The tall ones look like they could be a groomed Juniper, maybe the shorties too! I believe you can cut down to hedge level and they'll do fine. I'd do it before frosts, if any, hit there....trim with regular hedge clippers once cut to desirable height...JL
Mike, it is very hard to tell from the photos, but the tall ones look like a juniper like "Sky Rocket." The tall, upright shape is the natural habit of the plant, not the result of shearing, and I don't think there is any way to maintain that shape cutting them back significantly. They are in an awkward place anyway. The space you need a tall evergreen is between the windows, not in front of them. Your situation illustrates an all-too-common problem: not taking into account the mature height of a plant.
Mike, I can't tell what the broadleaf (lower growing) plants are but the tall ones are probably junipers. If you cut the junipers down they will not likely regrow, so remove them completely if you don't like them.
The lower growing plants can be pruned, but I would encourage you to thin out the branches that are growing too long by cutting them back to other stems. Shearing, or heading back, cuts will
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only result in lots of new growth at the cuts. Thinning cuts will allow more growth inside the plants and keep them dense while reducing their height.
The lower growing plants can be pruned, but I would encourage you to thin out the branches that are growing too long by cutting them back to other stems. Shearing, or heading back, cuts will ...»
Hope this helped.