Signs of the Season of Spring (colour only)

An intimate capture of spring time showing the relationships between the ewe, lamb and the sheep dog. Whilst there were many excellent images of lambs and their mothers, this one held my attention because it told a story at the same time. The cropping of the ewe greatly improved the composition of the image and showed the spring scene in context with the surrounding fells. Congratulations on a deserved second place and thank you for entering my spring challenge.

An interesting take on spring blossom using the crystal ball to focus attention on the vivid pink colour. At the same time, the photographer provides a similar coloured palette to the surrounding image background. The orb is sharply focused and grabs the viewers eye. A well composed image, many congratulations and thank you for entering my challenge.

I find this image of early spring daffodils extremely evocative of the time of year. The photographer has captured the essence of spring without all the cliches associated with it. I particularly like the shallow depth of field and gentle lighting on the foreground flowers whilst at the same time the image alludes to a whole host of daffodils behind providing the illusion of depth in the background without actually showing any detail. Well done and congratulations on your winning entry. Thank you for entering my challenge.

A beautiful capture of spring blossom. The composition of branches / twigs running diagonally across the photograph gives the image a clear structure and allows the eye to follow their dreamy pathways. With some of the blossom sharply focused and others almost obliterated the image has an ethereal feel which is redolent of a sunny spring day. Well done and thank you for entering my challenge.

Nesting birds during Spring was a popular theme within this competition and this particular image stood out because it is extremely well composed and very well focused. The bird and small twigs are both incredibly sharp and offset by the small depth of field which throws the background out of focus, allowing the viewers eye to be drawn to the main feature of the shot. Well done and congratulations on a top ten position.

I was particularly attracted to this image because of it's beautiful composition and wonderful reflections. The blossom's colour is complemented by the subtle blues behind it and the hint of water movement in the reflection and background bokeh add to the authenticity of this image. A delight to behold. Congratulations on your top ten position.

Snowdrops epitomise the onset of Spring and this shot lifts the viewers' spirit with it's warm backdrop offering hope and better weather to come. The photographer has nicely captured the flowers with water droplets hanging from them and their leaves, suggesting cold and damp conditions in the atmosphere. The small depth of field also promotes clear detail of the subject and gives an ethereal look to the image. Well done and congratulations on your top ten position.

A great shot of the two frogs in the pond, wonderfully sharp and marvellous reflections. The colour palette offers complementary shades of blue and orange which enhances the strength of the image too. The photographer has nicely focused on the eyes of the two frogs bringing the image to the

I love the fact that the humble female blackbird is at the centre of this image. Whilst a common garden bird, it is often neglected as it doesn’t offer the same impact of colour or rarity of other more exotic birds. However, the photographer has managed to sharply capture the eye and speckled plumage of this bird using a relatively wide aperture and thus throwing the background out of focus and attaining a degree of bokeh too. Great work and thank you for entering my challenge.

This is a beautiful capture of Spring crocus. The soft blurring effect obtained by the Lensbaby lens accentuates the charm of the actual flower heads and the square format perfectly showcases the flowers in all their delicacy and fragility. An impressive capture with perfect composition. Well done and congratulations on your top ten position.

Catkins have always been at the foreground of Spring in my opinion and the photographer here has captured their essence and beauty perfectly against the wonderful blue sky background. The image is uncluttered from too much detail so that the single branch entering the shot from the left provides a simple, yet effective, capture of the subject. Well done and congratulations on your top ten place.