New Joiners - Landscapes #754

Roads can make fantastic lead-in lines and help provide an image with depth and interest - as it is does in this instance. The sky is beautiful too and the soft, warm sunlight adds atmosphere. But I have to question the inclusion of the vehicle. The shape of the car is distorted due to the wide focal length. In my view, it adds nothing to the composition, yet it dominates the composition. I would have stepped past the vehicle before taking the photo.

Jetties make great foreground subjects, leading the viewer's eye efficiently into the image-space. I love the atmosphere the low-light and mist provides, although it is a shame the sun itself is blown-out. For me, the big issue here is the amount of foreground - I think its too much. A couple of steps forward would have reduced the amount of ugly concrete and placed more emphasis on the jetty, reflections, and view.

This is a very dramatic and eye-catching image. It's a beautifully clean and concise composition, and the black and white conversion helps simplify the photo further. I'm not sure if the cloud formation is natural, or if the file has been manipulated in some way, but the result has a lovely fine-art look to it. Nicely done.

What a fantastic vista - I love big, elevated coastal scenes like this. However, the bright sun has caused the cloud on the left of the frame to overexposure. I would crop this image into a more standard 3:2 aspect ratio to remove this bright, ugly area of sky. Doing so would also remove the slightly distracting figure and dog!

The helicopter perspective really suits this coastal scene, placing the town in context with the coastline. The photographer has composed the image thoughtfully, with the shapes and straight lines of the roads, streets and buildings contrasting with the natural curves of the coastline. The light, shade, and tone of this drone shot provides depth and appeal.

This is a fantastic viewpoint and a well captured nighttime view of London's impressive skyline. The selection of a small aperture has produced lovely clean starbursts throughout the image. It is well composed, exposed, and processed image. I would imagine this shot would look great as a big print!

This is a lovely rural scene, with rolling hills and lush, green fields. When composing a photo, always allow your eye to explore the frame fully, being careful to avoid and exclude any distractions. In this instance, you can see a slither of someone's arm in the bottom right corner. This can be easily cropped out post-capture, but always aim to get things right in-camera.

I think this infrared study of a Joshua tree is really effective. The deep blue sky has been rendered inky black, helping the tree and landscape standout boldly. The wispy white cloud above the tree really adds interest to the frame - switching to a vertical composition was exactly the right thing to do. A contrasty, eye-catching shot...

This is a classic Ansel Adams vista. It might not be an original composition but what an extraordinary viewpoint - and captured in stunning wintry conditions too. The atmosphere is good, with wisps of mist and snowy trees providing a partial frame. The file is a little noisy, though, which does obscure the finer detail.

What a beautiful sunset and a stunning view. The ripples in the sand help direct the viewer's eye into the image, providing depth as well as interest. The reflections add a sense of calm and tranquility, and the dark mountain peaks provide the focal point. The sky, tone, and overall mood of this shot is engaging. However, I would be tempted to clone-out that small, but distracting piece of seaweed near the middle of the frame. A really lovely shot.

provide a dark mountain peaks

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This is a well-captured Cornish seascape. It is a well seen composition, with the foreground water movement creating a strong lead-in line. I like the shutter length, and the warm light reflecting off the foreground rocks is gorgeous. Exposure blending has helped control the high level of contrast, although the sun is arguably still a little bright and dominant. The vertical composition work well, placing lots of emphasis on that lovely heavy sky. Well done.

When composing your landscape shots, take your time and frame the scene carefully. In this instance, an otherwise nice photo is spoiled as the photographer hasn't kept the horizon straight. Some cameras now have a virtual horizon (electronic spirit level) function to help photographers keep their camera's level. It is also easy enough to correct post capture.

The flock of silhouetted birds are nicely positioned in the frame - hopefully this is due to good timing, rather than any post-capture jiggery-pokery. This photo has a stark, wintry feel to it. I would be tempted to see if this image also worked in square format - removing the space on the left, and effectively moving the tree toward the left of the frame, with the birds in flight providing balance.

I just love the vibrant autumn colour in this photo, and also the warm light, reflections, contrast and depth. It is a lovely scene, but the dark, out of focus branch in the top left corner rather spoils the shot. I would imagine that a little step to the right, or a lower viewpoint, would have allowed the photographer to exclude the leaves from frame. Remember that simplicity often works best when composing this type of scene.

I really like this photo. I'm not normally a big fan of including people within landscape photos. However, this is a very sweet image, with the child walking away from camera toward the towering mountains. As good images should, it tells a story - a little boy or adventurer, who might one day grow into a man who conquers big peaks and climbs. The black and white treatment really suits the high contrast, midday light.