Rocks, Stones and Pebbles

I will not be surprised if this image does not turn out to be a crowd-pleaser, but I love it! The image kept creeping up the placings till it reached the top. I like that you were not tempted to show the wider stunning landscape which I image this cliff face was part of, but instead you have focused in on the detail, which in some ways probably has more to hold the attention. I find this image to be full of interest as there are plenty of shapes and patterns for the eye to explore. The square crop suits the subject well, and I like your composition with the strong central horizontal contrasting with the diagonal rocky lines. You obviously have a great photographic eye for detail, and you have presented this image well too - abstract, artistic, but bang on brief for this contest. Congratulations on your winning image.

A beautifully detailed image, extremely well captured from underneath the rocky arches. Challenging lighting conditions have been well handled, as the shadowy areas under the arch are well exposed with gorgeous details, yet the bright sky "outside" is not over-exposed. I really like the view along through the main arch into the distance, to give a hint of the landscape stretching for miles beyond. Looking at the image makes me want to scurry up to the right and peep through the arch there to glimpse the hidden view! Expertly captured image, congratulations on your third place finish.

The quality of the light you have captured here is what attracted me to this image, which gives the scene a fresh and natural look. There is interest throughout the shot, from the foreground pools and rocks, and the waterfalls in the mid distance and at the back of the shot. Although the slow shutter speed has turned the water milky-calm and not as the eye would have seen it, the whole image still retains a natural look. A beautiful capture of a beautiful spot. Well done on your top ten placing.

I really like this image and it has been in and out of my top ten for a while. I love the tones and your capture of the light on the cliffs, with the waves crashing in giving a sense of the power of the sea. The tiny figures on the beach give a sense of scale too. Where I think the image could be improved is by simply leveling the horizon which looks to be tilting down to the right. I am not sure if you have cropped this image, or whether is as taken, but it would be nice if there could have been a little more space above the cliffs on the right, as the narrow slither of bright sky is a little distracting - if you do not have a shot with more sky there, it may be best to crop it off completely. You have still captured a shot with great drama, which puts the image in my placings, and gives a great impression of the coastline in this part of the world to those who may be unfamiliar with it. Well done on your top ten finish.

This is a simple abstract image of a striated rock face, but it has been well captured, especially in regard to the texture and angles of the surface where chunks of rock appear to have broken away, contrasting nicely between the sharp and the smooth. Any post-processing you may have carried has been kept natural, which is great, as there could have been a temptation to over-saturate the colours and to give the image a much more grungy feel, which in my view would not have been as successful. Perfect subject choice for the contest, well done on your top ten finish.

This is a fascinating abstract image which initially intrigued me, as I tried to quickly establish exactly what I was looking at. It is difficult to work out the scale of the shot, but that doesn't matter, as it all adds to the mystery. I love the limited colour palette and the contrasts give form and texture to the shot. Being picky, I may be tempted to slightly tone down the brighter highlights on the rocks on the lower half of the image, but that is not a major issue. Great work, well done on your top ten finish.

This is a magical and well composed landscape image, with the sweep of the scree leading the eye down into the image, to the gorgeous point where the sun is breaking through the clouds to shine on the mountains in the distance. I imagine this is the sort of location where you could stand and take multiple images over a period of several minutes, and every one would be different due to the play of the light. Super shot, well done on your top ten placing.

A slightly unusual image of the much-photographed Bryce Canyon, being seen with a covering of snow instead of beneath the bright hot sun. This has produced a much cooler image, which I really like. The slightly panoramic format suits the subject, as we get a chance to see a wide variety of shapes and forms in these rocky features. I really like too that you have not felt compelled to include any sky in your landscape, so the resulting image is all the better for that, as the subject fills the frame from top to bottom. Lighting is lovely, with the warmer sunlight just picking out some features on the rocks and in the snow beneath. Great work, well done on your top ten finish.