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Home News Garden news The International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) outdoor exhibition returns to the Garden
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The International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) outdoor exhibition returns to the Garden

The winning images of 'The Colours of Cambridge University Botanic Garden' will also be on show.

28 February 2023

The 16th exhibition of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition opens here in the Botanic Garden on 15 March.

James McGlinchey, Exhibitions Manager, IGPOTY says:

“IGPOTY is delighted to be returning to Cambridge University Botanic Garden in 2023, with the latest selection of incredible photographs captured from across the world. Not only this, but we will also be bringing a splash of colour from closer to home, featuring higher placed images from ‘The Colours of Cambridge University Botanic Garden’ Special Award.”

A selection of winning images on display from this year's IGPOTY competition

view of a stream running through a garden
'The Stream Garden' 1st place, ‘Beautiful Gardens’, Caroline Piek, Waspik, Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands Click for information
view of the night sky showing the night sky and Milky Way above the mountains and shrubs of the Canary Islands
Click for information
close up image of slime moulds, which look like little balloons on stalks on a tree branch
'Slime Mould Biodiversity' 1st Place 'Portfolios', The Royal Photographic Society Gold Medal, Barry Webb, Buckinghamshire, England Click for information

The exhibition will also include winning images taken by our visitors for ‘The Colours of Cambridge University Botanic Garden’ special award, run in partnership with IGPOTY across last spring and summer.

CUBG Director, Beverley Glover says: “We’ve really enjoyed seeing the images submitted to this Special Award and are thrilled with the final set of images, which showcase the Botanic Garden across the seasons. There’s always something vibrant and exciting to discover growing here throughout the year and I’d like to thank everyone who entered the competition and congratulate the winners!”

There’s always something vibrant and exciting to discover growing here throughout the year and I’d like to thank everyone who entered the competition and congratulate the winners!

Beverley Glover, Director, CUBG

‘The Colours of Cambridge University Botanic Garden’ winners

The Special Award entries were judged by a small panel comprised of IGPOTY and CUBG staff, including Professor Glover.

The three winning images, seen below, feature in the exhibition, alongside a selection of higher-placed winning photographs from across the competition’s main categories, such as: ‘Beautiful Gardens’; ‘Trees, Woods and Forests’; ‘Wildflower Landscapes’ and ‘The World of Fungi’.

1st Place 'Glimpse of Molten Gold' - Elizabeth Dougherty

photo of trees in CUBG showing different autumnal colours and depths of textures
Canon PowerShot SX700 HS, Canon 4.5–135mm f/3.2-6.9 lens, 1/50sec at f/4, ISO 200. Post-capture: use of crop, contrast and saturation tools, basic image management. Click for information

First place is awarded to Elizabeth Dougherty, for her ‘Glimpse of Molten Gold’ photograph. This image was taken on an early November afternoon in the Garden by the Lake. Elizabeth wrote alongside her entry that “sunlight shone through the trees and created a rich tapestry of golden autumn colours.”

2nd Place ' A Splash of Colour' - Gillian Plummer

Bright red, yellow and purple flowers
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM lens, 1/60sec at f/8, ISO 100. Post-capture: use of crop and contrast tools, basic image management. Click for information

Second place is awarded to Gillian Plummer for her ‘Splash of Colour’ photograph. Gillian says: “This summer, the Garden had some eye-catching flower beds, and I was attracted to this one for its mix of bright, cheery colours and contrasting textures; the smooth red and yellow of the Hemerocallis with the prickly blue Echinops.”

3rd Place 'Morning Magnolia' - David Wikramaratna

bright pink magnolia flowers against a deep blue sky
Canon EOS M6 Mark II, Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, 1/500sec at f/10, ISO 200. Post-capture: use of contrast and saturation tools, removed unwanted elements, basic image management in Adobe Lightroom. Click for information

Third place is awarded to David Wikramaratna for ‘Morning Magnolia’.  David explains: “I have always admired the collection of Magnolia trees located on the western side of the Botanic Garden. On this particular day, I was lucky enough to capture these spectacular pink blooms against a perfectly clear blue sky. Magnolia blossom always seems to fade too quickly – fortunately a photo lasts much longer.”

Beverley continues: “The winning set of images capture the Garden beautifully.  We hope they will encourage and inspire people to visit this stunning exhibition which will be on display until May and perhaps even enter the competition next year!”

The Colours of Cambridge University Botanic Garden - finalists and highly commended winners:

Close up of a bright red poppy against a blurred out background
Allan Hale - Finalist 'Poppy' (Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 lens, 1/250sec at f/10, ISO 800. Post-capture: basic image management in Adobe Lightroom.) Click for information
Red leaves on an autumn tree, with reflecting colours showing in the lake beneath which has water lilies still in bloom on its surface
Andrew Richardson - Finalist The End of Summer (Sony α7R Mark III, Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens, 1/80sec at f/7.1, ISO 100. Post-capture: basic image management in DxO PhotoLab) Click for information
Spikes of deep purple flowers nestled among green foliage from surrounding herbaceous plants and trees
Natalia Agibova - Finalist 'Green and Purple' (Fujifilm X-E4, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens, 1/350sec at f/2.8, ISO 160. Post-capture: use of crop tool, basic image management). Click for information
Two willow trees, in full leaf, leaning towards each other, over a woodland floor of ferns.
Dieter Wanjura - Finalist 'The Willow Trees' (Nikon Z7, Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens, 1/25sec at f/8, ISO 64. Post-capture: basic RAW image management in Capture One, use of contrast tool, removed unwanted elements, basic image management in Adobe Photoshop). Click for information
Natalia Agibova - Highly Commended 'Golden Autumn' (Fujifilm X-E4, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens, 1/100sec at f/11, ISO 320. Post-capture: basic image management). Click for information
A close up of two sunflowers with their bright yellow petals also showing the detail of their dark centres with a visiting bee pollinator gathering their nectar
Georgina Edwards - Highly Commended 'Pure Sunshine' (Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200, Leica DC Vario-Elmar 8.8-132mm f/3.3-6.4 lens, 1/1000sec at f/4, ISO 125. Post-capture: use of crop tool). Click for information
A view of large stepping stones curving across the Lake with a foreground of autumnal leaves in amber and yellow colours and waterlily foliage on the Lake in the background
Kelly Liles - Commended 'Fiery Steps' (Nikon D3200, Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens, 1/250sec at f/3.2, ISO 200. Post-capture: use of exposure tool, basic image management). Click for information
A sea of purple lavender heads, showing different shades of purple with a glimpse of the light from the sunset in the background.
Natalia Agibova - Commended 'The Purple Field' (Fujifilm X-E4, Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens, 1/160sec at f/2.8, ISO 160. Post-capture: use of crop tool, basic image management). Click for information

We hope our visitors will enjoy exploring the selection of winning images, which will be shown outdoors and in large format near our Grass Maze.

Exhibition dates: 15 March to 3 May 2023. The exhibition is free – normal Garden admission applies. 

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