What is the difference between Magnificent and Beautiful in Nature scapes? Pics.

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m interested in what people’s perspective is about nature in general and natural beauty. I actually have classifications that I adhere to that signal certain meanings for me in regards to nature.

Examples:

This would qualify as Magnificent.

And this would qualify as beautiful verging on the magnificent.

I like wide open spaces and think of them mainly as magnificent. I see an enclosed or woodland as being more beautiful.

Don’t mistake what I say as hardcore classifying, but merely using different adjectives for different open spaces.

How about you?

2

I’m not sure I would classify things in the same way as you do. I think a mountain range and a garden would both be magnificent, but they are different kinds of magnificence, if that makes any sense. In the case of the mountain range, I’m appreciating the rugged expanse of the landscape, the sense of scale and space. In the case of the garden, the appreciation could be of elegance, of care and beauty in the presentation and arrangement. Similarly, they could both be beautiful, with different sorts of beauty. A single photograph could be both, or neither.

Eh, I’m just confused, I think.

3

I think I see what you mean. Magnificent is that overwhelming “hugeness” kind of thing? Like that something so monumental exists? and beautiful is visually moving but more accessible?

McKinley–huge and imposing and there’s little to no chance you would be up close and personal with it

Forest/flowering meadow–can be huge but is also enterable and you can be a part of it, up close. Elements of it suggest the familiar (a meadow nearby that you’ve been to) but the extraordinary size or overflow of elements like flowers make it beautiful

??

4

Yes, more in line with what I was thinking.

5

Eh, the first photo has too much foreground and the left 1/3 could be cropped to more draw your eye to the mountain.

The second photo suffers from having a more indistinct background. It doesn’t really flow.

The third is kind of a generic, “woods on a misty day” shot.

So it’s all up to what you like and how you view photos.

whistlepig