New Joiners - Landscapes #964

There is something quintessentially American about this image. Although pumpkin patches are becoming more popular here in the United Kingdom, it's still fairly niche. Here, the pumpkin patch dominates the bottom of the frame, firmly situating us in 'spooky season' and filling up the image with orange and green.

I like that you've placed the house in the centre of the frame. It works to add some narrative to the image, conjuring ghost stories. The overcast sky adds to the atmosphere, and I like how the field of pumpkins is completely devoid of people.

This is one of those narrative landscapes that isn't bombastic, but quietly tells a story and transports the viewer into a very specific time and place. Thank you for sharing.

There is something eerie, yet cinematic, about landscapes such as the one you've captured in this image. I think of these places as edgelands. They are places between places, where nothing and everything exists. They can be desolate yet beautiful and their potential is often overlooked in search of more scenic views, so I'm glad you captured this.

The fog helps here, separating out the trees in the foreground from anything beyond. Because the fog is so dense it seems as though nothing exists beyond. I like that there is a chaos to the frame with trees in different directions, reflecting in the brackish water.

These images of places that are mostly unknown have so much merit to me and I'm really pleased you chose to share it. Congrats on making the top ten!

Some landscapes are quiet and some are more abstract than representational. Others are more about showing off a great vista in the tradition of those great painters who conveyed the scale of mountains and the beauty of valleys all across the world before photography was even a thing. For me, this image is in the tradition.

From your elevated position we can look back towards the glorious mountain range in the distance, with the side light catching on the slopes, bringing out a myriad of colours. I like that the shutter speed is just long enough to add some movement to the cloud as it sweeps along the mountain top.

The composition works well, with the trees in the foreground adding scale to the scene beyond. Well seen, captured and processed, thank you for sharing.

Similar to the previous image in the top ten (which I believe as also taken by you), this image is in the great tradition of those master landscape artists who spent their lives depicting scenery such as this. I like to think that we as photographers are carrying on that proud tradition and yes, it is evidently easier to capture such landscapes as photography has become more ubiquitous, but it is still important as no two moments are ever the same.

Here, again, the slowed shutter allows for some movement in the clouds as they make their way across the sky. The overcast clouds even out the tones and there is no dramatic light, but that means that everything in the frame is evenly lit, bringing out the warm tones of the autumnal foliage. I particularly enjoy the undulation of the landscape.

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

I often tell people that the best camera is the one you have on you, and that is likely going to be your iPhone (or equivalent mobile device). Although this has made photography ubiquitous and that has not always been a good thing, it means that you can capture moments like this one without having to lug heavy equipment on the hike.

Your vantage point works really well, looking out across the valley. The lighting is illuminating the lush foliage which stands in contrast to the granite grey of the mountain peak.s There is interest in the clouds that are building just above the peaks, and they help to balance out the image.

This must have been a beautiful sight to behold, so thank you for sharing.

I'm a big fan of urban landscape photography because it presents an opportunity to put into practice the principals of landscape photography in a different setting, often with intriguing results. This image is a really good example of that.

You have clearly thought about the composition in this image, utilising the reflection to mirror the scenery above. The scene itself is rather surreal, with the iconography of the temple. I'm fascinated by the statues, which you've made appear bigger in the frame from your low position.

The warm tones of the statues cut through the cool of the evening, and I love the blue combo of orange and blue, it always works really well together.

This can be a tricky time of the day to shoot, with nighttime descending ,ensuring that the light conditions are constantly changing. However, you've got the exposure spot on. A really impressive shot that demonstrates your skill as a photographer. Thank you for sharing.

You've captured a truly remarkable sunset. In my many years as a landscape photographer I've come to understand the spectacular sunsets are few and far between (particularly in my part of the world) so when one is photographed well, I know that the photographer was in the right place at the right time, but also with the right knowledge to get the shot.

Here, the right place is your elevated position above the water, looking back towards the setting sun as the various parts of the landscape are silhouetted against the warm tones behind.

Shooting directly into the sun can be tricky, occasionally resulting in blowing out the highlights, but here it works well and makes the image even more charming.

It's the sky itself that brings the composition to life, with the sun sandwiched between two well-positioned lines of cloud between the horizon and the top of the frame. The warm tones are delightful and overall this is well seen, captured and processed. Thank you for sharing.

Whenever I see images of the Grand Tetons, my desire to visit intensifies, and it's no different with this image.

Your composition works well, with the shoreline acting as a leading line to the mountains in the distance. The water is reflecting back the gorgeous, snowy mountains in the distance and I love the line of mist/low cloud that is sitting just above the tree line.

The colours are bold and bright, and the wispy cirrus clouds in the sky add some interest to the top half of the frame.

An impressive scene that must have been even more beautiful to witness in person, thank you for sharing.

When I usually see pictures of Hokkaido, the landscape is covered in snow, so it's pleasant to see an image taken during a more temperate season.

This is one of those images that immediately grabs your attention through the vibrant colours that dominate the lower half of the frame. The verdant reds flow from each corner of the image and coverage towards the middle, leading the eye to other fields and the mountains in the distance.

The image is a little unbalanced because there is a lot of blank, cloudless sky. This isn't particularly interesting and the composition might well feel nicer if you cropped out some of the sky and went with a more panoramic framing.

That aside there is plenty to enjoy about this image from the strong lighting and bold colours to the way you've composed the line of flowers. Well seen and captured, thank you for sharing.

I know the part of the world well, and have walked my dog on this beach many times when my in-laws lived in Barry. It's a fascinating part of the world, although I always struggled to photograph the beach itself.

This isn't an issue for you, and instead of fighting against the muddy sand you've used it to your advantage. There are many layers to this frame, from the muddy sand at the bottom of the image, to the sea and the low cloud that are meeting on the horizon, battling each other. What divides them is the light, fighting through to illuminate far off patches of the sea as it dances on the surface. There is something beautiful about the monochromatic nature of the colours, with many different variations of grey combining to make something beautiful.

What lifts the image beyond the ordinary is the person and their dog walking across the sand. Caught between steps and perfectly framed in the middle of the image, it adds a human element and demonstrates scale. It's a lovely little detail that makes the photo.

A delightful frame that has a little touch of romanticism to it. A worthy winner, thank you for sharing and reminding me of the lovely times I had walking my (now elderly) dog on this beach when she was a puppy.

When I initially looked at this image it immediately put me in mind of 'Bathers at Asnieres" by Georges Seuret. It's one of my favourite paintings, and if you don't know of it, it's worth looking up.

Of course, this is a picture, rather than a painting, but I love when two different art forms have a relationship to each other, often completely by accident. I think some purists would like to argue that this isn't necessary a 'landscape' image in the traditional sense, but to me, 'landscape photography' is a broad church and there is certainly room for images such as this.

As it is, there is a landscape present, with the hills in the distance and the headland in the middle of the frame. From our position, we have a the same perspective as the two people on the shoreline, gazing out across the water.

The use of Portra 400, which is my favourite film to shoot with, gives the image a timeless feel, and there is just something wonderful about this image. Well done on making the top ten and thank you for sharing the image.

This is a classic landscape that uses all the elements in the frame well.

The portrait orientation affords the composition a degree of uniformity, ensuring that everything has a place in the frame. I particularly enjoy the 'U' shape that has been formed by the rock formations on either side of the valley.

The misty conditions give the image an eerie feel, bordering on cinematic, with the distant cliffs disappearing in into the low cloud, leaving just a hint of the landscape beyond.

However, the part that really makes the image work for me is the presence of the yellow flowers in the foreground. Including them demonstrates an understanding of how to create a strong composition and I'm glad you built the image around them. The flash of vibrant yellow interrupts the sea of green, pulling in the eye.

A lovely snapshot of a beautiful location. Thank you for sharing and congratulations on making the top three.

This is a lovely example of how the inclusion of a human element in a landscape image can take a benign composition and elevate it to something that is much more interesting.

Here we have a competent shot of sunrise or sunset, where the sky is filled with a warmth and the fluffy clouds are making their way through the frame, but that alone would not have got it into the highly commended category. Your decision to photograph the camels makes the image so much better, offering scale as well as interest.

Although I like how much space you've given the camels in the frame, I'd be inclined to crop out the bright highlights on the left of frame as they pull the eye out of the image and away for the camels. Other than that, there is plenty to enjoy here, thank you for sharing.

As photographers we are drawn to capturing lone trees because they have an inbuilt narrative. They speak to ideas of survival and resilience, notions that are not easily expressed through a single frame, and therefore they can be a really useful compositional tool.

Here, the lone tree is surrounded by desolate rocks, compounded that idea of resilience and demonstrating how powerful a compositional tool it can be.

I like the monochromatic nature of this image. with the grey colour of the rock dominating, complemented by that soft blue sky behind. The portrait orientation works well, ensuring the tree is the main compositional element, and the shape of the tree contrasts with the texture of the rocks.

A fascinating tree that you've done well to capture, thank you for sharing.

This is a great example of the best camera being the one you have on you, and in this case that was an iPhone.

Weather systems like this can move through fast so you have to capture the moment with whatever tools you have available.

I love how dramatic the sky is in this shot, with those storm clouds seemingly rising out of the sea and rearing up over the unsuspecting people on the shoreline. The cool tones of the cloudscapes contrast with the warmer tones on the left of the frame.

I like how you have composed to have the biggest cloud in the middle of the frame with every other element of the composition emanating from that.

A dramatic image, thank you for sharing.