Shooting the British weather

Landscape Photographer of the Year

Someone once told me that when people say, ‘Britain is beautiful, but it’s a shame about the weather’, they always replied that Britain is beautiful because of the weather. How right they are. All the images in the nine years of the Take a view Landscape Photographer of the Year awards have reflected Britain’s weather, be it haze rising from a summer beach or a wind-lashed tree clinging to a rock face.

There’s still enough time to send in your entries for this year’s competition, as the closing date for LPOTY 2016 is 10 July – that’s this Sunday!

The competition is divided into the adult Landscape Photographer of the Year Award and the Young Landscape Photographer of the Year Award, with four categories (Classic View, Living the View, Urban View and Your View) for both awards.

The overall winner will take home the LPOTY 2016 title and a top prize of £10,000. The category winners receive £1,000, so make sure you get your entries in!. Visit www.take-a-view.co.uk for more information.

Portsmouth

Doug Chinnery

A cohesive relationship between sky and land is pivotal to the success of an image. You instantly react to this picture by seeing that it works because the lone cloud is positioned exactly over the building, and the black & white treatment removes distraction and makes you focus on the key elements. Simplicity can be very effective.

Rocquaine Bay

Tim Harvey

Images of British weather don’t have to be overly dramatic, but in this case Tim’s image of huge waves battering the Guernsey coast certainly is, and reflects the storms we have seen over the past decade. The feeling of human helplessness against the forces of nature is palpable, whereas the birds are able to ride the storm with ease.

The New Forest

David Baker

It is not possible to talk about British weather without mentioning mist. A dawn mist simplifies a landscape and can hide extraneous details and focus attention. David visited a nearby woodland on a number of occasions to create a series of images. The monochrome conversion creates a scene that would not be out of place in The Lord of the Rings.

Winter on Rannoch Moor

Wilco Dragt

There is no doubt that the British weather frequently fails to comply with one’s wishes, but a bit of lateral thinking can often result in a successful trip. When the weather is dull and the sky has little interest, intimate, detailed views become miniature landscapes in their own right. This image of ice patterns is fascinating, and the ambiguous sense of scale draws in the viewer. The sweeping curves form an interesting juxtaposition with the little lines formed in the ice by the freezing process.

Storm over Scroby Sands Wind Farm

Jon Gibbs

Jon’s image of a wind farm off the Norfolk coast was our first overall winner back in 2007, and a very memorable one. Weather conditions can be extremely localised, so it can be rewarding to previsualise an image close to where you live, so you can react quickly when you see the perfect light approaching, as Jon did. The concept here is strong, with the two power sources combining to result in a striking effect.

Rannoch Moor

David Mould

A lot of different elements have to come together to make a successful rainbow photograph. A rainbow is not something that you can walk around, to make the perfect composition. In David’s case, he managed to be in the right place at the right time, but then made the most of the opportunity that presented itself. The double rainbow set against the majesty of the mountain creates an image full of atmosphere.

Langport, Somerset

Tony Gill

The floods that have affected large parts of Britain in the past few years have been devastating, but create temporary landscapes that can make familiar views new and strange. Tony’s image has a quiet tranquillity, which is at odds with the storms that caused the scene.

Loch Tulla

Fortunato Gatto

In the history of these awards, snow scenes tend to be peaceful views taken after the snow has fallen. This image is different. A good photograph appeals to the senses, and here you can almost hear the wind whistling and feel the snow stinging your face as the cold eats into your bones.

Edinburgh

Bill Terrance

This image stirs the imagination – you want to know why the person has decided to brave the weather and shelter out in the elements, rather than run for cover. The curving path leads your eye through the scene, and the water pouring down the channel adds further texture.

The closing date for LPOTY 2016 is Sunday 10 July. There are four categories – Classic View, Living the View, Urban View and Your View – and the overall winner will take home the LPOTY 2016 title and a top prize of £10,000. Each category winner will receive £1,000. Visit www.take-a-view.co.uk to enter and for information on entry fees.