16-18 - Young Photographer Awards
16–18 years
Honourable exception
Photographer
James Pearson
Category
16–18 years – Winner 2023
Description
I was out one evening hoping to photograph some barn owls, however as the sun began to set I turned my attention to a pair of whitethroats. It became clear that they had a nest nearby as they kept returning to the same bush with a beak full of insects, so I positioned myself so the last few rays of sunlight perfectly illuminated the area. The dead trees in the background provided some lovely soft bokeh and the low angle meant I could use the grass stems for foreground to provide a shallower depth of field.
Backlit badger
Photographer
Chris Wardell
Category
16–18 years – Runner-up 2023
Description
This photo was taken in a back garden in Bath. There is a badger sett next door and badgers regularly pass through. There was a good chance a badger would come through that evening, so I set up an off-camera flash and laid down flat on the floor. Then I waited. Late into the night, the badger made her visit. As I did not have a light for focus, I had to manually focus on her as she passed between me and the flash. The badger, being a suburban creature used to garden lights, ignored the flash but, just to be safe, I only allowed myself five shots.
Eider duck portrait
Photographer
Andreas Schoefer
Category
16–18 years – Commended 2023
Description
There were eider ducks swimming near Seahouses Harbour in Northumberland. They started coming towards me – they are very used to people and were probably expecting food. I saw a male swimming close to the water’s edge and I got down to photograph him at eye level. Because it was an overcast day, the water reflected the white sky which made the background all white. I converted the image to black and white because I liked the similarity between the background and the bird’s white feathers, and to emphasise the contrast between the bright whites and the black feathers.