New Joiners - Landscapes #879

For me, this image is all about framing. The subject matters of course, as it becomes the focal point of the image and where we inevitable end up when scanning the frame. But with some images, it is about how we get there.

Sometimes it is our instinct to just take a picture of the thing that we see, and not really think about the journey that the viewer will go on. This isn't the case here. You've used the foliage in the foreground, on the left of the frame, as a way to lead us through the image. This grounds the rest of the image and frames the rock perfectly. They also block out much of that overcast sky which wouldn't add anything anyway.

I like that you've left in the human on the other side. They really do provide a sense of scale and made me reconsider the size of those rocks.

Nicely done, thanks for sharing.

This is a beautiful, bright landscape where your composition is helped by the conditions. The stillness of the lake acts like a mirror, reflecting back the hill side, as well as the dwelling and the blue sky above. The greens and greys of the landscape contrast with the bold blues in the sky and the two people on the outcrop give the whole frame a sense of scale.

The horizon is a little off and if it was straightened in post it would make the image even more impactful.

Nicely seen, thanks for sharing.

This is a wonderful, wintery wonderland. I love winter for the way it can render things brand new through a covering of snow, and make even the most mundane scenes feel like they have been touched by a little bit of magic.

Here we have a little snow covered hut and bridge, leading to the most fabulous snow covered tree. You've kept the frame tight and have leaned into a moody feel through your post-processing. This creates a sense of foreboding.

For me, the processing makes some of the image feel a little muddy and loses detail, but processing is a personal endeavour and you may have wanted to lean into the sense of darkness and foreboding.

An intriguing scene that must have been beautiful to witness, thanks for sharing.

As landscape photographers, we can rarely resist the lure of a waterfall in late autumn, covered in leaves and looking majestic. This image is a beautiful example of why.

In the foreground are those aforementioned leaves, sitting atop the water and adding some colour to the scene. I like that there are a few of the leaves scattered on the rocks in the foreground but none of them look like they have been intentionally put there.

The leaves lead the eye to the waterfall, and you've captured it in enough motion to make it pleasing to the eye and add a sense of movement and narrative to the frame.

I like that, for the most part, you've excluded the sky, so we can just focus on the wonderful waterfall and all the gorgeous autumnal goodness that surrounds it.

Nicely seen, captured and processed, thank you for sharing.

Some images are all about the view, and some images are all about the conditions. A great image manages to combine the two of those in such as way as to create something visually pleasing, but also meaningful. You've managed to do that with this photo, and it goes beyond just what we are seeing in the frame but instead also evokes ideas relating to manmade climate change (even though this is a controlled fire) and the relationship between humans and nature.

The composition works well, with the birds on side of the image, balanced out by the trees on the other side. The billowing, yellow smoke adds just enough but doesn't overwhelm the image and overall this is one of those photos that demands your attention and asks you all kinds of questions. In other words, an absolutely worthy winner, thank you for sharing.

This is a classic seascape that does what it says on the tin, and does it well.

In the foreground we have these big boulders which act as our focal point, and around them the undulating tide is swirling.

You've shot this image at just enough of an exposure length to create some movement in the water. I like how the water is fuily surrounding the boulders and the little triangle of swooshery in the bottom left of the frame.

In the sky, the colours are gorgeous and pastel, with the blues giving way to the pinks. The beautiful hues of sunset's demise..

Overall a solid seascape that demonstrates your ability both technically, and compositionally. Thanks for sharing.

One of the hardest natural phenomenons to photography well is the elusive cloud inversion. As photographers, we find them awesome to witness but to demonstrate that in a single image becomes a difficult task.

You've managed to do a great job of it here, and that is for two reasons. Firstly there is just enough landscape to give context to the scenery. We can see the slither of those distant hills just peeking out from the cloud. Secondly, the way you've arranged all the elements in the frame just works. You give the bottom third over to the cloud inversion and the distant landscape, the rest is consumed by sky.

What really helps is the colours you've captured. Those oranges and pinks permeate throughout the frame and it's just pleasing to look at, with a lovely sense of minimalism and negative space.

Really well done, thank you for sharing.

I really like this image and your decision to convert it into black and white is intriguing. With monochrome there is nowhere to hide and I imagine this would have had some strong greens/yellows as well as plenty of warm tones that would help carry the composition if it was left in colour.

I feel like I end up looking at different parts of the frame because I'm not being distracted by any bold colours, and it allows me to take in some small details.

I love that you've caught the dew on the crops and that's where your focus is. The bokeh that creates works really nicely. It can always be tricky shooting into the sun because it is hard to control the highlights, and unfortunately the sun is completely blown out here, and therefore a little distracting.

That aside, as a whole, there is plenty to like about this image, and I think people should always be encouraged to think creatively and explore different ways of processing.

Thanks for sharing!

This is a classic landscape image that does what it says on the tin.

In the foreground there are trees, some of which are on the turn and showing the colours of autumn. These lead the eye to the mid ground and the lower slopes of the mountain that acts as the main focal point. Inevitably, our eyes end up at the peak of the mountain, taking in that glorious snow covered cap and appreciating how the light is illuminating all the textures and detail.

Nicely seen and captured, thanks for sharing.

I cannot express enough now much I love light like this. When there is enough atmosphere in the air that mist is created, and eventually the sun gets high enough to stream through, creating conditions like this.

I also find these conditions extremely hard to photograph so it's always great to see an image like this done well.

It's a photo of two halves, with the blue, cool tones of the bottom left corner in direct contrast with the bright, ethereal second half of the frame. I rather like the negative space you've created in the top of the frame, and I enjoy the tree that is in the middle of the composition, sticking up into the light and making itself the focal point.

These kind of images are probably not to everyone's taste but for me they show why landscape photography can be so magical. Thanks for sharing.

This is a solid landscape image that uses one of those landscape tropes, the lone lighthouse, as the subject matter. However, you've given the lighthouse some context by showing its surroundings. I like that you've used the peninsular as a lead in to the lighthouse and included some of the distant headland too.

Your composition works well, placing the landscape at the bottom of the frame and giving precedence to the sky, which is full of clouds and texture.

Unfortunately there are quite a few dust spots visible which distract from the overall effectiveness of the image, the most egregious of which is next to the lighthouse. These could easily be removed in post for a more effective image.

That aside, there is plenty to enjoy here, thank you for sharing!

Some landscapes lean into negative space and embrace the simplicity. Although this is a landscape contest and the main focal point of this image is the three birds, for me it is the landscape element of the image that makes it work, using the birds as a point of interest in a wider frame.

The colours in that evening sky are divine, and I love that you've kept just a slither of the distant scenery to ground the composition. The colours drift from wam hues to cool tones, without even a single cloud. It has an almost surreal feel to it.

Of course, the element that ties everything together is those three birds. We photographers love the power of three and this image is a lovely demonstration of why that is. It's just pleasing to the eye. I love that they are all in various stages of flight, and where you've positioned them in the frame works well.

My only small criticism would be that there is a dust spot near the top left of the frame that just pulls my attention away, and removing that in post would make the image even better.

That aside, this is beautifully done, thank you for sharing.

Sometimes you're just in the right place at the right time, and you get to witness some seriously gorgeous light and commit that to memory through the medium of photography.

This image is a great example of that. Clouds like this can be unpredictable, so to be in the right place and hit the shutter button as that light burst through the clouds, is really something.

I like what you've done with the processing too, bringing out the light that is being cast upon the rock face, illuminating textures and colours.

I always think a great photographer should be able to take a photo anywhere, and this demonstrates that. The rock also seems to be living up to its name.

Nicely seen and captured, thank you for sharing.

I love it when the sky does this, and it can be elusive, so well done for being in the right place at the right time to capture it in all its glory.

I like where you've positioned yourself for this image. The high vantage points means that the landscape unfurls in front of the lens. In the foreground there are trees which lead to the dwellings below and the hills that rise above in the distance. There is also a hint of mist that adds some atmosphere. Then the image is rendered anything other than ordinary by the fabulous rays of sun peeking out from the behind the hills in the distance.

The cool tones of the foreground are complimented by the wam tones in the sky and I love the way the light is catching on the clouds sitting atop the landscape.

Nicely seen, captured and processed, thank you for sharing.

The famous, or perhaps infamous, trees of fanal forest in Madeira. They are like catnip for landscape photographers and this a lovely demonstration of why that is.

The trees are contorted into different shapes and there is often low cloud and fog as the location is high up. I like how you've tried to use the tree in the foreground, with its curved trunk, as a way to frame the tree in the distance. I also like that you've got a hint of the sun trying to burn through.

The composition could possibly be improved with a tighter crop as all the action is in the middle and the empty edges don't add much. I'd potentially go for a 1:1 square or an 8x10.

Crop aside, there is plenty to enjoy here and it must have been beautiful to be amongst these trees. Thank you for sharing.