The winners of the prestigious Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022 competition have been announced. Here’s a selection of our favourites
Landscape Photographer of the Year has now been running for 15 editions. Founded in 2006 by the hugely well-respected landscape photographer, Charlie Waite, each year the judges have the unenviable task of looking through many thousands of images to decide on the best of the best.
The competition is open to images of the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, but photographers can be of any nationality. As well as the main adult competition, a youth award runs alongside it, both sharing the same main categories – many of which you’ll see on these two spreads. The categories are Classic View, Urban Life, Black and White and Your View. There also special awards, comprising Coast, Historic Britain, Lines in the Landscape and Landscapes at Night.
One of the most prestigious competitions to be shortlisted in, it also has a prize fund worth more than £20,000 and culminates in a touring exhibition across the country.
Judges for this year’s competition include some of the leading names in photography and publishing – many of whom you’ll have seen in the pages of our magazine and online. Acclaimed photographers such as Lizzie Shepherd, Verity Milligan and Martin Evening are on the judging panel, as is our very own editor, Nigel Atherton.
The overall prize goes to William Davies, for his beautiful image of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales, while the overall Youth award goes to Natasha Burns for her beautiful shot taken in Argyll.
As well as a touring exhibition, a hardback book, published by Ilex Press, containing all of the winners, plus many more runners-up, highly commended, commended and shortlisted images, is available to buy.
For more information on the competition, the exhibition, the book and how to enter next year’s competition, visit www.lpoty.co.uk
See the winners below
Landscape Photographer of the Year overall winner 2022
William Davies – Brecon In Winter
Location: Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales
Canon EOS 5DSR, EF 70-200mm f/4L
Image: William Davies
Taken from the Pen-y-Crug hillfort, the viewpoint provides a stunning panorama of Brecon and the surrounding mountains in South Wales. William says, ‘On this December morning,
I arrived in the gloom before dawn but was lucky to find the sunlight soon breaking through a clearing in the snowstorm, adding a burst of warmth and colour to the scene.’ William used a telephoto lens, which has helped to compress the sunlit fields and the snow-covered hills and mountains in the background.
Landscape Photographer of the Year Overall Youth winner 2022
Natasha Burns – Dawn Reflection
Location: Loch Creran, Argyll, Scotland
Nikon D3400, 55-300mm f/4-5.6
Image: Natasha Burns
Your View category winner
Simon Turnball – Oh! Limpet Games
Location: Ayrmer Cove, Devon, England
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
Image: Simon Turnball
Simon came across this fascinating scene while wandering along the Devon coast. He was immediately taken by its intriguing lines and colours, with the rock pool providing a wonderful composition and the limpets adding interest. He describes them as ‘playfully sliding down the gully like an Olympic bobsleigh team’.
Black and White category winner
Paul Killeen – Souls Tied
Location: Stranocum, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L
Image: Paul Killeen
Paul’s beautifully peaceful image has a poignant message behind it. Taken on the same day as the funeral of a family friend, the two birds at the centre of the image reminded the photographer of his late friend Lynsey and her husband Simon.
Urban Life category winner
Kevin Williams – Fully Loaded
Location: The Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk, England
Nikon D810, 24-120mm f/4
Image: Kevin Williams
Kevin used a long exposure of 120 seconds to achieve this beautiful image.
Coast category winner
Gray Eaton – The Sacred Garden
Location: Anglesey, Wales
Nikon D3, 14mm f/2.8
Image: Gray Eaton
This tiny chapel – St Cwyfan – has been photographed many times. Inaccessible at high tide, Gray wanted to capture something that was a little different. In a single frame he wanted to show both the chapel and the aquatic world surrounding it, along with the submerged garden of algae.
Lines in the Landscape category winner
Damian Waters – Loch Awe
Location: Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 17-40mm f/4
Image: Damian Waters
Damian planned this image before arriving at the scene, but discovered that the train was delayed on his arrival. He thought that the evening would close in too quickly, but just in the nick of time, the train emerged from the gloom.
Inspired by these photos? See more photography competitions to enter here.
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