Peaceful and Still

I love this image, showing a quiet corner of a sunny courtyard, protected from the heat of the sun by some cooling dappled shade. A refreshing contrast in subject to most entries in this contest, which not surprisingly depicted rural landscapes or waterscapes, here we see the quiet and calm that can be found in a peaceful corner of the town. Lighting has been well controlled, avoiding the shadows being too dark, whilst the highlights do not dominate. Perfectly conveying the peace and stillness of an urban setting. Congratulations on your third place finish.

I would not usually be especially attracted to photographs of pets in a contest, but I was immediately attracted to this beautiful little fellow, looking decidedly chilled as he is flopped on your driveway. I think what really helps create the mood, and tie the subject nicely to the theme, is the single colour across the frame, which aside from the little colour-pop provided by the beautiful eyes, consists of a soft and soothing matte dark grey. I like the contrasting textures between the silky soft fur and the rough driveway. The shallow depth of field works well, with focus on the eyes and face, and the rest of the body softly out of focus. For me you have succeeded in creating a quality photograph of a pet, where many simply achieve a record snapshot, which is fine for family and friends to view, but tends not to work so well as a contest entry. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I love the feeling of freshness and calm this image conveys. Many images showing castles tend to be dark and moody, but here we see the exact opposite, full of light and a wonderful mood. Composition is simple but effective, and the light mist nicely softens the image, preventing the reflections being an over-dominant feature, instead just signifying the peace and calm of the early morning. Beauiful pastel colours complete the scene. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

A beautiful tranquil scene of the bare trees breaking through the low mist shrouding the countryside. The mist brings a fresh but calm mood to the image. The wider format of the framing works well, as the eye can be lead through the image along the gentle zig-zag of treetops stretching right through to the back of the scene. Lovely colours throughout, capturing what is often only a fleeting moment before the mist rises and the magic disappears. Well done on your top ten placing.

Something about this stunning image really draws me in. There were a lot of beautiful images in this contest, many enhanced by the use of a slow shutter speed to artificially portray milky smooth water with enhanced reflections or softened cloud movement. Here however, everything looks as the eye would see it, beautiful and gentle calm and quiet, and I would love to just stand at the water's edge and take it all in with all the senses. Nothing gimicky and no crowd-pleasing special effects, just natural beauty wonderfully captured. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were a lot of images entered on a similar theme, but this one for me really seemed to capture the mood I was looking to see. Nature is so predictably unpredictable, and no matter how much planning, there are so many variables that can all change or come together fleetingly, so many images will not turn out as envisaged beforehand. Here your image description laments the non-appearance of the sun through the clouds at sunrise, but you have instead been treated to a little peek of its beauty as the light catches the snowy peak in the distance over the loch. Colouring ovrrall is lovely, and I especially like that the grass and vegetation surrounding the castle displays as green, and the colour of the stonework looks realistic, which avoids the image looking unnaturally blue. Great work, well done on your top ten placing

I could not fail to be attracted to this gorgeous photo of the stunning Tuscan landscape at dawn. What I especially like is how you have chosen to portray the colours, which are varied through the frame, yet blend beautifully. The cypress trees protruding vertically give great contrast to the more horizontal layering of the landscape, spreading back through the frame. Composition works really well, and the eye is drawn on gently snaking curves across and back into the scene to the distant misty hills. Congratulations on your winning image.

Sometimes images of misty woodland can be rather oppressive, with a mood of menace or unease. Here however we have the opposite, and a feeling of light and freshness. Composition is simple but effective, with the tree trunks rising vertically up the frame, broken on the right by the inclusion of the bright green leaves gently hanging from the branches. The way through the woods is clear enough to see through to the back of the frame, which allows the eye to explore a little further. A delightful image, well done on your top ten placing.

There were not many portrait images in this contest, but for me this one perfectly captures the mood and certainly conveys a feeling of peaceful stillness. Lighting is beautiful, softly illuminating the face of the child whose attention is so captured by the artwork she is creating. I also like how the hair is backlit, adding to the gentle mood. Maybe for my taste the sepua toning is a little heavy, but this is such a beautifully captured portrait of a young artist at work I could not help but be captivated. Well done on your top ten placing.