Winners announced for Cambridge Botanic Lights Photography Competition

With hundreds of entries of a very high standard, it was a very tough decision for the judges to make.

Congratulations to the winners – Elena in our 16 and under category and Francesca in our 16+ category – and the finalists, all of which you can see below.

Elena’s winning photo is titled ‘My Rainbow Fountain’. She said: “I chose this photo because I love rainbows and the lights shining in the water. My favourite displays in Cambridge Botanic Lights were the disco ball and the fairy garden.”

Francesca’s winning photo is called ‘Hitchhiking Moorhens’. She said: “In my years as a student, I lived at times quite close and at times very close to the Botanic Garden, and so I grew fond of visiting them. I’ve found the Cambridge Botanic Lights events to be a very fun opportunity to – literally – see the Garden in a different light; the spotlights draw attention to the plants you haven’t looked at closely before, and the interaction between the installations and the surrounding plants enriches your experience of both, particularly for the installations and botanical themes.

“At this year’s event, my favourite installation was probably the sculpture of the boatman and his dog on the pond, it really invited you to imagine a story around it and the local moorhens also seemed charmed by its presence. My partner and I had brought our camera to the event, so I ended up taking several photos of the little boat plus passengers. I submitted my favourite to the Garden’s photo competition because I was proud of how it came out, and because my family and friends had enjoyed seeing it already. That being said, as a biologist myself, I also very much enjoyed the double helix light sculptures.”

We really enjoyed looking through all your lovely photos and are already looking forward to this year’s competition.