Tranquil photo wins competition
A West Chiltington man’s ‘stunningly serene’ picture of walkers on a sunny winter’s day is the winner of the South Downs National Park’s annual photo competition.
Chanctonbury Ring by Tim Kahane took the top spot in the popular photography contest which attracted more than 400 entries – a recordbreaking number for the competition.
The theme for this year was ‘My Tranquil Haven’ and judges agreed that Tim’s peaceful photograph met the brief perfectly, capturing a moment of serenity amid the uncertainty of 2020.
Photographer Tim, who received a £250 prize, said:
“I grew up in the shadow of the South Downs and their contour has been the backdrop to my life. Every day the school bus would follow their line and every day Chanctonbury Ring would dominate the skyline.
This emphatic grouping of trees high on a scarp hillside and alone in their mythical company remains an iconic landmark in my life.”
Winning the wildlife category was Richard Murray, from Waterlooville, with Winter Runner, a stunning photograph taken in Selborne.
He said: “I visited this location on numerous occasions to photograph local hares and formed a good understanding of their movements in the area.
“On the morning I took the photograph the landscape was transformed by a light dusting of snow and I sat still for well over an hour in a field verge with the snow falling around me.
“I was frozen and about to give up when my patience was rewarded as a drove of hares appeared across the field in front of me. Looking through my camera’s viewfinder and seeing these majestic animals in the falling snow sprinting towards me was an unforgettable experience.”