Category Winners

Portraits: Reindeer by Danny Green.

"I have been going to Svalbard for many years and it is one of the best places to see and photograph Reindeer. The Svalbard Reindeer are a subspecies and are a lot smaller than their cousins. These two Reindeer were just trying to see out a blizzard".

Open: Red deer by Agnieszka Florczyk.

"Photo taken in the Barycz Valley, while photographing herons, which have an excellent place to feed in the shallow water of ponds. At one point, deer came running from the right. They were mainly does and this year's young, led by a hind. They came very close, and then turned onto the pond, heading for the islands to their daily refuges."

Habitat: Roe deer by Daniel Trim.

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 "I don't think I'll ever get a chance like this again! For a period of a few weeks several roe were feeding in a beautiful poppy field and whilst the buck never came as close as the does I did really like the wider scene including a sea of red. I had to wait for the right moment as some areas were patchier than others but luck was open my side and he stood in this spot to check me out for a moment. After this fleeting few weeks their behaviour changed and they stopped feeding in the field."

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Behaviour: Roe deer by Craig Churchill.

"The morning had been spent trying to photograph roe deer amongst the heather in the mist but with only one male found I headed back to the car for breakfast. The mist had cleared and soon I noticed a roe doe with a beautiful male following her, she was obviously coming into season, wherever she went he was in hot pursuit. I had managed to get quite close at this point when suddenly I could see another male on the other side of the heath to my left and at this point the closer buck took off in his direction. I had a fraction of a second to get the camera to my eye and thankfully had the foresight to put my zoom lens on that morning. I'd managed to zoom back a touch and prayed the camera would lock on at such a close distance. Having fired off several shots as he dashed past I quickly reviewed them whilst he was chasing the other male. I scrolled through and most were just too close, a head cropped, a leg missing, then suddenly the perfect composition leapt out on the screen. An incredible end to a mornings photography."

Deer and Humanity: Red deer by Andrius Kybartas.

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"During the antler shedding season, it's a great opportunity to get a different shot of a deer. I spotted this deer with a hanging antler from afar. I made a big loop through the forest to get as close as possible and have a good angle for the shot. After that, I spent another hour or so watching the deer until it shed its second antler."

Judges' Choices

Red deer by Agnieszka Florczyk.

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"Photo taken in the Barycz Valley, Poland. In autumn, cranes fly here to rest and regain strength before continuing their migration. They spend the night in the shallow waters of ponds, through which deer pass. Deer have their refuges on islands, and during the rutting season, solitary bucks wander in search of does. Their routes often run through crane roosts."

Judge's comment: "As soon as I saw this image, I loved it. You've got a large, wild stag in prime condition dominating his domain and the cranes in the background almost appear to be acting as courtiers to his majesty, the king - a great capture."  

Red deer by Carol Dilger.

"Searching the rugged northern slopes of Quinag in Sutherland, Scotland, we spied a lone stag happily grazing on a nearby grassy knoll. A stealthy, downwind approach was duly undertaken and a clear, but concealed vantage point obtained. The stag was indeed a fine specimen with impressive antlers and we happily photographed him making the most of the short grasses around the summit of the knoll. Slowly, he nibbled his way towards a fence, about 4 feet high. Would he jump or would he retreat? Standing up to sniff the air and assess the quality of the aromas on the other side, he paused for a moment before nonchalantly leaping the fence with ease, proving the old saying, "the grass is always greener on the other side."

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Judge's comment: "There is a lot to like about this image and it made an impression on me right away. It's memorable too, in the sense that after quickly browsing all the images entered into that category to obtain an overview, it was one that I really looked forward to seeing again and taking more time to fully appreciate.

 It has some of the hallmarks of a silhouette, but it isn't. It's much better than that because we can see colour and detail throughout the scene, yet it still shows clean-cut outline of a stag negotiating the only man-made obstacle in the scene with ease. Timing is perfect, as is the exposure, and I love the tone-gradation effect of the hills in the background."

Roe deer by Daniel Trim.

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"In July heather covers beautiful areas of lowland heath in the UK and this purple carpet coincides with the roe deer rut. During this time bucks become inquisitive and bold, this individual knew there was something lurking nearby but jut couldn't quite make me out as I hid my face behind my camera. He moved closer and closer, stopping every so often to pop up above the heather and take a look. Eventually he lost his nerve and wandered off as my heat was beating loudly in my chest with excitement!"

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Judge's comment: "This roe buck image caught my eye very early on in the judging process. It was one that really resonated with me, it has such a nice feel to it and a moment I personally would loved to have seen and witnessed, as well a touch of envy I dare say! To be in that moment, amongst the purple heather in soft light, just has the buck lifts his head is something to cherish and the photographer captures all that perfectly."