2011 Annual Photography Competition

[Pete Eeles]

As announced on the homepage, the 2011 UK Butterflies Annual Photography Competition is now open for entries! See http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/competit ... o_2011.php for more details, including information on how to enter. And good luck! 1st, 2nd and 3rd places for each category, as well as overall, will be announced in early December. The overall winning photo will also receive an award, to be determined (watch this space!).

The "shift" by a month, for this year's competition, is wholly down to the abnormally good weather we're now seeing, allowing members to enter some end-of-season shots. Despite anything that Gary (Gruditch) might suggest, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I might simply have forgotten to get this sorted in a timely fashion, honest guv

Cheers,

- Pete

[Gruditch]

He forgot, missed it by a whole month, makes my one or two days for the monthly comps look good.


Regards Gruditch

[Rogerdodge]

Pete

An entrant may submit up to 3 photos in total (and *not* 3 photos per category).

Can you clarify the above?
Does it mean an entrant can ONLY post 1 photo in each category?
and thus enter only 3 categories?
Cheers

[Pete Eeles]

No - it means you can only enter 3 photos in total. They can be anywhere you like - 3 in one category, 1 in 3 categories, etc.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Rogerdodge]

Got it! Thanks Pete

[Pete Eeles]

Congrats to John Bogle, winner of the 2011 UK Butterflies Annual Photography Competition - with a lovely picture of a Silver-studded Blue on a grass head. Congratulations also go to Nigel Kiteley (2nd overall) and Paul Kipling (3rd overall). John wins a voucher from UK Butterlies sponsor, WildGuides. Voting was judged by a panel consisting of Gary, Lisa Richardson et moi. Full results can be found at: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/competit ... s_2011.php. Congratulations to all winners and runners up, and thanks to everyone that entered.

The "panel" meeting was conducted over Apple's FaceTime, and Gary won't thank me one minute for posting the photo below

Cheers,

- Pete

[Susie]

Great to see James Colvin winning the Under 16s! A smashing entry.

[Reverdin]

Really chuffed, thanks... that SSB is

For the rest, I'm sure it has been very difficult to choose, over the few years I have been involved the quality of everyones images has gone through the roof, every one of them exquisite in their own way

[Rogerdodge]

Agreed - when I saw the SSB go up I knew that was going to be in the finals.
I am delighted to get a place with my HF in the Behaviour section.
To be selected amongst such exquisite images is very flattering.
Also great to see my best mate Reverdin up there too. Well done mate!
Thanks

[Mark Colvin]

Thanks Susie,

Great to see James Colvin winning the Under 16s! A smashing entry.

Proud dad or what!!

For those that missed it first time round ...

[David M]

That's a lovely shot, as are the others that won the awards. The clarity and depth of detail in the winning entries were stunning. Well done all.

[MikeOxon]

For those that missed it first time round ...

I didn't miss it but it was worth a second look! Congratulations to James.

Mike

[David M]

I'm also delighted because the overseas competition included a picture of a striking butterfly I saw a few times in Goa 5 years ago but have never since (till now) been able to identify - Common Jezebel.

[GOLDENORFE]

Congrats John, super image, perfect composition

well done

phil

[Pete Eeles]

I think I should also have said that there are many excellent images that didn't "make the cut". When I get some "down time" I hope to provide my own comments on these. In the meantime, I would encourage other visitors to share their own thoughts. Simply start at the 2011 competition album here: gallery/album.php?album_id=2109

... go into each album and, associated with each image, is a link next to the "Comment:" field. Just click on that and provide some feedback!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Reverdin]

great idea

[Bill S]

Congrats to John Bogle, winner of the 2011 UK Butterflies Annual Photography Competition - with a lovely picture of a Silver-studded Blue on a grass head. Congratulations also go to Nigel Kiteley (2nd overall) and Paul Kipling (3rd overall). John wins a voucher from UK Butterlies sponsor, WildGuides. Voting was judged by a panel consisting of Gary, Lisa Richardson et moi. Full results can be found at: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/competit ... s_2011.php. Congratulations to all winners and runners up, and thanks to everyone that entered.

The "panel" meeting was conducted over Apple's FaceTime, and Gary won't thank me one minute for posting the photo below

Cheers,

- Pete

panel.jpg

Why's Gary trying to look like Theo from Dragon's Den!?

I'm out.

Cheers

Bill

PS - Thanks to Pete and the judges for running this, some really beautiful images in there and well done to the winners!

[Gruditch]

I had to the that one up Bill. I only wear my Giorgio Armani glasses for looking at stuff.

Regards Gruditch

[FISHiEE]

Thanks to the judges for picking my shot as the winner

A great set of images in all categories, as has been the case all year with the monthly competitions. It's great to see how everyone has improved over the years as everyone pushes each other forwards in these competitions.

Thanks to Pete, Gary and co for running both the monthly and annual competitions each year

Some of the highlights were IanLeach's Heath Fritillaries and HertsRangers Duke of Burgandy in the UK section. Also the two Purple Emperor shots from Neil and Millard - still to really have a decent go at these yet. My first summer in Hampshire didn't prove to be a great one for these

The overseas category seems to be the toughest fought with with loads of stunning shots. I knew Nigel's Spanish Festoon was going to be hard to beat as soon as I saw it appear in the gallery and sure enough it came out on top. Bill S's clouded yellow was also a stunner. Super sharp detail throughout. Rogerdodge's Southern White Admiral also stood out. I've been to Provence a few times and tried in vain many times for an underside shot of one of these. A real cracker I am very envious of!

I'm blown away by all of the immature stages shots as I can rarely even find these let alone photograph them! Paul Brock's Pine Hawkmoth Caterpillar is truly stunning as is Antonym's quite unique and extremely successful angle (on a poplar/eyed hawkmoth caterpillar?). Riverdine's pupating (Fritillary?) caterpillar is also amazingly detailed and a great find. How Neil could find that Adonis Larvae and capture it in such stunning detail is beyond me, and I wonder how many hours of searching it took for walpolec to find that White Letter Hairstreak pupae?!

In the behaviour category I thought Bill S was on to a winner with his stunning in-flight Brimstones capture but it proved not to be the case. Neil's Grizzled Skippers was an excellent capture. A lovely clean composition and one of the cleaner shots in this category Rogerdodge has the most artistic of the inevitable 'sex' shots in this category, with Vince's super Silver Studded Blues and BenKitely's Common Blues pushing him hard all the way.

BenKitely is clearly one to watch in the future as he's mixing it with the best in the adult categories as well as the junior category. Pipped by James Colvin's superb mating Wood Whites. Elliotls97's Single Wood White is also one to be proud of and would have ranked highly in the adults category too i'm sure!

[Goldie M]

Congrats to all the winners etc, I thought it was too good to be true,me a 2nd and a third. I don't underestimate myself and I'll keep trying but please sort the Gallery photos out and put the true winners in there. You've given me heart failure once I really don't want it again Goldie M