New Joiners - Landscapes #923

Some images are all about a considered composition but sometimes you just have to react to whatever happens in front of your lens and if you're lucky, it all works out.

For me, this image is a lovely demonstration of the latter. The landscape plays an integral role in the image, and although you don't mention the location, it feels very Scottish or Irish, with the brown headland complementing the seaweed on the shoreline.

That alone would have been an interesting image but what makes it is the serendipitous moment of the black headed gulls flying through the frame. This provides narrative, movement and scale to the scene and elevates the whole composition.

Well captured, thanks for sharing!

This is a dramatic seascape that uses all the elements in the frame to powerful effect.

I like that you've gone with a low angle to exaggerate the size of those rocks in the foreground. Their rounded shape and lighter colour really contrasts with the darker rocks in the mid ground and the distance.

The elongated shutter speed really adds to the mood of the image, smoothing out the water and bringing some narrative to the frame. I like that you've given more room to the foreground and less to the sky, although it is interesting enough to add something to the top part of the frame.

The light shafting through the cloud is really rather delightful and all in all this is a wonderful seascape that demonstrates your eye for an intriguing composition. Thanks for sharing.

A friend once told me that if you see a hill, you should climb it. This image is testament to that statement as it shows off how beautiful the view can be from the top.

This image is all about the layers, from the darker foreground to the gorgeous varying shades of blue stacking backwards through the frame, finishing at that glowing red sun, low to the horizon. The cool tones of the landscape really contrast with the warmth in the sky.

My instinct would be to crop out the cloud at the top of the frame for a smoother composition. although it has a little bit of interest, it pulls my attention out of the frame and acts more as a distraction. Cropping it out would even up the image.

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

This is an intriguing image that uses all the elements in the frame to powerful effect.

You've leaned into the autumn colours and experimented with making the tones of the image a little more bold. This makes it stand out from some of the others in this contest.

I like that you've used the wooden walkway as a way to lead the eye into the frame. The composition is helped by the portait orientation as it ensures that all the elements are in alignment.

Well seen and captured, thanks for sharing.

These kind of images are exactly what the iPhone is great at capturing. You'll be going about your day, not really considering photography, then you'll happen across something beautiful and be able not only to appreciate it in the moment, but also get a snap of it on your phone.

I like the 8x10 framing you've gone for here, and the way you've composed the image with the trees lining the street, moving diagonally through the frame. The bold, bright colours of autumn contrast with the blue sky above, and the wispy high-cloud adds texture to the sky. You've also done well to control the sun, hiding it behind some of the foliage.

Just one of those shots that really show off why we photographers love autumn so much. Thanks for sharing!

I like the title that you've chosen for this image. 'Echoes of October' definitely fits the vibe that you're going for and instantly puts us in mind of those autumnal months.

You haven't stated where you took this image, but I rather like that as it could be any lakeside in any scenic place and the universality of it is part of the charm.

You've leaned into bringing out those autumnal colours and used a cross-processing editing choice to bring a touch of your own style into the proceedings. I like the emphasis on the warmer tones, combining them with the cooler tones of the rocks, and I also like that you've placed the horizon in the middle to enhance the reflection.

I would be inclined to crop out the small bit of sky in the top right of the frame (and the bottom right) as it pulls my eye out of the image.

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

This is a fascinating image that makes the most of the light, both the last of the light on the mountain peaks but also the feel of twilight as night descends on proceedings.

The composition works well, using the stone ruin in the foreground as a way to lead us into the scenery beyond. A marrying up of human elements in contrast to nature. There is something about it being a ruin that puts me in mind of the notion that nature will outlast us all.

Of course, the part that makes the image sing is the light catching on the tops of the peaks. The small hint of warmth that brings really elevates the image and demonstrates your ability to think creatively and create a compelling composition.

The cloudless sky works well as it complements the slopes of the mountains and all in all this is a well timed and composed image, thank you for sharing!

Matterhorn is one of those mountains that is instantly recognisable. It brings to mind the endeavours of great mountaineers, risking life and limb to summit this impressive peak.

It's nice to see it afar, nestled amongst the rest of the Alps, standing tall above them as if the rest of the mountains are convening in a circle to listen to what their great leader has to say.

The colours work well, with the blue hue of the mountain peaks contrasting with the greens of the landscape lower down. The panoramic framing works well and I like that the very top of the Matterhorn is shrouded in cloud.

Nice capture, thanks for sharing.

I think you submitted a few images to this new joiners contest and all of them could have made the top ten, I just like this one best, and of course my observations are purely subjective.

The other two images were perhaps better composed, but photography isn't always about the perfect image, it's about how that image makes you feel, and I resonated deeper with this one.

Scotland is a special place at any time of the year, but particularly during the autumn months and that can be seen through your image. The trees turning orange contrast with the greenery and even though the conditions are overcast, the tones are still good.

It's a shame you've cut off the top of the hill as it makes the composition a little bit uncomfortable, but that aside, this is a quiet image that shows off the majesty of autumn in the Cairngorms. Thanks for sharing.

An image that shows off the majesty of autumn and why we landscape photographers love that time of year so much.

Late autumn in particular is a wonderfully photogenic time, as demonstrated by your image, depicting the trees right at the end of their cycle, orange in tone. The colour is brought out by the side light that is catching on the scene and I like that there are some evergreen trees dotted in the landscape to add something for the warmer tones to contrast with.

The 8x10 framing works and all in all this is a lovely depiction of a wonderful time of the year. Thank you for sharing.

Sometimes it's the most simple things that make for the most impressive images.

I write regularly about the best camera being the one you have on you, and quite often that'll be your phone. The camera tech has advanced so much that it's possible to capture more dynamic range which means images such as this one are possible.

You've done well to hide the sun behind the cloud and therefore stop any large patches of blown highlights effecting the overall image.

The way the light is streaming through the cloud and on to the water is delightful. I like that you've appreciate that the sky is the most important part of this image and ensured that it has the most space in the frame, squeezing out the water. It might seem like an obvious choice, but many would have equalised the two elements which would have made for a worse composition in my humble opinion.

The light combined with the shape and texture of the clouds is really something. Nicely seen and captured, thank you for sharing.

The Old Man of Store is an iconic landscape that pulls in landscape photographers from far and wide, for obvious reasons. The walk up is not the easiest, especially at sunrise, but the rewards can be seen in this image -- a panoramic view of an ancient landscape.

This image captures it on a particularly stunning morning, where the low cloud that Skye is notorious for is nowhere to be seen and the sun is able to illuminate the whole of the rock formation as well as the surrounding landscape.

The whole image is delightful but the quality is really quite poor which detracts from the effectiveness, as does the lack of detailed description. If you have a higher quality image, it would have been much better to see that.

Otherwise, a lovely image of an iconic location.

Long exposures can really help to take something that could otherwise be a little mundane and turn it into a much more interesting image.

This is a nice example of this in action. The archway created by the rock is certainly of interest, by the overcast conditions mean that the scenery lacks a lot a contrast and feels a little flat. However, by using the technique of long exposure and elongating the shutter time to a minute, you've turned the image around.

The water is smooth and this plays into the even, overcast tones. It stops the water being a potential distraction, and also adds some narrative to the sky. This means we are able to concentrate on the texture and surface of the rock formation.

The image is sharp and overall you've done a good job of capturing the arch in all its glory. Thank you for sharing.

Sometimes as a photographer, you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. However, capturing what is in front of the lens at that exact time means knowing how to get the shot, something which you've proven you can do with this image.

For me, this image consists of four elements that all play into each other. There is the sunset that sets the scene, with the sun low on the horizon, pulling in the eye. There is colour in the sky above, with the warm tones contrasting with the cooler hues in the clouds and water. There's the human on the jetski, intersecting through the frame and offering up some scale and finally the bird on the wing, silhouetted against the evening sky.

The portrait orientation ensure that every element sits nicely in the frame and my only quibble is that the horizon is wonky which throws off the composition. This could easily be corrected in post for a more compelling image.

Other than that, you've done well to capture this, thank you for sharing.

You're right that there is a lot of tranquility to be found in this image, and it's a great example of when the introduction of a human can really improve a composition and elevate the narrative.

The sunrise is the main component of the composition, covering the sky in pinks and giving the whole frame a warm atmosphere. I like that you've ensured the sun is just below the cloud and therefore not blown out, but strong enough to add some light to the water.

The human on the shoreline adds scale to the scene and reminds the viewer of the universal experience of a sunrise.

Your horizon is a little wonky and this could be easily corrected in post for a more impressive and impactful composition.

That aside, there is plenty to enjoy here. Thank you for sharing.

It's not often an image that is taken in the late spring/summer really catches my attention. The uniformity of the green can make it hard to introduce dynamism to a frame, but you've really managed to make it work with this image and that should be commended.

The greens are the predominant colour, but in this case they're separated into three different sections; the foreground (mainly ferns), the top left, consisting of grasses, and the top right which is mostly made up of trees. These distinct sections all have their own texture and that makes the image sing.

The waterfall in the middle of the frame is what ties everything together, and the more I look at the image, the more the different shades of greens and yellows reveal themselves to me. A magical image that really pulls in the eye. Well seen, captured and processed, thank you for sharing.