Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) announced the three winners in the fifth annual Nature Photography Competition on Monday. The winning picture, taken by Jennifer Sanger of Pitlochry, shows a reflection of a summer day’s sky on a perfectly still loch – with her colourful shoes and socks edging into the picture. An image of Bass Rock came second place and an Edinburgh surfer caught a wave to win third place.
This year the SNH asked entrants to the open competition to explain how their photos showed the gifts of nature.
Photos were judged along with the entrants’ explanation of what their photos meant to them.
Jennifer said of her entry: “This picture is special to me because the sky is so clear in the water, and it looks like I could just step right into it. Wherever I go in life the landscape will change, the creatures will be different and the sounds will be new. But looking up at the sky always reminds me that it is all part of the same picture.”
Catherine Clark of Inverness won second place for a picture of a gannet offering a feather to its mate at Bass Rock.
Catherine said of her entry: “A sense of awe and amazement overcame me as we approached the rock, which was alive with thousands and thousands of gannets. Watching these pairs bond in this way allowed me to connect with nature in my own way – something that is often neglected in these modern times.”
In third place was keen surfer James York of Edinburgh, who caught the moment as a wave bathed in golden light rolls in. James said: “The light, the water, the grass, the space. All singing nature’s silent harmony. Broken only by the click of the shutter.”
The photography contest is part of SNH celebrations of Scottish Biodiversity Week, which takes place in May every year. The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers.
First prize in the contest was a one-to-one tutorial with a professional photographer; second prize, an Olympus E-450 Digital SLR camera; and third prize, a Panasonic Lumix F245 Digital Camera and a Hama Star tripod.
The winners’ pictures will be showcased on the SNH website, and will be displayed at a venue to be confirmed later this year.
Zeshan Akhter, a SNH biodiversity officer who organises the contest, said:
“The pictures, and our winners’ words, show how beautiful places and wildlife can move us and make our lives better and more meaningful. Nature gives us so many gifts every day – actually, every moment and every breath we take. But it’s easy to take nature for granted. These pictures are a brilliant reminder of how important nature is to us all.”
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