Awards
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2026
Highly Commended Category Animal Behaviour
Frosty Morning Show
I travelled to England in late February 2025 hoping to photograph barn owls and short-eared owls. While exploring the area, I found an uncultivated field bordered by a traditional dry stone wall, and it seemed like a promising place to wait for an owl at first light.
Instead, I was treated to something completely unexpected. A male pheasant landed on the wall, called loudly and flapped his wings in a spectacular display before disappearing into the field. Knowing that pheasants are creatures of habit during the breeding season, I returned to the exact same spot the following morning. Sure enough, just after sunrise, he climbed onto the wall again and repeated the performance. The frost, the soft morning light and his dramatic display came together for just a few seconds, creating the image you see here.
The field belongs to a landowner who deliberately leaves it uncultivated to benefit wildlife. Without that habitat, this moment probably wouldn't have happened. I hope photographs like this remind people how important sympathetic land management is for the wildlife we enjoy seeing.
European Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Highly Commended Category Landscapes
Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Winner Category Landscapes
Time For a Drop
In the summer of 2023, my wife Lisa and I spent three weeks hiking through northern Norway. After two weeks exploring the Lofoten Islands, she mentioned that she'd never seen a glacier before and would love to visit one. So we changed our plans. A ferry, a train, a shared car ride and a two-hour hike later, we found ourselves standing at the edge of Svartisen, Norway's second-largest glacier.
As we carefully explored one of its glacier tongues, we came across the entrance to an ice cave almost as large as a barn door. The surreal glow of blue ice lured us in, but falling chunks reminded us not to test the melting giant. I stayed back to photograph it from the outside.
Through a small hole in the ice wall, I found the perfect natural frame. A drop clung to its edge, frozen in time. That moment – just before the fall – held more tension and beauty than the drop itself.
I hope this image evokes not only the wonder of glaciers, but also the urgency to protect our vanishing freshwater reserves.