New Joiners - Landscapes #870

This photo boasts lovely storm light and a moody, dramatic sky. But I look at this scene and feel the photographer could have made better use of the crop lines. Personally, I would have got nearer and wider to the lines, and used them as a lead-in to provide interest and depth. Including more foreground would have also allowed the photographer to reduce the amount of sky, which is rather dominant currently.

Stunning view and stunning photo. I love the drama in the sky, which matches the drama of the jagged and towering mountain peaks. Placing the highest peak centrally creates a sense of symmetry. Meanwhile, including the little dwellings helps convey an idea of scale. An image with oodles of mood and impact.

This is a thoughtfully composed image. The foreground reeds and overhanging branches form a lovely frame for the sunlit trees beyond, and entice the viewer's eye into the shot. The warm, golden light helps lift the scene and contrasts well with the darker, shaded foliage. A tranquil and appealing scene.

This is an interesting shot - as is the story behind it. The broken ice creates a strong, compelling texture - and the fishing boat helps lead the viewer's eye into the frame and towards the mountainous backdrop. An eye-catching travel image.

This is a classic Norfolk scene. Placing the windmill low if the frame works well in combination with that lovely dark and dramatic sky. The highlights are overexposed close to the sun in the top left corner, but potentially this could be resolved by cropping this photograph into a standard 3:2 aspect ratio.

This is very much a Marmite shot - you'll either love it or loath I suspect. It's a very simple but impactful shot. In this instance, a focal point isn't needed - the contrast between sand, sea, and sky is engaging enough. The composition feels balanced and the colours are authentic and not oversaturated

Don't forget 'border control' whenever you take (or edit) a photograph. Take time to check the edges of the frame for unwanted distractions. In this instance, the out of focus branches would be easy enough to exclude or remove. And doing so would massively strengthen this atmospheric scene.

I'm not sure this scene suits a vertical composition. I'm a big fan of shooting in portrait orientation, particularly when shooting views boasting strong foreground interest or a big sky. But unfortunately this scene has an empty sky and uninteresting foreground. Switching to a landscape orientation would have also allowed the photographer to give the tip of the headland more breathing space.

What an extraordinary location. The lighthouse provides the perfect focal point, and the texture of the rocks adds great interest to this shot. The photo is nicely composed and the long exposure has softened the water nicely. The sky looks a bit 'overcooked', though - personally, I would reduce the level of editing to produce a more natural looking result. A degree of 'haloing' its obvious around the rock sticking up above the horizon, which is the result of aggressive processing.

The placement of the lone cloud is integral to this image's success. It really elevates this image and the photographer has done well to 'see' the benefit of waiting until the cloud moved into just the right position before triggering the shutter.

This is a nicely composed and exposed frame. Personally, I love creatively long exposures. The 15-second exposure has reduced the water's motion to a milky blur, adding energy, interest, and flow to the scene. Contrast is well controlled, with a natural level of detail revealed in both highlight and shadow areas.

The walkway creates a strong lead-in line and vanishing point, giving this scene needed depth and interest. The setting sun and colourful sky provides an attractive backdrop. Overall this is a well constructed and visually interesting landscape photo. Nicely done.

The use of a shallow depth of field helps draw the viewer's eye into the frame and ultimately focus on the waterfall. The out of focus barrier acts as a neat lead-in line. Overall this is a well composed and effective shot.

This is a lovely Cornish coastal scene, captured in good conditions. The sky is full of warm, pastel tones and Chaple Rock works well in silhouette. However, file quality is poor - this photo is noisy and pixellated. Without seeing the technical details, it's hard for me to say exactly what the issue is. However, mobile phones and small sensors can still struggle in low light - and that might be the problem here.

It's important to retain highlight detail - if highlights are overexposed and 'blown', photographs are normally ruined. In this instance, the light striking the stone near the bottom left corner - and also some of the foliage - is so bright that detail has been lost. Negative exposure compensation (or exposure bracketing) is required to retain detail in these brightly lit areas.