Di says – My image – was on my way home from ladybower, and got out to shoot this landscape.  As I did, the mist came down.  I was without a hat and gloves, and was only out of the car for about 5 minutes.  I now now why people die out on the moors.  Brrrrr.r

colin says:– This was one of my favourite images but was just pipped at the post as far as my own votes were concerned. A very atmospheric image conveying a real sense of isolation. The positioning of the sign post is well thought out and the path leading into the distance works well. An unforgiving looking landscape.

Di says – If I hadn’t been told it was a bench, I’m not sure I would have known.  The snow in the foreground looks blown out, and I’m not a fan of what I think is rubbish to the left of the bench.  The bench is placed on thirds however which is good and the greens to the back of the shot are well controlled.

colin says:Sorry but this one does nothing for me. Perhaps if there was someone in the frame sitting on the bench or playing in the snow it would lift the image. As it is, it is just a park bench and not a very interesting one at that!! Sorry that this sounds harsh but the photo just lacks that something.

Di says – When I first saw this I wondered if it had been a photoshop job, but on closer inspection, I think it’s real. If it is photoshop it’s been well done.  The boat to the right of the shot adds verisimilitude.  Overall the exposure is good, contrasts are good, and compostion excellent. A great image for the competition which fits the theme.  One downside, watch your dust spots photographer – make sure you clone them out.

colin says:– Great record shot and very well exposed with nice reflections in the water. I see a dust bunny on the left side of frame that could easily have been cloned out! Take it waders were required for this shot!! Nicely done.

Di says – another excellent landscape in the snow.  The light is almost perfect and the eye is led nicely to the buildings at the top of the hill.  I would just take out the ‘box’ to the bottom right of the shot.

colin says:This image certainly meets the requirement of the brief and the blue tones add to the chilly feeling. Unfortunately there is not enough interest in the frame to hold my attention for long.

Di says – This is a lovely landscape.  The evening sunshine sets the scene well, and the light running down the left side of the shot brings out the detail in the grasses.  What I don’t like is the ‘weed’ bang in the middle of the shot which seems to spoil the image.  I may have had a tendency to go and snap it off, and take the shot again

colin says:Lovely golden tones and I actually think the lens flare works nicely here. I do, however, find the large bit of vegetation near centre of frame a significant distraction. I will need to remember a pair of loppers to add to my camera equipment!! Other than the vegetation the composition is good with the diagonals created by the shore front.

Di says – Hmm – does this fit the theme.  It’s a very well capture of a bird in flight, but there’s no sign of the storm referred to in the title.  The bird has been very well captured, but I’m not sure about it in this competition.

colin says:– Nice image and well captured but I am not entirely convinced it meets the criteria of the theme. The link with a storm seems a bit tenuous to be honest.

Di says – This is a great shot of the frozen leaves.  My only issue is that I don’t know where to look first. There’s no focal point.  The focus is spot on, and there’s a good use of depth of field.  I like the monochrome treatment, but would it have been better in colour?  I don’t know.

colin says:Another good concept but I can’t help thinking this would have worked better in colour (unusual for me because most of my work is B&W). Just looks a bit flat in B&W. Sorry.

Di says – A good shot of a game bird in the snow.  Shame his tail is cut off.  The main problem that this shot has for me is lack of contrast.  The bird looks faded against the snow, and maybe slightly out of focus too.  Not a common sight round here though.

colin says:Well spotted and captured. The image lacks a bit of sharpness though and the colours look a touch muted (taken through a window?). Also a pity that the tail has been chopped off. Good effort

Di says – Good close up of the ice and leaf, and the only part I don’t like is the massive amount of white at the left of the shot.  Your eye is usually drawn to the lightest part of a picture, and there is far too much here.  It’s a shame because the concept is good.

colin says:Nice concept and nice depth of field but not sure the correct point of focus has been selected. I would have liked to see all of the “hanging” ice crystal in pin sharp focus (from top to tip).

Di says – This is a superb shot – great strong lead lines,and I even like the the vapour trails in the sky. The tractor ruts bottom right of the shot help to lead us in to the field, to the hedge beyond.  All in all this is great, and I suspect will do very well in the voting.

colin says:Great image and an instant favourite of mine. Nicely composed and the diagonal of the gate leads you into the image beautifully. The crossed diagonals of the clouds are great also and stood out to me (Scottish Saltire!!). Well executed and well spotted – got my vote.

Di says – Look at the frost spikes on that.  It must have been bally cold.  However, the image doesn’t lead me round it, and there are a good number of highlights that are blown out.  It’s always best to check the highlight warnings on your camera.  It’s always good to have that turned on, especially when shooting bright white

colin says:Like this one – certainly gives the impression of being damn cold!! The sharp almost thorn-like shape of the frost really suits the organic nature of the plant. The background is slightly distracting but not enough to worry me too much.

Di says – A great shot of the weather actually happening.  The only thing I don’t like is the street lamp in the middle, and what looks like a big light to the rear of the shot.  I might have been inclined to remove these, and it could have been done with a bit of care.  Love the snow coming down though.  Well captured

colin says:The falling snow has been excellently captured here and I quite like this image even though it is a bit busy with lots of lines and levels. The positioning of the lamp column is unfortunate because it keeps drawing my eye – the clone tool is your friend :-).

Di says – The light on the snow here is terrific. I really like the pink catchlights on the top of the snow piles.  My eye is drawn first though to the sun coming through the tree – other than that, it’s well composed and a lovely shot.

colin says:– Interesting snowscape with great texture in the snow. Lovely golden-red tones cast on the snow and the sun-burst through the trees works really well. It is just a pity that the tip of the tree has been missed.

Di says – I really do like this shot too.  The two figures to the bottom of the shot, seem so insignificant compared with the huge landscape.  You know that the chimney to the rear of the shot is big, but somehow it’s dwarfed by that forbidding sky.  The tiny boat to the right of the shot balances the image out.  The stormy sky is fantastic.  The horizon is off though and it spoils the shot

colin says:The first thing I noticed with this image was the tilted horizon – bit of a bug-bear of mine because it is so easily fixed in photoshop. Dramatic and foreboding sky and you can just feel the weight in the clouds. The rule of thirds has been used but the wonky horizon just puts me off.

Di says – I can’t believe that this tree has appeared in both the open and the theme this month.  I’m going to ban it from future competitions…. LOL..  The sky is stunning I just love the tonal range from red to purple with all colours in between.  Don’t know what else to say, I love this shot.

colin says:– Lovely silhouette with beautiful tones in the sky. Could almost be set in Africa, just missing the giraffe!! Really liked this one.

Di says – I like the monochrome treatment of this shot.  I almost suspect it would lose something in colour.  I’m not sure is shot is about the weather though – it’s more about the seasons, so in that respect it doesn’t work for me in this theme competition.  I like the idea though, and it’s been well executed.

colin says:Rather tenuous link with the theme!! :-) My image.

Di says – I’ve been to this park some number of times.  This is a lovely shot of the park in the snow. The exposure has been well controlled, and I think that what it lacks is perhaps a person coming towards us – perhaps dressed in a bright colour.  You can’t always get what you want.  Super shot though, and may do well in this competition.

colin says:Nice landscape image but I don’t think the sepia tones work well with the snow and sky. There does not appear to be much texture in the snow and a bland sky doesn’t help either.

Di says – The photographer has done well to avoid any blown out highlights on this shot. I’ve looked at it closely and there’s not a single one.  The composition is good, and it’s a strong image. The tuft of grass to bottom left anchors the shot well, and leads us into the middle distance well.  The sky is well exposed, and overall I like this one very much.

colin says:Very good landscape that looks beautifully exposed in difficult conditions. Great detail in the snow in the foreground and the patches of woodland in the distance provide nice contrasting tones. Lovely image

Di says – I like minimalistic images, and this one works very well.  White sky, white snow, and white background.  Some good camera control needed to pull this off.  Very well done – another excellent image.

colin says:– Lovely image and really suits the monochromatic tones. Very serene looking scene and the mist shrouding the mid-distance trees really adds to the atmosphere. Like this one a lot

Di says – This is your Christmas card for 2010 – it has lovely composition, and at first I thought I’d like to have seen some more contrast in it, on looking at it I changed my mind.   I like the soft tones.  I ‘may’ have put a tad more contrast in the tree in the foreground, and left the background as is.  Fabulous image, and I love the white vignette to finish it off.

colin says:Fantastic image that has been wonderfully processed. Almost looks like a water colour and has a great surreal and dreamy atmosphere about it. The grey/blue tone of the water is really nice and the vignette adds to the overall ambience. Great stuff and got my vote.

Di says – This is an unusual image – a good concept which has nearly worked.  I’m not sure about the tree to the top left of the shot – it doesn’t seem to help the shot any.  Not one that sets my life on fire I’m afraid.

colin says:Have to admit that when I looked at this initially I thought hmmmm. But having read the title and realised the image is actually a reflection it raises my interest somewhat and explains the noise/murkiness in the image. Nice concept and looks to be well enough executed

Di says – Ohh indeed very stormy – and probably very wet too.  The eye is led nicely around the shot starting with the grass on the left, and picked up by the breakwater on the right.  There are some burnt out areas in the sky, and the use of a polariser, or filter would have obviated the problem.

colin says:Nice action in the waves breaking on the sea wall. Nice leading line but the image looks a tad soft

Di says – The colours in this stand out really well against the snow background, and I love the small figure in pink dragging a sledge in the background.  It’s as though the playground has been abandoned in favour of other games.  A good lonesome shot.  Well taken. 

colin says:My entry, no comment.

Di says – Great shot of these sheep.  There’s only one sheep looking away, and the others are co-operating nicely.  The square format looks well and depicts the cold weather really well.

colin says:– I like the diagonals created by the walls and fence lines and the image looks to be reasonably well exposed with detail in the snow. Nicely done.

Di says – Fab shot of a duck on the ice.  Is this a weather shot, or a duck shot – I’m not sure.  The beheaded duck in the background, and the half duck to the right don’t help.  Not sure about this one at all.

colin says:It’s a quacker!! Seriously though this is a cracker. Only crit I have on this one is that it could have been improved if the partial birds on right of frame were cropped out. May even work in portrait orientation. Slightly blown out on the duck breast (mmmm duck breast!!:-) ) but otherwise a good image.