We don’t blame you if you ‘re not venturing out at the moment as the weather has been gloomy and cold enough to chill the bones. It’s a time of year to relax and unwind and also to look forward to a new year ahead – hopefully it’s going to be better than 2020! Last week we showed you some pictures from James Loveridge’s 2021 calendar and this week we are delighted to present some images courtesy of west Dorset-based natural history photographer Colin Varndell. Colin, who is best known for his evocative images of animals, birds, insects, wild flowers and landscapes, has also produced a calendar for 2021.
A 17 year old from Woodborough has scooped the top prize in a national photography competition. Jake Kneale beat 11,000 other entries to win in the RSPCA Small World category, and the portfolio category. Then his shot, of a deer walking through a gate, was picked for the top, overall prize of Young Photographer of the Year Award. The Bishop Wordsworth, Salisbury, pupil now has his sights set on a career as a professional photographer. I became hooked on exploring and photographing the natural world when I was twelve, a passion sparked by a fantastic family holiday to New Zealand. Since then, I have been inspired by breath-taking photography from TV documentaries, magazines, books and innumerable incredible photographers, he said. He used a technique called camera trapping to get the shot taken on the Pewsey Downs. I set the cameras up and they trigger when the sensor trip, he explained. It took months, and I got lots of shots of animals backsides! He says he wants to foc