New Joiners - Landscapes #911

This is a classic landscape that uses all the elements in the frame to powerful effect. You have found the perfect spot for your composition and had the foresight to wait until the light was really good to take your shot.

There are several elements in the frame that really speak to me. Firstly, that low light that is casting across the tops of the mountain in the middle of the frame. It adds some drama to the proceedings and the bright, bold highlights contrast with the shadow of the hillside below.

Secondly is the cloudscape above the mountain, particularly the main cloud, catching the first moment of light, warm and wonderful. The zigzag of the cloud mirrors some of the shapes in the landscape and that is a satisfying combination.

A really impressive image that shows off how wonderful the light can be first thing in the morning. Well seen and captured, thank you for sharing.

You’ve submitted a few of these panoramas and all of them have merit, but this is the one that really spoke to me. The panoramic aspect ratio is a tricky one to get right, but you do it well for a few different reasons. Most importantly, the subject matter in the image does the panoramic frame justice. The rule of thirds is there to be broken and this is a perfect example of the circumstances where placing the horizon in the middle enhances in the photo. It means we get to experience the full reflection of that really impressive sky, with the textured clouds arching through the top of the frame, repeated in the stillness of the water below.

I like that you’ve added a little bit of foreground, so the blue of the sky has something to contrast with, and the inclusion of the sunstar really tops off the composition.

An impressive triptych of images, but this is the one that stood out to me. I like that you have your own distinctive creative style. Thank you for sharing.

This image is all about using the elements available to make a powerful composition. The idea of the ‘lone tree’ has long been a trope for landscape photographers. It speaks to notions said survival, tenacity and beating the odds. This idea is enhanced further by the spectre of the weathered, broken tree that appears in your image.

I like that despite its lack of grandeur, you’ve put the decimated tree trunk in the foreground, using it to give shape to the rest of the composition. I like that there is still one part of the tree sticking up, defiant of the conditions.

The scene is of course elevated by the impressive sky in the distance. The cloud base is low enough to catch some of that colour from the sun, low against the horizon before it sets completely. The warm tones of the sunset contrasts with the cool tones of the clouds and the tree.

An impressive image that works well in a portrait orientation, demonstrating your keen eye for composition. Well seen, captured and processed, thank you for sharing.

I really like what you've done with this image. The shallow depth of field works well, using the foliage in the foreground as a lead in to the image, leading the eye to the bridge in the distance that take us to the foreground to the mid ground.

The portrait orientation helps to keep the composition tight in the frame and I like the muted colour palette that you've gone for when it comes to your processing choices.

What I like about this is that it could be anywhere. Us landscape photographers sometimes think that we need a big vista to make an image work but this demonstrates that you can find interesting compositions wherever you are in the world.

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

This is a dramatic landscape vista that shows off the scenery well.

I like your vantage point, high up, looking out over the fields and to the hills in the distance. There is a natural curve in the landscape from the foliage in the foreground, that sweeps through the front of the frame and leads the eye to the back.

I like that you've caught some of that sidelight, cascading down onto the hills in the distance. There is enough texture in the clouds above to add some interest to the sky, and the blue complements the overwhelming greens of the landscape beneath.

Nicely seen and captured, thanks for sharing.

This image is vibrant and impressive, showing off the colourful nature of the landscape and also demonstrating the power of it too.

The hut demonstrates the contrast between the manmade and the natural world. It also shows that the manmade element has been consumed by the landscape. I love the different textures that are a result of this, with the rusty reds and browns of the shed contrasting with the greens and the yellows of the foliage. There is also the purple of the flowers and the blue sky above.

The portrait orientation works well and overall this is an impressive little vignette that shows off the relationship between both nature and human elements.

Sunsets and sunrises continue to be something us landscape photographers return to again and again. They are staples of the profession and because they are a ubiquitous experience, they have a universal appeal.

It's also rare to get a really good sunset/sunrise so it's always a joy to see one.

I like that you've gone for a simple, clean composition and stye, silhouetting the trees and the landscape against the warm sky. There are enough clouds in the sky to add some texture and I really like the detail of the sun peeking over the hill.

Nicely seen and captured.

This is an intriguing image, that makes the most of the elements in the frame.

Often, when it comes to agricultural images, there are the usual fields of wheat etc., so it's nice to see a different depiction. I really like the undulating hills in the landscape, and the different lines of colour through the dirt, particularly the vibrant green in contrast with the browns and blacks.

The conditions are a little overcast, but this makes the tones even throughout.

Thanks for sharing.

I popped this in the highly commended because I really liked the scene that's depicted here. In the foreground you have a rock surface, catching the harsh sunlight, leading the eye to shoreline in the mid ground and the mountains in the distance.

Although it is unconventional, I really like the portrait panoramic framing. It gives the image something extra, and with the three distinct elements, the image has a graphical feel to it.

My only quibble is that the horizon is not straight and this distracts from the overall effectiveness of the image. This could be easily rectified in post to make the image even more impactful.

Other than that, an intriguing scene, thank you for sharing.

We get a lot of entries into these contests that use flowers as a compositional tool, placing them front and centre in the frame, but few as impressive and well composed as this one. Often placing flowers in the foreground can weaken a composition, obscuring the landscape behind, but here it’s elevated the whole image, and even improved it from the standard landscape it may have been otherwise.

Your composition helps the image work, getting low down to the rocky foliage and use that as a way to lead the eye from the colourful foreground to the mountain in the distance. There is some repetition between the shape of the rock in the foreground and the jagged summit of the mountain behind.

The lighting works well, and the colour combination of the pink and yellow flowers against the grey of the rock face complementing each other wonderfully. The portrait orientation of the frame helps to keep everything in its place and elevates the composition.

Really nicely seen, captured and processed, thank you for sharing!

This is one of those images that could be easily overlooked. At first I couldn’t quite work out what I was looking at. My first impression is that this was depicting a cloudscape, but I was pleasantly surprised once I understood what was happening in the frame.

It’s really interesting to have this kind of perspective as we’re above the road looking down on proceedings. I also like that this was shot on your phone, again reminding me that the best camera is the one you have on you, and it allows you to shoot images like this.

The portrait orientation works well, with the steep, impressive Norwegian road winding through the heart of the composition. The fog and cloud clears enough to allow us to view some of the surrounding landscape, but it is the small detail of the car that really elevates the image, giving the frame both a narrative and a sense of scale.

An intriguing shot that asks the viewer to look a little bit closer, thank you for sharing.

Some images are all about the landscape and others are about using the landscape to provide some context to a wider image.

In this image the landscape features. We have the mountains in the distance, with the small tufts of clouds clinging to the tops. In the foreground there is a manmade landscape, a wooden pier that leads the eye to the distance.

In the middle of the frame, the two humans strolling side by side really make the image sing. This add some narrative to the scene, giving it an almost wistful feeling, and they also add some scale.

Although this isn't a traditional landscape image, it has plenty to enjoy and it's always nice to see people think creatively.

Thanks for sharing.

This is such a marvellous integration of nature and landscape photography. I often get entries into these contests that just depict the wildlife and fail to use the landscape to contextualise it. Those images, unfortunately, never make it into the top ten, but this image very much deserves its place.

What I see here is an image that is enhanced and elevated by the presence of the wildlife. In fact, without the inclusion of that element, the image would be rather pedestrian. I love that the penguins and the seals are co-existing, both on their own rocks and I really like that you’ve composed the image to include the lighthouse in the middle of the frame. There’s some wonderful storytelling occurring and it’s helped by both the lighthouse and the snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Would have loved a little more insight into your creative thought process regarding this image, but the composition itself stands on its own. It must have been magical to witness.

Nicely seen, captured and processed. Thanks so much for sharing!