Landscape Photo Competition 2014 No 6 : Results

Competition Winner : First Prize
$622.00 plus a Leica C camera worth $700

Judges Comment
This is wonderful. There is so much detail yet the result is minimal at the same time. You have used the 2:3 format really effectively pulling lines across the image and down into the bottom corner, dividing the picture into 3 distinctive yet complimentary parts. The bitter cold seems warm and comfortable, the textures crisp and sharp. You planned this photo and then went out and nailed it, I needn’t go on about depth of field or shutter speed, you know all about that. You have absolutely mastered this beautiful winter landscape, well done, you win !
Photographers Comment
Hi! My Name is Tobias Ryser and I am a Landscape and Wedding photographer based in Switzerland. I am really thrilled seeing my picture win this award out of all these other stunning images. I shot this one on Silvester's Eve 2014 when a photographer friend of mine an myself decided so spend the New Year outdoor in the cold Swiss Mountains. Lucky as we are, we had lots of fresh snow but we were covered with misty Clouds all day long and couldn't see any Mountains. But fortunately some minutes after sunset, the Clouds suddenly dropped an all the mountain beauty came to live and I was able to take this image. Lots of Greetings from Switzerland, Tobias
www.facebook.com/tobiasryser.photographie

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a stunning panoramic shot, the Grand Teton mountain standing proud, keeping an eye over the surrounding natural wonderland . You have composed this beautifully, not so easy for a panorama, your foreground brings contrast and pushes us on to the view. You have cleverly filtered above the waterline giving the reflection its clarity and presence and enforcing the density in the autumn colours. Although it is so incredibly still for such a huge landscape it is the broken surface from a breeze on the lake that makes this really rock. Fabulous photograph, well done.
Photographers Comment
Image by Peter Hewitt (freelance, fine art, landscape photographer). This early morning fall panorama composition of Mount Moran and the Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park was created from the alignment of 10 images. The equipment and exposure settings used were: Canon 5D Mark II camera, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, manually exposed for 1/45 sec. at f/27 using a 85mm focal length.
www.peterhewitt.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Another panorama and another wonderful photograph. You have captured the enchanted atmosphere of this birch wood quite beautifully, all the trees have their own space at this meeting in the fog, they really do seem interested in what’s going on. The textures of the bracken and grass set off the soft misty air which gradually dissolves the trees in the distance. It is a lovely mind-rinsing image to gaze at. Fabulous stuff.
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the Mark of Excellence. My name ist Stefan Pütz-Cordes. I'm living in Hennef, Germany. This photo was taken in the "Wahner Heide", a protected area near the Cologne Bonn Airport. Camera: Canon 5DII with 24-105, post-processing in Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro.
www.stefanpuetz.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This was an instant favourite, there is so much detail and contrast, the shapes of the cacti work so well with the jagged mountain horizon. The various colours and tones of the different plants add to the wealth of textures and make the picture interesting. I like your use of depth of field, the blurry foreground helps the eye stay in the picture but sadly (I think) the large light coloured plant just left of the centre is too close to the edge of that sharp area. My eye wants to settle on this strong anchor point but it is just too fuzzy. This is definitely a location to return to and work on, I hope you will get that opportunity.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Great use of space, the empty third reinforcing the landscape. It is a lovely composition, lines and shapes leading us into your photograph, out to the pine island. You have made good use of the “bad” weather, the ice keeping its soft contrast, the water transparent, the fog so atmospheric. Well done.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
Here is a beautiful shot with a pure metallic atmosphere. I love the contact between human and nature that you have managed so well, the surfer fitting in comfortably, the sport in harmony with the landscape. It is a lovely fresh image, well done.
Photographers Comment
I am very excited and thankful to get this "mark of excellence". This image was taken at Oceanside Beach, California. I use a Canon 5D MkIII, and the lens I used was my 24-105mm F4 L IS at 105mm, 100 ISO. I did remove a few distracting elements but this is pretty much right out of the camera
www.michaelohlphotography.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is so rich, the vegetation so thick and happy. You framed a great shot and then you have worked it beautifully, bringing highlights into the shadows, making the detail pop and adding a canvas texture which cleverly transforms your own art into a master’s oil painting.
Photographers Comment
David Brodsky. Springfield, Illinois, United States. Sony NEX 7(sel24f18z), Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 5
www.brodskyphotoart.com

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
A nice minimalist composition. I love the changing densities through the fog and all of that empty space which gives this picture its spirit.
Photographers Comment
Hi! I took this image on a cold and misty winter day not far away where I live. Loved the Minimalism of this Winter Scene and captured it from many different points of view. Lots of Greetings from Switzerland, Tobias
www.facebook.com/tobiasryser.photographie

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a bold shot with the horizon smack along the middle. You have managed the warmth of this sunset nicely, even the sun is good to look at. Pure gold.
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the badge and the nice compliment! My name is Petra van der Luer and the shot was taken with the Olympus OMD EM10 in my home town Zeewolde, in the Netherlands. Thanks to the sun it looks far more exotic than it actually is, it's just a narrow waterway surrounded by farmland. It's funny that you mention the horizon, it always takes me a while to determine where I want that to be and in this case I chose just a tiny bit above the middle. Post processing was minimal, a little noise reduction, and some levels adjustment done in Faststone.

Mark Of Excellence

Judges Comment
This is a nice icy composition where one feels the cold. The foreground bolders make some interesting shapes, your shutter speed has stopped the waves making so many matching tones for those rocks and the mountains. I really feel the dawn atmosphere.
Photographers Comment
Thank you! Convict Lake California, during a cold blast, felt a bit like peeking into a prehistoric past. Cannon Rebel T3i with EF-S 10-22 mm lens (12mm f/8.0). Postprocessing in Lightroom 5.

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence

Photographers Comment
My name is Anita Griffis and I live in Central Massachusetts. I am stunned and honored thank you. I took this shot on my way to pick up my grandchildren, with a Samsung Flipshot camera phone a few years ago. This storm came up so fast I just had to capture the mood. I had intended to paint it, I never did but now have a SLR camera and "paint" with it. I do not have a web site just my e-mail [email protected]. Sincerely Anita Griffis

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence

Photographers Comment
Thank you very much for selecting my photo for a mark of excellence! My name is Kai Rösler and I am a nature photographer from Berne / Switzerland. I took this picture on New Year's Eve of 2014 in the Harz mountains in Germany. It was very cold and windy when the evening sun lit this old and snow-covered fir - providing the perfect light I had hoped for. I used a Canon 1Dx with a Canon 2.8/16-35 lens at 16 mm.
www.roesler-digital.ch

Mark Of Excellence

Mark Of Excellence