Bill Doherty, one of the judging panel of the Thomson Ecology Photography Competition 2016, explains what he saw in the winning image, “Fire in the ice”,
taken by Alan Warriner.
A worthy winner, in strong competition.
“What an extremely enchanting, and in many ways, beautiful image. The author would not need to tell anyone how cold it was, the image does this for him.
It almost wills you to put on our thermals and coat while your eyes travel through what is on offer. The picture also shows how such areas change with
the seasons. The replenishing seasons would have given us a somewhat different account; the island and distant mountains would have worn an emerald
cloak. The author has, however, taken the image when Jack Frost’s wanderings are evident.
The island is framed with masterful precision, and its russet colour fits well, causing it to almost jump out at us. The colours and details in the foreground
are superb, and if I stare at it for a time, my mind’s eye can see fairies, nymphs and dryads dancing amid the magical cold waters. The ermine-trimmed
mountain in the background adds depth and dimension, and there is just enough sky, with the correct amount of details and colour within it, to not
distract from the main body of the image.”
Bill Doherty won the Thomson Ecology Photography Competition in 2013, and his winning image subsequently went on to be published in The Telegraph newspaper.
Bill specialises in photographing wildlife in his home county of Northaumberland on the North East coast of England.
