Nature photographer scoops award

The winners of the first Scottish Nature Photography awards have been announced. The overall winner was Ron McCombe, a professional photographer from Coldstream in the Borders who also won the Scottish wildlife category with this image of a waxwing. 2nd prize went to Jim Robertson, and third to a superb image of Am Buachaille and Sandwood Bay by Skye-based photographer Colin Threlfall.

Organiser and judging panel member, Niall Irvine, said, “This competition has really highlighted the excellence of the photography that is undertaken here in Scotland. Against such a strong field, Ron’s winning image encapsulated the exceptional quality, creativity and dedication that the judges were looking for.”

Ron McCombe said “I’m delighted to hear the news of my win. I took the picture in Musselburgh, having heard on the grapevine that waxwings were in the area. I was waiting for a bright frosty day and when the forecast was right I set off very early in the morning. I drove around Musselburgh looking and listening and eventually found them in a sorbus tree. I stayed until I got the images I wanted, which was most of the day until the sun started to set and the temperature dropped.”

You can see all the winning images and a selection of shortlisted images on the Scottish Nature Photography Awards website. The 2011 competition will be launched at the end of April with details also available on the website.