Richard Bloom used a Canon EOS 5D Mark II to win the £7,500 jackpot, shooting on a tripod at ¼sec, f/16 and ISO 160. Filters included a polariser. Richard said he used basic image-management, post-capture [Photo credit: © Richard Bloom]
The Suffolk-based photographer landed the top prize of £7,500 with his ‘Tekapo Lupins’ shot, taken at Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Commenting on his triumphant image, captured using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and 24-70mm lens, Bloom said: ‘On the way to Lake Tekapo on the South Island of New Zealand in early summer, the landscape – already amazing – was scattered with drifts of naturalised lupins, which gave it an almost psychedelic, wonderland feel.
‘The banks of this stream were bristling with masses of different coloured lupins stretching toward the distant hills and out of shot to the west, giving the sense that they went on forever.’
Tyrone McGlinchey, managing director of Garden World Images which runs the contest, said: ‘This picture is totally immersive and a joy to behold.
‘The eye is led to the horizon by the diagonals of the stream and the trees, with the cool blue notes in the foreground complemented by the warmth of the rising ground in the distance.
‘The cobbles of the stream and endless lupins beautifully orchestrate the picture’s structure and texture, while the trees soften the scene, making this an elegant symphony of plants and nature.’
Mandy Disher from Cambridgeshire bagged top spot in the portfolio category, winning £2,000 and a gold medal from the Royal Photographic Society.
The winning images will go on show at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, from 6 February-13 March.
To view all this year’s winners, visit www.igpoty.com.
