Many of you will have been watching the exceptional footage in the latest Life on Earth on the television and if you are feeling inspired you can go along to the Guisborough Forest & Walkway Visitor Centre and see some equally stunning images of wildlife seen on your doorstep.
The 2017 North East Wildlife Photography competition winners and runners up can now been seen at a small exhibition at the visitors centre.
Over 1,500 photos were entered into 6 competition categories and a panel of judges has selected a winner and runner up photo in each category. All of them will receive a prize and is featured in a touring exhibition now at Guisborough . Broadcaster George McGavin presented the prizes at an event in July and he had the unenviable task of choosing the overall winner from the 6 category winners.
The winner of the Nature Close-up category and also the overall winner was by Ken Nyberg whose photograph “Hoverfly on Poppy” caught everyone’s eye. Ken, who is retired and lives in Westoe in South Shields, captured the image as he walked through South Marine Park in the town. He said “I enjoy documenting buildings and scenes around the town and I always keep my eyes open for an opportunity. One of the petals of the poppy had dropped which allowed me to photograph into the flower”.
Hannah Bishop, aged 11, from Morpeth, won the Young Persons section with her picture of a starling at South Beach, Blyth, titled “Greedy Bird.”
We had more entries than ever in the mobile category with pictures of butterflies and snails but the winner was North Tyneside-based Fabian Balezeau, with his photograph of a frog he spotted on a North Shields street.
Steve Ashton, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust’s People and Wildlife Manager and one of the judges said “The photographs entered are of a very high standard and everyone who managed to make it to the short list of around 140 photographs should be congratulated. We the judges have a wide range of experiences and interests and include photographers, wildlife experts as well those from the local press and the sponsors Nestle and have a difficult time choosing the best.”
The Wildlife Portraits section was won by Jonathan Gaunt from Kelso with his picture of nuthatch taken near Wooler in Northumberland.
Brian Avery, from Seaton Sluice, won the Wildlife in the Landscape award for his image of a deer in the morning light at Gosforth Park Nature Reserve in Newcastle.
The Wildlife in Action prize went to Annie Charnley of Newcastle for her photograph of a Large White butterfly and willow herb at Bamburgh in Northumberland, which she titled: “Not a Care in the World.”
The competition organisers would like to thank all its sponsors who provide prizes with a total of 19 prizes being awarded.
For the fifth year running the three north east Wildlife Trusts (Northumberland, Durham and Tees Valley), the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), Great North Museum: Hancock and Alan Hewitt Photography have joined forces again to launch the 2017 North East Wildlife Photography Competition.
Nestlé Fawdon, which has supported the competition since its launch in 2012, is the main sponsor, and, as with previous years an array of wonderful prizes are on offer including a wonderful £250 voucher from London Camera Exchange (which has an outlet in Newcastle), binoculars, photography workshops, wildlife watching trips, birdwatching workshops and photography equipment.
As well as a chance to win a fantastic prize the entries also help to showcase the wonderful wildlife that can be found in the North East.
There are six competition categories to enter: wildlife portraits, wildlife in action, wildlife in the landscape, nature up close, young persons and mobile nature which this year is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. There are prizes for each category winner and runners-up.
Entry is free and is open to everyone, but photographs must have been taken in the North East. Winning photos will be exhibited in the Great North Museum: Hancock and on tour around the region. It is a great opportunity to show the best of the region’s wildlife.
To enter, and for more information, visit www.northeastwildlifephoto.co.uk The competition can be followed via Facebook and twitter.
Speaking about the launch of the competition, Mike Pratt Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive said: “Last year, people of all ages and abilities entered in excess of 1500 photos of this region’s amazing wildlife leaving everybody involved in the competition absolutely speechless.
“Our region has some wonderful wildlife and wonderful amateur photographers, both of which, never fail to amaze me, so, if you have a few hours to spare, why not head outdoors and take a photo and enter it… it’s as simple as that.”
The competition closing date is midnight Monday 15 May 2017, with the winners being announced at an awards ceremony onThursday 6 July 2017 at Great North Museum: Hancock.