Forest display for winning photos
AN exhibition of winning photos with a focus on the natural world in its breathtaking beauty and ever-growing fragility will go on display at Haldon Forest Park in Devon.
The shortlisted works in the Earth Photo competition will be on show to the public from October 3 until January 4 2023.
Earth Photo is an international competition and exhibition created by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers, showcasing photographs and videos which focus on the environment.
The Haldon Forest Park outdoor exhibition will display 29 of the 55 final shortlisted entries by 35 different artists, allowing visitors to view the stunning images in a scenic forest setting.
The selection of images is taken from the five Earth Photo categories – People, Place, Nature, Changing Forests, and A Climate of Change.
They include the winning image from the Changing Forests category (above) showing the aftermath of Storm Arwen in Grizedale Forest in the Lake District. Photographer David Rippin captured windblown silver birch and the snapped trunks of spruce trees showing the force of the storm in the forest landscape.
The exhibition also features images by the overall competition winner Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, who has documented the devastating effects of climate change in Bangladesh.
Katy Harrison, Haldon Forest Park manager, said: “We are delighted to be one of six of the nation’s forests hosting this touring Earth Photo exhibition. The selection of images in this year’s exhibition are truly stunning as well as thought-provoking, from capturing the impact of a tropical cyclone on wedding celebrations in West Bengal, India, to beautiful woodlands here in the UK affected by storms and beginning a process of regeneration, which are shown in the Changing Forests category. Being able to see these images in the heart of Haldon Forest Park is a very special experience and we welcome everyone to come and see them.”
The Earth Photo exhibition is on tour at other Forestry England sites until April 2023.
Established in 2018, Earth Photo is a world leading initiative led by Forestry
England, the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers, and Parker Harris dedicated to engaging with photographers and issues affecting our planet.
Forestry England manages and cares for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests, with over 363 million visits per year and is England’s largest land manager.
The Haldon Forest Park exhibition is free to view, and located a short distance from the car park on a wheelchair and pushchair accessible trail. A spokesperson for the forest park said that this was the first time the Earth Photo exhibition had been staged in Devon, adding: “Nestling among towering trees, the exhibition of stunning and poignant photography is the climax of an international competition run by Forestry England and the Royal Geographical Society, showcasing a selection of stunning images shortlisted for the 2022 prize.”
For more information, visit: https://www.forestryengland.uk/ earth-photo