© George Stoyle
However, it has since emerged that AP reader Adrian Clarke also has reason to celebrate. Adrian won highly commended honours in two categories: Animal Portraits and British Nature in Black and White.
© Adrian Clarke
A delighted Adrian – whose work has been featured in AP – told the magazine: ‘One of the reasons I felt confident enough to enter this year was the interest and support shown by yourselves at AP…
‘Looking at the standard of work on show it was uplifting and humbling to be a part of it and has certainly inspired me to try and raise my game!’
He added: ‘I’m happy enough with my own results and will continually attempt to come up with interesting ways to represent our wildlife.
‘But when a magazine such as yours chooses to feature some of my work it’s a hint I’m getting something right, so thanks for that!’
© Adrian Clarke
The overall winning photo of a jellyfish was captured at St Kilda, in the Outer Hebrides, by marine ecologist George Stoyle.
George said of his ‘Hitchhikers’ shot: ‘I was working on a project to assess the current biological status of major sea caves around some of the UK’s most remote islands.
‘At the end of one of the dives I was swimming back to the boat when I came face-to-face with largest jellyfish I’ve ever encountered.
‘As I approached cautiously, I noticed that a number of juvenile fish had taken refuge inside the stinging tentacles.’
David Nussbaum, chief executive of WWF-UK, which sponsored one of the categories, said the winning image was a striking example of natural beauty and the variety of life around UK shores.
‘The photo exquisitely captures the voluptuous frills and folds, and kaleidoscope of colours of this giant jellyfish.
‘But it’s the jelly’s… stowaways that make this picture, a shoal of shimmering, glistening juvenile fish finding harbour amongst the tangle of tentacles.’
