I entered into the National Trust of the UK photo competition in 2019 for a chance to land the next cover which will be seen by over 5 million members. Over 1,500 pics were entered and out of those I had 2 shortlisted in the final 32 and one image shortlisted in the final 15. It was a close competition and my photo at Buttermere Lake was close to being chosen as the winner. Although I didn’t win the competition I was honored to get so close to winning. After the competition I was contacted by the National Trust to let me know that another photo of a Puffin from the Farne Islands was liked and they wanted to include it as a handbook bookmark in 2020 the National Trust booklet. The photos were shown by the Irish Times, The Evening Standard and Country Life publications. The Daily Mail did a write up of the competition and you can see my photo there.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7655471/Incredible-images-reveal-beauty-Britain-National-Trusts-2020-Handbook.html
Below are the photos and the my write-ups of them.
Farne Islands
I had lived in the UK for 2 years and had been dying to see Feral Puffins as they are so beautiful. It was the perfect day and the boat ride was amazing. It was special to see this place where humans were not allowed to live on so you get to see them in areas where you are not allowed to walk and they can just be. It was amazing to see them go grab fish to feed others with. This was special for me because I am a huge fan of animals in the wild after watching so many nature documentaries. I had so much joy and excitement after seeing visiting here. Also we were treated to some dolphins showing off on the way back to mainland. The Puffin photo is cropped is in the handbook as a bookmark.
Buttermere Lake with mom
Seeing how Buttermere Lake is one of my favorite places in the UK I had to take my mother there to see the beauty when she visited from the states. Buttermere lake tops this for me. I saw my mom taking a picture and thought it looked great with the scenery so I shot a handheld panoramic shot. It was special being in this place of beauty with my mother. This photo was in the final 30.
Buttermere Lake
The Lake District is one my favorite places in the UK second only to the Isle of Skye. I have had a bond with the place ever since the 1st time I visited. I just loved visiting Buttermere Lake and seeing how calm the waters are which allow for the best reflections. I spent hours just sitting at Buttermere like. Everytime I go to the Lake District I have to visit Buttermere. It is my happy place. This photo was listed in the final 15.
I want to thank the National Trust for considering my photo and after being a member for the past 3 years it is nice to have my photo in one of the handbooks that I receive every year. If you have never been a member I highly recommend it as visiting 2 sites will cover the membership for the year. Get outdoors and go on an adventure and build some memories.
