New Joiners - Landscapes #785

This is a really nice view of a craggy Scottish valley, with gorgeous dappled light. The issue is the washed-out sky - it is too light and bright. It looks to me that the sky is not totally overexposed, though, and that there is detail recorded. If so, in processing, select the sky and pull back the exposure and highlights sliders to balance the light within the scene. Another option is to use a graduated neutral density (ND) filter in-camera to help balance the light when photographing high contrast scenes like this one.

This photo has a lovely energy. The photographer has timed this image beautifully, capturing the wave, surf and spray just before it crashes into the rocks. The giants causeway is such a well-photographed location, yet this image is not your 'classic view'. The dark sky adds drama and, overall, this is a well seen and captured shot.

This is a really dramatic scene - I love the snowy peaks in the backdrop. The orange rock (that almost resemble rusty metal) adds a focal point and breaks-up the dark rocks in the foreground. It is a nicely constructed image. There are a few dust spots in the sky that need removing.

I love the fresh, verdant foliage of spring and this image has plenty of punch thanks to the season. The photographer's choice of a slowish shutter speed has allowed them to creatively blur the water's movement, which I think works well. This scene would also work well in vertical format, allowing the photographer to exclude some of the empty space on the right of the frame.

Buildings and landmarks often look good silhouetted against a warm, orange sky and this sunrise shot has lots of impact. The image is well exposed and processed. The bird in flight adds interest, although ideally it would be flying toward the structure, rather than leading the viewer's eye out of the frame - if only we could control nature!

You see so many aurora images that are simply a photo of the sky and lights, but has no real content or context. This, however, is a thought-through shot with the lighthouse providing a burst of colour, impact, and interest. It might not be the most powerful display of northern lights, but the photographer has produced a memorable result.

This is a lovely scene and nicely framed. But the key to transforming a good image into a great one is light. This scene photographed in gorgeous golden hour sunlight would have far more life, contrast and warmth. When possible, head out with your camera early morning or late evening to capture the best, most photogenic conditions.

This formation is stunning. The texture, patterns, colour and detail is just beautiful. The composition is good, and the dark, brooding sky behind adds interest and drama. To my eye, the image is ever so slightly too bright and I would just pull back exposure by maybe a 1/3 of a stop. A really eye-catching and engaging shot.

This is a beautiful scene, with the soft light gently backlighting the flowering poppies. Just a few minor tweaks to the composition could enhance this shot, though.

Firstly, always check the edges of the frame - the branch just creeping into the top right corner is distracting and easily excluded. Also, the horizon is slightly wonky - always check the horizon and straighten if necessary. Finally, the horizon is quite central - there is too much sky on this occasion. Try following the rule of thirds next time - one-third sky, two-thirds foreground - to create a more engaging composition.

I love the contrast between the colourful, sunlit oilseed rape and dark menacing sky. The tree acts as a focal point. There is something odd going on here, though. The overhead cables on the left of the frame (just above the tree) gradually disappear - and you can see some fairly crude cloning has occurred in the sky where the wires should be. And I'm fairly confident a telegraph pole has also been removed toward the right of the frame. If you need to clone objects out of the landscape, it must be done well and seamlessly.

When you get a sky this good, its worth being bitten by mosquitos! It is always best to be close to water when there is a good afterglow like this, as the colour and light is reflected. A smaller aperture - for example f/11 - is advisable for landscape photography as it generates a larger depth of field.,

This image barely looks real. The cloud is just perfect - almost painterly in appearance - with the CN Tower poking up through the low cloud. It is an interesting and attractive skyline that retains the viewer's attention. The photographer has managed to avoid obvious distortion or converging verticals. There is a small amount of chromatic aberration, but this is typically easy to fix using photo editing software.

This is a spectacular view and nicely composed. I love the layers in this shot, slowly receding toward Mount Fuji. The cool blue tone of the image is attractive, and the birds add interest and life. I might be tempted to crop this shot into a squarer aspect ratio, though, in order to reduce the amount of sky and sea very slightly.

What a beautifully simple composition. The foreshortening effect of using a short telephoto lens has 'pushed' the trees up against the peaks behind. The contrast between dark conifers and snowy mountains provides depth. The low cloud adds interest and atmosphere. Lovely!

A lovely scene and gorgeous mirror-like reflections. This is a nicely framed shot, but always think about 'separation' when composing your shots. In this instance, by selecting a very slightly lower shooting angle, the photographer could have avoided the branches from overlapping the landscape behind. Just a tiny bit of seperation would have enhanced the shot.