The winning image in the British Wildlife Photography Awards shows a red fox against a backdrop of environmental destruction. Photo / Charlie Page/BWPA
The winning image in the British Wildlife Photography Awards shows a red fox against a backdrop of environmental destruction. Photo / Charlie Page/BWPA
A poignant image of a red fox moving through destroyed woodland to make way for an industrial site in Lee Valley Park, England, has been judged the overall winning image in this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA).
The startling image was taken by 28-year-old Charlie Page, beating more than13,000 other entries, to win £5000 ($9800) and the prestigious grand prize title.
“I knew this area was frequented by foxes, and I wanted to take an image with the industrial backdrop to show the devastation caused to this local woodland that the fox calls home,” said Page. “I hope that wildlife photographers aren’t faced with similar scenes in years to come.”
The awards are announced at a crucial time for the natural environment in the Britain following the release of Sir David Attenborough’s Wild Isles series that highlights the depletion of wildlife, the areas they inhabit and the constant attack nature endures whether from raw sewage, ancient woodland destruction or the use of banned insecticides, to name a few of the culprits.
The BWPA is a valued showcase of nature photography in the British Isles and a reminder of the diversity and beauty of native woodlands, wetlands and rivers, coasts and other ecosystems still managing to survive.
Image 1 of 7: RSPB young British wildlife photographer of the year Billy Evans-Freke's picture of a Tawny owl, titled 'Branching Out'
Will Nicholls, director of BWPA, said: “The talented photographers in this year’s competition have given us an exceptional window into Britain’s nature. It’s an important reminder of the wildlife and wild spaces that still remain in the UK, and are in need of our care and protection.”
Photographers submitted images in 10 categories for the adult competition - animal behaviour, animal portraits, botanical Britain, black and white, British seasons, coast and marine, habitat, hidden Britain, urban wildlife, and wild woods - and three for the junior awards according to age group. The adult winners claimed a £750 voucher per category and the juniors a £250 voucher.
The BWPA insists on a stringent code of ethics for wildlife photographers stating that animals, birds and insects must not be intentionally damaged for the purpose of creating images, subjects must not be spooked to capture an action shot, traps, lures and live-baiting are banned, as is the use of flash photography at night.
They also say that animals in captivity must not be photographed, unless for a conservation piece and that licences must be obtained when working around nesting or roost sites.
The awards have been around since 2009 when Maggie Cowan, a respected naturalist and curator, established the photographic competition.
All awarded images feature in a hardback coffee table book, with a foreword by Dame Judi Dench, available from bwpawards.org.
