New Joiners - Landscapes #805

This is an impressive drone shot that demonstrates why drones are popular photographic tools to gain a different perspective.

The most popular way to capture images from a drone is exactly like what you've done in this image -- aim the camera down to get a birdseye view of proceedings.

In this image it works because it's a unusual perspective, allowing us to see over the water, full of cool, turquoise tones, contrasting with the much warmer colours of the shoreline and the concentre structure leading out into the water.

I like your framing, allowing the water to occupy most of the image with just a small amount give over to the shoreline, and I like that there is repetition in the rocks in the shallows and the seaweed further out.

A classic drone shot that allows the viewer to see things from a new perspective, thank you for sharing.

One of the hardest disciplines under the umbrella of landscape photography is Astro photography. Not only must you understand your camera and the settings, but you also have to consider how to create a composition in the dark. This image is a beautiful example of how to make a powerful image at night.

In the foreground, we have a lone tree and a the axel of a farm vehicle, which invokes all kinds of imagery, and this is set against the absolutely glorious aurora with it’s myriad of different colours in the background. What's also remarkable is that this image was taken on an iPhone demonstrating once again that the best camera is the one that you have on you, even when you're photographing at night. In fact, I think many photographers would find it hard to replicate this image with a digital SLR.

This is a wonderful scene that shows off how powerfully affecting the aurora can be in a composition, but the image is made stronger by the foreground that you've included, silhouetted against that night sky. A magical photo, thank you for sharing.

There is a lot of traffic in that bay and the position that you've composed from is the perfect place to be able to visualise all that is happening below. By the looks of your EXIF data, you've actually made the effort to get yourself to the high vantage point rather than relying on a drone and you have been rewarded for your efforts with the scene that is demonstrated in this image.

The composition works well, with the cliffs in the foreground complimenting the cool blues of the sea below. I think your decision to exclude sky is a strong one that means all our attention is focused on the boats. I like that there are several boats in motion, heading off in different directions, it gives the image a sense of movement and narrative. The hazy light gives the image a filmic feel like it could have been taken decades before.

Well seen and captured, thank you for sharing.

I like the mood that you've captured in this image, using all the elements in the frame to your advantage. The composition works well, with the curve of the shoreline leading the eye to the lone tree, separated out from the background by the mist that is encroaching on the water.

The cool blue tones work to enhance the mood of the image and the panoramic framing works to grab attention.

There is a little loss of quality but considering this is taken on a phone, there is plenty to enjoy. It must have been a wonderful thing to witness, thank you sharing!

I think sometimes with landscape photography, one of the biggest decisions that we have to make is whether or not to include the sky in a composition. There are times when the sky seems to swallow the rest of the image whole, and this can pull attention away from where the photographer intended the viewer to pay attention.

I think your image is a really good example of when to exclude the sky and focus on the landscape. We don't need the sky to provide context as the landscape is enough and it's aided by the powerful side lighting that's cascading onto those rock formations, creating texture and contrast, highlighting the beauty of the scenery.

I like that you've gone for a more telephoto vignette so we are under no illusions about what we should be focusing on in the frame. The landscape speaks for itself, but your composition helps. I really like the way you've put the most prominent rock formations in the foreground, especially as the light seems to be more powerful there. In the background, dotted trees help to elevate the composition complementing the warm tones of the landscape, and I particularly enjoy the zigzag that's evident in the landscape, just beyond the first lot of rock formations. A beautiful image that demonstrates your skill with composition and emphasises the point that not every image requires sky to work as a landscape. Thank you for sharing.

If anyone says the sun never shines in Scotland, then you should show them this image. Proof that in fact, the sun does shine and not only that, but when it does it floods the beautiful Scottish scenery with ethereal light, especially at sunrise. You've done well to control the strong light that's peeking over the hill and illuminating the last of the morning mist that is drifting across the loch in the distance. It's a shame you couldn't have got a little lower in the frame to dampen down the light further and emphasise that glorious sun star that you've captured. That aside. I like that you've used the wood in the foreground as a leading line, helping to guide the eye from the water to the far shoreline and the hills beyond.

One of those images that makes me look forward to the next time I escape out with my camera into the landscape with the hope and promise of a morning such as this, especially as we head into autumn in the UK. Thank you for sharing!

This image is a great example of how to use all the elements in the frame to your advantage. In the foreground, we have a field of crops, yellow in colour catching the strong side light. Above, we have a rich, blue sky with numerous cumulous clouds creating texture and interest. What ties these two elements together is the inclusion of the tree in the middle of the frame. The warm tones of the foreground are matched by the cool tones of the sky and the tree, with its green colour scheme is the perfect conduit to move between both land and sky. This is aided further by the portrait orientation that you’ve gone for which ensures the frame remains tight, although I think it would also work in a 1:1 composition.

Well seen, captured and processed. Thank you for sharing.

I see a lot of attempts from people taking photos out of moving vehicles and almost invariably they fail and the landscape is just a blur.

However, in this image, you've manage to do something that no other entry I've seen in the many years I've been judging photography contests, and that is to make the 'shooting out of a car window' trope actually work. It works because you include the context of the surrounding car window and use it as a frame to capture the tractor in the field.

The composition works really well, helped by the strong colour, and I love that you've got the landscape in focus but the tractor is a little blurred to signal movement and add some narrative.

This just shows a little bit of creativity and the ability to think outside the box. Thank you for sharing.

There is plenty about this image to like, from the multicoloured rocks in the foreground, to the gorgeous blue tones in the water and the mountain range across the other side of the shoreline.

It's one of those scenes that I see time and again when judging these contests and I never tire of seeing it. It must have been gorgeous to witness it in real life.

I'm a big advocate of shooting with your mobile phone although it can be tricky when there is a lot of dynamic range as demonstrated here with the blown out highlights above the mountain peaks. This only distracts a little from an otherwise beautiful scene. Thank you for sharing.

One of the most prevalent rules of photography is the rule of thirds which dictates where the most interesting part of any composition should sit in the frame. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and one of the reasons a photographer might go against the grain is because there is the opportunity for a decent reflection. When this opportunity arises sticking to the rule of thirds would mean a missed chance to make the image more powerful.

Thankfully, with this image, you've demonstrated the precise conditions where placing the horizon in the middle of the frame makes the image work. By placing the horizon in the middle, it means we are able to see both the subject matter — in this case, the mountainscape in the distance, and also the reflection in the still waters of the lake below. Your composition is aided by using some of the rock in the foreground as a way to lead the eye into the image, and the lowlight, catching on the peaks and making them glow against the clear, cloudless blue sky.

It's one of those images that can make you feel the conditions and the chill in the air aided by your choice of processing and portrait orientation of the frame. Thank you for sharing.

I love it when I come across an image that evidently has been many months in the planning. Essentially, I'm seeing the end result of checking weather and the position of the moon as well as experiencing some failure and frustration. Ultimately though, you managed to get the shot that you wanted and I think that that is worth both commending and celebrating.

Durdle door is one of the most photographed places in the UK and continues to be a draw for landscape photographers, because of where it stands on the coast, but also because of its iconic gap that allows for compositions such as this one. It's always difficult to get a composition right, and make sure that your exposure is perfect too, but even more so when you're against the clock and the moon is rising out of shot.

You've done exceptionally well to both nail the composition and also ensure that the moon is exposed correctly. I like that it's not a completely clear night because the clouds that are sitting above Durdle door add texture and are mirrored in the milkiness of the sea below.

An impressive photo that demonstrates your commitment to getting the image right. Thank you for sharing.

There is plenty to enjoy in this image and that is down to your composition and use of light. Firstly, where you have positioned yourself above the landscape means that we have an elevated view and the scenery sprawls out in front of us. There are signs of your compositional prowess throughout the image from the use of the rocks in the foreground to the road that runs diagonally through the image, leading the eye from front to back.

Of course, your composition is aided in turn by the glorious and impressive light that washes over the entire landscape, bringing with it a warm glow that seemingly touches every part of the scenery. This emphasises the time of day that you shot this image, demonstrating why sunset is a continuous pull for landscape photographers. The light of the golden hour is hard to replicate and the lure of capturing it flooding across a landscape like this is difficult to resist.

I like that the landscape almost fades into the highlights but is still perceptively visible in the distance, it gives the image a cinematic feel and it could be the opening frame of a film. One of those images that benefits both from the conditions and your impressive compositional clout. Thank you for sharing.

This is what I like to refer to as a classic landscape image. All the elements present in the frame are what we would expect from a landscape photo, including the mountains in the distance and the trees in the foreground, full of autumn colour, framing the milky turquoise water that is leading the eye from front to back. The scene is aided by some strong sidelight catching on the trees and bringing out the warm tones of the autumnal colour.

The reflection of the mountain in the distance in the water works really well, and the texture in the high cirrus clouds add something different to the composition and helps to tie together all the other elements in the frame. I know it would mean going against the rule of thirds, but my only suggestion for improvement would be to have placed the horizon closer to the middle of the image, so we saw more of the reflection and there was more of a gap between the reflection of the mountain peak and the bottom of the frame. That aside, there is plenty to enjoy in this image and it must've been a beautiful scene to witness in person. Thank you for sharing.