joan paddick photography awards 2013 winners

7/29/2019 Joan Paddick Photography Awards 2013 WINNERS

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The Joan Paddick Photography Awards 2013The Winners

FOREWARD

Danny Kidby-Hunter : Competition Coordinator

Thank you to everyone who submitted entries into our very first photography

competition. We received well over 100 submissions across each of the categoriesand, with great difficulty, these were shortlisted to 26 finalists. All images were

judged anonymously. Although we obviously looked for aesthetic and technical

qualities, great emphasis was placed on ethics and capturing the essence of

nature. The volume of entries and the standard of those entries proved

phenomenal and exceeded all of our greatest expectations.

The Joan Paddick Photography Awards was launched in February 2013 by the UK Wolf Conservation Trust to

pay tribute to one of its most dedicated volunteers who sadly passed away in 2012. Joan was known for her

love of nature and the striking images she captured, so what better way to honour her life than to hold a

photography competition in her name. The competition was established to promote the importance ofconserving and appreciating our natural world by encouraging exploration, discovery and respect while out and

about. Whether it be in an ancient forest searching for elusive red squirrels, or in your back garden observing

visitors to your bird table.. In our hectic society, it is often easy to forget the importance of a thriving

ecosystem. This is why it is crucial to highlight the beauty of our world to those who may miss it by making

them stop and take notice. It is for this reason we wanted to recognise the talents of those naturalists and

aspiring photographers who seek to raise awareness of nature through the means of breath-taking imagery.

When we announced the call for entries back in February, I had hoped entrants would lay the way for the

future of the competition. I think you will agree, they most certainly have

Our judging panel of Teresa Palmer, UKWCT Managing Director and co-founder, Danny Kidby-Hunter, UKWCT

staff member & amateur photographer, Vicky Allison-Hughes, Assistant Senior Handler, Jim & Jamie Dutcher,

award-winning wildlife filmmakers/photographers and conservationists, and Bob Brind-Surch, naturalist and

award-winning wildlife photographer, deliberated long and hard before selecting the winners.

I was extremely impressed with both the number and the high quality of those entries in our competition

in memory of Joan. Joan would, I know, have so appreciated the competition and would have loved to

have been part of it all. The annual competition is a lasting legacy to a special wolf volunteer.

Tsa Palmer

We were looking for images of genuinely wild animals and plants that faithfully represented the

encounter, and were not heavily manipulated. We wanted to encourage photographers to think and care

about their subjects and preserve the animals welfare. It was not just about taking a nice photograph,

but to capture a moment in time and unravel a story which would provoke feeling and emotion in the

viewer.

Danny Kidby-Hunter


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I hope you enjoy finally being able to see the winning images, just as much as we all enjoyed judging

them!

There were more than just a few entries which were really impressive! For us, sometimes behaviour andcomposition trumps technical ability. We all have our own personal way of viewing things a lot of really

good images. We think the stage is set for a bigger showing next year.

Jim and Jamie Dutcher

There were some really excellent photos here and it was also interesting to read the commentary

alongside the photos and see how much people had enjoyed taking the photos. To me thats really

important. Skill and a technically great photo is one thing but enjoying the process of capturing them and

observing the wildlife is just as important. I like to classify myself as a naturalist who does

photography rather than a photographer who does wildlife. Observation and enjoyment comes first for

me and I suspect thats equally as important for all of us.

Bob Brind-Surch

To all of those who entered, on behalf of the judging panel, the UKWCT and the Paddick family, thank

you for supporting the Joan Paddick Photography Awards 2013. We hope you will continue to enjoy

nature with all that it has to offer. Details of the 2014 Competition will be announced in the spring edition

of Wolf Print.

A few of the many images entered into this years

com etition.

Above: Stephen Birtwistle

Below: Dee Maddams

Above: Susan Potter

Below: Stan Maddams


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OVERALL WINNER

Squabbling StarlingsRose RavenscroftWINNER18+

I took this photograph of two juvenile starlings squabbling late in the afternoon on the 25th June 2012.

I'd just put some food out on the bird table in my front garden at Freiston Shore, Lincolnshire. Within

minutes a number of young starlings arrived and soon polished it all off.

Canon 7DShutter: 1/1000sFocal length: 150mm

f5.6ISO: 1000

Bob Brind-Surchs comments:

As you would suspect there are some great photos here but the standard surpasses even what I would have expected.

The composition is perfect and the action frozen perfectly. I see it was shot at 1/1000 second. The background is nicely out offocus and the exposure perfect. For me a great photo is one I keep looking back at. What really makes this one for me is not

just the perfect composition, the sharp image and the great background but the story. Here are two starlings fighting over

something and the photographer has managed to capture not just that moment but two very different individual attitudes in the

birds. Well done a great photo and another for the wall! The behaviour captured is stunning.

Jim & Jamie Dutchers comments:We all agreed that this was a very difficult group to judge. Each image had something wonderful to offer which for us made

things very difficult.

We went for behaviour and composition rather than technical aspects, which in the end, was what really divides them. Our

OVER ALL WINNER for all categories went to the Starlings Squabbling, from the 18+ category. The behaviour is captured

really well and we just kept coming back to it.


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Danny Kidby-Hunters comments:

I love the juvenile starlings squabbling in the air. The photographer has managed to freeze the moment superbly. It is a truly

fantastic capture and any photographer would be pleased with such a result. Birds were a popular contender in this year'scompetition but this one stood out from the rest with its energetic content. Capturing a great wildlife portrait is one thing, but

freezing the action of an exciting behavioural display is simply remarkable. A great photo.

Puffin Howling at Sunset

Alastair WilsonRUNNER-UP18+

Atlantic Puffin howling at the setting sun. Photographed at Hermaness National Nature Reserve, Unst,Shetland, UK on the 29ThJune 2009 at 22:24hrs.

Nikon D300Shutter: 1/1250sFocal length: 165mmf4

ISO: 200

Bob Brind-Surchs comments:A super photo with plenty of commercial appeal, it would make a great poster and is technically perfect.

The composition is perfect and the exposure spot onnot at all easy for this situation ! Even the angle of the birds beak

pointing at the sun is perfect. The puffin and headland in silhouette is great and the focus very sharp even to the small blade ofgrass on the slope and picked out by the sun. A beautiful picture of which the photographer should be justifiably proud. The acid

test is would I want to hand it on my wall and the answer is unreservedly yes.


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Danny Kidby-Hunters comments:

This was a sensational image. I personally love sunset silhouettes and I would certainly be proud of this. Puffins are often

viewed as quirky little characters and what I love about this is how the photographer has depicted the animal in a more nobleand gracious light.

Puffins

Hannah LewisWINNER13-17 YEARS

Puffins at the puffin colony on the Isle of Staffa, Scotland. Taken at seven minutes past four p.m. on the

26th July 2013


This is a beautiful photograph and the photographer ought to be justifiably proud of it. Its beautifully composed with the detail

in the second puffin with thegrass in its beak. That ones really sharp where it matters on the eye and beak and the photographer

has skilfully avoided any stray grass seed heads getting in the way of the picture. The left hand puffin is soft in focus and thats

great toothats notthe main interest in the picture. The exposure is perfectblack and white is never easy but there is nothing

under or over exposed and there is detail in the white and black feathers. The light at the time of day this was taken will have

helped but thephotographer made the final selection so thats where the credit must go..


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The Brave Fox

Nicola PerryRUNNER-UP 13-17 YEARS

This photo was taken in Colchester in our back garden. As it came towards the end of the day me and my littlebrother saw this fox playing outside at the bottom of our garden. It was rolling around and watching us and wasntafraid of us at all! We took quite a few photos but this one was the best.


Foxes are becoming so brave and accustomed to people in urban settings now but its always great to observe and photograph

them. This one was well seen and clearly the photographers enjoyed the experience. Something I bet they were talking about

long after. The picture is perfectly sharp and well exposed but I feel that it might have benefitted if the fox were not dead centreof the picture. Even if it were taken like this a little careful cropping would have set it off to the right and removed some of the

background of the garden. A great shot none the less.


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Hungry Swallow Chicks

Isobel SykesWINNER6-12 YEARS

We have swallows nesting inside our garage. My dad lifted me up onto the beams and I sat all day

watching the mum and dad feed the hungry chicks.

Jim & Jamie Dutchers comments:This was a really good group of images given their ages, we were very impressed.


There are some great photos here and its really good to read how much those taking the photos enjoyed theexperience.This is a brilliant picturewell capturedwell timed - well exposed and well composed. I see that a flash was usedbut its not overwhelming, the exposure is spot on. Getting both chicks with their beaks open was a real achievementand the jaunty angle really works well. The beam running up from left to right and the chicks leaning into the pictureall adds to the drama. An absolute masterpiece well done.


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Starling and Caterpillar

Milly PopeRUNNER-UP6-12 YEARS

I love taking pictures ofnature and the best place to take them is in my garden in Woolmer Green. Since

we put up bird feeders there have been lots of different birds on it. On 15 th May, in the morning, I saw a

colourful starling perched on the arch where the bird feeders hang. I thought it was a great opportunity to

take a picture of a pretty wet bird with a huge caterpillar in its beak. I use my Dads Nikon P521 camera

when hes not looking!

Bob Brind-Surchs comments:This is a well seen photograph and the photographer has captured the focus really well concentrating on the birdseye and the caterpillar. There is just enough detail in the feathers and feet but the background is pleasingly out offocus. It was taken at a slow shutter speed with a longish focal length which shows real control on behalf of thephotographer. The bamboo is a little burnt out and its a pity that one of the feet is cropped but its a really greatphoto none the less.

Danny Kidby-Hunters comments:Sometimes hearing about the back story of how a photograph was taken is just as interesting as the image itself. I

particularly love that Milly borrows her dads camera when hes not looking!


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Seal on Beach

Veda KavanaghWINNERWolf Team

This was my first time to use my DSLR camera bought only days before my holiday to Hemsby near The NorfolkBroads. Locals had told me about a colony of seals that come yearly to breed nearby that due to the long winter werestill around. I walked on the beach every day. On 11th May, my last day at around 1pm I got to see the best sightsever, a whole colony of seals! This is one of my favourites and I have only cropped it a little the rest is as the photowas taken.

Jim & Jamie Dutchers comments:

This was another very good category and again, we went with more subject matter then technical aspects. But, asalways it could have gone either way.

Bob Brind-Surchs comments:A superb sharp detailed photo very well done. Seals are creatures of the wide open seas and only come out on a

beech to bask or pup. Its very tempting to zoom in very close and exclude the surroundings. This one may be a littletoo close and the seal is perhaps too central in the picture but it works well. You have also nailed the focus andexposure perfectlywell done.


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Male broad bodied chaser dragonfly

Clive Longbottom

RUNNER-UP Wolf Team

Broad bodied chaser at rest above a pond at Merriments Gardens, near Rye, Sussex, June 2013.

Bob Brind-Surchs comments:Dragonflies are really difficult. They have fantastic eyesight and can respond really quickly making approachingthem very difficult. They are also active in the brightest of sunshine making exposure very tricky. I think that in this

instance the light was coming from behind the subject and hence the underneath is in shadow. I suspect too that ithas been heavily cropped hence the lack of crispness to the image. Having said that as someone who runs dragonfly

photo workshops I know that I would be proud of capturing a photo of such a difficult subject and many attending my

workshops would be so too. A great photo of a very difficult subject.


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Reflections

Pui Hang MilesHIGHLY COMMENDED

Bob Brind-Surchs comments:When shooting in these situations I always say to people that you ought to capture an image that you can almostbut not quite turn upside down. This one passes that test with flying colours. There is just enough disturbance in the

water to show which way up it is but not so much that with a casual glance you could be confused. Everything isgreat, the soft background, the sharp focus (the whiskers are sharp and you can see all the detail in the fur), the

perfect light and the wonderful colours complementing each other. The photographer has deliberately kept thebackground soft and there is no digital noise there either again a real skill at 1600 ISO on a 7D! If I am to make onecomment its that old chestnut that it would have been better if the squirrel wasnt dead centre. A bit more space to

the right for it to run into. A great picture.

A really enchanting picture and superbly capture. This one would play well on a birthday card or in publicity for aforest area in Scotland.

Danny Kidby-Hunters comments:This was one of my favourite images of the competition because of how striking it is. You really could turn itupside-down and almost not know which way is which - almost. I love the shape the tails make and it is an image Ikeep coming back to. The only thing I would say is that I would have liked to have seen it slightly more zoomed out. Ithink a little more space for the squirrel to run into and avoiding placing him in the centre of the frame would just

make the photograph perfect. Due to so many great entries, we had to be ruthless in our decisions. Still awonderfully enchanting photograph and one that any photographer should be pleased with.

joan paddick photography awards 2013 winners

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