Aylesbury Vale photographer shortlisted for international award showcasing nature and wildlife
An Aylesbury Vale-based photographer has been shortlisted for an international photography award.
Rhiannon Lawler, from Wingrave, was named as one of 101 finalists for the International Aerial Photographer of the Year awards.
She is a part-time photographer who specialises in wildlife, landscape and drone photography.
Rhiannon has received international recognition for one of her photos which was taken during a trip to East Greenland.
The photograph shows the bear pausing to sniff the air after swimming between ice fragments, captured from a drone at a safe and respectful distance, she revealed to The Bucks Herald.
Judges selected the 101 shortlisted photos with an overall winner claiming a cash prize. This year’s top three celebrated photographers came from Bangladesh, Singapore, and Australia. In another category winners came from India, the USA, and Russia, highlighting the truly international nature of the competition.
Rhiannon told The Bucks Herald: "'Holding On' was captured using a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone, from a high altitude with a zoom lens, shot from the sailboat Tilvera, off the coast of East Greenland. We'd watched the bear pause to sniff the air for prey, from the shoreline long before he started swimming and climbed onto a small iceberg. Operating in these remote polar conditions presents its own challenges.
"Flying at that height, with the final frame also cropped, allowed me to capture the intimacy of the moment without disturbing the bear. Wildlife always comes first for me. Being selected in the Top 101 of the International Aerial Photographer of the Year awards is a wonderful recognition of that approach.”
She also blogged about the experience on her website, which can be found here, it also features a gallery and list of upcoming events the part-time photographer is attending.
She wrote of how she would remember the moment of capturing the bear for a “long time”. Rhiannon also mentioned how it was “a pleasure to see so much thoughtful aerial work recognised alongside my own”.
Given her focus on arctic photography she has also developed a travel guide for the colder climates on her blog. Rhiannon also runs workshops and attends exhibitions in the Buckinghamshire area.