Mark, who lives in Newport, Shropshire, beat off thousands of other competitors from a total of 126 countries with his evocative shot of American bison facing the full brunt of a winter snowstorm, taken in Yellowstone National Park, in the USA. Mark knew the judges of this year’s Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition would be looking for something extra special.
Mark’s images also won two categories – the first time this has ever been achieved in the competition.
Head judge and Editor of Outdoor Photography magazine, Steve Watkins, said:
‘We were wowed by the quality of photos that so many outdoor photographers are producing, and by their utter commitment to getting images that reveal the world in both its enduring glory and, for some categories, at its most troubled. We thought that last year’s judging was challenging, but this year we needed to re-vote many times on some categories, as it became almost impossible to reach a conclusion. In the end, though, Mark’s image of the bison really had everything we were looking for, and more. It has instant appeal due to the stark conditions and graphic shapes but it also has a far quieter, subtler story to it. The image shows the magnificence and strength of these great creatures while, at the same time, capturing their vulnerability. It is a magical image that you can look at for hours and never tire of it.’
Mark Sisson said about taking the image:
‘These American bison, ploughing through the deep snow in a heavy blizzard, were photographed during a trip to Yellowstone National Park, in the United States. As the weather worsened, this small group headed towards a hot spring area for a few degrees of extra warmth. They passed by, in their relentless manner, as I crouched on the road near my snow coach.’
Mark also managed to scoop another category prize, too. His stunning image of Sandhill cranes at Bosque del Apache, in New Mexico, USA, won the On The Wing category – the first time a photographer has landed two category wins in one year; a sure sign of Mark’s exceptional talent.
Winning means that Mark not only gets his images published in Outdoor Photography magazine’s January issue, which is on sale from the 22nd December 2011, but his images will also be exhibited at the competition exhibition, which runs at theprintspace [NOTE: all lower case] gallery in London, from the 12th-31st January 2012.
He also wins £1,000 and £2,500 worth of Samsung camera equipment for being the Overall Winner; a £500 voucher from the Falkland Island Tourist Board for his bison image first winning the World Wildlife category; plus £500 worth of vouchers from optical equipment manufacturer, Opticron, for his victory in the On The Wing category. A fantastic Christmas present indeed!
To see all of this year’s winning images, including Mark’s, readers can go to the competition website: www.opoty.co.uk/2011-winners.