This summer, we held the latest iteration of our annual photography competition - and the winners have now been announced! With over 600 photographs submitted across the country, whittling down the entries was no mean feat. Staff from across Norfolk Wildlife Trust were invited to shortlist and judge our entries this year, which will form our annual calendar as well as an exhibition at the Forum in Norwich and at NWT Cley Marshes.
This year’s overall winner was Stuart Merchant and his incredible image of two emperor dragonflies, whilst Roman Czajlowski’s kingfisher in the rain took the tightly fought position of runner-up.
Our best young photographer was 10 year old Tyler Hood, who impressed us with his excellently captured thick-legged flower beetle on a buttercup.
The three winners were awarded prizes generously donated by competition sponsors ZEISS, which included a pair of ZEISS Conquest HD binoculars, and two ZEISS Secacam trail cameras.
All three images and nine shortlisters have been featured in Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s annual calendar, with the proceeds going towards supporting the charity’s conservation work. The calendar will soon be available to purchase from all Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s visitor centres at Hickling Broad, Ranworth Broad, Holme Dunes and Cley Marshes for £9.99.
The competition was judged by Norfolk Wildlife Trust staff, with a final vote cast for the winner and runner up.
Eliot Lyne, CEO said: "The standard of entries this year has been incredible. We meet a lot of people on our reserves who have clearly been there for hours, patiently waiting to capture the wildlife on their cameras. These photos are the result of that dedication, and we are very lucky to be able to share them further.
Something I also enjoy about seeing these is the new perspective they bring. How often can you get as close to a damselfly as Dave Bloom’s photograph gets you, for example? Many of the moments captured in these photos would have lasted less than a second, and it’s a special thing to be able to stop and drink them in.”
A free exhibition of the winners and highly commended images will be held in the Atrium at the Forum in Norwich between Friday 20 and Sunday 22 September, as well as at NWT Cley Marshes in the New Year.
