WITH its unparalleled landscape and wildlife, stunning architecture and incomparable light, Scotland is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world – no more so than in winter. Back in December we asked readers of The Herald to capture this beauty with their cameras for our photography competition, and they didn’t disappoint. We received more than 500 entries, each one documenting Scotland differently in all its winter glory.
The Herald and Times’ Multimedia Editor Craig Alexander was amazed by the quality of the entries.
He said: “What really impressed me was the breadth of pictures, in terms of composition, colour and subject matter. We had plenty of traditional Highland landscapes, of course, but we also had some stunning pictures of Scotland’s urban environment too. They captured different aspects of the country in a range of different weather and lighting conditions. I was immensely impressed by the quality of
the entries and picking just one winner
was tough.”
Among the pictures he singled out for praise were Glen Collie’s lovely shot of his Scottie dogs Mac and Tali frolicking in the snow in Renfrewshire, Gordon Nicoll’s stunning view of stormy weather at Cove Harbour near Aberdeen, and Stephen Miller’s beautifully still image of the Cairngorms reflected in Loch Morlich.
However, there was one image that really stood out – Alastair Swan’s winning entry, Icy Waters at Brig o’ Doon. Alexander added: “Alastair’s shot is so beautifully framed and composed, and I love the way it creates an S shape. The composition has different layers and he has captured the particular beauty of the melting ice extremely well. The colours, meanwhile, are magnificent – they give the image the look of a pastel. It’s an image that works on many levels, and it brilliantly fulfils the brief.”
Mr Swan will receive a £150 voucher to spend on camera equipment of his choice.
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