New Joiners - Landscapes #968

Some images don't have instant impact - instead they are 'slow burners' that you need to study and explore to fully appreciate. This is one of those shots - subtle, subdued and understated, but boasting lovely interest and tones. Although the big sky works, I might be tempted to switch to a slightly narrower aspect ratio to slightly reduce the amount of sky.

This is a scene with so much potential. However, the people queuing on the breakwater, and the double yellow lines, are unnecessary distractions and undermine the shot in my opinion. A slightly different shooting angle - or a longer focal length - would have produced a cleaner, more effective composition.

Durdle Door is a very well photographed location. You often see it bathed in golden light or with the sun rising in the arch, but I quite like the soft, low contrast light and moody sky. It is a shame the water is so lifeless, though - a wave dragging back over the shingly foreshore would have added interest and energy to the foreground.

This is 'classic', well-photographed view - and you can understand why. The electric colour of the water and the dramatic mountainous backdrop combine to create a compelling view. The foreground conifers are nicely positioned, but I'm not sure about the branch creeping into the top of the frame.

This is clearly a scene with plenty of potential. I'm not convinced the out of focus branches in the top left corner enhance the composition, but the building provides a focal point and the valley creates interest. Unfortunately, the image is too light and overexposed. This image was taken on film, so the photographer would not have been able to review the histogram and exposure at the time of capture. When using film (particularly transparency film) it can be worth bracketing exposures.

This is a lovely Cornish scene - choppy seas, rugged coastline, and a lovely sunset. It's never easy shooting into the sun, but the photographer has controlled exposure well and maintained both highlight and shadow detail. The buildings neatly anchor the composition.

What beautiful conditions - lovely light and colour. However, it's easy to grow so focused on how lovely the sunset is that you forget to pay attention to your surroundings. In this instance, the wheelbarrow in the bottom right corner - and also the structure creeping into the top right of the frame - are really distracting. A slightly different shooting position would have allowed the photographer to exclude these distractions and capture a stronger shot.

This is a lovely far-reaching viewpoint, captured in good conditions - lovely warm light and a moody sky. A tighter composition might produce a stronger result overall, though. I might be tempted to switch to a 16:10 aspect ratio to exclude the scruffy bottom right corner and also the brighter sliver of sky at the top of the frame.

This is so nearly a really wonderful shot. The light play on the landscape provides depth and interest - and the river helps direct the eye. The narrow aspect ratio suits the landscape and the sky is nice and moody. Unfortunately, the blown highlights (top left) undermine the image. A graduated ND filter - or bracketing and blending exposures - would have helped the camera cope with the high level of contrast.

Personally, I would crop this image to remove some of wasted, empty space in the foreground. The colours look too electric to my eye and you can clearly see signs of posterisation - abrupt transitions from one tone to another - in the sky.