Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015

I am thrilled to be able to announce that I have been named as the 2015 Landscape Photographer of the Year with my image “Bat’s Head in the Snow”. 

 

Winning is a dream come true. I’ve entered each year since 2009 and, until receiving a commendation last year, never made it to the shortlist stage. Making it to the book was exciting and to have made it to the press release would have been incredible. Being honoured with the overall win is pure bucket list stuff. 

I was utterly dumbstruck when Charlie called me to deliver the news. Completely blindsided. It took several days for it to sink in.

Being from Dorset, it’s especially rewarding to have won with an image from one of the county’s most visited beaches and one I visit regularly. Dorset has its fair share of “honeypot” locations and, like it or loath it, they are iconic because of their natural beauty. When they are only a short drive away, it allows for one to be more picky with conditions than for those who have to come from further afield.  This view, which is an 180 degrees turn from Durdle Door, often plays poor cousin to the arch, but is nonetheless a super bit of The Jurassic Coast.
 
It’s not often that you  see snow in South Dorset, especially on the beaches so  seeing snow forecast, it was naturally a time when I was keen to capture some unique images. I had to abandon the car half way up the hill from Lulworth to the Durdle Door campsite and then walk the rest of the way to the coast in the dark.

The curved lines of sand revealed beneath the snow by the sea drew my attention, so I switched to my 50mm Zeiss, popped on a Lee 1.2ND to simplify the water and shot a series of images, this being my favourite.

Congratulations to all the talented photographers, many of whom are great friends, who made it past the shortlist and into the book. If you weren’t lucky enough to get shortlisted this time, keep at it. Each year when I select my entries, I look at my previous years’ entries with part surprise, part embarrassment, but with steady progress and slightly less embarrassment than the previous year.