Gorgeous photos by the South Downs Nationwide Park images competition winners

Fire and Ice, by Jamie Fielding took the top rated spot in this year’s contest, impressing judges with a fascinating photograph of a frosty, crystalline treescape shrouded in a pink morning mist.

The theme for 2021/2022 was Mother nature Can make Me Content, celebrating the miracles of the natural globe and its capability to fill us with pleasure and inspiration.

This year’s competition tied in with the Nationwide Park’s ambitious character restoration programme, known as ReNature, and had a lot more than 360 entries.

The runner-up was A Glowing Hunt, by Richard Murray of Waterlooville, who was in a position to seize a uncommon second of a mother barn owl traveling majestically back to her nest with her prey.

Third place was awarded to Having It In, by Andy Flowerday, who photographed a walker gazing at the spectacle of a mist-stuffed valley at Devil’s Dyke, around Brighton.

Coming fourth area was Sing a Music, by Corinne Kozok, who submitted a gleeful picture of a singing robin.

The opposition judges had been award-winning photographers Finn Hopson, Carlotta Luke and Rachael Talibart, as perfectly as Doug Jones, SDNPA member.

About the successful impression, Carlotta says: ‘I like the mild and the emotion of the fog and all the layers in the photograph.

‘I would be genuinely delighted standing there seeking at this incredible scene in the South Downs.’

Finn says: A great deal of assumed has gone into this photograph. I totally really like these type of misty mornings in the South Downs when the sun is coming up and they make me really joyful.

‘I can just think about being there.’

Rachael adds: ‘I enjoy the distinction of heat and cold, the exquisite and considerate composition and the subtle processing. A quite classy picture.’

Jamie, from Angmering, West Sussex, picks up a £250 prize. He reported: ‘Sometimes mother nature just tends to make you sit back and say “wow”. This was just one this sort of morning.

‘There was a stunning mist shrouding Chanctonbury Ring and, supplied the sub-zero temperatures, a spectacular hoar frost was forming on the trees as very well as the ground.

‘As the sunlight started out to rise, the mist started to glow, offering an ethereal, otherworldly feel to the scene.

‘When circumstances participate in out like this, and character is on your aspect, it’s challenging not to occur again from a shoot with no a smile on your encounter.’

Judges adored the runner-up picture of the barn owl, with Rachael commenting: ‘This photo seriously helps make me delighted due to the fact I’m a sucker for a barn owl!

‘I just like them and they’re one of the most outstanding birds. Catching a barn owl with its prey is just great.’

Finn claims: ‘It’s a discussion starter, that is for certain, and you are going to have an emotional reaction both way.

‘I’ve only viewed a barn owl the moment in the Downs and it was outstanding.

‘To capture it in this type of photograph in complete flight with its prey is really extraordinary.’

Richard, who picks up a £150 prize, points out how he got the shot: ‘Barn owls are just one of the most majestic birds to observe and photograph.

‘I’d been observing this owl for many months in a area near to Petworth.

‘I was fortunate enough to be equipped to set up a disguise in the industry which permitted me to view this superb and extremely-effective predator effortlessly capture prey time and time all over again to just take back again to feed her chicks.

‘This photograph captures the owl returning to her younger following a different successful hunt, traveling via the insects which glistened in the night mild.’

Commenting on the breathtaking image of Devil’s Dyke, which earns Andy Flowerday a £100 prize, Doug suggests: ‘This displays a distinct aspect of nature. You can imagine yourself sitting there, but it wouldn’t remain like this for prolonged. It is a actually special second.’

And Rachael says: ‘This captures these types of an amazing moment in the South Downs, with a walker gazing at a mist-loaded valley and genuinely appreciating the purely natural world. It fits the short beautifully.’

Carlotta adds: ‘This is quintessentially the South Downs. It tends to make me happy.’

Andy, who life in Patcham, reported: ‘I went up to the Dyke just before sunrise on this early November early morning and the cloud inversion was currently filling the Dyke and was spread throughout the Weald as properly.

‘The mist was swirling all over, stirred up by the rising sunshine. I was just about to leave and determined to just take a few far more pictures as the gentle appeared fantastic – and the bonus was this man or woman resting and getting it all in, offering the scene a sense of scale.’

The pleasant picture of a robin was taken in the vicinity of Winchester, and earns Corinne Kozok, of Avington, a £50 prize.

‘This picture genuinely will make me smile,’ says Doug.

‘It’s nevertheless yet another illustration of how nature can assistance us – and why we should support the organic globe.’

The judges also remarkably-counseled two visuals: Cheesefoot Head In Wintertime by Ron De’Ath and South Downs Summer by Thomas Moore.

All the winning and counseled visuals, as perfectly as 16 other shortlisted images, will now be set forward to the People’s Selection.

Individuals will be capable to vote now for their favourite photograph and the winning photographer will get £100.

The on the net poll closes at midnight on January 31.

A information from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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