Judges
I am an ecologist and lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University. The natural world is the focal point of
my life, and I see my writing and photography as complementary to my work as a scientist. The natural world, through
biodiversity and geodiversity, can be as beautiful and emotionally inspirational as it can be fascinating to understand and crucial to manage and conserve. Niall has been in the photographic industry for
more than 30 years. He is a partner in Perspectives, a
digitisation, photography and design company, and he enjoys working
on photographic commissions and pursuing his own artistic style,
particularly in seascapes and landscapes. He has recently been revisiting his
early images of the north-east coast of Scotland, taken in
the 1980s and 1990s. Struck by the changes in the area, he
hopes, over time, to put together an archive collection and
revisit locations to document the changes and explore his
own photographic development. Niall founded the Awards as a platform
to showcase the depth of photographic talent that is drawn
to and inspired by Scotland's landscape and natural heritage.
Christopher Swan is a professional photographer and author from Scotland,
specialising in both landscape and commercial photography. He provides
imagery and videos to a diverse clientele, including architects, landscape
architects, and designers across the UK. He also has an extensive stock library,
and his images have been used by clients such as The National Trust for Scotland,
Condé Nast, The Bank of Scotland, and various other organisations and
publishers. He has enjoyed success in a number of international and national
photography competitions, including winning the Urban Wildlife category of
British Wildlife Photography Awards and The Scottish Landscape Photographer of
The Year.
Jason Gilchrist
- Ecologist & Photographer
My work as an ecologist has taken me to Madagascar, Uganda and South Africa, where I have been privileged to work in
amazing landscapes and to observe and photograph unique wildlife, environments and ecology. In recent years, my nature
photography has become more locally focused on Scottish biodiversity, around home, in the central belt of Scotland.
I use my photography to complement my conservation and ecology writings. As a photographer, I have photos published in BBC
Wildlife, Africa Geographic, Biosphere, and Outdoor Photography magazines, Lynx Handbook of the Mammals of the World, The
Geology of Scotland, and online with EarthArchives and The Conversation. My photos have been used by NatureScot, British
Ecological Society, and the Scottish Geology Trust.
When out with the cameras, I look to cover as many angles and perspectives of nature as possible. From macro to wide-angle and fisheye landscapes, and plants through to invertebrate and vertebrate animals. I am a generalist natural history photographer. However, I enjoy the technical challenges of composition and look for a different perspective in my photography, alongside novel and effective captures of ecology.
If my writing and photography can encourage any interest, awe or concern for nature in others, then I have achieved my goal.
www.jasongilchrist.co.uk
Niall
Irvine - Photographer & co-organiser of the
Awards
Christopher Swan - Photographer & Author
His work aims to strike a balance between realism and an artistic interpretation of
the landscape, always with a desire to create powerful, graphic compositions
which distil the scene into its base elements. He frequently employs long exposure
techniques to simplify the portrayal of water and skies while infusing a sense of the
passage of time into his images. His bond with the Scottish landscape is deeply
felt, and he firmly believes that understanding geological processes, the influence
of natural forces, and the rich tapestry of human history that has shaped the land
are pivotal in making impactful photographic works.
Over the past five years, he has dedicated his efforts to the creation of two books,
Explore & Discover the Inner Hebrides and Explore & Discover the Outer Hebrides,
both published by FotoVue. This dream commission saw him visiting nearly every
Hebridean island, spending time in some of the most captivating locations in
Scotland. The desire to revisit these amazing places remains a constant
inspiration.
Based in Glasgow, Christopher also photographs his immediate location,
focusing on the overlooked scenes and idiosyncratic occurrences which make
the city such an interesting and vibrant subject.