New Joiners - Landscapes #698

This image is all about the separation of sea, sand and sky. The foreground is full of detritus, scattered driftwood interrupting the sand and dunes. In the distance the sea is visible, acting as a dividing line between land and sky. Above, the most interesting part of the image for me, is the sky full of intriguing clouds, from the stormy cumulous to the higher cirrus obscuring the sun, giving everything a hazy feel. The monochrome processing works well, and overall this is a powerful scene that uses all the elements in the frame to good effect. There is something creeping into the frame at the bottom right that acts as a distraction, and cropping it out would improve the image further.

This is an image that marries up the natural world with man made structures. The diagonal of the bridge moves across the water, deep in tone and framed by the hills in the background. There is a hazy feel to the weather, and the sky is full of clouds moving in the opposite direction to the bridge. This is all mirrored in the still waters. The foliage creeping into the frame in the bottom right is a little distracting but that aside this an interesting image that benefits from monochrome processing.

Often, in landscape photography, we talk about elements in the frame in terms of odd numbers, pontificating on the 'lone tree' trope or aiming to have three elements in the frame. With that in mind, despite you breaking that rule, this image really stood out to me. I think because the two trees on the left are differing in size, it works well, especially with the foreground full of yellow crops, contrasting with the green of the trees and the blue sky above. The panoramic framing ensures that there is room given to the trees on the left, with negative space on the right. I would recommend a small crop on the extreme right hand side to get rid of the object interfering with the edge of the frame. Overall, a really powerful image.

The power of three! Those three houses in the foreground work really well. I like that the middle house is pale in colour in comparison to the two buildings on either side. That colour pattern is mirrored in the peak above, with the white snowcap giving way to the darker slopes. The low cloud catching the tops adds to the atmosphere. An image that is full of personality.

I really like this image, and it demonstrates that you have a powerful compositional eye for these sort of scenes. The strong directional low light on the uniform woodland of pines works well, highlighting the contrast in colour between the browns and greens of the trees and the clear blue of the sky above. However, the part of the image that really works for me is the full moon hanging just above the treeline on the left. It adds a little bit of atmosphere and interest to the scene and elevates the composition.

Probably one of the most famous trees in all of UK landscape photography, and for good reason. It's lost a few branches over the years but still has a huge amount of personality set against the mountains of Snowdonia and the waters of Llyn Padarn. I like the framing you've gone with in this image, with the tree on the left side and the stones in the foreground leading the eye towards the tree. The colour in the cloud above and the reflection in the still waters really help to elevate the composition. Nicely done.

An interesting image that combines both the natural world and man made elements. The view has some interesting elements, including the bank of cloud catching the sunlight, creating some colour in contrast to the blue sky above and the landscape below. However, what really makes this image work is the reflection in what looks like an infinity pool (or just a reflective surface). I like that you taken the decision to include only some of the reflection rather than going down the route of placing the horizon in the middle. Often I'm not a fan of large areas of negative space, such as the sky in this image, but here is works and gives room to the rather compact slice of landscape below. Intriguing image, thanks for sharing.

This is a simple image that does what it sets out to do with power and confidence. The spectre of those snowy mountains are only just a different shade of blue in comparison to the night sky, the snowy slopes visible. I'm assuming this is one frame, but because there is no technical info, I cannot be certain. If so, capturing the super moon, sitting above the mountain tops, is certainly a commendable feat. The thin cloud obscuring some of moon adds some atmosphere and overall, this is a powerful frame.

An excellent attempt at some impressive astrophotography that attempts to use all the elements in the frame to create a powerful image. The wildflowers in the foreground mirror some of the colours and organised chaos of the night sky, filled with stars and galaxies. There is a lovely juxtaposition between the small and finite flowers in the foreground and the infinite stars in the sky. An image that makes you think.

A powerful monochrome image that uses all the elements in the landscape to good effect. The rock formation is the main event (and I appreciate your explainer in the description), reflecting in the still waters. Your decision to use a portrait orientation for the image ensures that everything fits nicely in the frame, and the fallen log in the foreground acts as a lead into the composition. There is some nice texture in the cloud and the monochrome conversion ensures that the eye isn't distracted by a myriad of colour. Nicely captured and processed.

Absolutely love all the layers you've captured in this frame. The greens are the bottom give way to the yellow aspens above, and they in turn lead the eye to a combination of colours, a depiction of autumn in full flow. The light dappling on the woodland is delightful, highlighting those vibrant yellows. The woodland leads the eye to the large, looming granite rock at the top of the woodland, offering some different textures. The framing is a little tight at the top of the image, and I'd have been inclined to leave a little more space to give the image room to breathe. That aside, there is plenty to enjoy here.

A classic seascape that has been executed with confidence and competence. I love how the colour of the rocks is mimicked by both the lighthouse and the house set apart from the shoreline. It almost feels like something out of a Wes Anderson film. The long exposure of the sea gives a sense of narrative to the scene and a dreamy effect. This is all set against a beautiful sunset full of colour, warm oranges catching on the sky above. Nicely seen, captured and processed, thanks for sharing.

One of the things I really enjoy about cityscapes is when there is a juxtaposition between the old and new. Here we have the shiny buildings of modern Manchester contrasting with the canal boats, a relic from more rural times, in the water below. The framing helps here, with the eye moving from the buildings to the canal, and the texture in the clouds helps to add some further interest. A nice, clean representative cityscape that shows modern city life.

I'm a big fan of urban landscapes and what I really like about this one is that it's a view of Dubai that I haven't seen before. On first glance I wondered if it was a view of New York, so it was nice to see a different take on an intriguing city skyline. I like how you've framed the image, with most of the room given to the sky, full of high cirrus clouds offering texture and interest. The low light peaking through some of the higher buildings is delightful and enhances the atmosphere.

I had to include this in the 'highly commended' section because it's such a unique 'landscape' (or I guess, 'spacescape'). There's not much I can say compositionally, because I imagine you didn't have a whole lot of control over the final image, but the whole concept is fascinating. An image that reminds me how small we really are. Intriguing shot, thanks for sharing.