tranquility' in your description of this scene and I would suggest that this is one of the first emotions I felt when I looked at the image. The perfect descriptor for what must have been a beautiful evening to witness, let alone photograph. That low sun is still warming the scene, reds and oranges bouncing off the surface of the water and the structure of the clouds with a hint of movement in the waves descending upon an unseen shoreline. All the tones are well balanced and the processing is complimentary to the conditions. Lovely, calming image.

There are lots of cool tones competing for attention in this image. You've got the snowcapped mountains in the back, surrounded by a grey, overcast sky and there is the turquoise blues of the water, bending through the landscape into the foreground. They are surrounded by a smattering of trees, warmer in tone but muted due to the lack of light. I like your composition, with everything tight in the frame, as it holds the eyes attention. A majestic scene that demonstrates an understanding of how to create a compelling image.

Sometimes landscape photography isn't all about those big, dramatic scenes. Sometimes it's a flash of seasonal colour in the field that pulls in the viewers attention, relying on a shallow depth of field to give prominence to the subject matter. I love those vibrant blues, bringing joy to any otherwise overcast day. I love that you have positioned yourself low in the frame, so the flowers seem bigger in composition to the structure behind. I'm glad you included the structure because the colours compliment the sky and the flowers, and it speaks to a relationship between nature and humankind. An image that shows an ability to think creativity. Thank you for sharing.

I want to commend your creativity in this image because I think when you try to do something different and get the old grey matter in the brain working, then good things can occur. I really like your creative concept here, to position the castle on one side and the giant, almost surreal moon on the other. The castle part of your image works great, but I think you've had to crop in so much to get the desired effect from the moon that the sky looks pixelated and distorted. It can be really hard to get images where the moon is that big in a normal frame, but that shouldn't deter you from trying. Even though the results perhaps don't quite live up to the image you had in your mind, I'm hoping you'll keep at it because it demonstrates you have a creative mind and that is always a good thing! Good luck and keep at it.

Lovely, simple composition of some spectacular summer conditions. I like that you've concentrated on just capturing those ethereal lines of mist making their way up the hillside rather that giving them too much context that may have distracted the viewer. It's a compelling abstract scene, with shapes and lines created by the transient mist, tempered by the warm tones of the morning.

This is an intriguing image. The main subject matter (the imposing hill) almost doesn't look real because of the mostly flat plateau at the top. It completely dwarfs some of the structures in the valley below, and in turn is dwarf by the big skies you've included above. The light that's catching the side is rather delicious, and there's a suggestion that the weather might turn. There are some dust spots on your sensor that have shown up in the sky. These could easily be removed in post to ensure the eye is less distracted.

What I like about this image is the way you've positioned everything in the frame. It suggests a core understanding of how to create an effective and compelling composition. The overall tone of the image is rather blue, due to the time the photo was captured and the overarching blue sky helping to create a cool colour cast. This is interrupted by the vibrant reds of the rhododendrons contrasting sharply with the blues behind and above. It's an excellent choice to have framed the rhododendrons on one side of the image and snowy mountains on the other as if they are in opposition. Nice work.

Although some might argue that this isn't a landscape image, I find it much more interesting to keep the term 'landscape' as broad as possible. For me, this fits into the genre because the landscape is integral to the fabric of this composition, despite the fact it was taken 'indoors'. The landscape is visible through the broken windows, reclaiming a space that was once occupied by humans. The landscape is reflecting the sun and bouncing it through the windows, a reminding us of the harsh conditions that exist outside. So, for me, this fits in the category, and it's refreshing to see someone thinking outside of the box.

I absolutely love this image even though some would not consider it to be a traditional landscape. It's got movement, heart and mystery all rolled into the one frame, with some additional drama created by the wind whipping up the sand, catching the light. It feels like a still from a SciFi film with the hoards of people seemingly marching towards the camera, leaving behind the urban sprawl in the background. I like the way the light is catching the buildings and each person in the image has their own little story to tell if you look hard enough. An intriguing rendition of how we co-exist with nature.

You've captured some lovely Cornish light in this image, presumably at the end of the day with dusk threatening. It helps to give the scene a warm feel, like the end of a long summer day enjoying the coastal paths and views. I like that you've included a couple of seabirds flying in different directions to add a sense of scale. Most of all I like the way you've used the foreground and the craggy rock face beyond to create diagonal lines that zig zag across the heart of the composition, leading the viewer up to the hazy horizon where the sea and the sky merge. It works well.

What strikes me about this image is that everything on the ground seems so brown and devoid of any other colour. I'm not sure what the reason is behind this, if it's just winter or if there's been a natural disaster, but the uniformity of the browns below contrast well with the blues of the sky above (and the greys permeating through the clouds). The bending river flowing through the scene helps to lead the eye through the composition. An image that asks questions but doesn't necessarily provide answers.

Sometimes there's a clear winner when I look through the entries and this immediately jumped to the top spot. Even though it was likely shot on a mobile device (judging by the noise visible) you've managed to capture the sheer scale and majesty of the sky catching the low sun and balanced it out with the undulation of the hills. What steals the show though, is that cloud formation, speaking of coming weather, vibrant in it's display. An absolute showstopper of a landscape scene.

I like the creative decisions you have taken in this photo to try and make it a little more interesting than your average shot of autumnal trees. Although the line of trees are integral to the image, your choice to use a shallow depth of field and focus in on the fallen leaves that litter the pathway demonstrates a distinct creative choice about the meaning and feeling of the image. The angle shows off the size of the trees (especially in comparison to the couple walking) but reminds us not to forget the leaves that have fallen. There is some banding that been created by the colour in the top right and I'd consider reducing the blues throughout the image to see if that removes the distraction. Thanks for sharing.