Winter

The eye is immediately drawn to the Icelandic church’s red roof, which contrasts against the landscape’s near monochrome palette. The composition is superb; the road leads the eye towards the subject and the hills to the right balance the frame. We particularly like how the dark sky clashes against the white snow and produces a brooding atmosphere.

We ask that all images in NPOTY competitions include EXIF data as the competition is exclusively for images taken on Nikon cameras. That said, we couldn’t help but leave a review of this stunning Lofoten landscape. The morning’s golden light is gorgeous and the rule of thirds has been used to frame the mountainscape perfectly. A stunning winter’s image!

This image is proof that telephoto lenses can be used to photograph beautiful landscapes. The white subject, Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle, complements the wintry scene. Direct sunlight has formed shadows on the building, which separates it from its surroundings. The treeline in the foreground carves a diagonal path across the centre of the image, adding an unusual geometric composition that really makes this photo stand out.

This is a stunning moment captured. The frame is perfectly parallel to the trio of red-crowned cranes. They have all been photographed in similar positions; however, two birds face left and one faces right, which balances the image and adds an additional layer of interest. A fast shutter speed has frozen the dancing birds and despite the challenge of shooting in a blizzard, the focus is spot on.

This blue tit perched on an icicle is remarkable. According to Rick the birds were using the melting ice as a water source and the subject was captured just as it shook itself. The 1/500 sec shutter speed has allowed for a small amount of movement in both the water droplets and feathers, while the f/5.3 aperture and a long 165mm focal length has blurred any distractions in the background.

This is an Icelandic mountainscape with a difference. The cave forms a natural frame within a frame and its dark, curvaceous walls lead the viewer’s gaze towards the bright opening and the mountain subject in the distance. We are particularly impressed by the image’s crisp front-to-back sharpness, not just a product of the large depth of field but skillful focusing.