THEY are stunning images of wildlife in the raw from across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.
And this year the top picture from the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2015 has been taken by a Scot dangling over a cliff in one of the country’s furthest-flung outposts.
Barrie Williams got his incredible picture of gannets nesting on the Isle of Noss in Shetland while filming his Masters’ project on the seabirds that inhabit the rugged northern coasts.
And like many great wildlife pictures, the image came together in a once-in-a-lifetime moment before vanishing again.
The 29-year-old said: “I had been filming for quite a few days and I realised I hadn’t taken any photographs, so I got out my camera and went looking for shots. I was leaning over the cliff looking down on the nests when I saw this massive flock of gannets heading in from the left. I took the shots and then they were gone again. I just had to be there at that time to catch it.”
Mr Williams, who is hoping to build a career out of his interest in photography, has previously worked as a TV researcher on BBC Scotland’s Landward programme, and also studied marine biology and documentary making.
Wining the top £5,000 prize came as a shock as he had initially hoped just to get mentioned among the highly commended pictures.
He said: “British wildlife is absolutely important to me, I’ve been lucky enough to swim with whale sharks, manta rays, and turtles in the Seychelles and spotted bears in Yosemite National Park, yet I still get the exact same delight and glee when I spot wildlife in the UK.
“It’s always an exciting experience to spot wildlife in their natural environment, especially in Britain where so many species can go unseen due to their shy nature.”
Mr Williams, who lives in Edinburgh, added that Scotland’s scenery and wildlife can compare with anything in the world, although tracking the elusive birds and animals of his homeland can bring its own challenges.
He said: “I have on several occasions found myself unwittingly lying on sheep poo when getting down for low angle shots.”
Judge Paul Wilkinson, at the Wildlife Trusts, said: “Worlds collide in Barrie Williams’s beautiful and evocative image, which demands a double-take, affording a unique insight into the habitat and behaviour of gannets.
“This vertigo-inducing shot shows guano-stained rocks, the bustle of lower ledges with birds packed tightly and gannets hunting over the inky seas below.”
A hardback book- 'British Wildlife Photography Awards: Collection 6' that showcases the very best entries from the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2015 goes on sale today, 14th September published by AA publishing, price £25.00
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