Lake of Ice, Cristiano Vendramin<\/h3>\n![\""<yoastmark\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/\u00a9Cristiano-Vendramin-Wildlife-Photographer-of-the-Year-LR.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOne of the best things about living in London is that I can easily get to see all the great exhibitions that are on in the capital\u2019s major galleries and museum. Wildlife Photographer of the Year<\/a> is always a favourite, of course, and every year it seems the quality of entrants gets ever more accomplished.<\/p>\nWith one great picture after the next on display, it\u2019s easy to get picture fatigue by the time you\u2019ve reached the end of the exhibition, and unable to take on anything more. But this year, on my customary visit to the Natural History Museum, something unusual happened.<\/p>\n
Right at the end, I settled down to watch the slideshow of photos that didn\u2019t make the final cut of the main display, but which had been selected for the People\u2019s Choice award. As I watched the images scroll past, one jumped out and grabbed me: Lake of Ice by the Italian photographer Cristiano Vendramin.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sensational shot with its still beauty and near-perfect reflections, and to me, it distils the very essence of winter. Clearly I wasn\u2019t alone in thinking this, as it went on to win the overall People\u2019s Choice Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\nAmy Davies, Features Editor<\/h3>\nUnstoppable by Jessica Mohn<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/\u00a9-Jessica-Mohn-Germany-Shortlist-Open-competition-Natural-World-Wildlife-Sony-World-Photography-Awards-2022.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tUnstoppable \u00a9 Jessica Mohn, Germany, Shortlist, Open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2022<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
I used to think that black and white wasn\u2019t the suitable medium for wildlife and nature photography. With a dizzying array of colours in the natural world, it seemed to do the subjects a disservice to turn the world monochrome.\u00a0But then, every now and then I\u2019ll come across something which changes my mind, and I tip ever more towards a completely different attitude altogether.<\/p>\n
This at-once serene and frenzied wintry scene is enhanced by the muted palette, serving to highlight the whiteness of the snow as well as the desolateness of the winter sky.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s the perfect expanse of hard packed snow in the foreground of the image, with the trees behind giving an excellent sense of scale. You really can imagine the horse as it gallops off into the bright and low winter sun.<\/p>\n
Keeping the horse so small in the frame also works well \u2013 and again goes against a lot of what we might normally associate with classic nature photography technique.<\/p>\n
I recommend checking out more of Jessica\u2019s work on her Instagram page<\/a> as well as seeing the rest of the Sony World Photography Awards shortlisted images<\/a> \u2013 particularly if you can get to London to see the upcoming exhibition<\/a>.<\/p>\nJoshua Waller, Online Editor<\/h3>\nArctic Fox by Vince Burton<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t![\"best](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Rare-blue-morph-Arctic-fox-Iceland-copy.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tArctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) walking through a snowstorm, Iceland. \u00a9 Vince Burton\/World Nature Photography Awards 2021<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
My favourite winter image is this photo of a rare “blue morph” Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) making its way through the wintery snowstorm conditions in Iceland. It was beautifully captured by Vince Burton,\u00a0and is not only expertly photographed, but is also extremely cute.<\/p>\n
I can imagine the difficulty in shooting in the same conditions that the fox is experiencing and am impressed that Vince Burton was able to capture this so clearly, despite the weather. It won the Gold award in the World Nature Photography Awards<\/a>, in the Black and White category<\/a>.<\/p>\nJessica Miller, Deputy Online Editor<\/h3>\nSvalbard Reindeer above Longyearbyen by Graeme Chesters<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t![\"Svalbard](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/graeme-2.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tSvalbard Reindeer above Longyearbyen, from The Long Year Project<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
My choice for the best winter photographs is by Graeme Chesters. The first recipient of AP\u2019s Rising Star Bursary, arranged in partnership with MPB. Since seeing the work from his first trip which took place at the end of 2021, I have been in awe. Not only from the images and video produced but the stories that accompany them.<\/p>\n
As part of his project, which considers a theme of Change, Graeme is documenting a year in the life of the northernmost town in the world \u2013 Longyearbyen, located in Svalbard. Where throughout winter they experience three months of polar night (no daylight). Entering polar night there is a civil twilight period before the darkness lengthens by day. During this time there is a small amount of light available for a few hours, allowing for some perspective.<\/p>\n
This image considers the surrounding landscape, which is spectacular, as well as the remote vulnerability of the small town placed within it. Whilst strikingly beautiful, there is constant danger \u2013 the bitter cold, darkness and polar bears. Not only that, but as one of the fastest warming places on the planet, climate change is at the forefront.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m excited to see what Graeme shares next. See more about the project here: Graeme Chesters \u2013 documenting climate change in one of the fastest-warming places on the planet<\/a><\/p>\nSteve Fairclough, Acting News Editor, and writer<\/h3>\nWhiteout at Genting Snow Park by Sam Mellish<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t![\"Genting](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Slopestyle-black-and-white.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tWhiteout at Genting Snow Park at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. 13 February 2022 at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China. Photo by Sam Mellish\/Team GB<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
As someone who loves both photography and sports one of my favourite genres is, unsurprisingly, sports photography. Over the past year I\u2019ve been involved in the launch of the \u2018coffee table\u2019 sports photography magazine 2POINT8, which is where the work of Sam Mellish first came to my attention. Sam is an official photographer for the Team GB at the summer<\/a> and winter games<\/a>.<\/p>\nHe recently shot the winter games in Beijing, China, and spoke to AP about it. I could have chosen any number of his stunning, colour action shots as one of the best winter photographs. Instead I\u2019ve opted for a simple black and white shot of a whiteout at Genting Snow Park, which led to the postponement of the women\u2019s Slopestyle event. In one image it perfectly sums up the story of how extreme winter weather impacted on what would have been a thrilling day of action\u2026 instead it just screams desolation, emptiness and solitude.<\/p>\n
How UK athletes got ready for the Olympics: photo story <\/a><\/p>\nBest Winter photographs, contributors’ choice<\/h2>\nAngela Nicholson,\u00a0writer, co-founder Camera Jabber, founder SheClicks<\/h3>\nThe Winter Tree by Jolanta Bujalska-Axon<\/span><\/h3>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Jolanta-Bujalska-Axon-The-Winter-Tree.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\nEvery month we run a photography challenge on the SheClicks Facebook Group<\/a><\/span>\u00a0with a different theme each time. The theme for January this year was \u2018Winter\u2019. At the end of each month, my job is to select 25 images to go on the gallery page of our website<\/a><\/span>. As a fan of winter from a photographic point of view, it was a real pleasure to look through the January images.There was a fabulous selection, but the one that my eyes rest on the longest is \u2018The Winter Tree\u2019 by Jolanta Bujalska-Axon. <\/span><\/p>\nJolanta created her image from a series of photographs that she shot in early January. Some from a walk by a series of canal locks, including a few of snow falling on nearby fields with ICM (intentional camera movement). I love how Jolanta has merged her images and included elements such as cow parsley and birds from previous shoots to create an image with depth and that encapsulates the feeling of misty, cold winter\u2019s day when colour is minimal but contrast and detail come to the fore.<\/span><\/p>\nTracy Calder,\u00a0writer and co-founder Close-up Photographer of the Year<\/h3>\nDancer by Thorsten Scheuermann<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t![\"Dancer](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/webThorsten-Scheuermann-362648.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tDancer by Thorsten Scheuermann. Second\u00a0place in the Abstract Views category of IGPOTY 15<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
There\u2019s a feeling of life and energy in this picture and yet it feels strangely dreamlike and ethereal too. To create the final image, Thorsten combined a series of shots taken with a drone as it circled a tree ablaze with autumn colour. To me, it has all the drama and intrigue of the cyclone sequence in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz <\/em>where the little house rises into the air, feverishly twisting and turning.<\/p>\nConverting the file(s) to black and white was absolutely inspired as it stops the viewer from becoming distracted by any colours in the background and also gives the tree a wonderful ghostly air. The picture was awarded Second\u00a0place in the Abstract Views category of IGPOTY 15, and it’s easy to see why. (You can see more images from the competition at www.igpoty.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\nJeremy Walker, photographer and writer<\/h3>\nLone Bison, Yellowstone by Tony Spencer<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t![\"Lone](\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lone-bison-tony-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\t\t\tLone Bison, Yellowstone by Tony Spencer<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
As a landscape photographer I often judge images with my ultimate accolade…. would I want a print of the image hanging on my wall?<\/p>\n
In the case of Tony Spencer’s Lone Bison image it would be a resounding yes. The bleak splendour and sheer scale of the environment dwarfing the lone plodding Bison is captured brilliantly, the light gorgeous.<\/p>\n
The format of the image lends itself to the subject matter, emphasising the long journey ahead for the solitary beast. I’m not sure if the image is cropped or was shot as a stitched panorama but it works effortlessly.<\/p>\n
If you needed an image that tells the story of Yellowstone in winter, but tells it simply and effectively, this is it. And yes, there is a space on my wall.<\/p>\n
\nFurther reading:<\/h3>\n
The best photographs of 2021<\/a><\/p>\n
With one great picture after the next on display, it\u2019s easy to get picture fatigue by the time you\u2019ve reached the end of the exhibition, and unable to take on anything more. But this year, on my customary visit to the Natural History Museum, something unusual happened.<\/p>\n
Right at the end, I settled down to watch the slideshow of photos that didn\u2019t make the final cut of the main display, but which had been selected for the People\u2019s Choice award. As I watched the images scroll past, one jumped out and grabbed me: Lake of Ice by the Italian photographer Cristiano Vendramin.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sensational shot with its still beauty and near-perfect reflections, and to me, it distils the very essence of winter. Clearly I wasn\u2019t alone in thinking this, as it went on to win the overall People\u2019s Choice Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n Unstoppable \u00a9 Jessica Mohn, Germany, Shortlist, Open competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2022<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n I used to think that black and white wasn\u2019t the suitable medium for wildlife and nature photography. With a dizzying array of colours in the natural world, it seemed to do the subjects a disservice to turn the world monochrome.\u00a0But then, every now and then I\u2019ll come across something which changes my mind, and I tip ever more towards a completely different attitude altogether.<\/p>\n This at-once serene and frenzied wintry scene is enhanced by the muted palette, serving to highlight the whiteness of the snow as well as the desolateness of the winter sky.<\/p>\n There\u2019s the perfect expanse of hard packed snow in the foreground of the image, with the trees behind giving an excellent sense of scale. You really can imagine the horse as it gallops off into the bright and low winter sun.<\/p>\n Keeping the horse so small in the frame also works well \u2013 and again goes against a lot of what we might normally associate with classic nature photography technique.<\/p>\n I recommend checking out more of Jessica\u2019s work on her Instagram page<\/a> as well as seeing the rest of the Sony World Photography Awards shortlisted images<\/a> \u2013 particularly if you can get to London to see the upcoming exhibition<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) walking through a snowstorm, Iceland. \u00a9 Vince Burton\/World Nature Photography Awards 2021<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n My favourite winter image is this photo of a rare “blue morph” Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) making its way through the wintery snowstorm conditions in Iceland. It was beautifully captured by Vince Burton,\u00a0and is not only expertly photographed, but is also extremely cute.<\/p>\n I can imagine the difficulty in shooting in the same conditions that the fox is experiencing and am impressed that Vince Burton was able to capture this so clearly, despite the weather. It won the Gold award in the World Nature Photography Awards<\/a>, in the Black and White category<\/a>.<\/p>\n Svalbard Reindeer above Longyearbyen, from The Long Year Project<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n My choice for the best winter photographs is by Graeme Chesters. The first recipient of AP\u2019s Rising Star Bursary, arranged in partnership with MPB. Since seeing the work from his first trip which took place at the end of 2021, I have been in awe. Not only from the images and video produced but the stories that accompany them.<\/p>\n As part of his project, which considers a theme of Change, Graeme is documenting a year in the life of the northernmost town in the world \u2013 Longyearbyen, located in Svalbard. Where throughout winter they experience three months of polar night (no daylight). Entering polar night there is a civil twilight period before the darkness lengthens by day. During this time there is a small amount of light available for a few hours, allowing for some perspective.<\/p>\n This image considers the surrounding landscape, which is spectacular, as well as the remote vulnerability of the small town placed within it. Whilst strikingly beautiful, there is constant danger \u2013 the bitter cold, darkness and polar bears. Not only that, but as one of the fastest warming places on the planet, climate change is at the forefront.<\/p>\n I\u2019m excited to see what Graeme shares next. See more about the project here: Graeme Chesters \u2013 documenting climate change in one of the fastest-warming places on the planet<\/a><\/p>\n Whiteout at Genting Snow Park at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. 13 February 2022 at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, China. Photo by Sam Mellish\/Team GB<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n As someone who loves both photography and sports one of my favourite genres is, unsurprisingly, sports photography. Over the past year I\u2019ve been involved in the launch of the \u2018coffee table\u2019 sports photography magazine 2POINT8, which is where the work of Sam Mellish first came to my attention. Sam is an official photographer for the Team GB at the summer<\/a> and winter games<\/a>.<\/p>\n He recently shot the winter games in Beijing, China, and spoke to AP about it. I could have chosen any number of his stunning, colour action shots as one of the best winter photographs. Instead I\u2019ve opted for a simple black and white shot of a whiteout at Genting Snow Park, which led to the postponement of the women\u2019s Slopestyle event. In one image it perfectly sums up the story of how extreme winter weather impacted on what would have been a thrilling day of action\u2026 instead it just screams desolation, emptiness and solitude.<\/p>\n How UK athletes got ready for the Olympics: photo story <\/a><\/p>\n Every month we run a photography challenge on the SheClicks Facebook Group<\/a><\/span>\u00a0with a different theme each time. The theme for January this year was \u2018Winter\u2019. At the end of each month, my job is to select 25 images to go on the gallery page of our website<\/a><\/span>. As a fan of winter from a photographic point of view, it was a real pleasure to look through the January images.There was a fabulous selection, but the one that my eyes rest on the longest is \u2018The Winter Tree\u2019 by Jolanta Bujalska-Axon. <\/span><\/p>\n Jolanta created her image from a series of photographs that she shot in early January. Some from a walk by a series of canal locks, including a few of snow falling on nearby fields with ICM (intentional camera movement). I love how Jolanta has merged her images and included elements such as cow parsley and birds from previous shoots to create an image with depth and that encapsulates the feeling of misty, cold winter\u2019s day when colour is minimal but contrast and detail come to the fore.<\/span><\/p>\n Dancer by Thorsten Scheuermann. Second\u00a0place in the Abstract Views category of IGPOTY 15<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n There\u2019s a feeling of life and energy in this picture and yet it feels strangely dreamlike and ethereal too. To create the final image, Thorsten combined a series of shots taken with a drone as it circled a tree ablaze with autumn colour. To me, it has all the drama and intrigue of the cyclone sequence in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz <\/em>where the little house rises into the air, feverishly twisting and turning.<\/p>\n Converting the file(s) to black and white was absolutely inspired as it stops the viewer from becoming distracted by any colours in the background and also gives the tree a wonderful ghostly air. The picture was awarded Second\u00a0place in the Abstract Views category of IGPOTY 15, and it’s easy to see why. (You can see more images from the competition at www.igpoty.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Lone Bison, Yellowstone by Tony Spencer<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n As a landscape photographer I often judge images with my ultimate accolade…. would I want a print of the image hanging on my wall?<\/p>\n In the case of Tony Spencer’s Lone Bison image it would be a resounding yes. The bleak splendour and sheer scale of the environment dwarfing the lone plodding Bison is captured brilliantly, the light gorgeous.<\/p>\n The format of the image lends itself to the subject matter, emphasising the long journey ahead for the solitary beast. I’m not sure if the image is cropped or was shot as a stitched panorama but it works effortlessly.<\/p>\n If you needed an image that tells the story of Yellowstone in winter, but tells it simply and effectively, this is it. And yes, there is a space on my wall.<\/p>\n The best photographs of 2021<\/a><\/p>\nAmy Davies, Features Editor<\/h3>\n
Unstoppable by Jessica Mohn<\/h3>\n\t\t
<\/a>\t\t\tJoshua Waller, Online Editor<\/h3>\n
Arctic Fox by Vince Burton<\/h3>\n\t\t
<\/a>\t\t\tJessica Miller, Deputy Online Editor<\/h3>\n
Svalbard Reindeer above Longyearbyen by Graeme Chesters<\/h3>\n\t\t
<\/a>\t\t\tSteve Fairclough, Acting News Editor, and writer<\/h3>\n
Whiteout at Genting Snow Park by Sam Mellish<\/h3>\n\t\t
<\/a>\t\t\tBest Winter photographs, contributors’ choice<\/h2>\n
Angela Nicholson,\u00a0writer, co-founder Camera Jabber, founder SheClicks<\/h3>\n
The Winter Tree by Jolanta Bujalska-Axon<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/h3>\nTracy Calder,\u00a0writer and co-founder Close-up Photographer of the Year<\/h3>\n
Dancer by Thorsten Scheuermann<\/h3>\n\t\t
<\/a>\t\t\tJeremy Walker, photographer and writer<\/h3>\n
Lone Bison, Yellowstone by Tony Spencer<\/h3>\n\t\t
<\/a>\t\t\t
\nFurther reading:<\/h3>\n