If a picture paints a thousand words, there’s a whole library’s worth in North Yorkshire this spring. MATT CLARK went to admire some of the best photos of 2014 which are on display at Nunnington Hall and Rievaulx Terrace.
YOU can hear the silence. Hardly a ripple troubles the early morning lake as mist lingers on the horizon. Ducks glide snoozily, a coot and seagull seem oblivious to one another as they share a driftwood jetty. Two clouds interrupt an otherwise perfect sky.
Suddenly, fingers of sunlight burst through the branches of a bankside chestnut. The scene is now perfect as Kassia Nowak opens her camera shutter to capture what will prove to be one of the best pictures of 2014.
Morning in Bushy Park was named runner-up in the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY), breathing spaces category and is part of a stunning display of winning entries to the competition that have just gone on show at Nunnington Hall and Rievaulx Terrace.
“This marks the first time a joint exhibition has been held between the two National Trust sites,” says James Etherington, visitor experience manager for both properties. “What better way to start a new year than to showcase the very best of the natural world on our doorsteps.”
More than 18,000 entries were submitted, ranging from blossoms in Battersea to blooms in Beijing. Some of the entries were distinctly urban, in both subject and style, others had a painterly quality.
Take Max Rush’s highly commended Picnic on the Giant Steps, which bears a striking resemblance to Turner’s ‘Margate’. Then there is the ethereal picture of Corfe Castle in Dorset by Andy Farrer. It takes a real understanding of photography to pull off a shot like this, no amount of photoshop will help. You also need to know precisely where to stand and, just as important, when.
Categories for the competition included: wildflower landscapes, beauty in the garden and the beauty of plants. Not surprisingly Stephen Moore’s Poppy Field caught the judges’ attention in the latter. It’s a textbook example; razor-sharp foreground and ultra- shallow depth of field.
The competition’s overall winner was another entry in the beauty of plants category; My Garden Prairie by Rosanna Castrini, from Turin.
IGPOTY judge, Andrew Lawson, said of it “We all love single plant portraits, but it is much more difficult to make a successful picture of many plants together in association.”
Nunnington Hall volunteer Ken Wilson admires one of the entries in the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition at the hall
If these photos have inspired you to capture nature in all its glory, but you’re unsure how to go about it, why not go along to Nunnington on March 14 where Philip Smith, professional photographer and founder of International Garden Photographer of the Year, will be on hand to offer tips that should get you on the way to taking fantastic images like these.
“There’s so much to see and capture in our gardens,” says James. “Bring your camera when you visit and you may just snap a winning entry for next year’s competition.”
• Nunnington Hall is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Phone: 01439 748283 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington
• Philip Smith’s photography workshop on March 14 is open to all abilities, but booking is essential.
• For more information about International Garden Photographer of the Year go to www.igpoty.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here