Last year I managed to sneak a landscape image into the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition and book. I was delighted, but this year I’m very pleased to have had an actual wildlife image Highly Commended.
‘Wave Break’ is probably my favourite wildlife image from the past few years. Nothing about it was planned or pre-visualised, it was entirely reactive to an opportunity that presented itself for a brief few seconds. It is the polar opposite of the kind of wildlife photography that has provided much of my income this year, which mainly involved long hours waiting for pine martens.
It was great to see lots of familiar faces at the awards event at the Mall Galleries in London, and like last year I was humbled by the quality of work on display. The book is a big, gorgeous, coffee-table style hardback, and it was great to see that my image had been given a double page spread near the front of the book.
I’m so impressed so many of the images that made it into the book that there’s far too many photographers for me to mention. However I must quickly mention –
– Ben Andrew for his winning series in the British Seasons category. Four exceptional blends of wildlife and landscape – just wow.
– Caron Steele for her winning gannet image – one to stare into for a while
– Robin Goodlad’s otter image is beautiful and hilarious in equal measure.
– Steve Palmer for his winning Botanical Britain image. Wonderfully effective.
– Alex Hyde for his vibrant, mind-expanding insight into a square inch from a garden pond.
Also great to catch up/talk with Anthony Spencer, Andy Howard, John Moncrieff, Matt Cattell, Duncan Eames and plenty of others, and see the variety of work they had contributed to the final cut.
A final congratulations to Daniel Trim for his worthy overall winning image.
JAMES RODDIE PHOTOGRAPHY 