Been there photo competition, June: national parks

This month's entries will transport you to the wilderness of the world's national parks
  
  


Been there comp June 2010: Westland national park, New Zealand
Mount Cook and Mount Tasman at dawn reflected in Lake Matheson, Westland national park, New Zealand
Photograph: Kevin Shannon Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Grand Teton national park, Wyoming, US
The old Mormon Barn outside Moose in Grand Teton national park, Wyoming, USA
Photograph: Sally Bevington Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Amboseli national park, Kenya
Amboseli national park in southern Kenya has large marshes watered by the snowmelt of Mount Kilimanjaro. This picture was taken from a hill overlooking one of the marshes as a herd of elephants arrived to feed
Photograph: Jason Pemberton Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Canyonlands national park, Utah, US
Canyonlands national park, Utah, US. This photo was taken looking through Mesa Arch towards the La Sal mountains. The arch provided a perfect frame for the stacks in the foreground and the snow-capped peaks behind
Photograph: Vivien Cumming Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Brecon Beacons national park, Wales
My wife unknowingly gave this shot a sense of scale, and for me the impression that she's sitting on the edge of an abyss in the Brecon Beacons national park, Black Mountains, Wales. Taken from Pen-cerrig-calch looking towards Sugar Loaf with the old enemy 'England' in the background
Photograph: Alexander Barker Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Amboseli national park, Kenya
I went to Amboseli national park in Kenya last year and took this amazing shot of the elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro - just breathtaking
Photograph: Barbara Zeisel Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Banff national park, Canada
Banff national park, Canada. Glacial blue Peyto Lake fed by the Peyto glacier, part of the Wapta icefield, with mountains in the distance and fir and pine tree forests below
Photograph: Emma Durnford Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Fiordland national park, New Zealand
The steep-sided glacial valleys of the Fiordland national park, New Zealand, face west and the prevailing winds funnel in moist air making them some of the wettest places on the planet. The result is a permeating cold, misty dampness and spectacular waterfalls cascading down the sides of the valleys to the still green waters below
Photograph: Dave Roberts Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Lake District national park, UK
A shot of the Lake District with no people in it whatsoever. This is what the Lakes should be like – wild, bleak, foreboding and spectacular. I would love to say we walked up to the top of the Wrynose Pass, but we cheated and drove. Shocking ...
Photograph: Rich Quarterman Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Langtang national park, Nepal
I took this in Langtang national park in Nepal when I went trekking there for 10 days. We passed many of these beautiful little houses in the foothills, but I love the layers in this one and the colours are really eye-catching. Although I enjoyed the high mountains, the day trekking was fantastic. No country has ever had such an impact on me
Photograph: Olivia Blockey Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Morne Trois Pitons national park, Dominica
Into the Valley of Desolation. A hiker on the trail to the Boiling Lake in Dominica's Morne Trois Pitons national park, a Unesco world heritage site. The Valley of Desolation is a caldera of boiling rivers, steaming fumaroles and hot mud Photograph: Paul Crask
Been there comp June 2010: Snæfellsjokull national park, Iceland
This was taken on Snæfellsjökull glacier in Snæfellsjökull national park in the west of Iceland. It's a volcano covered by a huge glacier from where Verne's Professor Lidenbrock began his Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It was one of the most remote places I've ever visited, apart from this ruined shelter, there was no sign of civilisation
Photograph: Matthew Thomas Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Snowdonia national park, Wales
I took this shot in Snowdonia, after a successful attempt at Mount Snowdon. It shows a slightly darker, gloomier, less romantic side of the park Photograph: Slawek Kozdras
Been there comp June 2010: Table Mountain national park, South Africa
I took this photo at Table Mountain national park in South Africa. This tourist seemed a little too at ease, bearing in mind there was a sheer drop beneath him
Photograph: Patrick Donnelly Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Pembrokeshire national park, Wales
Chris Mole: Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire national park, Wales

Natalie Mayer, judge: A beautifully exposed and very sharp image, with wonderful colours. I feel the composition could have been improved by getting a little closer to the ground and tilting the camera slightly round to the right (facing slightly more to sea) so that the distant part of the waters edge is further to the left of the frame. Still, a breathtaking scene, absolutely lovely!
Photograph: Chris Mole Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Namib-Naukluft national park, Namibia
Jane Brook: Taken in Namib-Naukluft national park, Namibia

Natalie Mayer, judge: A beautiful and simple scene, which unfortunately gains nothing by being viewed as a small image on a screen. You need to print this one big Jane, perhaps a metre high, and display it proudly on your wall!
Photograph: Jane Brook Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Grand Canyon national park, US
Simon Ryan: Grand Canyon national park taken on a west coast US trip last October. This photo shows my partner Marissa and I balanced on the south rim enjoying the sunrise. I have tilt shifted the focus on the photo to give a 'toy' like effect - it helps show how small and insignificant the Grand Canyon can make you feel.

Natalie Mayer, Judge: A lovely simple scene, well framed and exposed, very nicely post processed. Colour treatments (often in the form of Photoshop Actions) are quite fashionable in imagery at the moment, and although it's important not to over do it (a little goes a long way), they can be really fun to play with.
Photograph: Simon Ryan Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Been there comp June 2010: Aberdare national park, Kenya
The winning shot by Libby Powell: A dawn descent to the watering hole in Aberdare national park, under the watchful gaza of Mount Kenya

Natalie Mayer, judge: Although this image could have been improved by waiting until the water was more still so that the animals' reflections appeared sharper, I still think the idea is fantastic, and well spotted by the photographer. A fine underexposure has removed the detail from the shadow areas and rendered the sky a beautiful rich red. Seeing the animal reflections, but not the animals themselves, is a lovely twist. I think it's important when shooting landscapes to look for that little bit extra from your scene - to change the image from a representation of what everyone would see if they were faced with this view, to a unique viewpoint visualised only by the photographer. Well done!
Photograph: Libby Powell Photograph: guardian.co.uk
 

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