Grand winner: 'Brighton Pier during the winter starling murmuration, East Sussex, England'. Image by Matthew Cattell

Grand winner: ‘Brighton Pier during the winter starling murmuration, East Sussex, England’. Image by Matthew Cattell

A dramatic and unusual shot of one of the best-known coastal views in the UK has won the grand title in the 2016 Take A View Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Matthew Cattell, a Berkshire-based photographer, took the top spot with an ethereal view of Brighton’s West Pier. He wins the title and £10,000 after his shot was chosen by the judges from thousands of entries celebrating the varied landscapes of the UK.

Matthew told us: “Brighton piers are photographic landmarks in their own right. There are thousands of different photos of them out there. But I wanted to try and do something a little bit different. In this case I’ve captured a scene that also happens to include animal behaviour. It’s landscape and wildlife all in one.”

From isolated crofts and sweeping bridges to fascinating sand patterns and scenes of urban change, the winning photographs in the ‘Take a view – Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards’ not only display the talent of their creators but also inspire visitors to explore and discover the wonders of the British countryside.

Charlie Waite, one of Britain’s leading landscape photographers and founder of the Awards said: “The sense of movement is palpable in Matthew’s photograph and you really feel what it would have been like to stand beside him. The starlings seem to be swirling around the iconic remains of Brighton’s West Pier in a manner reminiscent of the tornado in the Wizard of Oz. A judicious choice of shutter speed suits both birds and water. An intriguing image.”

Finding Gold, Wast Water, Cumbria, England. Winner of the OMGB Amazing Moments special award. Image by Mark Gilligan

Finding Gold, Wast Water, Cumbria, England. Winner of the OMGB Amazing Moments special award. Image by Mark Gilligan

The Young Landscape Photographer of the Year title has been awarded to Hannah Faith Jackson, who spotted the potential in Glasgow’s city reflections, with the many layers of her image suggesting the wealth of activity that goes on in our cities today.

As with last year’s competition, an exhibition of the winners will be held on the Balcony at Waterloo station in London, giving thousands of visitors to see them for free. The Waterloo exhibition will run for twelve weeks, closing on 5th February 2017. All of the winning and commended photographs can also be found in the Awards book by AA Publishing, available now.

To see our full interview with Matthew Cattell, Landscape Photographer of the Year award winner, be sure to pick up the November 5th issue.