Wildlife Photography Competition Winners
Our first photography competition was in spring 2011 and we asked for pictures of wildlife taken in Appleby that spring.
We awarded three main prizes and two highly commended awards for pictures from younger photographers. Prints of the winning pictures were displayed in the Black Horse and the Post Office, and we'd like to thank them for their support.
Our competition was open to anyone from Appleby Magna or Appleby Parva (except professional photographers). The judges were looking for interesting and unusual wildlife pictures rather than technical expertise.
The Winners
Here are the three pictures the judges felt matched the criteria best, each in a different way. (Click pictures for larger views, where available.)
Orange-tip by Lucy Layland
Lucy used a Canon EOS SLR camera to take this beautiful picture, which the judges felt was the best picture from a technical point of view, with excellent composition and good depth of field. Lucy has also managed to photograph the butterfly to best effect showing the orange tips on the upper wings and the mottled lower wing.
Orange-tips are quite common in Appleby but they are difficult to photograph as they rarely sit still for very long. Only the male has the distinctive orange tips on its wings.
Waxwing by Ian Corner
From a wildlife point of view this picture is a rarity in Appleby. Waxwings are not common visitors but Ian managed to get this lovely picture of one of a group of three that were in Hillside in February this year feeding on a
cotoneaster. The birds returned as a group of five about ten days later.
Waxwings do not breed in this country but visit the east coast between October and March, occasionally coming further inland in search of food. Just seeing a wax wing is a privilege, getting a photo as lovely as this one certainly deserves a prize. Ian also used a Canon EOS SLR camera.
Pussy Willow by Gill Bird
A common tree but photographed in an original and beautiful way, creating almost an abstract image. The judges were particularly impressed by the way Gill has captured the colours and texture of the plant using a non-SLR camera (this image scanned from a print).
Gill is well known as a lacemaker and artist using textiles and she has reflected her skills and interests in the picture.
Highly Commended
Although we received many pictures from adults in the village, we had very few pictures from children. The two pictures below were awarded two children's prizes.
Gay Ones by Zoe Cooper
Although it's difficult to tell quite what it is that is flying across Zoe's garden, the judges liked the intention to capture this bee in flight, and the overall composition of the shot.
Allium by Daisy Allton
We think 5 year old Daisy borrowed her Mum's Canon SLR to take this picture of an allium flower in her garden. (It's rather low resolution so there is no larger version.)
Short Listed
These are the pictures that the judges selected for their short list, in no particular order:
Small Tortoiseshell by Michael Hill (scanned from a print). Michael used a Pentax SLR WITH Sigma 70 to 300 lens to take this lovely butterfly.
Pheasant in My Garden by Rebecca Marchant, taken using a Pentax Optio L30. Becky says: 'We have a pheasant who has been visiting our garden through the winter -
arriving around 4 pm each day to see what there is to eat. He has become very
tame. He spent ages up on the top of our shed -
even settling down in the sleeping position at one stage -surveying all around
him. Pigeons tried to land on it but he wasn't having any of that."
Buzzard by Ian Corner
Ian added a 2x tele converter to his Canon SLR for this picture, taken over the allotments in April
Spring scene by Terry Robey
Not technically wildlife (although they may have been partying the night before) the judges did think the sheep in this picture had a certain attitude about them. This is a scan from a print.
Bumblebee on Fritillary by Lucy Layland
Lucy's second picture was also highly praised by the judges
We'd like to thank everyone who took part in the competition. It's been fun, and we're planning on another one in the near future with a different theme around Village Life.
Our Sponsors
We would like to thank the following organisations for their support
The National Trust at Calke Abbey
The animal primate centre on our doorstep
"Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity and a membership organisation that works with adults, children, businesses and a wide range of partners to achieve a significant improvement to the state of wildlife in Derbyshire and increase appreciation of the need for conservation. DWT manages 40 nature reserves located throughout the county and runs a series of walks, talks and events each year to reach out to the community and enable people to enjoy their natural environment."
If you love our local countryside and wildlife and want to do your bit to help why not join a Wildlife Trust?