Wildfowl behave as pictures are taken at Castle Espie

Wildfowl behave as pictures are taken at Castle Espie

1 April 2012

CASTLE Espie has announced the latest winners of its national photography competition.

The Comber based Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) Centre has picked the four regional winners in the autumn heat of its nationwide photography competition.

From the abstract to the arty, keen photographers in and around County Down were invited to submit entries for WWT Photography Competition (2011 – 2012), in association with Canon.

Paul Warwick, a 60 year-old self-employed IT consultant from Dromara, was named winner in the Wildlife & People category, with his picture entitled ‘Mmm Tasty!’

Richie Lort, from North Down, was named winner in the Wetland Wildlife category, with his picture entitled ‘Bottoms Up!!’ Reverend Colin White, from The Four Winds, was named winner in the Wetland Landscapes category, with his picture entitled ‘Castle Espie’, and Paul Pruzina, aged 14 from Grosvenor Grammar School, was named Young Photographer, following his picture submission, entitled ‘Mushroom’.

For Paul Warwick, a trip to Castle Espie is an opportunity to spend time with his family while he also indulges in his hobby of photography. His winning photograph was taken at the pond area.

“I regularly visit the wetland centre with my wife and two young sons, and at times I can take up to 100 photographs,” he said. “My winning image was taken at the pond area where you can get up close with the geese. I wanted to take a more natural

shot that was quite personal to my family. The geese are a firm favourite with my four year-old son. My wife and son were feeding grain to the geese, and I captured their hands and the goose’s face.”

The competition was open to visitors at the nine WWT wetland centres around the UK. Debbie McCamphill, manager at the local WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, said they had received over 2,500 submissions across the country.

“The quality of the entries from these four fantastic winners caught the judges’ eye and really brought our local WWT wetland centre to life,” she said.

 “The competition encourages people to get really close to all the fantastic wildlife we have here at the centre, and these stunning images show off the most elegant and colourful array of birds, insects and other animals seen during the autumn.

The public were then invited to vote online for their ‘People’s Choice’ category winner for each centre for each season, with the winner yet to be announced.

The autumn seasonal winners have each won a place on an acclaimed photography course, and will go through to the national finals to be held in autumn 2012, where £50,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs including wildlife photography and activity holidays.

The winter heat of the competition is now open and photographers can enter their prize pictures taken at WWT centres online at wwt.org.uk/photo until February 29.