Winter

The beautiful village of Hamnøy is one of the most photographed locations in Norway. But although the quaint, red fishing huts are photogenic in their own right, the Holy Grail of Hamnøy shots is a night sky that’s illuminated by the northern lights. The aurora in this image is about as good as it gets. Streaks of green stretch across the entire frame and have been amplified via the reflection in the lake. To top it off, the lights appear to emanate from behind the central rock, producing leading lines.

The most important component of a landscape image is light and shadow, and this mountainous scene from the Lake District is a fine example of both elements working in harmony. The viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the patch of light in the bottom right corner, before drifting towards the shadow cast by the central mountain. A great image!

A super-fast shutter speed of 1/2000 sec was used to capture this playful cavapoo as he attempted to catch snowballs. The even distribution of fine, white powder was achieved by operating in a freshly fallen patch of snow. A great shot!

This suitably festive portrait is a great reminder that shadows don’t always have to be lifted. Dark areas of the image have obscured surrounding details and therefore reduced clutter, while clever lighting has been used to pick out specific details such as the candle sticks and various pots. The contrast between the highlights and shadows has created both definition and depth, and the jolly subject’s apparent unawareness of the camera has created an authentic, candid quality.

This stunning image is all about leading lines. The aurora swirling in the sky leads the viewer towards the mountain and the walkway in the foreground leads the viewer towards the same subject. The editing is fantastic too, with the vibrant green lights brought out beautifully.

This landscape was captured at Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands and is a compositional masterclass. A slow shutter speed was used to capture streaks in the flowing water, forming excellent foreground interest. Landscapes can look flat on overcast days, but the magnificent Buachaille Etive Mòr, bathed in gorgeous light, adds a welcome sense of depth.

The festive season is a great time to capture portraits, because of all the fairy lights and the possibility of snow. Here, the 50mm f/1.8G lens was paired with a wide-open aperture to render the lights and snow as beautiful discs of bokeh.

This is a classic view of Hamnøy in Norway, known for its famous red fishing huts. We love how the red buildings and warm sunrise colours complement each other and contrast against the cool waters and surrounding snowy landscape. A great shot!

Think bokeh and you’ll probably conjure images of bright out-of-focus lights, but thanks to a super-long focal length, wide aperture and distance between subject and background, many of the snowflakes have been rendered as perfectly round discs of bokeh. This has also caused the magnificent northern hawk-owl to pop against the blurred background.

The strong, beautiful lines within this Icelandic cave makes it an ideal image for a mono conversion. Care has been taken to balance the exposure between cave interior and entrance, so as not to blow out the magnificent mountain in the distance. The figure is a perfect final touch, providing a reference point for the sense of scale.

This is an excellent example of how a high-contrast landscape can be tamed using a tasteful black and white conversion and wouldn’t have been nearly as effective in colour. The scene was captured early in the morning during a day trip to Untersberg, Austria. The intense contrast has really emphasised the mountains’ craggy textures, which pair beautifully with the soft, fluffy cloud inversion.

In pursuit of an even carpeting of snow, it took three attempts to capture the Peak District’s Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill before Tony was satisfied. We love how the drystone wall winds its way through the frame and how the copse of trees on the right helps to balance the composition.

Vik is a small village in Iceland and its quaint red-roofed church makes for an excellent subject. This is a fantastic landscape that’s beautifully exposed thanks to the balanced settlement lights and surrounding scenery. Unfortunately, no EXIF data was provided, so we couldn’t shortlist this image, but it’s so good we felt it deserved a review.

This photograph of a goldfinch is super sharp and pops beautifully against the soft background. Despite using an aperture of f/10 a shallow depth of field has been achieved by pairing a long focal length with good separation between subject and background. We also like the use of active space.

This craggy rock on Ogoy Island’s Lake Baikal is a photography hotspot thanks to the stunning subject and natural leading lines formed by the cracked ice. However, this astro image really stands out thanks to the sharp starry sky, gorgeous emerald green foreground and tiny figure, whose head torch leads the viewer towards the subject, while also providing a sense of scale.