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British Wildlife Photography Awards 2019 |
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The awards celebrate both the work of amateur and professional
photographers and the beauty and diversity of British wildlife. Winning
images are chosen from thousands of entries in fifteen separate
categories including a category for film and two junior categories to
encourage young people to connect with nature through photography.
Grey herons thrive around London’s wilder waterways, but they also do
well in more urban settings such as the smaller parks and canals,
despite the litter and large numbers of people walking by. This
individual was hunting in the cover of a bridge – presumably the fish
were taking shelter among the fallen leaves and plastic bottles. The
morning light shining through a grill gives the impression that the bird
is trapped as it gazes out through the mesh.
To mark its tenth anniversary and help raise awareness about our
coast; its incredible biodiversity and the threats it is facing BWPA
have expanded the Coast and Marine category to include British and Irish
Coastlines within four separate categories; Wales, Scotland, England,
and Northern Ireland & the Coast of Ireland.
CJS has been a sponsor of the Awards since the first competition in
2010, we've sponsored a few different categories over the years but
recently we've been delighted to be associated with the Botanical
Britain section. This year there is another incredible image: a
single bluebell in a sea of green mare's tail, it was captured by Jack
Mortimer in Worton Woods, Oxfordshire
Last night (Wednesday 18) saw the gala opening of the tenth British
Wildlife Photography Awards.
Hosted by Mark Carwardine who comments “Who needs penguins or polar
bears when we have puffins and badgers? "With so many photographers scouring the globe for exotic megafauna,
it’s easy to forget how much wildlife we have in our own small and
densely populated backyard. Just look up – from behind your desk, the
kitchen sink or inside your car – and the chances are you will see a
wild creature of one kind or another. A red fox running across a field,
a blue tit on the bird table, or a red kite over the motorway. We are
very fortunate in having an outstanding biodiversity in this country –
so it’s not surprising that British Wildlife Photography Awards has
become one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the wildlife
photography calendar. "This year, BWPA celebrates its tenth anniversary and I am delighted
that it is marking the occasion by focusing on British coasts. The Coast
and Marine category has now been expanded to include four separate
categories" There's one category for each nation of the British isles, the
overall winner (above) was the entry for Scotland.
Click through to see all the winners.
ExhibitionOver 100 images including the winning and commended entries launches
at the Mall Galleries, London, commencing Tuesday 16th September 2019
and is open until 1pm Sunday September 22nd. After this the
exhibition will go on tour around the country, See
the full tour details here to find a location close to you so you
can see the incredible images in glorious full size. We are collating our coverage of the awards including many of the
winning images here:
https://countryside-jobs.com/NewsArchive/2019/BWPA19.html Want to go to next year's gala?
You can enter any countryside relevant image at any time, we are suggesting themes each month. As the summer season is mostly over this month (September) the theme is Visitors and Recreation and the winning image for September will receive a membership package (individual, joint or family) to Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - you never know you might snap another winning image when visiting one of their many amazing sites. Full details of the CJS Photo Competition here.
So which one do you like?
But we did manage to narrow it down to one or two favoured images.
We were all drawn to bird images this year.
Rich Bunce: Brighter Skies on the Hoizon (Rock dove),
Burley in Wharfdale, West Yorkshire
Both Amy and Carla chose Rich Bunce's Brighter Skies on the Horizon
which won the Habitats Category. "I just think it’s a really
lovely photograph and like how it’s got the houses & trees below… plus
it’s in Yorkshire!" says Carla. Amy thought the silhouette like
images of the birds were amazing adding, "then there are the different
layers to the photo with the mist, the sun allows you to just make out
the houses and trees below."
Brown hare on a damp spring morning,
Havergate Island, Suffolk by Thomas Easterbrook (Age 11)
Congratulations to all the photographers, your images are incredible and amazing.
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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If
you take photographs of anything countryside related, it doesn’t have to
be wildlife then you should consider entering our own photography
competition and you never know you might end up at the gala! We have a
very special prize for the overall winner (and guest) of our photography
competition who will receive an invitation to the gala opening night of
next year's awards. This year's awards ceremony was held on
Wednesday and was hosted by Mark Carwardine. You'll get to see all the
winning photographs in high definition, get to meet the photographers
and the judges as well as representatives from the many supporters.
Entry is exclusively by invitation only, this really is a special prize
that money can't buy.
The
CJS Team has been pouring over the lovely photographs all week,
marvelling at the skill and patience needed. As Katie says: "Glad
I’m not a judge, I like all of them!" 
Katie
was drawn to this one as well saying, "it’s a view we never get to
see and I like how the birds stand out as the town wakes up beneath" but
then kept scrolling though the images and fell for the blue tits by Paul
Sawer, "I love the Blue Tits in Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn
(can’t pick which one though!)."
The
image that caught my attention was Robin Chittenden's swift
skimming the water, the technical skill required to achieve such a
perfectly composed, in focus image and the reflection too - magic.
And
a special mention for the hare photo taken by Thomas Easterbrook aged 11
- I have soft spot for hares and this one looks so wise, holding so many
secrets. 
