New Joiners - Landscapes #732

The wispy mist and low, warm sunlight combine here to create gorgeously atmospheric conditions. For me, the branches to the left of the frame feel a bit 'heavy' and unnecessary - I would have switched to a slightly longer focal length instead to place more emphasis on the little wooded island and background drama.

I love the simplicity and tranquility of this shot. The quality and warmth of the light is gorgeous, and the scene has a lovely sense of symmetry. Ideally, I would love to see separation between the top of the jetty and the landscape behind, but I doubt the photographer could have achieved this without using a step or a ladder.

Although the colours in this shot are a little saturated and punchy for my own personal taste, it is a nicely framed scene and lovely conditions. The foreground seaweed adds texture and interest. However, you can see some halos around the edges of parts of the bridge - this is the result of aggressive processing and lightening shadow detail.

Light is often the key ingredient to any successful landscape shot. In this instance, the light play on the landscape is stunning and the rainbow adds lovely interest and helps frame the landscape below. However, there is a nasty dust spot just right of centre. Remember top clean your sensor when necessary and always clone-out 'dust bunnies' before printing your shots or entering them into contests.

This is a well-composed image, with the rocky foreground creating a strong partial frame. The shutter length is spot-on - long enough to create texture, energy, and motion, but not so long that the water has grown too blurry or milky. I might be tempted to select the sky and just darken it slightly to draw-out a little more drama. The foreground rocks could be a touch sharper also - an aperture in the region of f/11 would have generated a slighter larger depth of field.

This is such an impressive view. By using a short telephoto lens, the photographer has foreshortened perspective and created this landscape full of shapes, detail, and interest. The colour and texture of the glacier is engaging. An interesting and well-framed shot.

This shot has a lot going for it. I love the roll of the wave and motion and energy provided by the slow shutter speed. The pastel tones in the sky (and reflected on the wet rocks) are pleasing - and the urban backdrop adds interest and context. I might be tempted to crop this image slightly to remove some of the sky and reposition the horizon so it is less central.

It really is worth shooting early and late in the day - the hours might be less social, but the conditions are often far more photogenic. The low sunlight and pastel sky suit the city skyline. The light and shade on the buildings create contrast and depth. I find the moving boats distracting, though. A faster shutter would have frozen their movement - alternatively, wait until they are out of frame or in a more favourable position.

A lovely, moody scene - who can resist mist shrouding the landscape in this way? For me, the closest trees are unnecessary, though - they are distracting and aren't sharply in focus. The tone of the scene is also a little cool. I would be tempted to crop this shot to exclude the closest trees, and select a warmer colour temperature.

The corners of the frame are often important. You can place key interest or objects that help 'point' the viewer's eye into the composition. But be careful of distractions. In this instance, the gate or fence creeping into the bottom right of the composition dilutes the overall impact of the scene.

These are wintry conditions to die for as a landscape photographer! The pristine snow and hoar frost are simply stunning. This is a well captured shot. Snow can fool TTL metering systems, but exposure is spot on. The little building on the right adds scale, a point of interest, and a sense of remoteness. A vertical composition would have also worked well I suspect. Maybe the brightness of the snow in the bottom left corner could be calmed down marginally.

This is a well-captured image. The animals are all well placed across the frame, other than the partially hidden juvenile (second in line). As the photographer mentions, the framing is probably a little too tight and a slightly wider focal length would have provided more breathing space. This shot probably qualifies as an environmental portrait, rather than a landscape, but a lovely capture nonetheless.

A simple but striking landscape. The portrait orientation places emphasis on the sky and the cloud formation that neatly 'points' into the frame from the top corners. The reflections provide a tranquil atmosphere, and the black and white conversion gives the shot a fine art look. I would be tempted to darken the sky to keep it balanced and consistent with its reflection.

Just look at those gorgeous sunset colours and the warmth of the light bathing the mountain peaks. The conditions are gorgeous and while it must have been tempting to opt for a tighter composition - focused more on the mountains - a longer focal length would have excluded that wonderfully dramatic and colourful sky.

This looks like a very photogenic glen. It is always worth attaching a polarising filter when shooting woodland and waterfalls to reduce reflections and restore natural colour saturation. The vertical composition works well in this instance, although I'm not keen on the few, distracting leaves creeping into frame top left. Some recent rainfall to provide more water motion would have given this shot added interest and drama.