International Garden Photographer of the Year Award

Ancient Oak, Ty Canol Wood, Wales, 2012

I don't enter many photography competitions. Most are just a way for the organizers to get as many people to pay the entry fees as possible, then hand out paltry awards to a few lucky winners. So I choose my competitions wisely. In April, I entered the International Garden Photographer of the Year's Black & White contest for a modest fee. Photography competitions are very subjective, but this time I impressed the judges and came away with the top prize.

The image was made on a 2012 visit to West Wales (Pembrokeshire), where I photographed an old oak guarding the entrance to an even older forest of gnarled, twisted, mossy trees. There's no fancy Photoshop work here. I used an infrared converted camera which renders foliage white and gives images an eternal quality that no amount of computer manipulation can quite emulate.

The image can also be seen in Digital Photographer Magazine (UK) as well as in a traveling print exhibit across the UK. I'll post details as I find them out.