See the breathtaking images from this year’s Landscape Photographer of the Year

Dawn sunlight warms up a winter’s morning in the Brecon Beacons. This image was taken from the Pen-y-Crug hillfort which provides a spectacular panorama of Brecon and the surrounding mountains. On this December morning, sunlight broke through a clearing snowstorm, adding a wonderful burst of warmth and color to the scene. I used a telephoto lens to help compress the sunlit fields and distant snowy hills.

Loch Creran is in a beautiful, forested glen near my house. It was early and the loch looked magical, shrouded in mist and completely still. I heard the sound of oars and saw the boat which was backlit with golden light.

I knew thunderstorms were forecast, so when I saw their path alongside the windows of sunshine and where this would break through on the relevant weather apps I decided I’d go and wait for a rainbow to appear at one of my favourite locations. Whilst I wasn’t surprised when it did, I still could not believe what unfolded in front of me. The apparition of the rainbow was wonderful, but the light sweeping across the Dragon’s Back was just sensational. I tried to time things as best I could before the shadows became too harsh. It was a thrilling afternoon I’ll never forget.

The Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk.

This is a very poignant and personal image. A good friend of my wife’s sadly passed away in 2021. Lynsey was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2015. When diagnosed, she was informed that she would be lucky to see Christmas that same year. However, Lynsey bravely battled the cancer for five and a half years before she passed on 11th April 2021. This image was made on 14th April 2021, the morning of Lynsey’s funeral. As soon as I saw the two birds fly into my frame I was immediately reminded of Lynsey and her husband Simon.

I love finding little details in nature. I discovered this scene wandering along the beautiful Devon coast. The rock formation with its intriguing lines and colours provided a wonderful composition, the limpets adding story and interest, playfully sliding down the gully like an Olympic bobsleigh team.

The tiny chapel of St Cwyfan, inaccessible at high tide, has been photographed many times, so I wanted to capture an image that was different. I wanted to capture, in a single frame the Chapel and the aquatic world surrounding it, with its tranquil, submerged garden of algae.

I had to travel for work, so I decided to start very early to capture sunrise. Due to fog forecast, I decided to visit a well- known woodland nearby, but on my way, I realized that I forgot my hiking boots, so woodland wouldn’t work. Luckily, I always have a plan B, so I added another ten minutes to my drive to visit this beautiful windmill and capture this photo.

I arrived at Jodrell Bank at 1 a.m., as a fierce lightning storm was fast approaching. Once I was in position inside the back of the van for protection (and to seek shelter from the heavy rain), I set up my camera and sat there for four hours documenting the storm as it peaked. The power and intensity of a full-blown lightning storm is exhilarating and humbling, as everything around you illuminates incredibly brightly. This particular shot was captured at 1.53 a.m., at perhaps the height of the storm. Lightning was flashing in every direction and in quick succession too. It felt amazing to be experiencing it first-hand and it certainly makes you feel alive yet small in the presence of something so powerful.

I’d conceived this image in my head before arriving on location and had checked the train departure time from Loch Awe. The train was delayed and I thought the evening would close in too quickly, but the train emerged from the gloom just in the nick of time.