The International Garden Photographer of the Year (abbreviated to ‘IGPOTY’) is now in its 18th competition year and continues to be one of the world’s most respected photography competitions and touring exhibitions; especially in the garden, flora, fauna and fungi photography genres. With a number of localised Special Awards and partnerships with UNESCO world heritage sites such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Blenheim Palace – the IGPOTY tour is both botanical and prestigious.
IGPOTY is inclusive and accepts entries from both amateur and professional adult photographers, worldwide.
The main IGPOTY competition normally opens in February and closes on 31st October (12 Noon/GMT) each year.
Categories include; Abstract Views, Beautiful Gardens, Breathing Spaces, Plants & Planet, The Beauty of Plants, The World of Fungi, Trees, Woods & Forests, Wildflower Landscapes and Wildlife in the Garden.
The Overall Winner for 2024 was chosen from the 1st Places of the above categories.
Many congratulations to all the winners and especially to the Overall Winner of IGPOTY Competition 17 – June Sharpe from England, UK – with the photo entitled ‘Birdscape’.
THE INTERNATIONAL GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
JUNE SHARPE ARPS
Photo: ‘Birdscape’ © June Sharpe, 1st Place, Abstract Views, Overall Winner, IGPOTY Competition 17.
📷 Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens, 1/350sec at f/5.6, ISO 800. Post-capture: added white fill layer (exclusion blend mode), basic image management in Adobe Photoshop.
The layered branches of this conifer reminded me of the dancing cranes often featured in Japanese woodcuts. In post-processing, I added a fill layer and used exclusion blending mode to alter the colours and enhance the feeling of movement and sense of the ‘birds’ dancing in a fantasy woodland.
Photo location: Kent, England, United Kingdom
June said:
“Now, more than ever, it is vitally important to connect with nature and highlight the beauty and fragility of our planet’s ecosystems. The International Garden Photographer of the Year competition does just that and, in doing so, attracts vast numbers of stunningly beautiful and inspirational entries. Being awarded the title of Overall Winner is an enormous and totally unexpected privilege.”
Tyrone McGlinchey FLS FRSA, Head Judge, IGPOTY said:
“When judging pictures we are hoping to be embraced, and taken on a journey, within a story. June’s picture delivers. There is an abundance of interest and depth which fires the imagination. The soft, new growth transforming between plant and feathers – it is both enticing and enchanting. We are pulled into and beyond the symbolic dancing cranes, and embraced by their ‘wings’, to a place of hope and peace. It is rare that one can connect with nature and feel such compassion.”
June will receive £4,000 and the Overall Winning photo will feature at the IGPOTY 17 flagship exhibition at Kew Gardens, which is planned to open to the public on Feb 3rd, 2024 and run until March 10th, 2024.
Many congratulations are also due to Annaick Guitteny, who placed 1st, in the ‘Portfolios’ category for the set of six photos with the portfolio title ‘Evanescence’.
‘Portfolios’ is run as a stand-alone competition in association with The Royal Photographic Society (The RPS).
Annaick will receive £1,000 and an RPS Gold Medal.
See also: Planting an Edible Garden
