Budding photographer? Check out this competition – you may even walk away with £10,000

By Becky Hardy

The last 10 months haven’t been the best, to say the least. But what’s kept me going, at least, has been nature. Getting out and about, even if it is only for 30 minutes at a time, has provided a much-needed escape from the news bulletins, Zoom meetings and Facebook hype that seem to regulate our lives at the moment.

For me, this not necessarily newfound, but certainly newly-enthused zest for the outdoors – particularly for those gems right on my doorstep that I never knew existed – has also brought with it a new interest in photography. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still no expert. But having inherited an old DSLR, I’m beginning to find the beauty in the old point-and-shoot.

So, as you can imagine, I was pretty stoked to hear about the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Now, this is nothing new either – 2021’s is its 14th instalment, actually – but having never really delved into this world before it was certainly news to me. The concept? Entrants have from tomorrow (13th January) until 14th April 2021, to submit their photographs of the British landscape for a chance to win £10,000 prize money. It’s open to everyone, with a special class for those younger than 18, and – best of all, in my opinion – it’s deliberately targeted at amateur photographers.

‘£10,000?!’ I hear you cry. ‘Sounds like it could be out of my league’. That was my reaction too. Then again, I’m firmly of the opinion: if you don’t shoot, you don’t score. At the end of the day, what have you got to lose? And you’ve got a lot more to gain than a healthy cash sum.

Peter North, “Dawn at Fox Covert, Royston,” Hertfordshire, Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020. 

WHAT MAKES A WINNER

By Chris Frost, Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020

Whilst immensely rewarding, landscape photography is often equally frustrating as, time after time, we traipse home imageless as conditions and location fail to marry up. Although not foolproof, the tips below will hopefully help increase the frequency of those rewarding moments:

• Focus on compositions with fore, mid and background interest. Balancing a vivid sky with strong foreground elements delivers depth and a visual pathway through the image.
• Don’t be scared to look for more intimate scenes.  While grand vistas are undeniably stunning, focusing on specific elements can produce equally impressive imagery – the less cluttered, more minimal scene is often more appealing to the viewer’s eye.
• Invest time in learning and refining the art of post-processing; sometimes seen as a dark art, skilful processing can elevate what starts off as a good image to one that leaps out from the crowd.

To finish, rise early and stay out late, explore, experiment, practice (and practice some more) and, most importantly, have fun enjoying the experience!

The Landscape Photographer of the Year competition for 2021 is open to submissions from 13th January–14th April. For more information and to enter, visit their website, Facebook page or Instagram.

Tim Walton, “Strabeg Bothy,” Highland, Landscape Photographer of the Year 2020.