This image has shape and colour, but above all, it has simplicity - and that's something we can all strive for in our photography. The frame is filled to the very edges, but without clutter, and the placement of the boat just above the halfway line is excellent. Any higher or lower and it would have lacked balance. Shooting the scene with a drone has revealed the story of the scene in a way that would be virtually impossible from a standing position. An excellent and compelling image.
113,562 Ratings
The monochrome tones throughout this scene do a great job of conveying the freezing temperature, while the patterns in the sand in the foreground echo the snow patterns on the distant mountains nicely. While an ultra-wideangle lens has made the most of the foreground's shapes, it has meant the mountains are a little lost. But it's a very nicely seen and well-thought-out image.
It's easy to assume that a landscape photograph should encompass a grand vista, but this image suggests otherwise. It has as much atmosphere as any dramatic mountain or seascape. The droplets appear like sunlit jewels, and the combination of softness and pinprick details draws the eye right into the middle of the reeds. A calming and peaceful capture that deserves our attention.
A photograph should always tell a story, but this one manages to tell hundreds. The viewer could spend hours unpicking each individuals' tale in this scene. The timing is simply stunning, as is the composition. The lifeguard van bottom left is crucial to the scene: place your thumb over it, and much of the power is lost. Congratulations to the photographer - we'd like to see this one printed to at least 2m wide!
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Brief
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According to Amateur Photographer’s most recent reader survey, landscape photography is its most popular genre. The brief here is purposefully loose as we want to see as many different interpretations of “landscape” as possible. We’re happy to receive anything and everything which could be considered a landscape, from modern architecture to grand sweeping mountain vistas. The possibilities truly are endless – don’t be afraid to be abstract in your approach either, as standing out from a crowded field can be truly tricky.
Telephoto lenses are great for compressing a landscape and distilling it down to the most important elements. It has been used here to excellent effect, drawing the viewer's attention straight to the tree, before taking in the well-captured layers of the receding hills, and the gorgeous light. The separation of tones is excellent and there's just enough detail in the foreground. Lovely!
