We are thrilled to announce that Harvey Pringle has been crowned the winner of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust 2024 People's Choice Award.
Harvey said that he is "absolutely delighted to hear the fantastic news! [He feels] incredibly honoured to be selected amongst so many exceptional images."
Read on below to find out more about the story behind Harvey's winning shot.
Harvey Pringle's weseal, mustela nivalis, in woodlands near Falmouth University.
Harvey says:
"I am currently a second-year Marine and Natural History Photography student at Falmouth University. Last year, for our Biodiversity and Habitat module, we were tasked with selecting a specific habitat and creating a portfolio that showcased both the habitat and its species. I chose the walled garden on our campus as my subject.
"Part of the assignment involved creating a field notebook and recording observations of the habitat as frequently as possible, for 30 minutes each visit. I ended up visiting the garden almost daily over several weeks. During these visits, I found that wildlife often disperses when disturbed. However, the longer I stayed still, the more the creatures returned to their natural behaviours.
"One morning, I woke up at sunrise, intending to document my observations in the field notebook. After about 45 minutes of observation, I was surprised to spot a small creature scurrying across the footpath. Intrigued, I quietly followed it into the tree line.
"Over the next four hours, I observed a weasel darting along the base of the garden wall, rummaging through the leaf litter and spiralling around the tree trunks. The weasel was fully aware of my presence, occasionally pausing to look directly at me. Animal welfare is always my top priority in wildlife photography, so I maintained a respectful distance, allowing the weasel to approach me on its own terms.
"When the weasel disappeared down a burrow, I saw my opportunity. I quickly set up my camera on a tripod with the wide-angle lens I had with me. After waiting about an hour, the weasel re-emerged, and I was able to capture the image using a remote shutter from a safe distance.
"I truly believe that patience is one of the most essential qualities for a wildlife photographer. However, there are moments when a bit of luck and being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference."
Well done Harvey!
Almost 1000 people voted for their favourite photo from our 2024 Wildlife Photography Competition, and we are delighted to say that every single photos received votes - so thank you so much to everyone who took part, and well done to all of our finalists and winners!
The Cornwall Wildlife Trust Photography competition will take a fallow year in 2025, so you have plenty of time to get your cameras out and brush up on your photography skills ahead of its return!
