Last night was the annual Trevor Wain UK Landscape competition run in memory of former Member Trevor Wain

It was held as is now the new nrom on zoom and  judged by Chris Baldwin

We had 54 entries

The overall winner was Isobel Chesterman with Newhaven Storm but mention must also be made of Julie Holbeche-Maund for Low Lighthouse and Phil Mallin for SS Normen  both of which also scored 20

 

 

Image Score Comment
01 A Brewing Storm

 16 A good image to start with. Strong colours & good exposure, good mood to the scene. Excellent foreground interest but the horizon is a little near the centre. Note the lighter patch of sky at the top, crop that off & we resolve the central horizon issue plus make the sky more supportive.
02 A Rainy Day In Bradgate 17 The author has presented two strong subjects as a pair by good positioning & making one of them subordinate. I would make the slightest crop to the left side & see if I could lift the shadows slightly on the main tree trunk.
03 Altar Stones 16 I like the lead-in provided by the foreground rock & the subtlety of the warm sky. Composition is good overall, but I feel that the main group of stones could offer more. Try lifting their exposure by a third to a half a stop to show more detail & merge more with the warmth of the sky.
04 Arran Sunset 16 Very moody but large portions of the image have been sacrificed to concentrate on the sky. I am aware that we don’t not want the sky to burn out any more at the centre but it should be possible to lift the lower foliage a bit to play more of a part in the image.
05 Ashridge Path Held back – 18 I like the treatment given to this simple but effective image. It is a good conversion to toned monochrome. The pale vignette works very well & there are some rich tones in the tree trunks. I also like the inclusion of a different variety of tree on the left. The path is inviting to the eye.
06 Barmer Church 15 The church has been well seen in the barren trees. I like the overall blending of blues & browns in the image, but I feel the church is a little too central. The lead-in of the field is not really effective as it wastes almost a third of the image without doing anything. I would crop of the base just to, or just past, the line of freshly turned soil. Then add a minor crop to the left to just pull the church slightly off the centre.
07 Beacon Hill Rocks Held back – 18 A good & strong conversion to B&W, the rocks are positioned well and blend well together. I like the little tree: its position & its contrast in strength to the rocks. A minor crop to the left would put it into a slightly stronger position. Overall, the image has a good 3-dimensional quality.
08 Bentley Woods     16 The strength of the trees comes over well, it is enhanced by the regular array. I like the lighting on the trunks on the right. The crop at the base is good & it adds a little bit of non-conformity. There is just a hint of something to be investigated at the end of the path.
09 Blot On The Landscape Held back – 18 An amazing scene that has been well captured by the author. To let us dwell on the stronger elements the mist has removed many of the distractions usually visible. The mist, like snow, creates exposure problems for the photographer & here the author seems to have responded well. There are groupings that are segregated by the mist, giving us plenty to take in. I like the overall colouration of the scene, there is a bias to the blues, but it is not overdone. The steam plumes are an effective contrast to the mist. There are, however, many white dots on the image: some are lights, but others do not seem to be in the correct place for lights. They should have been tidied up.
10 Bradgate Park In Winter 17 A strong image, which hold our attention. The trees are in silhouette & combine well with the fences at their bases. The frost on the fields is a pleasant contrast. I believe the base to be a little strong & I would crop up to a darker band that exists on the pathway before it divides.
11 Bradgate Tranquillity 15 The two trees have been effectively used as supports to hold our landscape. I like the textures that have been captured in them. They do, however, somewhat overwhelm the scene that we have in the centre despite the inclusion of a small pond. We need some other point of interest to hold our attention longer.
12 Bridge At Compton Verney 16 A delightful capture of this fine bridge. The tall tree to the right gives it height & hold it in. The water has rendered the stonework of the bridge very well. The reflection loses some of the brick detail but distinctively retains the structure of the stone railings.
13 Choppy At Porthmeor     16 The author has captured the power of the waves extremely well & chosen a great moment to show us the breaking of the waves over the rocks. This water gives a 3-dimensional aspect to the surrounding rocks. Unfortunately, the rocks do not come over fully sharply, I am not sure why?
14 Coniston Water Jetty 16 A good exposure of this jetty, positioned well in the frame & with a good depth of field. I like the way it turns as it ends but I think that it ends too soon. It has to compete too much with the sky & is diminished by this competition. Explore trimming the sky so that the jetty ends at the start of the image’s top third, giving it back the mastery of the composition.
15 Coombe Abbey Woods 15 I like the composition & colours of this image, & the way that the water waves take me into it. It is held in quite nicely by the foliage at the two sides. I also like the way that the darker foreground takes me into sunlight. A small crop at the top will lift the stream within the image to a more effective position.
16 Crown Engine Houses 16 This is well seen & composed. The buildings are well positioned & held in place by the offshore rock. I think the image needs a little more contrast, & possibly a boost in colour to expand the differences between man-made & natural rocks.
17 Day Break 15 The dawn light & colours are well captured & intertwined nicely with the bare branches. The base is too strong & dominates as it darkens the image. Crop off roughly half of it so that the colours in the sky are lifted.
18 Early Morning At Loch Maree 16 An interesting composition, I like the way that the water seems to have picked up the colour of the distant mountain. The small trees along the lower water edge work nicely & the right shore sends the eye back into the image. A lovely sky: small in area but it really adds to the image.
19 Fairy Pools Isle Of Skye 17 There wasn’t quite so much water flowing when I went to this lovely place. The mist has held the scene in well. The waterfalls are in a good position, central but below the vertical centre. I believe that a darkening or vignette of the base would accentuate the water area.
20 High Tide Held back – 19 The water flow almost forces the eye into the image! The horizon is satisfyingly high with the sky holding the image in well. Good depth of field with the rocks at the edges working well to maximise the feeling of movement.
21 Hunt Cliffs Slatburn 17 The lovely tones of the sands take the eye into the scene, helped by the sets of footprints. The arrangement of the footprints accentuates that there are two groupings in the distance & these two groups are in good positions. I like the soft colours on the distant cliffs.
22 Indian Summer 15 The two figures make the image as they give scale and hold the eye. It can even be said that they pull the eye towards the gate in the distance. The top of the image needs to be darkened to hold it in a little more.
23 Late Summer On Bamford Edge 16 An interesting balance between the close rocks & the distant water scene. Good, bright colours, nice sky & good positioning of the distant hills. I experimented with a slight crop on the right & believe it enhances the image.
24 Llynnau Mymbyr 15 The low viewpoint works quite well, except that the green leaves at the base are a little too strong. Good water colour & surface texture. Held in nicely at the sides.
25 Looking Towards The Wood 15 These intentional camera movement images are not appreciated until after the image has been taken. Here the colours of the tree trunks and the grasses at their bases blend very well & I like the relative sizes of the sky & woodland areas.
26 Low Lighthouse Held back – 20 A lovely, moody image. The low lighting has kept the reflective white areas under control. The lighthouse is well positioned & its reflection is a little cameo in its own right. Good sky with the lighter areas well off the edge of the image.
27 Malham Cove 15 I am looking to see why the author has moved to B&W. I can only surmise that the colours there were too strong or irregular. I like the pathway at the base & the relative dimensions within the image but find that there is no naturally strong area that holds my eye for long. The junction of the walls is interesting but rather minor in the image.
28 Misty Morning    Held back – 19 I like the composition of this image. One tree is clearly dominant, but the repetition re-enforces it. The main tree commands the image with its minimal base & stretching to the top of the frame. The tree has character & strength. The supporting trees have their own shape, but the mist has reduced their strength. It is good that there is detail in the tree trunk.
29 Newhaven Storm Held back – 20 & 1st The action, here, is perfectly captured. The instant of capture has encompassed all the different sea movements. I especially like the twin waves with the wind taking their crests away to the left. The size of the breakwater is good & the lighthouse is perfectly positioned in the frame.
30 Northamptonshire Sunflowers 17 I like the high horizon & the colour contrast between the clouds in the sky & the blooms. It has a particularly good depth of field as I see sufficient detail in the close sunflowers. The edges of the image seem to have been well tended with none of the flower heads really breaking the lines.
31 Partly Dead Trees 17 This kind of subject draws me with my camera! I like the relative sizes of the two trees & the differences in shape. It is a good conversion to B&W with a full range of tones. Tightly composed but with space inside it.
32 Peel Isle Of Man 16 A different style of image! The subject suits the format. It has an intriguing presentation with a soft, narrow light vignette on all four sides, re-enforced at the base by a single narrow stroke. The inclusion of the castle ruins holds the right side in well. The details of the town do not match the quality of the beach area.
33 Penmon Point    17 A beautiful sky really enhances this image. A central horizon is created by the need to encompass the lighthouse. Well cropped at the base. The rocky shoreline works well.
34 Reflection 16 This works very well with the tree & its reflection having characters of their own. The tree is clearly dominant with the colour provided by the warm sky. The vignette around it works well. The reflection provides a good base & supports without competing.
35 Rydal Boat House 16 I like the range of tones in this image & the gentle feeling it passes over to me. I believe that the boat house has been a little short changed & it should have a larger part in the image. The eye is continually drawn to it, it is important, so crop away some of the base & the left-hand side to make it seem stronger.
36 Sapcote Sunset 16 The sun & the slanting sunlight are both well captured. However, there is a conflict within the image. We are pulled to the sun & we are drawn along the path – so where do we go? Crop away the light cereal crop on the left nearly up to the path to reduce its strength. Now the sun is dominate & it has been moved in a little to a better position nearer the third.
37 Saundersfoot Pembrokeshire 14 This seem to be an urban landscape with a large tree. I like the little sets of steps but dislike the strength of the white walls on the left. I believe that the author should have moved around to the left to concentrate on the tree, its base & the steps, losing the other houses in the process. This would make a positive change to the exposure range in the image.
38 Scots Pines By The River A’Ghairbhe  16 I like the rich colours achieved in the trees plus the contrast of the cold feel of the water. The contrast between the two areas of stillness & movement work well. Especially when we consider their relative size in the frame. The right side is held in well with all the water leaving via the base.
39 Shenton Estate 15 This has an interesting minimalist & grainy approach to a landscape of trees. I think the treatment quite suits the subject as there is no detail to be closely observed. The shadows take us into the image & the degraded right & left sides take us further in. it has a good ‘feel’ to it as a whole, without any part dominating.
40 Shenton In The Mist 16 I believe that we have two images here, three if you include this one. We are presented with a central horizon between a lovely sky & an area of delightfully lit meadow. A greedy photographer would want them both but it’s not possible as they compete. Crop the sky or crop the grass, your choice, and you end up, each time, with a delightful subject & strong support. Don’t crop & you lose out.
41 Slioch Above Loch Maree Just Before The Rain 16 Lovely tones here as we move left to right: purple mountains to golden light. A low horizon with the water at each point taking on the main colour above it, fully supporting the scene. I think we need to darken the right side a little to close in the image. The peak of the mountain just reaches into the clouds to hold the eye.
42 Snowy View From Pullwood 17 I like the effect of the weather on the tree at the front of the image, it takes the colour away & contrasts beautifully with the warmth of the distant meadows. The water inlets are nicely positioned. The sky is a good mixture of menace & warmth.
43 SS Normen    Held back – 20 I love the colours on the rotting timbers of this wreck. I would guess at a time exposure when I see the way the water reflects the vessel. Well positioned in the frame, both vertically & horizontally.
44 St. Benet’s Abbey 16 I like the water lead in & the angle of view makes the silhouette of the Abbey stronger. An unusual & attractive sky works very well. I would crop on the right to ‘push’ the Abbey off centre.
45 Steaming Through The Flood 17 Well captured, the length of the plume of smoke & steam is a bonus. A definite panoramic view & I am pleased that the author has left in this spit of land rather than accentuate the effect by cropping it. The small reflection is a bonus & the shutter was released at an excellent moment as the engine reached the trees.
46 Sunrise Over The Peaks Held back – 19 I like the quality & the texture of the stones that has come over. The extra high stone nicely bridges the horizon & is well positioned. Good depth of field has been achieved. There is good detail in the shadow areas.
47 Swimming Rydal Water 15 By utilising a portrait-orientated image in a landscape area the author has possibly sought to show the distance the swimmer has to go. He/she is not very large in the frame, but the colour adds emphasis. Good depth of field & exposure.
48 Tarn Hows    15 I like the ‘layers’ effect that we get as we focus on the near tree trunks then the far shore &, finally, the misty mountain. The image format matches its content & is well held in at the sides. As the right tree does not leave the frame, I would be tempted to consider a crop at the top.
49 Thornham Creek 16 A well seen combination of vessels. I like the support of the left edge bank & the way the water reflection adds to the sky. I believe that the beached, damaged vessel would benefit from a little more space around it in the frame, more so at the top. Good exposure.
50 Valkyrie View 16 I like the way that the flow of the wall & the angle of the rocks it reaches, direct me to the water reflection. The repetition of the angled rocks works well. The included foreground also takes me forward.
51 Whitby Pier Held back – 19 I like the low approach to presenting the pier. The red lifebuoys & the green lantern room encourage our flow along the railings, I am pleased that these are worn not pristine white. It is angled well with a good depth of field.
52 Woolacombe Bay    17 I like the square format which works well with the horizon here. Good exposure & a nice interplay between solid, glistening rocks & moving water. There is still some cloud detail in the region of the setting sun which is good.
53 Woolacombe Held back – 19 A very different & attractive sky, blended in with a moody seascape, makes this a very compelling image. The central horizon is acceptable due to the special configuration within the sky & the choice of format
54 Wyming Brook 16 I like the way that the brook ‘steps’ down & the rich colours of the brookside foliage. Although, I think that a slight trim at the bottom to remove the bright water, to be replaced by moving water, would be an improvement. I like the positioning in the frame & the shutter speed used to achieve the water flow effect.