October 31, 2011

October Been there competition: daybreak/twilight – in pictures

Hundreds of Been there readers sent in images this month, which featured every colour in the spectrum. Here are the best – click through the gallery to see the winning photograph

Sunset/sunrise: Lake Pehoe in Torre de Paine national park — Sylvia Semal: I was on an organised tour of Patagonia, camping on a slope alongside Lake Pehoe in Torres del Paine national park, Chile. After a restless night in the tent, I couldn't wait to get outside into the early morning light. The view and the conditions were just perfect and I rushed back for my camera to capture the Horns of Paine. Photograph: Sylvia Semal

Sunset/sunrise: A winter’s morning, South Georgia — Samantha Crimmin: A winter’s morning on the Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, where there is no light pollution for 900 miles. When I took this, I had been up for a while trying to photograph the Milky Way, and by the time this photo was taken I was running out of night. In this shot, I was trying to get the pre-dawn glow of the sun over the mountains on one side and the stars on the other. Photograph: Samantha Crimmin

Sunset/sunrise: Bryce Canyon, Utah — Philip Bird: I arrived at Bryce Canyon, Utah, in pitch blackness on a bitterly cold morning to photograph the sunrise. There's no light pollution there so I had to set up my equipment using a torch. When the sun broke on the horizon, the scene slowly developed into a magnificent sunrise over a forest of hoodoos. Then the 'world's largest pothole' was transformed into one of the wonders of the world.
Photograph: Philip Bird Photograph: Action images

Sunset/sunrise: Danehill, Sussex — Chris Mole: Dawn at my local churchyard in Danehill, Sussex. An early morning mist helped the atmosphere, accentuated by the silhouettes of the gravestones. Photograph: Chris Mole

Sunset/sunrise: Leblon beach — Ralph Whitehead: Before travelling to Rio, the images in my head were from Mario Testino's iconic book about the city. I wanted to recapture some of the glow and effortless sexiness of his shots, as well as capture something instantly recognisable and Brazilian. Leblon beach and the peaks of the Dois Irmãos provided a perfect backdrop to the mesmerising skills of the futevôlei (foot-volleyball) players. Photograph: Ralph Whitehead

Sunset/sunrise: Chiang Mai — Chris Sutcliffe: This is the reflection of trees in a rusting grate in a park near Chiang Mai train station in Thailand. I got there before sunrise to buy tickets and found this abandoned park with an empty swimming pool. I caught the trees in the water for this shot, which is the one that reminds me of my time in Chiang Mai. Photograph: Chris Sutcliffe

Sunset/sunrise: Fulham sunset — Georgia Hole: This urban silhouette was taken from my window in Fulham, London, during a spectacular sunset. Photograph: Georgia Hole

Sunset/sunrise: Sommarøy, Norway — David Allen: Sommarøy, Norway: polar night dawn … and dusk. In late November, they're virtually one and the same. Photograph: David Allen

Sunset/sunrise: Koh Rong island in Cambodia — Amy Little: This was our last day on Koh Rong Island in Cambodia. It had rained heavily the night before, creating a huge pool of water on the beach whose fantastic reflection of the changing sky made us feel we were standing at the edge of the world. After he grudgingly agreed to a 5.30am start, it took more persuasion to get my boyfriend to perform some early morning acrobatics – but the result was worth it. Photograph: Amy Little

Sunset/sunrise: Masai Mara, Kenya — Ann Moyle: This photograph was taken at about 4.30am in the Masai Mara national park, Kenya. We were slowly approaching a family of cheetahs playing around a tree when I turned and saw this amazing sunrise. I used a Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens. Photograph: Ann Moyle

Sunset/sunrise: Washington DC — Nick Board: On a short break to Washington, we decided to take a closer look at the monument looking down towards the Capitol. A zealous official told me off for mounting my 5D tripod for this long exposure, so this was the last shot I got. It was only later that I noticed the young lady in the foreground who appeared to be having some kind of relationship with the edifice. Photograph: Nick Board

Sunset/sunrise: Stedorf in north Germany — Ra Goel: Taken at dawn on a frosty morning as the sun was rising over a river in the small hamlet of Stedorf in north Germany. Photograph: Ra Goel

Sunset/sunrise: Tuscan sunrise — David Cantrille, runner-up: This was taken in September in the Val d’Orcia, Tuscany. We were up before dawn to be in the right position overlooking the valley for the sunrise. The sun’s rays cut through the mist, giving the light and shadow effect.

Natalie Mayer, judge: With the wonderful natural light and the stunning landscape, this photograph is almost there … what it lacks for me is a little more thought in the composition. It is a shame that the fourth tree is almost clipped off, and there is just a little too much space to the left which, because of the clipped tree, isn't balanced on the right. But the exposure is spot on, enhancing the natural glow of the evening, so the photographer should still feel very pleased with this image. Photograph: David Cantrille

Sunset/sunrise: Rockpool fisherman in Palolem, Goa — Gavin Burnett, winner: Rockpool fisherman in Palolem, Goa. I had to be as patient as the fisherman for this shot. I waited for 20 minutes or so for him to throw his net, then fired off four shots. This one is the most dramatic as the net spreads across the sky.

Natalie Mayer, judge: I really like this image. The composition is lively yet extremely well balanced. The exposure has just the right mix of silhouette and detail. And the man is sharply in focus while the net isn't, which leads our eye immediately to the subject. The lovely pink sky fits the theme perfectly. Gorgeous image – you should be proud of this one.
Photograph: Gavin Burnett Photograph: Action images

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