Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk
Landscape Photographer of the Year 26
I thought that having the skatepark in the foregroundwould be a change from the mountain scenes that aurora photos usually feature. We didn't have any mountains nearby anyway! I only just caught it in time as the aurora faded very soon afterwards. My winning image is special to me because it was the first time I had seen the aurora borealis properly. As it is normally visible in more remote locations, seeing it from such an urban perspective was an unusual photographic opportunity. I like the way that the skatepark frames the northern lights and creates a dramatic contrast. This was the first time I had entered LPOTY althought I have entered some other competitions in Scotland before, for example the Scottish Nature Photography Awards, in which I have also had some success.
AndrewBulloch
Wasthisyear’sentryuptothe usual veryhighstandard? Most certainly it was, although wehavetodefinewhatthebroad term of ‘standard’ means. There were, as there have been for the last11years,imagesthatillustrate the ongoing commitment and dedication that so very many photographers put into their craft. It is the photographers who enter the award who are entirely responsible for creating the ‘usual high standard', for whichwe are extremely grateful. I am delighted to say that I believe it does, both due to the fantastic support we receive, particularly from VisitBritain and Network Rail, and the photographers, whose passion produces work that continues to surprise and astonish. We are proud that, thanks to Network Rail, our exhibitions are some of the most accessible in the country. And we have to thank Great Britain & Northern Ireland, of course, for providing such wonderful and varied landscapes to photograph. Fiveminutes with CharlieWaite, LPOTY’s founder Does LPOTY continue to go fromstrengthtostrength? Which imagewouldyouhave most likedtohavetaken? Too difficult to choose. Every year, I am full of admiration for so very many images. This year’s overall winner, Benjamin Graham’s image, breaks a few so-called rules – no focal point, horizon running through the middle – so what stands out to make thisanexceptional image? Breaking a ‘rule’ (set by who knows) does not mean that a photograph ceases to be of a very high standard or to awaken much in the minds of the viewer. A 50/50 bisecting horizon did notmeanthatthewinningimage was lacking. On the contrary, its overwhelming sense of peace and solitude reached into my core and, as with so much good photography, once human emotion is positively activated, a favourable response follows. There seemed to be more successful shots taken by drones. Is this right? There are a few images in this year’s competition that have used drones but they were nonetheless very striking and excellently composed. Images made by drones were far from casually executed, they were considered and well thought through, which is why they won a place in the awards book and at the exhibition. However, they represented considerably less than 1% of overall submissions.
Young Landscape Photographer of the Year Image title Skatepark under the northern lights Location Musselburgh, Edinburgh Technical details
I think that the standard in this year’s LPOTY is extremely high – the collection of all the shortlisted and winning images makes for a fabulous book. I particularly liked the ‘VisitBritain’ award-winning Canon EOS 350D, 18-55m lens at 18mm. Expo15sec at f/5.6 and ISO 1600. Edited in Adobe Lightroom Contact instagram.com/hcollub
Above A striking juxtaposition of an urban structure and the aurora
This was taken on a trip to meet up with fellow members of photography collective, Parhelion. When we walked onto the beach, the sunshine was harsh but as evening approached the light kept improving. Wanting a simple foreground as a foil for the dramatic sky, I composed to exclude the beach and waited for an isolated wave. I’ve entered LPOTY many times and last year was lucky enough to win the Sunday Times Magazine’s award, and three of my pictures were included in Portfolio 10 (2016). It’s an honour this year to have two more of my images recognised in a competition that has such a high standard of entries overall. It has become established as one of the premier landscape photography competitionsintheworldandforme, as a professional photographer, the exposure that comes with LPOTY success is invaluable, generating print sales and workshop bookings. With my photography, I don’t try to document specific places. I am more interested in trying to evoke emotion, to convey a mood or atmosphere, so I often exclude well-known landmarks from my shot from the canoe on Loch Garten, especially since I have a canoe and have paddled in the area myself! I am definitely planning to enter again next year. The calibre of this year’s entries has taught me
that if I am to stand any chance of success in next year’s LPOTY competition, I will have to continue to improve my photographic skills and capture some truly outstanding shots.
Rachael Talibart
Classic Viewand Lee Filters prize –Winner Image title Fire Within Location Birling Gap, East Sussex Technical details Canon EOS 5DS R with 24-70mm on a tripod; 0.6sec and f/11 at ISO 100. Processed in Adobe Lightroom Contact rachaeltalibart.com
compositions. Fire Within was created at Birling Gap, best known for its view of the Seven Sisters cliffs. I chose to exclude the cliffs to simplify the image and avoid distracting the viewer from the drama of that amazing sky. I will continue to create images that please me and if I think any of them stand a chance of success in LPOTY, I may enter them next year, but I absolutely won’t change what I do or try to second guess what the judges might like.
Above Sometimes excluding the obvious landmark, in this case the Seven Sisters cliffs, makes for an even more dramatic composition
“I’ve only gone and won it” were my first words on discovering that I was the winner of the Network Rail Lines in the Landscape Award. It has given me great personal satisfaction that my image appears alongside the diverse collection of stunning British landscapes that make up this year’s LPOTY exhibition and book. This is the third year in a row I have entered the competition and each time I have been so fortunate to see at least one of my images accepted. I was really pleased that my advanced planning and preparation paid off in capturing the winning image. I had been looking to extend a trip to Wales and came across Barmouth as a possible destination. Looking at some images online, I loved the potential offered by the railway bridge and booked a holiday
JonMartin
NetworkRail Lines in the LandscapeAward –Winner Image title The 0.52 from Barmouth Location Barmouth, Gwynedd Technical details Canon EOS 5DS R with 100- 400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens at 400mm; 1/80sec and f/5.6 at ISO 100. Processed in Adobe Photoshop Contact jonmartin.co.uk
Above Advance planning was the key to capturing this successful shot
apartment very close to it. Using an Ordnance Survey map, I identified a number of locations from which to photograph the bridge. The high viewpoint used in this image was actually the last one on the list.
I arrived at the hillside location one evening and liked that the natural curves in the sand were positioned above the straight lines of the man-made bridge. The scene also shows the difficulty involved
in constructing a 764-yard bridge across the challenging terrain of the Mawddach Estuary. Some early morning light was clearly needed, so I returned the next day and waited for the first train.
Powered by FlippingBook