Wetland Landscapes

This image I chose because it appealed to my love of impressionist art. It could quite easily be a painting. Although we only see a small section of this wetland, the reflections give us the sense of the wetland as a whole. I liked the limited colour range and just the right amount of ripples in the water to blur the tree trunks whilst retaining enough detail to make sense of the reflection. Congratulations on gaing a top ten place.

The semi-tropical nature of the vegeation gives us a sense of how the swamps might have looked in the Jurassic era. Compositionally the image has a nice leading line in the form of the water channel and this also adds to the depth of the image. Not being able to see where the channel goes invites the viewer to look further into the image. You might wish to consider burning in post processing to reduce the impact of the highlights in the water. Congratulations on gaining a top ten place.

A nice image of sunset over a wetland. You have captured the expanse of the wetland and the big sky well. There is a little bit of lens flare but it's not too obtrusive. Investing in a neutral density filter or a graduated filter would help control the brightness of the setting sun. Well done for avoiding any temptation to over saturate the sunset in post processing. Parts of the water are a little bright and you might want to consider dodging and burning to sculpt the light and bring out additional detail. Congratulations on gaining a top ten place.

There weren't too many black and white images submitted, but of those that were, this was one that I liked. With this image you have given the viewer a different scale, with the lower vantage point, emphasising the height of the reeds. There is a good tonal range, including a bit of pure white and pure black, as well as good contrast to give a sense of depth. This would have been in my top ten but there appear to be a couple of lens flares and some dust spots in the sky. Although not too intrusive on the screen they would be much more apparent in a print. If you have access to post-processing software these would be easily removable. Congratulations on producing a nice wetland image.

It was inevitable that there would be a few wintry images but not all were able to capture it as successfully as you did. The viewer can certainly sense the cold weather, although the overcast sky has given you a nice even light. I liked the composition and was glad that you included some foreground. It gives the viewer somewhere to stand. Congratulations on gaining second place in the Wetlands contest.

A very nice image of a typical fen wetland. I liked the composition because you have shown the detail of the wetland in the foreground but the expanse and context in the background. Your image generally has a good tonal quality but might benefit from some dodging and burning of the houses and hillside in the background. Well done on gaining a top ten placing.

The muted pastel colours drew me to this image. Although a cold day, the warmer colours of the midground reeds counterbalance the shaded, icy foreground. The long central leading line takes the viewer into the heart of the image but also conveys the areal extent of this wetland. A nice subtle image. Congartulations on gaining a top ten place.

Congratulations on winning the Wetlands contest. This is a stunning image that I liked from the moment I saw it. It embodies for me the essence of a wetland; expanses of water, boggy vegetation and big skies. You did well to avoid blowing the highlights of the sunrise whilst getting a good overall exposure. It was certainly worth your while getting up early that day. The composition works well with the curving line of the bank and the old fence posts guiding the viewer deeper into the scene. Very well done and thoroughly deserving first place.

A good image for emphasising the link between rainfall and wetlands, as some wet weather apperas iminent. There is a nice contrast between the dark sky and the brighter, reflective water. As with many of the top ten images you have captured the expanse of the wetland and big sky. The three swans, are not too prominent, but do give a sense of scale. Well done on gaining a top ten place.

There were several images of the swamps in Florida but it was this one that stood out. You've taken the viewer right into the heart of the wetland, presumably on a boat. That gives us a chance to appreciate the scale of the wetland. There is just enough open water to give us some reflections. A totally green 'carpet' might have been too much. Some people might feel the image is a little over-exposed but then Florida is known for its sunny weather and that is apparent here. Congratulations on gaining third place.