Photography News Issue 39

Photography News | Issue 39 | absolutephoto.com

Interview

but there has been significant progression in equipment and editing software, which has had an effect; larger file sizes and improved printers help with exhibitions for example. We are planning a book that will look back over our first ten years, with images from each collection, which will be out in April 2017. What elements were you looking for in a winning image? I think most of my fellow judges would agree that you don’t enter the judging process looking for specifics. Yes, there are certain elements such as lighting, technique, balance and composition that are crucial, but it is the emotion that you feel when looking at the complete photograph that determines whether or not it speaks to you and stands out from the others. With Matthew’s image, the shutter speed was perfectly chosen to create a different interpretation of an iconic structure.

There is still definition in the turbulent waves but the level of blur on the birds creates the spinning vortex that gives the image its title and a rather spooky Hitchcockian resonance. What advice would you give to anyone looking to enter next year’s competition? Britain has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and so it is important to let the subject speak through your images. If you’re not emotionally involved in the process of creating your image, then how will others be? Consider the whole; don’t just focus on your central subject but check the edges of your frame to ensure that there is nothing there that wasn’t intended. ‘Attend and intend’ is rather a favourite saying of mine at the moment; attend to what you are doing and ensure that all in your image is intended.

Images, clockwise from left: Finding Gold by Mark Gilligan, winner of the GREAT Britain #OMGB Award; Floating Feather by Henry Memmott, winner in the Youth Your View category; Shifting Sands by Tony Higginson, winner in the Your View category; Demolition by Lesley Smith, winner in the Urban View category. “This is my second year of entering competitions, and having had no success the year before it had crossed my mind not to enter. However I managed to find some time to pull together a set of images and submit them. “For me, this photograph stands out from the others I have taken recently because it combines both of my interests – landscape and wildlife photography. The resulting image portrays an iconic coastal landmark in a more unusual way. “Charlie left me speechless when he first told me I had won Landscape Photographer of the Year. I found out a week before the official press release and had to keep quiet which was incredibly difficult as I wanted to tell everyone. “It has been quite exhilarating to see my image in print and especially among so many other fantastic photographs. “I’ve never been part of an exhibition before and it will be great to see all of the photographs together at London Waterloo. I am looking forward to meeting and discussing the work with the other successful photographers and the public.” Hear fromthewinner MatthewCattell

It is the emotion that you feel when looking at the complete photograph that determines whether or not it speaks to you

Find out more at take-a-view.co.uk

See thewinning images

This year’s winning images will be exhibited on the balcony of London Waterloo station from 21 November 2016 until 5 February 2017, with a nationwide tour around some of Britain’s biggest stations planned for spring 2017. The Awards book, Landscape Photographer of the Year: Collection 10 (AA Publishing), with all 153 winning and commended images is available in bookshops and online now for £25. Landscape Photographer of the Year is held in association with VisitBritain and the GREAT Britain – Home of Amazing Moments campaign, with exhibition support from Network Rail. take-a-view.co.uk