The winners of this year's Landscape Photographer of the Year competition have been revealed. Now in its tenth year, the contest celebrates the UK's most beautiful and dramatic scenery through the eyes of the nation's best amateur and professional photographers.
This year's overall winner is Matthew Cattell with a striking shot of starlings whirling over Brighton's derelict West Pier. He wins £10,000, and will see his picture published, along with all other shortlisted and commended images, in the annual Landscape Photographer of the Year book. The images will be displayed in a free exhibition on the balcony at Waterloo Station from Monday 21 November until 5 February 2017.
IBTimes UK presents a selection of winning images; to see more, go to www.take-a-view.co.uk.
Overall Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016 winner: Matthew Cattell, Starling Vortex, taken in Brighton, East Sussex, England. 'During the winter months hundreds of thousands of starlings assemble at Brighton Pier to roost for the night. The birds gather in large flocks and perform beautiful aerial displays before dropping down to the relative safety of the structure below. Standing on the pier allows the viewer to witness these murmurations from within as the birds flow and cascade around you. The windy conditions had whipped up the foam on the surface of the sea and I liked the way the motion of the incoming tide mimicked the movement of the birds. Rather than ‘freeze’ the action I used a longer exposure to exaggerate this vortex of motion. I retained the ruins of the West Pier to help locate the image.'Matthew Cattell/Landscape Photographer of the YearThe Great Britain Home Of Amazing Moments Award winner: Mark Gilligan, Finding Gold, taken at Wast Water, Cumbria, England. 'As landscape photographers we work with the elements and sometimes that combination creates views that are literally jaw-dropping. I was talking to my friend who is in the photograph with my back to the event that began to unfold behind me, when his face lit up and he ran off, shouting "Look at that!" I turned and saw the rainbow forming in a perfect arc over Wast Water. I had my camera to hand. Everything seemed to come together. My friend gave the photograph perspective. The rainbow faded but I felt we had literally found gold.'Mark Gilligan/Landscape Photographer of the YearNetwork Rail Lines In The Landscape Award winner: Francis Taylor, Sunshine-breaks through, taken at Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, EnglandFrancis Taylor/Landscape Photographer of the YearThe Sunday Times Magazine Award winner: Rachael Talibart, Maelstrom, taken in Newhaven, East Sussex, EnglandRachael Talibart/Landscape Photographer of the YearYour View winner: Tony Higginson, Shifting Sands, taken in Silverdale, Lancashire, England. 'Late morning on a sunny day in mid June is hardly a classic time to be photographing the landscape. However, when I arrived at Silverdale beach on the Lancashire coast, the conditions were unusual as the sea was as flat as a mill pond. I noticed that as the water receded from high tide, it was creating amazing shapes like mini estuaries in the edge of the sand. After spending some time photographing the interesting patterns, I decided to use them as the foreground for this wider landscape. I opted to use filters to smooth out what little texture there was in the sea and to give just a bit of movement to the sky, which added to the surreal quality of the photograph.'Tony Higginson/Landscape Photographer of the YearUrban View winner: Lesley Smith, Demolition, Red Road Flats, Glasgow, Scotland. 'The original demolition had been scheduled for the opening of Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 but public pressure put this back to 11 October 2015. I took up position at the gate at about 10am, as demolition had been scheduled for 1pm. Crowds started gathering about noon and my tripod and I stood still. Finally, at 3.17pm, the siren went and 10 seconds later there was a huge boom as the flats started to collapse. A minute later it was all over. It was about another minute before I plucked up the courage to look at the back of my camera to make sure I had my shot.'Lesley Smith/Landscape Photographer of the YearClassic View winner: Dougie Cunningham, Shelter from the Storm, taken at Loch Stack in Sutherland, north-western Scotland. 'This was a once-in-a-lifetime scene. Driving through Sutherland during Storm Desmond, I was passing Loch Stack when the wind whipped up a huge waterspout and I pulled in to watch the wind toying with the waters of the loch. With the glen funnelling the storm towards the loch it was too windy to stand outside, so I repositioned myself in the lay-by for a good composition and set up the tripod in the back of the van. With the shot framed through the side window, each time a big gust ripped the water from the surface of the loch I’d pop the door open for a couple of seconds in the relative lull that followed its passing ... Then I'd dry my kit and try again with the next gust! This was one of only a handful of frames not spoiled by rain on the filter.'Dougie Cunningham/Landscape Photographer of the YearLiving the View winner: Martin Burks, Chrome-Hill, taken in the Peak District, Derbyshire, England. "The forecast looked good for a misty autumn morning, so I drove across from Lincoln to Chrome Hill in the Peak District. I’d wanted to capture a dramatic sunrise here for a while. It was a stunning view above the fog and there were a group of other photographers who I enjoyed chatting with. This one eventually made his way back down the hill and I liked the scale he added to the scene.'Martin Burks/Landscape Photographer of the YearOverall Young Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016 winner: Hannah Faith Jackson, Mirror Bar, taken in Glasgow, Scotland. 'Glasgow is a city of two worlds: the relaxed atmosphere of the bar and the vibrant life of the street. I took this photograph just as the dark van approached and the couple appeared deep in the bar. I love the positive and reverse images created by a sea of glass.Hannah Faith Jackson/Landscape Photographer of the YearClassic View youth class winner: James Bailey, Hoarfrost-at-Herringfleet-Mill, Suffolk, England. 'Due to a forecast of freezing fog the night before, we left home at 4.30am in the morning to get to Herringfleet for dawn, a location we’d previously discussed as being worth the visit photography-wise. When we got there, there were memorable images everywhere but this picture immediately leaped out – I particularly enjoyed the covering of frost that the grass and the bridge had received. The hoarfrost helps to accentuate the dilapidated nature of the windmill and structures surrounding it.'James Bailey/Landscape Photographer of the YearYour View youth class winner: Henry Memmott, Floating Feather, taken at Glengavel Reservoir, Lanarkshire, Scotland. 'This feather is from the Canada geese that inhabit the reservoir and I decided to compose an image in which the feather floated on the surface. With little wind, the water’s surface was still, which also allowed for the reflection to be seen.'Henry Memmott/Landscape Photographer of the YearLiving the View youth class winner: Rowan Ashworth, Sunset Explorer, taken in Hushinish, Isle of Harris, Scotland. 'I was allowed to stay up very late to go and photograph the sunset with my Dad. This is my Dad climbing above the sea.'Rowan Ashworth/Landscape Photographer of the YearUrban View youth class winner: Henry Memmott, City Lights, taken in Glasgow, Scotland. 'Taken from a footbridge over the M8 motorway in the centre of Glasgow. I used a long exposure to create light trails with the brake lights and headlights of the cars passing below. I wanted to have mainly red trails to help increase the feeling of movement.'Henry Memmott/Landscape Photographer of the YearCommended: Justin Minns, Room with a View, East Winch, Norfolk, EnglandJustin Minns/Landscape Photographer of the YearCommended: Gary Horner, Winter Sunrise, Herringfleet Smock Mill, Suffolk, EnglandGary Horner/Landscape Photographer of the YearHighly Commended: Mirek Galagus, The Guardian of The Island, Beachy Head, East Sussex, EnglandMirek Galagus/Landscape Photographer of the Year
