2018 UK Landscape Photographer of the Year

Tobers

Tobers

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There was a brief preview of 6 or 7 pictures in the Sunday Times magazine today. Excellent as usual. The winner is an old subject, shot in a rather cool way. I think the full announcement of winners comes in the next day or two.

Let us know if you were successful this year. My submissions got the raspberry this year, not that I’m bitter :)
 
I quite liked the overall winner, there were some excellent images as always. I'm looking forward to getting the book.
 
gramps said:
Interesting shot(s) but I wonder about it being the winner in a 'landscape' comp.
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This really, though it does display a bit of creative thought.

I do like the overall winner and the shot with snowflakes very much.
 
They need to be a lot more specific on the categories , Seascapes, leaves , Hmmm :confused: are these LANDSCAPES ???
 
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I am going to be probably the odd one out but I am not a fan of the winner for once. I like the idea but it feels quite right side heavy and, purely for me, it feels cramped. I really don't know why but I feel that I have seen this before but done better, though I can't remember where. I thought it was Joe Cornish in Scotlands Mountains but I may be wrong. On the other hand I love the urban view winner and Stuart McGlennon and Rachael Talibart's images are superb. Will have to pick up the book again.
 
I didn't bother since my name would never be picked by their establishment no matter what I'd submit. Meanwhile some HDR'd leaves will get picked just because.

1st one - I like composition and the ice structure but seriously that light and sky are a total fail.

2 - a very decent astro. One of the better ones for sure.

3. I somewhat like it. it is a little untraditional but very expressive and conveys the feel of a harsh winter in the hills.

the rest from that link - I won't even bother with commenting.
 
Just looked. Personally I find 5 out of the 8 underwhelming.

One of them I cant believe was entered at all, let alone got some kind of placing.
Only 2 of them really make you stop and look.

As an aside, I wonder if that bloke got washed away with his fishing rod? Wonder if getting a fish was worth risking dying for?
Maybe we are looking at the Darwin awards rather than the landscape photography ones and hidden in each of the other shots is some poor person hit by a train, frozen or drowned? :eek:
 
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Most shots on social media have been really impressive, the standard is extremely high. I especially love Stuart's photo above Buttermere and that could have been a deserving overall winner in my opinion. I'm disappointed in the actual winner though, the composition looks unbalanced and a 7:5 crop removing a lot of the left side would work better. The conditions are drab, I think it would really suit black and white treatment instead and would work far better then. However Charlie Waite's opinion is worth £10,000 more than mine!
 
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ashtennisguru said:
Why, what have you done to offend the organisers in the past?
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If I remember correctly this was in the last submission 4 years ago. What an irony.



I think it is more that I haven't done something to enter the secret club and just perhaps undercut somebody sometime in the print sales market???! No idea really.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
If I remember correctly this was in the last submission 4 years ago. What an irony.



I think it is more that I haven't done something to enter the secret club and just perhaps undercut somebody sometime in the print sales market???! No idea really.
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That is a shed load better than the winner this year. I'm also sure I've seen it done really well with the ice before elsewhere...

I've got to say the high quality, and shear quantity of high quality images on your website is mind boggling.

Very high standard you can be proud of, and I hope that work is rewarding in ways other than competition success!

I do wonder when the same names make it into the book every year, sometimes multiple times what is going on. There is a strong argument it's because they are the best photographers consistently entering good stuff, or equally importantly maybe the sort of stuff the judging panel wants to see...

We are told that the people who look through the thousands of entries to decide the shortlist for the judges to look at only have seconds to view each image. I'm guessing these people don't have the names of photographers in front of them, and their selections would include a fair amount of newcomers.

Presumably the judges do have the names in front of them, and if they are already fans of said photographers work maybe it's only natural to favour those images?

I don't know, and I don't mind, but I do get annoyed when stuff objectively fails to meet the criteria for a technically high standard of photography and makes it into the book. And don't tell me it's artistic licence when it's clearly a shortcoming. Subjectively I don't find some of the creative stuff as creative as others think it is!
 
I would say other competitions like Snoy World Photography Awards or Wildlife photographer of they year have really amazing standard and don't republish repeat name winners. I can only look up to some of the works there, particularly with wildlife or portraits.
 
Craig_85 said:
That is a shed load better than the winner this year. I'm also sure I've seen it done really well with the ice before elsewhere...



I do wonder when the same names make it into the book every year, sometimes multiple times what is going on.

We are told that the people who look through the thousands of entries to decide the shortlist for the judges to look at only have seconds to view each image. I'm guessing these people don't have the names of photographers in front of them, and their selections would include a fair amount of newcomers.

Presumably the judges do have the names in front of them, and if they are already fans of said photographers work maybe it's only natural to favour those images?

is!
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Para 1 - agree.

Para 2 and 3 with social media as it is a lot of the images are seen before they are entered so it is no secret who’s is who’s. Some are very stylised and/or very publicly known and you can tell who’s is who’s as you’ve seen it either before or can tell by the subject/processing etc.

Para 4 - probably - judges are only human so if I was judging it would be reflective images above all I’d favour because I love them, then mountain shots as I like them too. woodland scenes would be going straight in the bin because I find them excruciating tedious.

That Derwent Water reflection shot - drool.
 
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LongLensPhotography said:
If I remember correctly this was in the last submission 4 years ago. What an irony.



I think it is more that I haven't done something to enter the secret club and just perhaps undercut somebody sometime in the print sales market???! No idea really.
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That’s a very nice image, it is a) better composed than the winner and b) with the light just more attractive and alluring.
 
Yes, they ALL look good great, don't they? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45870218

SFTPhotography said:
That’s a very nice image, it is a) better composed than the winner and b) with the light just more attractive and alluring.
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Thanks. The light really lifted it. I have one without light and it went straight to the bin. And it is only a very subtle amount of light - and only for a brief moment. It looks great on 24x36" print.
 
Craig_85 said:
We are told that the people who look through the thousands of entries to decide the shortlist for the judges to look at only have seconds to view each image.
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That would be only the initial phase to collect the shortlist of images. Probably some decent number of images. And then they have a very very good look at each and every one of the "survivors"
 
LongLensPhotography said:
If I remember correctly this was in the last submission 4 years ago. What an irony.



I think it is more that I haven't done something to enter the secret club and just perhaps undercut somebody sometime in the print sales market???! No idea really.
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Whilst your photograph is very good the winning shot s composition is split into a number of similar shapes (slices) that meet in the middle like one of those pie chart things. I agree it’s a little tight at the top but the way the shapes have been intersected lift it from just a photograph into a more artistic scene.

All imo.
 
gramps said:
Interesting shot(s) but I wonder about it being the winner in a 'landscape' comp.
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Yeah - i liked it but i think blending exposures for landscapes is one thing, but using it to be able to add the bike in, is a little different. I thought they were picky about that sort of stuff
 
Nguss said:
On the other hand I love the urban view winner and Stuart McGlennon and Rachael Talibart's images are superb. Will have to pick up the book again.
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SFTPhotography said:
Stuart’s one was nice, lovely lush jolly scene, I think it would have been a more impressive and inspiring winner.
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Scirocco_09 said:
I especially love Stuart's photo above Buttermere and that could have been a deserving overall winner in my opinion.
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Thanks folks appreciate that.

LongLensPhotography said:
I didn't bother since my name would never be picked by their establishment no matter what I'd submit.
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I'm not sure that holds much weight to be honest - it's a big wide world out there and to somehow think you're being singled out is a bit of a stretch. The judges on this and other comps get rotated/changed enough for that to be pretty much impossible. I've seen other people's work at first hand of an extremely high standard not get through the first stage either on multiple occasions, which only reinforces my opinion that rather than there being any kind of agenda it's more that the 1st round of entries is a complete lottery and they really could do with not doing the initial cull in such a quick turnaround. I'm not sure exactly but it's something like a 3-4 weeks (?) after the closing date for the 1st shortlist, maybe they should take a bit more time to ensure less high quality stuff doesn't slip through the net?? Of course we're not privvy to the timescales they have to work to so there might be good reason for this.

Craig_85 said:
I do wonder when the same names make it into the book every year, sometimes multiple times what is going on. There is a strong argument it's because they are the best photographers consistently entering good stuff, or equally importantly maybe the sort of stuff the judging panel wants to see...

We are told that the people who look through the thousands of entries to decide the shortlist for the judges to look at only have seconds to view each image. I'm guessing these people don't have the names of photographers in front of them, and their selections would include a fair amount of newcomers.

Presumably the judges do have the names in front of them, and if they are already fans of said photographers work maybe it's only natural to favour those images?
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Repeat names - a good few of them (I can think of at least 6 or 7) produce work consistently which is levels above the majority of the stuff you see out there, especially in places like this forum where it's not even comparable. It's not a coincidence. What amazes me in the world of social media and the internet is how folk get into these little pockets and corners be it Instagram/YouTube/photography forums and don't really look beyond that platform. I'm not accusing anyone in this thread of that but it's amazing when I talk to some photographers who only post on certain platforms etc they've never even heard of some of these names which keep coming up, people need to broaden their horizons a bit. I've seen many new names on both this year's list and last year to see that it's not some sort of clique or establishment.

My final thought on it is a lot of the angst I see about LPOTY is that people want this competition to be some sort of bastion for the ultimate in UK landscape photography - when in actual fact it's a competition which has to satisfy numerous tourist sponsors etc and ultimately has to sell to make money, and it's never made any bones about being anything other than that. It produces a book which covers a broad range of tastes and gives a flavour of the landscape photography from that year. It's certainly not without fault but I think sometimes people need to keep it in perspective a bit. The cost of entering is relatively low and if you happen to get something through then great, if not it's no big deal either. I happen to have had a decent year this year but I've always had this view and always will.
 
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I have to completely agree with Stuart here and don't really have much to add! The first phase of judging is a complete lottery, there are always amazing images that miss out, but on numerous occasions, these have been entered a 2nd time and done really well. I suppose its just pot luck who judges your image, I had 3-4 images I thought had a good chance this year but got nowhere, yet possibly my last filler image made the book.

With regards to the winning shot, it's not really for me, but some of the winners I have loved in the past, others don't like, that's the subjective nature of photography!
 
LongLensPhotography said:
I didn't bother since my name would never be picked by their establishment no matter what I'd submit. Meanwhile some HDR'd leaves will get picked just because.

1st one - I like composition and the ice structure but seriously that light and sky are a total fail.

2 - a very decent astro. One of the better ones for sure.

3. I somewhat like it. it is a little untraditional but very expressive and conveys the feel of a harsh winter in the hills.

the rest from that link - I won't even bother with commenting.
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Wow, thats some statement! Do you actually believe that you won't get picked because of who you are? I'm pretty sure they don't see names when they judge.
 
How do you explain that winner images are consistently not the brightest nor the most interesting to say the least? This is one competition like no other that always pick substandards and just too many repeat names for no other apparent reason.

What I'm saying is there are other competitions and just perhaps we should look over that way
 
LongLensPhotography said:
How do you explain that winner images are consistently not the brightest nor the most interesting to say the least? This is one competition like no other that always pick substandards and just too many repeat names for no other apparent reason.

What I'm saying is there are other competitions and just perhaps we should look over that way
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So all images should be bright sunshine images? Perhaps some people prefer mood? Anyway, there's always a good mix in the book and sunlit cliches always have a place.

For the record, I don't like the winner but there are plenty of stunning shots that do well.
 
Neil Burnell said:
Wow, thats some statement! Do you actually believe that you won't get picked because of who you are? I'm pretty sure they don't see names when they judge.
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Welcome to the world of LLP.

LongLensPhotography said:
How do you explain that winner images are consistently not the brightest nor the most interesting to say the least? This is one competition like no other that always pick substandards and just too many repeat names for no other apparent reason.

What I'm saying is there are other competitions and just perhaps we should look over that way
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Photography is subjective, not quantative? Like any of these subjective competitions, be it strictly dancing, sky arts photographer or painter or your local photo club, the judging is done by people to their personal criterea. What works for them doesn't work for others - thats how it is.
 
I've not followed the competitions, only this thread, but surely it's easy to see that the winners are a matter of taste when it comes to anything creative/art related (this was why i was upset at school when someone was given 100% in their art exam - because there is no RIGHT answer in art!) & just because one person never likes any of them, doesn't mean they are rubbish. If it bothers you could contact them with your concerns and they may explain the process to you.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
How do you explain that winner images are consistently not the brightest nor the most interesting to say the least? This is one competition like no other that always pick substandards and just too many repeat names for no other apparent reason.

What I'm saying is there are other competitions and just perhaps we should look over that way
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In your opinion, that's all. Not really sure what 'brightest' has to do with anything really. Bright/dull/blue/grey/yellow - it doesn't matter. I found Matt Cattell's winning image a couple of years ago very interesting, the same with last years, a lovely subtle image. Sure there may well have been others in the pile I might have liked or found more interesting but i'm not judging it. Whatever is picked it won't please everyone. I'm not massively keen on this years but that's the way it goes. I can think of a good number of winners like Mark Littlejohn's in 2014 which is superb. As I've said, a good few of the repeat names are there in my opinion (and clearly the opinion of a wide selection of judges over the years) because they produce a consistent high standard of work. It's not just this competition, but many others also. If you don't agree with that and you think they produce dull and uninteresting work that's fine, but you've been given a logical explanation as to why it keeps happening.

No competition is without flaws, that's just the way it is - photography is a subjective art form, I've always said it and i'll say it again that the idea it can be some sort of competitive pursuit is utter nonsense. I think you want this competition to be something that it isn't.
 
It's a shame some people aren't a little more open-minded when it to other styles of landscape photography. I could use several examples of amazing photographers who didn't have success this year, but they remain dignified and congratulate those who were.

Anyway, congrats to all of those on this forum who were successful and keep trying LLP, try not to take it too seriously and I'm sure your time will come.
 
Basically if a subjective medium p***es you off so much when others like what you think is mediocre maybe photography isn't for you?

Or try to understand that maybe a lot of thought and hard work went into their images?
 
GreenNinja67 said:
Basically if a subjective medium p***es you off so much when others like what you think is mediocre maybe photography isn't for you?

Or try to understand that maybe a lot of thought and hard work went into their images?
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We have the same discussion every year - it doesn't fit the criterea some have of a correct or nice image.
2016 winner provoked many comments, the out of focus bird flock over the ruined brighton pier, the snowy peaks images - what year was the terraced rooftops?
https://www.take-a-view.co.uk/2016-award-winners/

Its worth taking a look at the gallery over the years

Also looks like it's going to be displayed at Waterloo Station
Thanks to our exhibition hosts, Network Rail, we will be returning to London Waterloo station for the premier of this year’s exhibition. It will run from Monday 19 November 2018 until Sunday 3 February 2019, is free to visit and will have the same opening times as the station – which must make it one of the most accessible exhibitions in the country. The winning images will then tour to more of Britain’s biggest stations nationwide – timetable to follow.
 
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