The Magic of Tuscany (Italy)

What appeals to me most here is the soft contrast formed by the cool blueish tones on the right, and very warm tones to the left which makes a lovely gradient across the image. The rolling mist coming in from the right adds mystery - we are left to imagine about the landscape underneath with just a few glimpses of trees poking through. We’re also guided to the main focal point- the house by the paths of light which is another strong compositional aspect of the picture.

Yet again, another terrific example of the magic of Tuscany - congratulations on your well deserved place in the top 10!

This was probably one of the hardest contests I’ve judged so far! The amount of incredibly high quality entries exceeded my expectations. I initially ended up with at least 30 images in my top 10 selection and narrowing that down was tough. I didn’t expect my top 10 to be almost entirely comprised of landscapes, but the standard of these meant I had no choice! Thank you so very much to all of you who contributed to this contest. It was a wonderful experience to look at and rate your beautiful artwork. I could feel like I was literally in Tuscany!

Of all the landscapes I kept coming back to this one which, to me, fits the ‘Magic of Tuscany’ brief perfectly. This picture is all about mood...it’s very peaceful, dreamy, atmospheric and the use of light is just incredible here. I like how the yellow and green tones gradually change and blend which combined with the patterns and shapes of the land gives the image great depth and draws the viewer into the scene. Perfect contrast and saturation level leaves the landscape looking very soft, well balanced and pleasing to the eye. You created a truly magical photograph which almost looks like a painting!

Congratulations on your well deserved win!

This image is so cinematic. It looks like it could be the opening shot of a film! To me it’s a kind of artwork that really benefits from being viewed on a big screen so we can fully appreciate the scale and the depth of the landscape. The whole picture is so beautifully balanced...you clearly waited for the right time of day to capture the full potential of the scene.

Well done and congratulations on your well deserved place in the top 10 of this contest.

A beautiful shot that demonstrates excellent photography skills. Technically perfect- it’s dynamic with great clarity, contrast, tonal range and vibrance. It’s dramatic yet very welcoming. The spot on composition takes it to yet another level. First we have the use of the rule of thirds, with the house sitting on the bottom left intersection which works great. But then there are also leading lines formed by the little path which takes us to the house and far beyond to the fading in the distance hills. Sun rays additionally guide our eyes to the right hand side and then down through the picture to finally bring us back to where we began. It’s brilliant! All of that complemented with beautiful land and smoky fiery sky creates an image that can easily absorb one’s full attention! Fantastic work, congratulations!

An excellent panoramic image! I’m most impressed with the amount of detail the viewer can take in from this picture. The great clarity, depth of field and use of light means we can fully appreciate all the nuances of the landscape and the wonderful contours of the hills. I also like that you included the sky in this shot and you kept it in delicate pastel tones. By doing so the sky doesn’t overpower the whole scene but gives just enough of subtle contrast to the bright yellow tones of the land. Finally this image is a wonderful example that you don’t really have to wait for the blue or golden hour to get a stunning landscape shot! Great work and congratulations!

I chose this image as a banner for this contest as I felt it was portraying the brief perfectly. It’s a truly beautiful and very skilfully executed capture of the Tuscan land... Nice contrast and not overdone colour saturation gives this scenery a very calm, fresh and natural appearance. Excellent use of depth of field draws our attention straight to the main attraction- the beautifully located hilltop house. I also love the composition with the out of focus foreground formed by the line of delicate meadow flowers. This enhances even further the idyllic and organic nature of this landscape. The hint of contrasting purple flowers in the first plane is a lovely finishing touch. I find this image very peaceful, relaxing and visually pleasing. Congratulations on making my top ten selection...very well deserved!