New Joiners - Landscapes #737

This scan of a black and while film image takes me right back to the joy of shooting on film and then the time spent in the darkroom producing prints like this. This simple, uncluttered scene, printed with low contrast, embodies for me the way in which photography can take a scene viewed by the eye and produce a rendition of it that is quite different but wonderful in its own way.

A lovely moody image that works very well with the ancient castle on the hill, and reminds me of the dark landscape photography of Bill Brandt. Solid composition, and great use of a dark filter to allow the long exposure that brings such character to the shoreline.

Another impressive panoramic image, this time what might be considered by some as quite an average scene of some sheep keeping the grass short, but which has been skilfully crafted into an image of great interest. The use of the stone wall in the foreground is lovely, and means that we're not overburdened by grassy hillside. And the lighting, from sunny background to shaded hillside is nicely balanced. I'm also appreciative of the fact that the subtle warm tones of the golden hour have not been exaggerated, and instead lend a gentle atmosphere to the scene.

Bags of energy in this long shutter speed capture of the Scottish waves. The beautiful green of the crashing waves is a real highlight, and the movement of the waves is nicely emphasised by the unmoving rocks on the beach. There is a little lack of sharpness in the rocks. Using a tripod for these kinds of images, and ensuring the tripod is well anchored, and the press of the button doesn't move the camera is essential.

I really love this image, with its lush and varied greens contrasting the bruised skies that shift from blue sky to black clouds in the space of the frame. There is one aspect of the image that doesn't work so well for me, and stopped it making it into my Top Three, and that is the tree and building corner that are just showing on the right hand side. With those cropped out I feel it would be a much stronger image.

This everyday image of a truckstop is lifted from ordinariness by a large canine presence, a group of characters huddling around their car, and the warm glow that signals the end of the day. It's well cropped and observed, although could perhaps do with a little more brightness to allow all the details of the scene to be appreciated.

A beautiful scene, offering layers of interest - the misty morning lake and its elegant inhabitants; the shrub-covered banks of the lake, topped by a cottage that seems built with its surroundings in mind; and the rolling hills in the distance that are shrouded in low morning cloud. It's a well observed image that works excellently in panorama, and is nice and sharp. Very enjoyable.

A very pleasing image that warrants a long look, and keeps rewarding with new details. It's a stunning location in itself, but then the characters dotted about the scene help add a real sense of vastness and activity to the scene, and from a technical perspective the image is well composed, crisp and has an enjoyable colour palette. Well done!

Such atmosphere in this shot! For me there's a contrast at the heart of it - a mellow, warm evening but with the fevered industry of the farm workers, taking advantage of the good weather. The foreground flora adds some much welcomed depth to the image, and helps break up the highlight of the sun.

A great image that really takes you to the side of this lake as the last remnant of light fades, and deep blues sit alongside what remains of the sunset. The areas of total darkness in the image feel important and set the scene for the bits of the landscape that we can see, and there are some intriguing features on the horizon that leave us guessing at where we are, and what goes on beside this lake.

An excellent shot of this most iconic of mountains. If you could imagine the perfect border within which to frame a view of Mount Fufi then surely it would be cherry tree boughs heaving with blossom. The photographer has found such a scene, and then executed the framing brilliantly. The composition feels perfect. A little more work may remain to be done blending the pine trees in with the ground just to the right of the mountain.