The Big Hit

In 2010 in won the Living The View category of the Landscape Photographer of The Year competition. This was and still is probably the biggest competition for landscape photographers in the UK. The first prize of £10,000 attracts a big field of very accomplished entrants. Category winners get a £1000, which was much appreciated. The title of this one is 'Heather burning on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border'. This is the text that I wrote to accompany the image in the book of winning photographs.

Heather becomes tall and wood with age and becomes a poor source of food for moorland wildlife, particularly grouse. During spring and autumn each yeat, heather burning takes place throughout the upland areas of the British Isles to encourage the natural regeneration of the plants. The heather is burnt in strips approximately 30 metres wide. This gives sufficient area for the plant's new growth, which over the next few years will provide food for the grouse during the breeding season. The area of old heather that are left provide cover from preditors for the nesting grouse and their young. This photograph is of the gamekeeper of the Fourstones Estate controlling the last burn of the day. 

One Trick Pony

Again, in the 2017 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition I had an image commended and selected for exhibition around the country and unexpectedly shown on BBC Breakfast, with a credit I'm pleased to say. Once again it was a heather burning shot featuring, as so many of my award winning photos have, my friend Richard. It would appear that either I'm just a one trick pony or the judges in London can't get enough of the drama of burning heather. I didn't win any money from this one, I just got to dine out on the kudos.