Readers' Landscape Photographs

I took this shot at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in April of 2017 starting at 2 AM. I was there to shoot the Milky Way but wanted to do something a bit different with the lighthouse because the lights inside were on. The rocky ledges below the lighthouse are very popular shots for reflections during the day and provided a nice vantage to line up Polaris for a stacked shot to make the star trails.

Cornwall is a very popular photography location and it can be difficult not to just repeat previous compositions, especially at popular sites, such as the Crowns, that are often used by film/tv and marketing companies. I chose this image because I think it succeeds in achieving a distinctive composition in a crowded arena. It was also an image I had seen clearly on previous visits and had just been waiting for the right combination of weather, tides and swell. As much as the image itself is moving from visualisation through to successful realization over many months that gives me the greatest pleasure and is the main reason I chose this photograph.

Taken at Antelope Canyon in Page AZ, in mid-March this year. The experience of being in this Canyon was truly extraordinary and should be on everyone's bucket list for Photography. The light from above and the texture of the rock make for beautiful images. This Canyon is managed by the Navajo Nation and the photo tours have great guides who know these canyons like no one else.

It is not your typical vast landscape images but the results are so satisfying and when you are in there, it is very confined and to get such outstanding images is truly something one needs to experience. This was at the end of a trip that took me to The Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Zion Park.

The Hallerbos near Brussels is the place to be around mid-April. Early on, quickly packed everything the night before plus all batteries were still charged. We left to see the sunrise above the trees. after a long walk in the forest, we looked for a suitable place. This morning was very special, there was a thin mist and the forest gave a silvery glow. Very slowly the sun climbed behind the trees and a few sun rays just give the touch to this shot.

The fresh tender young leaf-greens were finely lifted by the sun's rays. It was magical to see and capture. After a few bad years in the private sphere, for me, this was the image that emotionally did a lot to me. Everything came together in this image, let's say a kind of resurrection. Everything matches the compo, light, colors and emotion for me here.

Mupe Bay is one of the most spectacular, and isolated, spots in the Dorset section of the Jurassic Coast. It is set within a military firing range, which means that it is closed to the public most of the time. It has stunning rock ledges and these wonderful island rocks with their slanting strata. This shot was actually taken perched atop a larger rock which becomes an island at high tides. I've visited this spot many times but never have I captured such a bright, striking sunrise as this. I shot this as a 30-second exposure because it shows beautifully the ebb and flow of the waves around the rock stacks.

I chose the image Into the Mist as my proudest image because of the beauty, quietness, and mystical presence it displays. It was early Christmas morning 2015 and an extremely heavy fog fell on DC. I knew the Tidal Basin would be the best place to capture it. The backdrop with the shapes of the cherry blossom trees during winter, the fog, and water were hard to resist.

I also figured I would have the place to myself. I was not disappointed. The golden glow was created by the lights reflecting off the fog. The stillness and quietness were unreal. For a location that always has people either walking, running or riding bikes around to have it all alone was nice. I could hardly believe I was in a very popular spot in a very busy city. Sure, the fact it was early Christmas morning probably also helped.

Although Japan is known as "the land of the rising sun," the country's sunsets can be just as spectacular. However, if you're looking for coastal views, it's hard to catch both in a single day. While a number of Japanese prefectures have coastlines on both Japan's eastern and western shores, in most places these are separated by hundreds of kilometers.

Chiba Prefecture is one of the only places in the country where coastal views of both sunrise and sunset are available within an hour of each other. It is on Chiba's western coast, looking over Tokyo Bay, that I took this image. This is one of my favorite images, not only because it took me several tries to get it right, but also because I called Chiba home for 5 years. Photographically and personally, this photo has special meaning for me.

Texas is known for being a large state and because of its geologic features, it contains diverse landscapes. Just traveling from east to west the terrain ranges from coastal marshlands and piney woods to rolling plains, rugged hills, dry deserts and jagged mountains. From north to south, the terrain is just as diverse but for three to four weeks in the springtime, the landscape is colored with wildflowers. Predominately, in central Texas the state flower, Texas Bluebonnets dot the highways, parks, and back roads of nearly every Texas town. Photographers, especially nature and landscape photographers lose a lot of sleep during these weeks looking for the best patches.

I selected this image as I really love the mystical moment I managed to capture of the water flowing over the rocks and the gentle spill into the pool. The colours I particularly like with the softness of the sky blending with the softness of the water flow. Yet it was an incredibly powerful surf pounding in onto the rocks this particular morning. The serenity of the scene masks the fearsomeness of the ocean. I often find it quite a challenge to capture water movement and flow and a test of oneís patience to capture such beauty, this I personally feel is a very special shot.

I'm a British travel, landscape and people photographer, based in Hertfordshire. I love this image because it captures a mood that I have often tried to illustrate in my photographs but have seldom achieved so successfully. I've long admired the work of Michael Kenna and Michael Levin but have tried to get beyond simple copying of the long exposure/black and white/square format image.

This picture does use a neutral density filter to smooth the water but, for me, works because of the clarity of the composition. The rock that is the ostensible subject of the picture is just a couple of hundred yards away from a crowded beach in Dorset. I often find that just taking a few steps away from the first place that tourists arrive can take you to places that are much quieter and more peaceful. It is that stillness that is the deeper subject.

I was done for the day, figuring I had captured about as much exceptional light as I could in one evening. Returning to our camp, I turned for one last look and saw these three pools reflecting the final colors of the evening. As good things come in threes, I leave it to the viewer to determine what each pool represents. I can imagine myself standing in gratitude and reverence next to each. This image represents much of the style shown in my "wanderings". First, it is a unique image, not a copy of an iconic scene. There is an emphasis on the middle ground, which helps the viewer interact with the photo. The composition is quite simple, absent of distracting clutter. And the light is what I dream about.