Results of the August Competition ‘Landscape and Natural Hist’
On Friday 28 August, we gathered at Connect Church for the judging of the August round of our monthly photography competition, this time on the theme of ‘Landscape and Natural History’.
The theme gave members plenty of scope, from traditional landscapes and our relationship with the environment to wildlife and the natural world, and once again we were treated to a varied selection of interpretations.
This month we were also delighted to welcome David Jordan FRPS, who was visiting the club to give us a talk on infrared photography. David joined members in judging the competition, bringing with him a wealth of experience. He has been a camera club judge for around 20 years and is also a former RPS Licentiate assessor.
Having someone with David’s experience taking part added an interesting extra dimension to our usual member-led judging process, with every image being considered by both our regular members and a highly experienced external judge.
The result was another enjoyable competition, with some very close scoring and an excellent range of Landscape and Natural History photographs.
First Place – 9pts – ‘Winters Roar’ by David Smith
David Smith took first place with his dramatic landscape, Winter’s Roar. The sweeping waterfalls lead the eye through the frame, while the dark, brooding sky and icy landscape create a powerful sense of winter conditions. The slower shutter speed has given the rushing water a wonderful sense of movement, contrasting beautifully with the rugged, frozen rocks.
A striking image with real atmosphere, and a worthy winner of our Landscape and Natural History round.
Second Place – 7pts – ‘Untitled by Simon Feane
Congratulations to Simon Feane, who achieved his first top-three result in our monthly competition with this beautifully timed natural history image.
Capturing a bird in flight is never easy, and Simon has caught a wonderful moment, with the spread wings and trailing legs creating a strong sense of movement. The softly rendered background also helps separate the bird and keeps our attention firmly on the subject.
A great result for Simon and hopefully the first of many appearances in the top three.
Third Place – 5pts – ‘Untitled’ by Bill Kandola
Bill Kandola took third place with this superbly timed photograph of a gannet returning with nesting material.
The bird has been caught beautifully in flight, its outstretched wings and the material held in its beak giving the photograph both movement and a sense of purpose. The clean blue background isolates the gannet wonderfully, while the strip of landscape along the bottom gives the image context and a strong sense of place.
A lovely natural history moment and a well-deserved third place.
The other entries – all receive 3 Points
Photographer of the Year 2026
The August Landscape and Natural History competition has shaken up the standings in our 2026 Photographer of the Year competition.
Julie continues to lead with 48 points, but the battle behind her is getting increasingly close. David S has moved into second place with 35 points, just one point ahead of Mick on 34.
One of the biggest moves this month comes from Simon, whose first top-three finish of the year takes him to 28 points and fourth place. Stewart and Noel are just a point behind, tied on 27 points, while Susan and Phil share seventh place with 24 points.
With four competitions remaining, there are still plenty of points available. A win is worth 9 points, second place 7 and third place 5, so the standings could look very different before we crown our 2026 Photographer of the Year.
