Dam-fine image in race for global photography prize
A STUNNING shot of Wet Sleddale Dam in Shap, Cumbria, by a man from Leeds has won him a place in the finals of the Royal Meteorological Society’s Weather Photographer of the Year 2020.
Andrew McCaren is one of 26 finalists in the competition, with the shortlisted images put to a public vote which is now live at photocrowd.com/wpotyvote until September 25. The winner will be announced on October 17 at the society’s WeatherLive event, which is celebrating the society’s 170th anniversary.
The search for the 2020 Weather and Young Weather Photographer of the Year began earlier this year with a call for the best photographs depicting weather from around the world. Entries ranged from weather phenomena such as clouds, lightning, rain, fog or snow through to the impact of weather on humans, cities and the natural landscape.
More than 7,700 photographs were submitted by more than 2,600 photographers, creating a challenging task for the judging panel to shortlist the best images for prizes and to become part of the Weather Photographer of the Year calendar. Judge Jesse Ferrell, social media manager at AccuWeather, said: “I am thrilled to have the honour of serving as a judge for this year’s competition. As a meteorologist and photographer, myself, I am always impressed with the level of quality, detail and creativity entrants put on display with their submissions from around the world.”
“I have no doubt that this year’s entries will be made even more special due to the ongoing challenges presented by Covid-19, but the passion spent on this effort provides some respite from that storm and a reminder of the beauty that weather surrounds us with.”
Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said “I look forward to being part of the judging panel every year, but each year it gets tougher with more entries.”