June 2026 Theme Thread: Such a Beautiful Landscape

For someone who claimed to be terrible at photography! 😉 It's a very photogenic landscape thanks to the rock formations. The subject is rich: vegetation, clouds, rock. I would have cropped it a bit because the sky takes up 60% of the space (some areas seem artificial, HDR processing too heavy?). Being very bright, it draws the eye away from the landscape.

Hi Kate, and thanks for your feedback!

You’ve just confirmed why I’m so bad at photography. It’s true that these past few months, I’ve tried to improve because I barely knew anything, and having nice travel memories is still more enjoyable.

On one hand, I master other art forms, so I know how to give an aesthetic vision of what I want to represent. And since I’ve started getting more interested, I’m making progress and producing better photos than before—it’s clearly noticeable

But on the other hand, as you rightly pointed out, I’m a complete novice and self-taught, and due to my lack of knowledge and skill, I still make big mistakes with framing, HDR processing, and probably plenty of other things I don’t even realize...

That said, I assure you that even if the HDR processing slightly overdid it, the original landscape and sky already had this natural look. Some landscapes in the world are so stunning that they sometimes seem artificial when they’re not. Cappadocia is a perfect example. The proof is that when I look back at all the photos from that trip (last October-November), they’re better than those from my other travels. At the time, I realized it wasn’t so much that I’d improved as a photographer, but that it was due to the incredible, almost unreal natural beauty of the landscapes. There was also gorgeous lighting and an amazing sky during that period.

About this photo, I agree that the sky takes up a lot of space and slightly overshadows the landscape. But it was magnificent, and that might be why the photo stands out (and why you voted for it 😉). I tried cropping it but felt it lost a lot of its overall impact. So I preferred to keep the framing almost as it was.

It’s funny because I thought something similar about your photo of Sainte-Anne Chapel, which I found very well done but didn’t end up choosing. The chapel draws much more attention than the landscape itself. And the title you gave it actually shows that, as beautiful as it is, it’s not really a landscape photo but more of a building shot.

Anyway, I find your input really helpful. It’s great to be able to exchange and discuss because I rarely get the chance to talk about photography outside of VF, and it helps me improve. Thanks!

But on the other hand, as you rightly pointed out, I’m a complete novice and self-taught, and due to my lack of knowledge and skill, I still make big mistakes with framing and HDR processing.

Hello, HDR processing? You still know more than I do! I know you can edit a photo—remove elements, change the contrast and lighting—but I’ve never looked into it and don’t know how it’s done. All my photos are taken with my phone and never edited. Before using my phone, the only camera I ever had was one that printed the photo instantly (a Polaroid?). What happy memories I have with that thing! I only took "portraits" or scenes from daily life—not landscapes! In Sri Lanka, for example, where I was often invited into people’s homes, I’d take photos (at their request, of course) of the whole family lined up side by side at attention, then the girls separately: one next to her bike, another in front of her house, a third with a bouquet of flowers, etc. You can imagine the results! But nothing but joy for my hosts!

I’ll chime in here. What really drew me to this photo, actually, is the sky. Sometimes we need to stop getting bogged down in technical terms—composition, depth of field, etc.—and just let the photographer’s creativity shine. Couldn’t we imagine that the person who took this photo with its “overpowering” sky actually nailed the composition because they wanted to guide the viewer’s eye toward that unique sky? In that case, the rock formations would just be secondary, there to highlight the sky.

Besides, isn’t the sky often a landscape in itself?

I had a bit of fun “reframing” the photo by covering part of my screen with a piece of paper, and suddenly, it became just another ordinary shot of this site—clichéd, like so many you see online. Pretty, but bland, with no real character.

I see this photo contest not as a high-art photography competition but more like a group of friends sharing their “vacation photos” in good spirits. So let’s drop the fancy photography jargon and not get all high and mighty, acting like we’re art critics for some pro photography magazine.

Just the other day, sitting at my desk, I glanced out my window and saw a flaming sunset sky. I jumped up from my seat with my phone and, without thinking, just snapped a photo (through the glass, no less). Without using HDR, exactly as it was, in my excitement, I posted it online just for fun. Within minutes, it was awarded—by professionals. Wasn’t that an amazing landscape?

HDR processing? You definitely know more than I do!

Don’t worry, I wasn’t familiar with the term "HDR processing" either until Kate mentioned it! Even though I kind of guessed what it was about, I had to look it up on Google to be sure 😅

I only discovered it recently, but it’s been a game-changer—I play around with it from time to time. You can tweak settings like lighting, contrast, shadows, etc. It just helps refine certain elements. But I think it’s best to stay as close to the original photo as possible. Unless you’re experimenting, the goal isn’t to distort the original but to give it a little boost or fix flaws or understated details. So, like all good things, it’s best used in moderation 😉

add a little pep or fix flaws

That way, we can remove a power line, a cable car, a 15-story building, or a big parking lot 😉 That’s probably what those "travel" sellers do. I’ve noticed, ever since photo technology improved, that when you visit a site praised in "brochures," the photo is always more beautiful than reality.😏

Thanks! And are you taking part in the next contest?

I tried, but—I don’t know how to put it—I was surprised by the voting results. And a buddy—from VF—told me—quoting him: « You know, the photo contest is the only thing still alive on a dying VF. But it’s a very closed club among friends, almost like a sect where it’s hard to be accepted if you’re not fitting in, if you don’t share the group’s mindset, etc. And the voting is more about picking your favorite buddy rather than the actual quality of the photos. But you should enter because, given the quality of your photos, you’ll win the contest. »

Since then, I’ve had other things going on and haven’t had the chance to participate.

Since I’ll obviously win, right? 😔 🤪 🤷 I really don’t feel up to organizing the next month’s contest... So I’ll pass...

Thanks anyway for inviting me to take part

You know, the photo contest is the only thing still alive on this dying VF. But it’s a really closed club among friends,

You can’t just walk into the photo club—you’ve gotta prove yourself first🤪

That way, you can remove a high-voltage power line, a cable car, a 15-story building, or a big parking lot ;) It’s probably what those "travel" sellers do.

Yeah, it’s possible to do that. But I wasn’t talking about erasing elements and distorting the photo—just tweaking the light or contrast slightly, for example. The kind of adjustments photographers probably make with their cameras anyway.

You know, the photo contest is the only thing still alive on this dying VF. But it’s a really tight-knit club among friends,

You can’t just walk into the photo club—you’ve gotta prove yourself first🤪

Yeah, I get that... My daughter, who’s a clinical psychologist, applied for a youth worker position. Her application wasn’t accepted. They told her she was overqualified! 😲 🤯 🙈

And what about artificial intelligence? I just asked it to "create an image of a beautiful landscape"—just like that—and here’s what I got: It’s so convincing you’d never know...

And when I asked if it was a real landscape: "No, this image was generated by artificial intelligence. It resembles a real mountain range—inspired by Alpine landscapes or the Dolomites—but this exact place doesn’t actually exist. The terrain, lighting, and textures are created photorealistically to give the impression of a real photograph."

Her application wasn’t accepted. They told her she was overqualified!

You mean that’s the case for us too? If we’re overqualified, we’re out of the running right away😉

And when I ask if it's a real landscape: "No, this image was generated by artificial intelligence. It resembles a real mountain range—inspired by Alpine landscapes or the Dolomites—but this exact place doesn’t actually exist like that. The reliefs, the light, and the textures are created photorealistically to give the impression of a real photograph."

I’ve always said that photography can be deceptive🤪

Her application wasn’t accepted. They told her she was overqualified!

You mean that’s the case for us? Too qualified and we’re immediately out of the running😉

I was just kidding... I was joking...

Of course, me too...😉

About this photo, I’ll give you that the sky takes up a lot of space and slightly overshadows the landscape. But it was gorgeous, and maybe that’s also why the photo stands out (and why you voted for it ;)). I tried cropping it but felt it lost a lot of its overall impact. So I decided to leave the framing almost as it was.

You’re the only judge—you should do exactly what you feel and what you like! Aside from a few basic rules, photography is all about subjectivity. My critique was just about what I felt or what I would’ve done in your shoes. I like to justify my vote, explain why I gave 1 point, 2, or 3. There’s no pretension here, just an opinion ;)

I don’t have the slightest problem with you justifying your vote. That’s what most participants do, and it’s great that way. I took your opinion very positively and even took it into account. As I mentioned earlier, I’m happy to be able to debate and understand these basic rules that I don’t yet master, and to grasp the different opinions on the same photo—it helps me improve. This discussion and the votes also show the wide variety of tastes and feelings, with opinions sometimes diametrically opposed.

There’s still something about this photo that feels too smooth and artificial—it really makes me think it was AI-generated.

There’s still something about this photo that’s too smooth and artificial, suggesting it was AI-generated.

Maybe, but it’s still an impressive feat... I think 😮

Hi there, My message just disappeared again on its own . I’m not starting over. Congrats to the winners! I love the one who won the contest. A well-deserved spot.