Awards
Over the last few years I have been occasionally entering and getting recognised at various local, national and international awards. Below are some of the photos that have been shortlisted, or won at the various different awards
2023
In the British Wildlife Photographer of the year competition in 2023 two photographs were shortlisted for the "Hidden Britain" category. In the image on the left is of a backswimmer or water boatman (Notonecta glauca) which was taken from a pond in Cambridgeshire. The selected image below is of a dew covered blue-tailed damselfly (Ischnura elegans) taken as the sun rose over the nature reserve at Ham Wall in Somerset
The image of the backswimmer from Cambridgeshire was included in the top 250 images in the competition and selected to appear in the BWPA Collection 11 book available to order from BWPA
2022
The Exmoor Society hold a photographic competition in memory of Alfred Vowles who devoted his life to record the landscape, life and people of Exmoor. In 2022 the Alfred Vowles photographic competition was looking for images that "capture the essence of Exmoor throughout the year". The dung beetle above (Geotrupes stercorarius) taken on the moorland near to Selworthy in West Somerset, was a runner up in the competition. A wood ant (Formica sp) on the right, taken in woodland near to Dunster was also shortlisted.
The dung beetle was on display at the Exmoor Society shop in Dulverton, and both were included in a book produced by the Society to celebrate the images included in the competiton
2020
In 2020 two photographs were shortlisted for the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. Both of the photos were in the invertebrates category. The first, on the right was a photo of an alderfly (Sialis lutaria) which was taken as the sun rose over the reserve at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire.
The second was a photo of a Chalk-hill blue butterfly (Polyommatus coridon) settling down for the night as the sun goes down taken at Devils Dyke by Newmarket, Suffolk.
2019
Bury St Edmunds and Beyond ran a photography competition to promote the area around Bury St Edmunds. In the category of "Night Time" this photo of a pair of migrating toads (Bufo bufo) was highly commended and displayed in the temporary gallery at the Apex. The photo was taken near to West Stow where the toads have a regular migratory route to their mating ponds.
In 2019 two images were shortlisted in the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards.
These were the water violet (Hottonia palustris) with reflection taken at Thompsons Common in Norfolk in the "Botanical Britain" category. In the "Hidden Britain" category it was this close up of an ant species drinking water on a log taken at the Great Fen in Cambridgeshire
In the Wildlife Trust, Beds, Cambs & Northants photography competition in 2019 two images were listed. The photo below of an alderfly (Sialis lutaria) won second prize overall, and can be seen on the Wildlife trust website. The alderfly was taken as the sun rose over the reserve at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire
This lobster moth (Stauropus fagi) was also shortlisted. It was taken at a moth trapping event at Wandlebury Country Park, Cambridge
Both photos feature under September in the 2020 wildlife calendar sold to support the trust
2019 was the first year of the Close Up Photographer of the Year awards.
In the "animals" category this photograph below of two leaf beetles (Donacia vulgaris) mating on a dew covered leaf was shortlisted. The photo was taken at Thompson Common Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve
This photo of a water violet (Hottonia palustris) showing its' reflection in the still water was also taken at Thompson Common near to Thetford in Norfolk. It was shortlisted in the "Plants & Fungi" category in the Close Up Photographer of the Year awards
2018
This picture of a Chalk-hill blue butterfly (Polyommatus coridon) settling down for the night as the sun goes down was selected in the Wildlife Trust Beds, Cambs & Northants photography competition to be the featured representing October in the 2019 calendar representing October.
The photograph was originally taken at Devils Dyke by Newmarket, Suffolk as the sun was setting behind the butterfly
In between digging in the sand and collecting bees to fill its' burrow this beewolf (Philanthus triangulum) had a quick pause on the sand at RSPB Minsmere at "diggers alley"
It was shortlisted in the 2018 British Wildlife Photographer Awards in the "Out of sight" category
2017
The beewolf (Philanthus Triangulum) digs burrows in sand as its' nest for storing food for growing young wasps. This close up action shot of the wasp digging was taken whilst it was digging its' burrow in the soft sand of "diggers alley" at Minsmere RSPB reserve.
It won the "Unearthed" category in the Suffolk Wildlife Trust photography competition in 2017
2016
In 2016 this close up image of the 5th instar of a red admiral caterpillar (Vanessa atalanta rubria) eating a stem was highly commended in the Norfolk Wildlife Trust photography competition. It was temporarily displayed in the exhibition at the wildlife trusts Cley Reserve. The photo was taken just in Norfolk at Suffolk Wildlife Trusts reserve at Redgrave and Lopham Fen.