Photo earns Haverhill photographer national recognition

A photo by Haverhill wildlife photographer Colin Edwards has been praised at the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA).

The awards are known as the Oscars of the British wildlife photography calendar and is entered by thousands of the finest wildlife photographers.

Colin was awarded highly commended in the portrait category with an image of a pair of courting great crested grebes, snapped at Peterborough.

Colin said: “BWPA is a tough competition and I’ve known for some time now that I was in the running for it.

“I took a risk this year and entered a style of photography which normally isn’t recognised by judges in competitions so was really pleased when I received the email some months back.

“I was also pleased to have been shortlisted in this year’s National Geographic WPOTY which is the biggest competition of its kind in the world.

“In 2013 I was over the moon to win a major competition but wasn’t able to capitalize of the back of the win as not long after I had a bad bike accident with a long recovery period.

“I’m hoping to now be back on the right path with my photography and can push my work and portfolio forward.

“It’s a tough career and always hard to compete with the big names in the industry and their full sponsorship deals.

“It’s a job I love and wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Over the next 12 months Colin will be seeking sponsors for equipment and clothing, working on future projects and tutoring other budding photographers.

Colin’s image will now be included in the 2015 season six BWPA book and be seen across the UK in the touring exhibition.

To see more of his work visit www.colinedwardswildside.co.uk or his Facebook page Colin Edwards Wildside.