As the deadline for the 2025 Awards approaches, we caught up with the 2024 title winners to see how they have reflected on the year since their wins.
Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2024
Nicki Gwynn-Jones
www.nickigwynnjones.com
Student Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2024 Callum said: "Winning the Student Scottish
Nature Photographer of the Year title marked a significant milestone
in my photography journey. This achievement has greatly enhanced my
confidence and inspired me to develop my creative ideas further. The
recognition I received also created new opportunities, enabling me to
connect with other photographers whose work I have admired.
https://callummckenziephotography.com
"Recently, I was invited to an eagle spotting boat trip on beautiful
Loch Sheil. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! Also, the red squirrels at my local
nature reserve are starting to become very busy gathering nuts for
their winter caches. What glorious tufts and tails they have!
"One more amazing bird encounter happened in my garden. A beautiful
sparrowhawk landed 3 metres away from me on my perch. Wow!"
Scottish Nature Video Award 2024
Nicki said: "Receiving the call to say
that I had won the Scottish Nature Photography Award for 2024 was a
shock in the very best kind of way and totally unexpected.
"All
the credit should go to Niall and Jacqueline - what an honour it is to
be able to showcase the very best of Scotland’s wonderful wildlife and
scenery in such a friendly and well-run competition. And I was so
happy that my winning image featured a fulmar, an often-overlooked
bird, but one which truly speaks to my experience of walking and
photographing on the cliffs of Orkney in all weathers.
"It has
been a busy year! We visited Australia in February and March, and I
spent much of my time fruitlessly chasing gang-gang cockatoos around
Canberra. Spring and summer were taken up with my beloved seabirds,
and in particular with my favourite colony of arctic terns. I always
become somewhat obsessed, spending many hours trying again and again
to capture the essence and beauty of their flight, and I am always
devastated when they take their leave in July. A few weeks ago we left
beautiful Orkney for the delights of Berwick-upon-Tweed and
Northumberland. It was a wrench, but I am really looking forward to
discovering everything that the area has to offer photographically."
www.instagram.com/nickigwynnjones
Callum McKenzie - HND Photography, Glasgow Kelvin College
"Recently, I have been
running a pop-up stall at the Barras Market every weekend, where I
sell my wildlife photographs. My latest venture has been producing and
selling new wildlife Christmas cards, which have proved extremely
popular and have sold out faster than I can print them. Participating
in the Barras Market has allowed me to share my photography with a
wider audience and to engage directly with people interested in my
work, helping me to build valuable relationships and further my
interest in nature photography."
www.instagram.com/callummckenziephotography
Junior Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2024
Kiran Simpson
Kiran said: "It was such an honour to be granted the title of
Junior Scottish Nature Photographer this year. I was not expecting a
simple robin photo to win such a prestigious award. I love being out
in nature capturing common birds doing uncommon actions, so to have
this normal garden bird win such an award is really wonderful for me.
www.kiransimpsonphotography.com
www.instagram.com/kiransimpson.photography
Richard Nicholls
"Since the announcement of the
awards, I have been busy filming all over Scotland, making films in
Shetland, the Highlands, and most recently on Lewis. I feel very lucky
that I get to travel this beautiful country and visit places that are
unfamiliar to me.
"Alongside the work that I produce through
my business, Swift Films, I have a personal YouTube channel where I
talk about developing positive habits. This year I have been trying to
grow the channel a bit more. A lot of the time I shoot these videos
outdoors at different locations around Edinburgh and further afield in
Scotland. For my most recent video '40 harsh truths I wish I knew in
my 20s', I tried to capture the best of the autumn colours around
Edinburgh, and I filmed at specific locations at Salisbury Crags, the
Cammo Estate, Inverleith Park and in the water at Portobello beach."
40 harsh truths I wish I knew in my 20s:
https://youtu.be/QB6AvcB7Ecc
www.swiftfilms.com