Picture credit: Danny Beath
Tributes have been paid to Danny Beath, from Shropshire, who had triumphed with a photo entitled Storm over Blackstone Nature Reserve, Severn Valley (above).
Danny, who was in his early 50s and worked as a tropical ecologist, died following a heart attack on 14 January, having moved house the day before, said Wanderlust magazine editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes.
‘It’s incredibly sad that he didn’t knew he’d won and didn’t receive his prize.’
The Wanderlust contest pulled in more than 7,000 entries.
Danny’s prize would have been a photography commission to Papua New Guinea.
It is understood that Danny, who lived in Shrewsbury, had just renewed his passport, perhaps in anticipation of his win.
Paying tribute, Lyn added in a statement: ‘Danny was thrilled to have made it into the final of Wanderlust’s Travel Photo of the Year awards yet again.
‘He was particularly delighted as it was with a British landscape; he had always entered photos from overseas in previous years. He commented both by email and on the myWanderlust forum on how excited he was.
‘We already knew that he had actually won this year, but couldn’t reveal it. I just wish he’d known before he died because it would have meant so much to him.
‘He was a great talent and a lovely man.’
Commenting on the winning image, judge Paul Goldstein said: ‘This satisfies on so many levels: [for] flora lovers, storm lovers and train spotters – just outstanding all round.’
Last year, Danny won The Sunday Times Magazine‘s Choice Award at the Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year.
The Papua New Guinea prize will go unclaimed and it is possible the landscape category of future Wanderlust competitions will bear his name in some way in honour of the photographer, say organisers.
Danny’s funeral took place last week.
Danny Beath
