Highly commended photographers

Nearly 100 keen wildlife enthusiasts gathered at Moors Valley Country Park on 30 January to hear from two local award- winning wildlife photographers, Poole’s Brian Chard and Southampton-based Alex Mustard.
 
The event marked the official launch of the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition at the Park, which features over 70 stunning shots, ranging from our best loved animals to those seldom spotted. It can be seen at Moors Valley Country Park until 4 March.
 
Both Brian and Alex received Highly Commended awards in the prestigious competition. Brian for a wonderfully detailed picture called ‘Red Deer in Blizzard’ while Alex’s intriguing shot of a ‘Grey Seal Beneath Cliffs’ was taken off Lundy Island in Devon.
 
Whilst both answered questions on the night, Alex’s stunning presentation of his underwater photography proved doubly fascinating, not only inspiring the audience by the quality of his images but also offering some understanding into the way in which he captures the beauty of his underwater world.
 
Alex’s award-winning seal image shows the cliffs of Lundy Island while the bottom of the picture is underwater. “I wanted to create a photo that would allow people who have never looked underwater to relate to the seals” said Alex, “so I designed and had built a large 55cm (almost 2 foot) front element for my underwater camera that would allow me to take this photo both above and below the rough surface of the sea at the same time”.
 
Now in its third year, the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition can be seen at Moors Valley until 4 March. Admission is free but car parking charges do apply.

Entry is now open for the 2012 British Wildlife Photography Awards. For details go to www.bwpawards.org