New Joiners - Landscapes #864

This is a beautiful and dramatic scene. However, the aperture choice (f/3.5) is quite large for a landscape. Typically a mid range f/number, in the region of f/8 or f/11, will provide better depth of field and sharper results overall. The highlights are slightly overexposed and flare is visible (top right). Negative exposure compensation and a lens hood would solve these issues.

It is the gorgeous warm sidelight that brings this scene alive. The light and shade within the landscape helps conveys depth. The partially silhouetted cacti add a focal point, and there is interest in the sky too. A nicely framed and exposed landscape.

This is an iconic view - and understandably so. The winding road and cars provide needed scale and convey a sense of vastness, but the light is the key ingredient, creating contrast, depth, and drama. The wonderful, heavy sky suits this big vista. This is a well timed and composed shot - it's nicely processed too.

I love the layers and cool blue tones of the rolling hills and distant mountains. I think there is another shot within this landscape - a tighter, longer lens composition that simply isolates the lovely layering. However, the foreground rocky outcrop provides balance, and the lone figure creates a sense of space and scale. Ideally, the person would be looking left to right, though, rather than looking away from the highest peak. This is a well captured and an attractive image.

This little road creates a strong lead-in line, neatly enticing the viewer's eye into the frame. The golden, sunlit leaves further draw the eye - and the mixture of light and shade, and warm and cooler tones, add lovely depth. A well seen and captured shot.

It's lovely to see images of this quality in our New Joiners contests. The misty conditions are wonderful, wrapping around the treetops and creating an atmospheric and beautiful scene. The longer focal length has allowed the photographer to isolate an area of interest, with layers and depth. It's a well balanced composition. Lovely!

I like intimate, abstract landscape photos like this, typically captured using a longer, telephoto length to isolate key detail, texture, and interest. Even if you lack imagination, the 'eagle's' outline is clear to see, with the hole in the rock providing the eye. The orange rock contrasts beautifully with the blue sky. A vibrant, striking, and well seen photo.

This is a lovely view, the light is good, and it's a decent sky - all the ingredients needed for a good landscape shot. However, for me, there is too much empty foreground - and it dominates the composition. I might have been tempted to use a longer focal length (to crop in tighter to the mountains) - or step closer to the river and use this as a lead-in line instead.

This is a lovely river scene, and I like the energy and flow of the blurred water motion. However, in this instance, the photographer has used a small aperture of f/32 to generate the creatively long 1/4sec exposure. In the future, it is better to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter instead. This is because very small apertures cause diffraction which softens overall file quality.

This is a lovely spring scene, with sea pinks carpeting the cliff tops. The castle ruins provide interest, and the coastal backdrop adds context. Personally, I'd prefer no people in frame. And it is a shame that the castle and headland behind 'touch' - a small change in viewpoint might have allowed the photographer to 'separate' them. This scene shot in golden hour light would really come alive!

This is a wonderful scene - both beautiful and dramatic. The mirror-like reflection provides symmetry - and the photographer has rightly placed the horizon centrally to highlight this. The floating log just left of centre, is a little distracting - this could be easily removed using a Clone or Healing tool. For me the colours are oversaturated and the tone is too blue/cool - I would reduce the level of saturation and just warm-up the image over so slightly.

This is a beautiful shot - I love the soft light, warm tones, and pastel sky. This is a considered and well composed image with the closest cactus strategically positioned on a dividing third and anchoring the frame. The longer you look at this photo, the more you appreciate it.

There is something about this photo that I find really beautiful and engaging. This is definitely a 'marmite' shot - you'll either love or hate it. But it's striking and different. The tones are lovely, and I love the juxtaposition between the natural beauty of the beach and cityscape behind. The heron is out of focus enough to look intentionally and creative - and its bold silhouette standouts beautifully against the rolling waves behind. A very different and interesting shot.

This is a pleasing enough photo and a lovely rural scene - quintessentially English. There are a few little distractions in the foreground that could be removed maybe. However, it's the flat conditions that lets this photo down - some light, shade, contrast, and drama would radically enhance this view. If possible, it's worth revisiting this scene and shooting it again.

The elevated perspective of a drone really suits this landscape, providing needed separation between the little foreground islands. The light play and dark clouds inject drama, depth and interest to the scene. A well visualised and captured landscape that highlights Ireland's beauty.