One Tree

I love the atmosphere of this image; feels like I just woke up on the farm and am looking out at the view while having my coffee. Good composition, lovely color and brings your eye right in. Amazing shot!

A simple image in some ways... yet the lines of the hills and the edge of the clouds make for a serene image with great framing of the open space. Great sense of scale; monochromatic in a way that captures the sterility of winter while the texture and shading soften the image in the right ways. The tree stands out within an atmospheric setting. Amazing shot!

Vertical! I love the framing, bringing the eye up and down and creating a sense of height. Well done!

I like the composition, though perhaps a slightly wider framing (not square) would have been to my liking. Great color, the tree pops out within a lovely, relaxed setting. Well done!

Great atmosphere and mood; the trees in the background are less pronounced because of the fog and their vertical stance compliments the movements of the one tree. Hints of old age and bonsai. Great composition, though I would have liked a tiny bit more space at the bottom and a little bit less white at the top (but that is nit-picking). Lovely image!

The black/white/gray serves the mood of this scene well. The fence draws the eye in from right to left and ultimately to the tree which is framed by the perfect, gray, misty background. The snow adds to a higher-contrast foreground, balancing well the misty background. Well done!

This is absolutely one of my favorite images submitted and I originally had it ranked higher. The only thing (for me) is that I wish the tree was in mirror image, with the longer branches drawing your eye towards the center of the image (which of course you can't change). That being said, I love the depth of field, the rocky walls bringing your vision into the center of the image, and the beautiful setting in which this lovely tree stands. The rolling hills, gray sky, and green/yellow grasses all compliment the tree nicely. I might also crop a small amount of the sky off the top of the image as well (more of a preference for me). Very well done!

Great framing with everything drawing your eye to the middle. A tree with a lot of personality. I love the way the hills on either side repeat the similar shapes of each tree trunk. Well done!

Fantastic composition; the sweeping movement of the tree's lower branches mirror nicely the leaves gathering on the hill in the background. The greens of the grass merge into the fallen leaves and compliment the leaves still waiting to fall. A beautiful image of autumn. Well done!

A beautiful, high-contrast image with the pathway both mirroring and drawing you towards the tree. The grayish background differs in just the right way to set off the tree (which is almost a silhouette) and contrasts with the over-exposed growth (grass?) on the ground. Only one small thing: the composition is wonderful, but I think the tree and ground would be framed better if a bit of the sky was trimmed off the top and the horizon line was close to the middle. A small criticism, however... The tree has a lot of personality and stands out well in black and white. Well done!

I like the way everything in the image draws you to the middle and also how it plays tricks on you as to where the tree is growing, on the edge of the water or in the middle of the water. Beautiful image. I ranked this as 24 out of all entries.

A unique and natural setting, I like the unique location for this lone tree. Certainly a location I would love to visit; I imagine myself cruising by in my boat, enjoying the wonderful views. Beautiful image!

Great lighting, great atmosphere... I imagine this tree inspiring ghost stories while sitting under it. Composition is simple but the stars and dark ground compliment this amazing tree in the right way. Well done!

Has everything: Great atmosphere, well framed, good color and a tree with a lot of personality. While simple overall, my eye moves around the beautiful space and keeps coming back to this intriguing tree. The rocks break up in just the right way what would otherwise be a simple foreground... again leading the eye back to the tree. I wouldn't change anything... Very well done.

Color, texture, lighting, atmosphere... what at first seems a simple image actually has a lot going on. Rolling hills and shadows create an amazing space that is well grounded by the beautiful tree in the foreground. Well done!

The amazing, weathered rock brings the eye in to the tree, silhouetted beautifully over a colorful sunset (sunrise?). An amazing space that brings different together different stages of time... ancient rocks, a living tree, and the end (or start) of a beautiful day. Amazing shot!

Dramatic and interesting, this tree is well-served in black and white. Great composition, with my eye going between the relatively serene setting on the ground and the almost painful reaching out to the sky of the tree, like an old, withered hand. Well done!

I see many entries of trees on or near water, all beautiful, but this is my favorite. The smaller trees on the far left bring the eye to the tree and are balanced by the landmass on the right. Reflections on the water and fog in the background create a moment of magic for the viewer. Even the clouds draw the eye towards the tree which itself has captivating and dynamic movement. I also like the way the tree grows wider at the bottom, nicely grounding into the rocks below. Amazing shot!

Great composition with the tree on top and blue skies in the background, complimented by a unique stone-scape and roots clinging to the edge. A sense of mystery as to how this tree grew and still looks quite vibrant, despite obvious distress over the years. I wouldn't mind if the rock/stone on the lower section had a bit more black in it, grounding it, but that's nitpicking. Love the image, love the story of this tree. Well done!

Brisk air after a long, cold night.... The frosted tips of branches are all perfectly lit by what appears to be a morning sunrise. I have awoken to similar conditions; the fortunately blue sky makes the image pop well (where I live, it often is gray on such mornings). I might trim a bit of the top image down to better frame the tree (personal preference). Love it!

Great lighting and great angle; the branches hint at lightening, reaching up into the sky. A space I would love to visit in person... and decorations add so much to this images story. I wouldn't mind a bit of the black sky trimmed out, better framing the tree. Amazing image!

I love the layering of this image, from sand in the foreground, to the fence dividing the space, the rocky/sandy hills in the background and the gray sky above. The tree is well placed within the image. Something about this captured space keeps calling to me... well done!

A minimalist image with wonderful texture and gentle curves. Even the trees shadow moves with the rolling curves. Well done!

Creative framing with straight, architectural lines in the background and tree branches breaking up almost the whole image.

So much color, depth, and variation in lighting... My eye moves up with the tree and back around to all the textured and rock below. Perfectly framed as a square image. Well done!