Following a public vote Keith Gypps won the General Wildlife category for his image of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth; in the Rivers category John Roy took the winner’s spot for his photo of a Kingfisher on a fishing rod, and in the Under 16s group, a remarkable picture of a Mute Swan saw Bruno Slim top the polls.
Back in August, on World Photography Day, the Trust invited amateur photographers to enter their best photos of wildlife and wild places that can be found in Hertfordshire and Middlesex. Over 500 photos were submitted, whereupon judges, Tom Hanner, Jeanette Lendon, Will Jobbins and Tim Hill, selected a shortlist of 30 photographs to proceed to an online public vote.
In the General Wildlife category, the public were drawn to Keith Gypps’ stunning photo of a Hummingbird Hawk-moth, captured in Fowlmere near Royston. The runner-up prize went to Daniel Simpson for his photo of a fox cub, patiently taken after two weeks’ of waiting for the fox to appear from the bushes.
Celebrating 10 years of the Trust’s Living Rivers project, the Rivers category was won by John Roy and his brilliantly executed photo of a Kingfisher using his fishing rod as a handy perch. John Seymour was awarded runner-up for his dramatic photo of two male Mute Swans along the River Bulbourne in Berkhamsted.
A mature finger on the shutter saw Bruno Slim being named as the winner of the Under 16s category for his image of a Mute Swan cygnet inside its mother’s wing at Verulamium Park in St Albans. And a wonderful image by Poppy Grey of a Buff-tailed Bumblebee on Chicory earnt her the runner’s-up position in the category.
Trust Conservation Manager and Wild Snaps judge, Tim Hill is a keen photographer who has contributed many of his photos to a wide range of Trust publications over the past 20 years. Speaking about the competition and the outcome of the public vote, Tim said:
The range of subjects photographed and entered into the competition reflect the wonderful diversity of wildlife we have in Hertfordshire and Middlesex. The winning photographs are exceptional and reflect a great deal of skill and patience to capture those very special moments which are always fleeting and will never be repeated.”
The winning images will all be featured in Wildlife Matters, the Trust’s membership magazine. The winners and runners-up will also receive prizes, kindly donated by the competition’s sponsors, as follows:
- General Wildlife category winner - NatureSpy Recon Force Elite HP5 Trail Cam
- Rivers category winner - £150 Opticron vouchers
- Under 16s category winner - £150 Opticron vouchers
The runner-up in each category will receive a pair of Opticron 8x21 binoculars, a voucher for a Badger Watching Experience at Tewin Orchard Nature Reserve and a £30 voucher for the Waffle House in St Albans.
In addition, one lucky voter also received an exclusive one-to-one Smartphone Photography Safari, kindly donated and provided by Jet Black Squares, a voucher for a Badger Watching Experience at Tewin Orchard Nature Reserve and a £10 Books on the Hill voucher.
Pete Gamby, Sales and Marketing Manager at Opticron, who has sponsored Wild Snaps since the competition began in 2020, said:
For over 50 years, Opticron has been a supporter of wildlife conservation and we were very happy to support Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust with their Wild Snaps competition again this year. There have been some amazing entries showcasing the wonderful wildlife and habitats that grace these two counties. Well done indeed to all the prize winners.”
An exhibition to display all of the 30 shortlisted photos is open to the public at St Albans Cathedral from 1 - 20 October, with entrance free of charge. An online gallery of the images can also be found on the Trust’s website, along with details of the shots provided by the photographers.
