Thatched Roofs

I love the perspective and composition of this image, with the large thatched hut dominating the foreground, and the wooden walkway alongside leading the eye and inviting the viewer down to the beach and the sea beyond. A beautiful setting, superbly capturing the key elements of the location, conveying a sense of the breeze blowing through the palm trees to bring freshness to the warm sunshine. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

I love the combination we see here of a beautiful capture along with a glimpse of the story of a lifestyle. The water has been really well captured, with the painterly reflections a strong feature of the image, whilst still looking natural. I also like the little nods to the lifestyle of the inhabitants of this beautiful house - the little boat, the table and chairs on the patio and the elevated veranda above the boathouse overlooking the river. Lovely lighting really brings the shot to life. Well done on your top ten placing.

A brief comment on the judging overall: In judging the contest I have used the common definition of thatch as being the use of dried materials to construct and cover the roof. There were several great entries showing roofs made from living turf, but as live turf is not a dried thatching material, these images have not been awarded in my judging. Neither have I considered a parasol umbrella to be a roof.

On to the winning image: It may be a basic dwelling, but the view is anything but basic! Here we are treated to a composition including both the scenery and the building, with the all-important thatched roof clearly visible. Lighting is good and everything looks natural with no effects of over-processing. The composition works well too, with the dwelling nicely positioned in the frame, with the little path leading the eye into the shot. Congratulations on your winning image.

A classically pretty scene, perfectly capturing a delightful thatched home set in a stunning summer garden. Capturing realistic green hues can often be tricky, but I think you have got it just right, as the colours are vibrant but not over-saturated, with multiple different shades throughout the garden. The beehive structure nicely balances the composition and keeps the eye in the frame. Great image, well done on your top ten placing.

What really stands out for me in this image is the composition, which looks to be carefully considered, but the effect is easy on the eye. The building is large enough to be the focal point, but small enough to allow inclusion of the surrounding landscape. Everything looks nice and natural, with beautiful shades of green and unforced reflections. Being picky, the sky looks a little over-exposed with details likely burnt out and irretrievable, but still a great image. Well done on your top ten placing.

There were several entries showing these delightful little animal characters, often added to the roof by the thatcher as a unique signature. This image however was my favourite, as it gives a good balance between the detail and the wider view of the upper part of the house, which adds context. Congratulations on your third place finish.

A lovely detailled image, describing a pretty rural location despite only showing the upper parts of the buildings. The composition works well, with the church tower balancing everything out. The verticals are true, but do not look forced, which contributes to the success of the shot. I love the details of the mossy thatch, maybe soon to be in line for a bit of refurbushment, but for now giving character to the image. Great work, well done on your top ten placing.

What really attracted me to this image is how well the composition works, as the eye is effortlessly drawn into the frame to follow the line of the building into the background. Tones and colours are lovely, perfect for showing off this beuatiful pub on a summer's day. There are plenty of details in the architecture for the eye to explore, and the hanging baskets of flowers bring a great pop of colour. Congratulations on your second place finish.

A great capture of some precise details on this very pristine thatched roof. The ridge detailling looks very unusual, and combined with the detail beneath the window, creates a rather abstract feel to the shot. The image looks to have been precisely composed which strengthens the shot. Everything looks natural with no excessive post-processing effects. Well done on your top ten placing.