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AGS Photographic Competition 2021

March 20, 2022
Here are the winning images from this year's AGS Photographic Competition

It has been another difficult year for photographers, with most of us unable to visit our usual mountain destinations.  Most of the entrants used this as an opportunity to revisit past trips and to enter in the Photographic Competition images they have previously overlooked.

The number of entries in the 2021 competition was down on the exceptional total last year, but nevertheless there were many excellent images in this year’s competition.  Classes 6 and 9 were particularly highly competitive, and the judges were hard-pressed to separate the winners. Because there were so many images of such high quality, the judges awarded one or more images in each class ‘Highly Commended’ status, where they had missed out narrowly on the prizes.

We would like to thank the judges for their hard work (a long and gruelling but enjoyable day of Zoom meetings), and of course all the exhibitors for entering such an impressive array of pictures and making the judges’ job so difficult, but so rewarding.

Class One: (35 entries) An alpine or rock plant in a natural (wild) landscape

Entries for this class should feature both a plant (or plants) and the landscape or habitat in which they grow.  The plant or plants should feature prominently in the photo, but be balanced by the landscape; the scenery should support and not dominate the composition, but convey a sense of context and geographical location.  In this class, perhaps more than any other, good composition is key, and that is easier to achieve with a well-defined, compact clump of flowers rather than a meadow full of flowers, spreading out of the image on all sides.

First        Celia Sawyer, Long Compton, Warwickshire, UK

  • Paeonia saueri
  • Rhodopi Mountains, Greece.  April, 2016.
  • Camera: Nikon D7100 with Tamron SP AF 10-24mm lens at 14mm
  • Exposure 1/60 sec at f16, ISO 500.

The judges loved the careful framing of the peonies here, and the balance between the well-captured habitat and the visual impact of the red flowers.  The use of the wide-angle focal length allows the photographer to capture prominent foreground flowers, supported by a tumbling meadow of supporting blooms, receding to the woods beyond.

Second   Ursula Junker Olten, Switzerland.

  • Pulsatilla alpina
  • Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.  July 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D500 with 10-20mm lens at 14mm
  • Exposure 1/100 sec at f25, ISO 320.

Third          Liam McCaughey, Ballinderry Upper, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

  • Jaborosa volkmannii
  • Photographed December 2005 at Caviahue, Argentina, on an AGS tour.
  • Camera: Canon Powershot S60 with 5.8 – 20.7mm zoom lens (28 – 100mm equiv) at 5.81mm (28mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/600 sec at f6.3, ISO 50.

Highly Commended: Cedrik Haskovec, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Campanula thyrsoides
  • French Alps. July 2015.
  • Camera: Camera Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with 4.5 – 108mm (25 – 600mm equiv)  at 4.5mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/1000 sec at f4.0, ISO 100.

Highly Commended: Bill Raymond

  • Helianthemum oelandicum
  • Ibon de Astons, Spanish Pyrenees 2013.
  • Camera: no information
  • Exposure no information.

Highly Commended: Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • Lobelia rhynchopetalum
  • Bale Mountains, 3800m, Ethiopia September 2007.
  • Camera: Nikon D50 with 18-200mm lens at 46mm
  • Exposure 1/100 sec at f14, ISO 200.

Highly Commended: Bill Raymond

  • Primula elatior
  • Sierra de Bernera, Spanish Pyrenees, 2013.
  • Camera: no information
  • Exposure no information.

Class Two: (43 entries) Portrait of an alpine or rock plant in the wild

In this class the essential element is to feature a plant in its entirety (more in the manner of a botanical study), including all flowers, leaves and stems. The immediate scenery need only suggest a wild location.

 First       Stepanka Haskovcova, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Acantholimon venustum.
  • Pontic Mountains, Turkey: June 2013.
  • Camera Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with 4.5 – 108mm (25 – 600mm equiv)  at 4.5mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/1000 sec at f4.0, ISO 100.

This image has a simple central composition which is very effective.  The subject is in excellent condition, with the flowers just opening, and although the image is backlit, there is enough light on the front of the plant to show crisp detail of both the flower scapes and the cushion beneath.

Second   Hilary Birks, Norway        

  • Cypripedium tibeticum.
  • Balang Shan, Sichuan, China. June 2011
  • Camera: Pentax *ist DL2 with 18-55mm lens at 33mm:
  • Exposure 1/45 sec at f11, ISO 200.

Third       John Dower, Frodsham, Cheshire, UK

  • Tussilago farfara.
  • French Alps: May 2014.
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ8 with 4.5 – 49.2mm (25–300mm equiv)  at 4.1mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/400 sec at f5.6, ISO 80.

Highly Commended: Ursula Junker, Switzerland

  • Matthiola valesiaca
  • Simplon pass, Valais, Switzerland: May 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D500 with 40mm f2.8 macro lens
  • Exposure 1/1000 sec at f3.2, ISO 500.

Highly Commended: John Dower, Frodsham, Cheshire, UK

  • Primula veris
  • Dolomites, June 2019.
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with 4.5 – 108mm (25 – 600mm equiv)  at 4.5mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure: 1/500 sec at f4, ISO 100.

Highly Commended: Arne Jakobsen,  Norway

  • Pulsatilla vernalis
  • Dovrefjell Mountains, Norway, May 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D750 with 60mm f2.8 macro lens
  • Exposure 1/250 sec at f18, ISO 640.

Highly Commended: Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • Saxifraga florulenta
  • Belvédère, vallée de la Gordolasque, 2330m, Alpes Maritimes July 2017.
  • Camera: Nikon D7200 with 18-270mm lens at 270mm
  • Exposure 1/200 sec at f13, ISO 320.

Class Three: (46 entries) Close-up detail of an alpine or rock plant

Here the photographer should be trying to reveal the more intimate beauty of alpines by emphasizing features of special interest, such as individual flower(s), groups of leaves or magnified floral structures. The picture can be taken in the wild, in the garden or in the studio, with natural or artificial lighting.

First        Stepanka Haskovcova, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Alchemilla sp.
  • Mt. Lagazuoi, Dolomites, Italy. June, 2018.
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 with 9.1 – 146mm (25-400mm equiv) lens at 9.12mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/2000 sec at f5.0, ISO 200.

The judges loved the sparkle and life of the light in the water drops caught in the hairs of this Alchemilla leaf, whether they be dew, or rain, or sprayed on by an artful photographer

Second   Hilary Birks, Norway.

  • Schmalhausenia nidulans.
  • Tien Shan, Almaty, Kazakhstan. June 2008.
  • Camera: Sony DSC-T200 with 5.8-29mm (35-175mm equiv) lens at 5.8mm (35mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/60 sec at f3.5, ISO 100.

Third      Celia Sawyer, Long Compton, Warwickshire, UK.       

  • Crocus speciosus.
  • Own garden in Long Compton, Warwickshire, UK: October 2021.
  • Camera: Apple iPhone 12 Pro at 4.2mm
  • Exposure 1/1200 sec at f1.6: ISO 32.

Highly Commended  Cedrik Haskovec, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Pulsatilla grandis
  • Pálava, Czech Republic: April 2006
  • Camera: Nikon D80 with 105mm macro lens
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f13, ISO 100.

Highly Commended  Janet Hails, Worcester, UK.

  • Pulsatilla vulgaris
  • Own garden: March 2021.
  • Camera: Ricoh Pentax K-1 Mark II with Pentax 100mm macro lens
  • Exposure 1/50 sec at f20, ISO 2000.

Highly Commended  Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Thalictrum aquilegifolium
  • Swiss Alps. July, 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D80 with 105mm macro lens
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f29, ISO 640.

Class Four: (25 entries) An alpine plant in cultivation in a garden setting

This can be in your own garden or a garden you have visited.  The plant(s) may be displayed in a close-up, portrait or wider view.  We tend to go out and take ‘snaps’ of the plants in our garden, but it is well worth spending some additional effort to take better quality images.  In a garden, particularly your own, you have more control over the timing of your photo, so you should be able to take it when the plant is in perfect condition, the weather is cooperative, and the light is good.  You also have scope to use artificial light sources and backgrounds if you deem these to be necessary.

First        Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • Globularia incanescens.
  • Own garden. June 2015.
  • Camera: Nikon D90 (DSLR) with a 18-270mm zoom lens at 78mm
  • Exposure: 1/160 sec at f20.0: ISO 200

Again a simple central composition with just the right amount of space left at the sides.  Beautifully lit in soft sunshine to give it punch and sparkle, with plenty of depth of field to capture the fluffy blue flowers.

Second   Cedrik Haskovec, Prague, Czech Republic

  • Colchicum.   
  • Prague garden, September 2019.
  • Camera: Olympus E-M5MarkII with Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens
  • Exposure: 1/125 sec at f8.0: ISO 320.

Third       Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands.

  •  Edraianthus pumilio.
  • Own garden: May 2004.
  • Camera: Konica KD-510Z with 39-117mm equiv lens at 39mm
  • Exposure 1/200 sec at f4.7, ISO 100.

Highly Commended  James Miller, Sheffield, UK.

  • Iberis gibraltarica
  • Gibraltar Botanic Gardens The Alameda 2019.
  • Camera: Apple iPhone SE back camera
  • Exposure 1/100 sec at f2.2, ISO 32.

Highly Commended  John Dower, Frodsham, Cheshire, UK.

  • Verbascum ‘Letitia’
  • Own garden: June 2018.
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with 4.5 – 108mm (25 – 600mm equiv)  at 4.5mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/400 sec at f4.0, ISO 100

Class Five: (22 entries) An alpine plant in a pot.

Many of our members grow their alpines not in the open garden but in pots.  Here we would like to see photos of those plants.  This subject gives you the opportunity to apply a great deal more photographic control than plants in the wild:  you can control where you take the photo (indoors or outdoors, with any background you choose), when you take the photo (when the plant is in perfect condition), and time of day, which gives control over lighting and weather.  You can use artificial light sources and backgrounds if you wish.

After a disappointing entry in the class for garden views last year, we tried a new class for an alpine pot this year.  The entries for this new class description were again disappointing, both in terms of number, and in terms of quality; most appeared to be snaps taken without regard to the opportunities highlighted above for creating a high quality image.

 First       Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands.       

  • Paeonia clusii pink form
  • Own garden, April 2020.
  • Camera: Nikon D7200 with 50mm f2.8 lens
  • Exposure 1/125 sec at f10, ISO 400.

Nevertheless, our winner is a very fine image of a beautiful plant, which captures the gentle pink of this peony beautifully.  The dull subdued lighting works well in terms of capturing the colours, but gentle sunshine or the addition of a little mid-tone contrast in processing would have added visual impact.

Second   Celia Sawyer, Long Compton, Warwickshire, UK.

  • Weldenia candida.
  • Own garden: June 2021.
  • Camera: Apple iPhone 12 Pro at 4.2mm
  • Exposure 1/6900 sec at f1.6, ISO 32.

Third     John Dower, Frodsham, Cheshire, UK.     

  • Iris schachtii AM form
  • Own garden: April 2021.
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ330 with 4.5 – 108mm/(25 – 600mm equiv) lens at 4.5mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/125 sec at f3.2, ISO 100.

Highly Commended  Celia Sawyer, Long Compton, Warwickshire, UK.

  • Gentiana farreri ‘Silken Star Group’ with Fuchsia magellanica ‘Pumila’
  • Own garden, September 2021.
  • Camera: Apple iPhone 12 Pro at 4.2mm
  • Exposure 1/640 sec at f1.6, ISO 32.

Class Six: (45 entries) Alpine fauna in the wild

Wild flowers are always accompanied by fauna from the mammoth to the minuscule.  The majority are an interesting distraction, and are popular subjects for many photographers.  Most of us, returning from a trip to view alpine flowers in the wild, will find at least a few photos of wildlife amongst our images.  If the background shows a mountain landscape or alpine plants that gives a welcome context.

First        Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • Kea (Nestor notabilis)
  • Mt. Burns, 820m, Fjordland, New Zealand: January 2013.
  • Camera: Nikon D90 (DSLR) with an 18-200mm lens at 78mm
  • Exposure 1/160sec at f14, ISO 400.

By contrast, the entries for this class were exceptional, and the judges had huge difficulty picking the winners from their final shortlist of Highly Commended images, and it took a long debate to separate the first and second place images, two of the best images in the whole competition.  In the end the first prize went to this photo of a Kea by Harry Jans, which went on to be selected as the best image in the whole competition.

The judges felt that it was a very vibrant, crisp and colourful image, beautifully sharp where it needed to be.  They loved the harmonious balance between the red lichen, the yellow composite flowers, and the more muted greens and browns of the parrot.  By contrast, the Ibex entry, although certainly full of drama, and much harder to take, was captured at high ISO, resulting in a noisy background.  There was a feeling that slightly less sharpening, on selected areas of the image (and not the background) could have improved the result.  But it was a very close decision.

Second Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK

  •  Alpine ibex (Capra ibex)
  • Pair of young male Alpine ibex, displaying and play-fighting on high alpine ridge, Colle dell’Agnello, Maritime Alps. Evening. June 2021
  • Camera: EOS R5 with RF100-500mm lens at 500mm
  • Exposure 1/640 sec at f8.0, ISO 4000

Third       Arne Jakobsen,  Norway.                

  • Horses in Caucasus among Anemone fasciculata
  • Caucasus, Russia. June 2017.
  • Camera: Nikon D750 with 60mm f2.8 lens
  • Exposure 1/250 sec at f13, ISO 800.

Highly Commended  Ursula Junker Olten, Switzerland.

  • Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)
  •  Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland. August, 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D7500 with 10-20mm lens at 20mm
  • Exposure 1/640 sec at f13, ISO 200.

Highly Commended  Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) on Rampion
  • Maritime Alps, June 2021.
  • Camera: EOS R5 with RF100-500mm lens at 500mm
  • Exposure 1/1250 sec at f8.0, ISO 1000.

Highly Commended  Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • Elliot’s Chameleon (Chameleo ellioti)
  • Bale Mountains, 3390m, Ethiopia September 2007.
  • Camera: Nikon D50 (DSLR) with an 18-200mm lens at 155mm
  • Exposure 1/100 sec at f18, ISO 200

Highly Commended  James Miller, Sheffield, UK.

  • Flamingos
  • La Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Abaroa Bolivia, 2013.
  • Camera: Olympus E-PL1 with Olympus M 40-150mm lens at 150mm
  • Exposure 1/640 sec at f11, ISO 200.

Highly Commended  Stepanka Haskovcova, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Spotted Fritillary (Melitaea didyma)
  • Pontic mountains, Turkey. May 2013
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with 4.5 – 108mm (25 – 600mm equiv)  at 4.5mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/400 sec at f4.0, ISO 100.

Highly Commended  Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis) in flight carrying insects close to nest at high altitude (2760 metres).
  • Col de L’Iseran, French Alps. July 2021
  • Camera: Canon EOS R5 with RF100-500mm lens at 500mm
  • Exposure: 1/6400 sec at f7.1 ISO 2500

Class Seven:  (39 entries) An alpine landscape.

This class is for an alpine landscape.  It need not necessarily show specific plants but should concentrate on the scenic beauty and/or geology of the setting. You should be inspired by unusual natural beauty, from the small and intimate to the grand panorama. This class always attracts a great diversity of images, and it is one of the most interesting, and difficult, to judge.

First     James Miller, Sheffield, UK.

  • Maras Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru 2013.
  • Camera: Olympus E-PL1 with Olympus M 14-42mm lens at 14mm
  • Exposure 1/320 sec at f9.0, ISO 200.

The judges were intrigued by this mysterious landscape, and the curious colour tone which appears to be correct (see the blue tarpaulin).  The subtle clues about the environment and the weather (distant walker with umbrella) bolstered the intrigue which gave this image a narrow edge over two excellent, but more traditional images.

Second   Ursula Junker, Olten, Switzerland.

  • Gorner Glacier, Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland August 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D7500 with 10-20mm lens at 10mm
  • Exposure 1/400 sec at f10, ISO 100.

Third       Ursula Junker, Olten, Switzerland.

  • Simplon pass, Valais, Switzerland, June 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D50 with 10-20mm lens at 20mm
  • Exposure 1/500 sec at f11, ISO 200.

Highly Commended  Roger Lewis UK

  • Conifers on Norwegian  Arctic slopes. March 2018
  • Camera: Fuji X-Pro1 with XF18-135mm lens at 66mm
  • Exposure: 1/350 sec at f10 ISO 200

Highly Commended  Tony Duffey, UK.

  • Gorge and Punte Nuevo – Ronda – Spain. July 2018
  • Camera: Pentax K10D with 18-55mm lens at 18mm
  • Exposure 1/500 sec at f8.0, ISO 200.

Highly Commended  Stepanka Haskovcova, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Tofana, Italian Dolomites. July 2017
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 with 9.1 – 146mm (25 – 400mm equiv)  at 9.12mm (25mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/640 sec at f5.6, ISO 125

Highly Commended  Arne Jakobsen,  Norway.               

  • Trollheimen Mountains, Norway. September 2021.
  • Camera: Nikon D750 with 28-300mm lens at 122mm
  • Exposure 1/320 sec at f13, ISO 500.

Highly Commended  Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • View over Passo di Rolle
  • Trentino, Dolomites September 2007.
  • Camera: Nikon D7200 (DSLR) with 18-270mm lens at 18mm
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f20, ISO 200

Class Eight. (21 entries) ‘The Alpine Gallery’.

Here we are looking for a quirky, amusing or unusual image featuring alpine plants. Digital manipulation is allowed; in fact anything goes, and we hope to see some wildly imaginative images.

This class always produces a wide variety of images, which makes it an entertaining break in the hours of debate by the judges.  This year was no exception, and the final short list included classic mountain scenes, humour, and an image taken with a scanning electron microscope.

First         James Miller, Sheffield, UK.

  • Doing the donkey work – a traditional pack donkey train – burros de carga
  • Parque Nacional De Huascar in Andes, Peru 2013
  • Camera: Olympus E-PL1 with Olympus M 14-42mm lens at 42mm
  • Exposure 1/250 sec at f9.0, ISO 200.

In the end the judges selected this image as their winner.  It captures a scene which is a fundamental part of many trips to the high mountains, but which we seldom see recorded.

Second     Celia Sawyer, Long Compton, Warwickshire, UK.

  • Pulsatilla grandis (with face)
  • Own garden, March 2021
  • Camera: Nikon D7500 with 60mm f2.8 lens
  • Exposure 1/125 sec at f22, ISO 500.

Third      Hilary Birks, Norway.

  • Cerastium cerastoides seed.
  • SEM image, Bergen, Norway. October 2020. The seed is about 1 mm long.
  • Camera: Scanning Electron microscope
  • Exposure N/A.

Highly Commended  Janet Hails, Worcester, UK.

  • Dactylorhiza maculata and friend
  • Herefordshire: June 2021.
  • Camera: Ricoh Pentax K-1 Mark II with Pentax 100mm macro lens
  • Exposure 1/125 sec at f18, ISO 1250.

Highly Commended  Harry Jans, AL Loenen, Netherlands

  • Rheum nobile hug
  • Bayi, Serkhyem La, 4650m, Tibet, July 2019.
  • Camera: Nikon D90 (DSLR) with 18-270mm lens at 46mm
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f11, ISO 400

Highly Commended  Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Opening leaves and catkins of Net-veined Willow, Salix reticulata, covered in silky hairs.
  • French Alps. June 2021
  • Camera: Nikon D850 with 105mm macro lens
  • Exposure: 1/200 sec at f22 ISO 400

Class Nine. (42 entries) ‘The Wonder of Wildflowers’.

This class is intended to celebrate the visual spectacle and impact that alpine plants can create.  We want to see spectacular panoramas of flowers, whether a carpet of a single species or a tapestry of different plants, colours and shapes.

This was a new class this year, and we didn’t know quite what to expect.  The results were wonderful – a plethora of images in different styles, all capturing the exuberance of nature at its best. The number and variety of highly commended images testifies to the difficulties the judges faced.

First         Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Mass of summer mountain flowers including columbine Aquilegia caerulea
  • Rustler’s Gulch, Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, near Crested Butte, The Rockies, Colorado, July 2009
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II with TS-24mm f3.5 L-series lens
  • Exposure 1/20 sec at f20, ISO 200.

Even in this high-quality entry, this image stood out.  What a wonderful variety of flowers – a habitat captured at its peak condition.  This was a close contender for the best image overall.

Second   Ursula Junker, Olten, Switzerland.

  • Papaver nudicaule
  • Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, July 2021
  • Camera: Nikon D7500 with 10-20mm lens at 10mm
  • Exposure 1/125 sec at f18, ISO 640.

Third      Cedrik Haskovec, Prague, Czech Republic.

  • Crocus veluchensis
  • Durmitor, Montenegro, May 2014
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ200 with 4.5 – 108mm (25 – 600mm equiv)  at 6.8mm (38mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f5.0, ISO 100

Highly Commended  Roy Bowden, UK.

  • Above Cerler – Spanish Pyrenees, July 2015.
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 17-40 f4L Canon lens at 20mm
  • Exposure 1/60 sec at f11, ISO 100.

Highly Commended  Ursula Junker, Olten, Switzerland.

  • Crocus albiflorus
  • Winteregg near Mürren, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, May 2021
  • Camera: Nikon D850 with 14mm f1.8 lens
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f16, ISO 125.

Highly Commended  Janet Hails, Worcester, UK.

  • Fritillaria meleagris
  • North Meadow, Cricklade: May 2021.
  • Camera: Ricoh Pentax K-1 Mark II with Pentax 100mm macro lens
  • Exposure 1/100 sec at f22, ISO 320.

Highly Commended  Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Summer flowers in limestone grassland, with Globularia cordifolia, Anthyllis vulneraria ssp alpestris etc.
  • Schwarzhorn mountains, Bernese Oberland, July 2021
  • Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II with RF50mm f1.8 STM lens
  • Exposure 1/160 sec at f22, ISO 1000.

Highly Commended  Bob Gibbons, Wimborne, Dorset, UK.

  • Exceptional mountain orchid meadow, with Gymnadenia corneliana, G. conopsea, Pseudorchis albida, etc
  • Col Sampiero, Maritime Alps, Italy, June 2021
  • Camera: Nikon D850 with 24mm lens
  • Exposure 1/80 sec at f16, ISO 400.

Highly Commended  Ursula Junker, Olten, Switzerland.

  • Pulsatilla alpina subsp apiifolia and Gentiana
  • Simplon pass, Valais, Switzerland, May 2021
  • Camera: Nikon D500 with 10-20mm lens at 10mm
  • Exposure 1/80 sec at f22, ISO 200.

Highly Commended  Bill Raymond, UK.

  • Sierra de Aracena, Spain, May 2018
  • Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ100 with 9.1 – 91mm (27 – 270mm equiv)  at 9.1mm (27mm equiv)
  • Exposure 1/640 sec at f8.0, ISO 125.

Highly Commended  Tony Duffey, UK.

  • Wall to wall poppies
  • Norfolk, UK. June 2020
  • Camera: Pentax K-52with 18-55mm lens at 18mm
  • Exposure 1/100 sec at f5.6, ISO 200.

Thanks again to the judges, and of course all the exhibitors.  We hope this will inspire you to get outdoors and start taking photos for this year’s competition.