Open Projected Image 01

For commentary on the whole competition please visit our Highlight page the winning images are shown below.

Beginners Section

1st Gladioli By Heidi Massey

2nd Ruddy Shelduck By Graham Sawyer

Graham's image was taken at Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust. He was trying out a new lens, the Sigma 70 - 200 f2.8.   So as a test it turned very well!

3rd Rutter Mill and Cottages By Graham Sawyer

The Rutter Mill and Cottages was taken near Appleby in Westmorland. Graham went there to get some photos of the Red squirrels. They were great but when the waterfall and mill presented itself on a sunny day, what more does a photographer do?!

HC Alert Hare at Sunset By Gerald Clarke

Gerald’s image was taken on a warm April afternoon as the sun was setting.'I had been sitting with my back to a patch of nettles, trying not to be too visible, when this hare entered the field and paused. Much of my photography of these wonderful animals is in the morning, so it was a treat to capture this image in this light later in the day'.

HC Water Rail at Sunset By Gerald Clarke

The Water Rail was captured near a reed-bed by the river Severn. The early morning light adding to the impact of the shot. I would have preferred to photograph the bird with the camera level with the birds eye, so will have to try again.

Intermediate Section

1st Gants Hill Station By Bridget Codrington

During the summer I researched the work of an architect called Charles Holden for an Open University Photography course. Holden designed 52 stations for London Underground between 1924 and the 1950s during which time, there was a large programme of expansion on the network. There are many Grade II listed Art Deco stations still in use today. This barrel-vaulted hall at platform level was inspired by a visit that Charles Holden made to the Moscow Metro. 

2nd For the little Rabbit, it was a good day By Penny Clarke

Penny writes: ‘This was taken at WWT Slimbridge just before the end of the day.  The little rabbit hopped into view and looked so lovely against the wild flowers and grasses I just had to take a photograph of him.  He did not stay for long and soon went. Having seen a fox on a previous visit there I wished him well and thought that for the little rabbit that he had had a good day’

3rd Synchronised By Richard Blackburne

HC Catching up with a Friend By Penny Clarke

Penny says: ‘I saw these two ladies in the street looking at a mobile phone and was instantly attracted to how stylish they looked having spent 10 years in fashion retail. I thought it would make a great image if I zoomed in close with my 24-105 lens.  I have desaturated the background so that they would stand out’

HC Dark Green Fritillary By Craig Purvis

HC Kew Palm By Dave Johnson

HC The Bench By Penny Clarke

Penny’s amusing image was taken at La Defense in Paris. The bench is a 2.5 times enlargement of the original by artist Lilian Bourgeat. She unfortunately missed the people getting on to the bench which would have been interesting to see and thought the people by the side would give a sense of scale. The Grande Arche at the back is a 110m (360 ft) cube to act as a modern Arc de Triomphe

HC West Overton Winter Lake by Craig Purvis

Craig tells me: ‘I had visualised this shot for many years after noting, I as I drove past on the A4, that water would gather on this small flood plain near West Overton. I knew the conditions I wanted (light frost, nice sunrise, flooded meadow) and with a very low camera angle to exaggerate the size of the flood water, I got my image. 

Advanced Section

1st After the Storm By Sue Wadman

Sue explains: ‘I decided to venture out between storms as the biting wind abated slightly to explore around the hotel we were staying at in Iceland. This barn with the lone tree and unspoilt snow grabbed my attention almost immediately and just as well because it was not long before other photographers confined to barracks walked around and ruined the pristine snow.  The dark looming clouds soon bought us another storm forcing us to return inside but it was wonderful to be there experiencing the conditions’.

2nd Trio of Dried Poppies by Janet Rutter

3rd Alpe Di Siusi Dolomites By Sue Wadman

Sue says: ‘Having taken the cable car up from Ortisei onto the plateau we were rewarded with fabulous conditions all day.  The clouds flowed & the sun came & went.  This shot was taken of the Winter alpine huts showing them and the Sassolungo range in all its glory’.  

HC Beautiful Demoiselle By Dave Grey

Dave’s image was taken on the Special Interest Group visit to Langford Lakes in late May this year using a long telephoto lens – 100-400 zoom + 1.4 extender gives a focal length of 560mm, but the lens will focus to less than a metre.  According to the EXIF data, the settings were ISO 400, 1/250th at f11. The depth of field is very shallow, so it is essential to have the insect’s body parallel to the camera sensor.  Since they won’t hang around while you get a protractor out, it’s a case of taking several shots and hoping that one is sufficiently parallel.

Post processing has subdued the background (darkened and de-saturated) to make the subject stand out.  The demoiselle chose to perch in sunlight, while the background was a mix of dappled sunlight on green vegetation which had to have its distractions toned down.

HC Checking out the Terrain By David Wilkinson

David’s image was taken earlier in the year at RSPB Minsmere. I particularly enjoyed watching the inquisitive nature of the goslings, as they surveyed the area around the waters edge.

HC Follow the Leader By David Evans

HC Painting Over the Sadness By David Evans

HC Storm at Diamond Beach By Robert Harvey

Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier in south-east Iceland calves icebergs into Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. The river Jökulsá connects the lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean, along which these icebergs drift out to sea where they are polished by the waves. On this February day, a storm had thrown huge numbers of ice blocks onto the adjacent black sand beach. I waited for a wave to reach close to my feet and start to recede before making a 4 second exposure.

F/16, 4 seconds, ISO 200

www.naturalworldphotography.net

Results for the Beginner Section
1st	Gladioli	by	Heidi Massey	Beg
2nd	Ruddy Shelduck	by	Graham Sawyer	Beg
3rd	Rutter Mill & Cottages	by	Graham Sawyer	Beg
Highly Commended
	Alert Hare at Sunset	by	Gerald Clarke	Beg
	Water Rail at Sunrise	by	Gerald Clarke	Beg
Results for the Intermediate Section
1st	Gants Hill Station	by	Bridget Codrington	Int
2nd	For the Little Rabbit It was a Good Day	by	Penny Clarke	Int
3rd	Synchronised	by	Richard Blackbourne	Int
Highly Commended
	The Bench	by	Penny Clarke	Int
	Dark Green Fritillary	by	Craig Purvis	Int
	West Overton Winter Lake	by	Craig Purvis	Int
	Catching up with a friend	by	Penny Clarke	Int
	Early Morning Feast	by	John Milburn	Int
	Kew Palm	by	Dave Johnson	Int
Results for the Advanced Section
1st	After the Storm	by	Sue Wadman	Adv
2nd	Trio of Dried Poppies	by	Janet Rutter	Adv
3rd	Alpe Di Siusi, Dolomites	by	Sue Wadman	Adv
Highly Commended
	Beautiful Demoiselle	by	Dave Gray	Adv
	Storm at Diamond Beach	by	Robert Harvey	Adv
	Painting Over The Sadness	by	David Evans	Adv
	Checking out the Terrain	by	David Wilkinson	Adv
	Following Leader	by	David Evans	Adv