Make sure you check out our Q&A with competition winner George Stoyle
Prey’s Eye View by Jamie Hall
Highly Commended – Behaviour
‘I was lucky to spend the summer of 2015 working on photographing a pair of little owls,’ says Jamie. ‘The owls would sit on fence posts along the edge of a field to look into the long grass for prey. This shot was taken as an owl flew from one post to another. It momentarily stalled above the camera and hovered briefly, which was just enough time for me.’
Photo by Jamie Hall
Rain Shower by Richard Peters
Highly Commended – Portraits
‘This is a camera-trap set-up of a badger walking across my decking in the rain,’ says Richard. ‘I used flashguns to light it and did some dodging and burning in Lightroom to enhance the rain, and reduce the shadows where minor light had reflected back against the garden wall behind.’
Photo by Richard Peters
Two Worlds by Jon P Perry
Highly Commended – Urban
Jon used a 50mm lens to capture this fox he encountered on a walk home after an evening’s disappointing photography. The short focal length has forced him to get close and gives the picture intimacy.
Photo by Jon P Perry
Looking Up by Ken Crossan
Highly Commended – Black & White
Wearing protective clothing, Ken entered a dense stand of these 5m phototoxic giant hogweed plants and, looking up, used a wideangle lens to capture the convergent flower heads. The image was then converted to black & white to emphasise the graphic nature of the scene.
Photo by Ken Crossan
Hidden Beauty by Cal Cottrell
Highly Commended – Portfolio
This image is a great demonstration of how keeping your eyes peeled can pay dividends. Cal actually found this emperor moth clinging to a roadworks traffic light. The saturated colours, patterns and light have all worked together to create an abstract collage of textures.
Photo by Cal Cottrell
The Remains of the Jay by Adrian Clarke
Highly Commended – Portraits
‘I was surprised to see a sparrowhawk finishing off a jay and starting to eat it,’ says Adrian of this lucky encounter in Jackson’s Coppice, Staffordshire. ‘The bird was not bothered by my presence. As I slowly inched closer, it continued to eat, looking up only occasionally.’
Photo by Adrian Clarke
Red Squirrel Landing on Log in Woodland Habitat by Mark Hamblin
Highly Commended – Wild Woods
‘Twelve years ago I rarely saw a red squirrel in my local woods, but after regularly supplying them with hazelnuts I can virtually guarantee seeing them from my hide in one of the clearings, with as many as 12 individuals visiting last summer,’ says Mark of his photograph, taken in Inverness-shire.
Photo by Mark Hamblin
Brown Eyed Girl by Sam Hobson
Highly Commended – Behaviour
‘Here, in a large garden in the city suburbs, I replaced a flowerpot with a remote soundproofed camera directly outside an active fox den, hoping that I could photograph the very young cubs as they ventured out,’ says Sam. ‘To my surprise, the vixen returned and suckled them right in front of the camera. She remained on high alert in this tender and vulnerable moment, with her ears constantly swivelling to listen for danger.’
Photo by Sam Hobson
Contemplation by Jamie Mina
Winner – Portraits
‘The idea for this shot was to take the camera off the tripod and get down low to the same level as the mountain hare, placing the camera on a small mound of heather for stability,’ says Jamie. ‘This allowed me to throw the foreground out of focus and make the hare stand out more. The lone grass stalk was an unintended bonus and, I think, adds further interest to the composition.’
Photo by Jamie Mina
River Ratty by Drew Buckley
Highly Commended – Portraits
Through habitat management and constant upkeep, water voles, which are fast declining across Britain, have been reintroduced in East Malling, Kent. Carefully cultivated areas such as these present wonderful opportunities for photographers by delivering fantastic views as well as, crucially, a safe habitat for their subjects.
Photo by Drew Buckley
Free Bird by Chaitanya Deshpande
Winner – Black & White
Chaitanya has made use of the thick fog engulfing the London cityscape, and has been fortunate enough to capture this moment as a lone bird flies high above the streets. The juxtaposition is beautifully stark.
To see the remaining images, visit www.bwpawards.org
