Celebrate Britain's natural heritage

Image above: The Wave, Douglas, Isle of Man (LPOTY Classic View 2012 Winner) © Simon Park

In the July issue of Outdoor Photography (OP219, on sale 1 June) we review the celebratory book Landscape Photographer of the Year: 10-year special edition, which includes 250 stunning images of the British Isles. 

Here we showcase our favourite images from Landscape Photographer of the Year’s 10-year history and chat to the competition’s founder Charlie Waite.

Image above: Windy Knoll, Castleton, Derbyshire, England (Landscape Photographer of the Year – Classic View 2013) © John Finney

Outdoor Photography: How do you think landscape photography has changed over the last 10 years and where you do you think it’s heading?

Charlie Waite: The speed of technological change has been so great that some of the options included as standard in cameras today would have been hard to foresee, even only ten years ago, and that has undoubtedly had a huge effect on all photography, including landscape. But I believe that all photography is primarily about the ‘eye’ and so, however sophisticated cameras become, the difference between a good landscape image and a truly memorable classic photograph will continue to be down to the talent of the individual photographer.

Image above: Freightliner Coal Train, Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England (Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015) © Robert France

OP: In your opinion what makes a winning landscape image?

CW: We are constantly bombarded with visual imagery and so it can be a challenge to create a photograph that stands out. The usual tenets of technique, light, composition and so on are obviously vital elements in the creation of the whole but I believe that what it comes down to is whether the final image works: does it evoke something of the emotion felt by the photographer at the time, does the viewer feel what it was like to be there?

Image above: Binnein Beag through Steall, Highland, Scotland (Landscape Photographer of the Year – Classic View 2016) © Scott Robertson

OP: Over the competition’s 10-year history you’ve seen thousands of images. What has Landscape Photographer of the Year taught you, from a photographer’s point of view?  

CW: Landscape photography has been a passion of mine for many years and is something I regard as essential to my wellbeing. Even as recently as 2006, when planning for the competition began, the internet and social networking was not as ubiquitous as it is today and landscape photography could be quite solitary. The competition certainly showed me, and hopefully others, how many share my passion and has proved to be a wonderful way of creating a community to share ideas and create friendships, while providing a showcase for the best landscape photographs of a beautiful country, Great Britain.

Image above: A Beginning and an End, Glencoe, Scotland (Landscape Photographer of the Year – Adult Category Overall Winner 2014) © Mark Littlejohn

Enter your images to this year’s competition by 8 July. More details found here.

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: 10-YEAR SPECIAL EDITION

Charlie Waite

AA Publishing

978-0-7495-7845-9

Hardback, £35

Available to buy now. Pick up a copy of OP’s July issue to read our review (p11).