Photographer of the Year

Congratulations to the winner, runner-up and highly commended entries below. Our judges were really impressed by the way these images captured inspiration in the world of biology.

These images, along with all twelve finalists, feature in our limited edition 2012 calendar - available to buy from our online shop here.

Winner

Patterned Tree roots

Photographer: Wei-Feng Xue

"Tree roots are amazing. They may be thin, bendy and breakable, but given time, they can break through stones. On patterned stone pavements, the paths of least resistance for the roots are the thin gaps between the stones. For the roots of chestnut trees in the Wong Nai Chung Road Crescent Garden in Hong Kong, the result is pavement-patterned roots that are slowly taking over the garden street. It is through taking pictures of wonderful natural phenomenon like these roots that I discovered how amazing biology is. Photographing nature has very much inspired me to be a biologist."

Runner-up

Idioblast on transverse section of stem of water lily, Nymphae alba

Photographer: Steve Lowry

"This photograph was produced from an original Abraham Flatters slide which had a label stating that it had been used as an original illustration in William Spier’s book “Nature through the Microscope”.  I obtained a copy of the book but was disappointed with the image produced from the original slide, prompting me to create my own version using polarised light microscopy. Idioblasts are formed from crystals of calcium oxalate.  They may function to store excess calcium that would otherwise be toxic to the plant. It has been suggested that the crystals could function as deterrents to herbivores.  Some botanists even think that idioblasts may act as lenses and focus sunlight on to the chloroplasts."

Highly commended

Morphos mating by a dark pool

Photographer: David Harris

" This pair of Blue Morpho butterflies (Morpho peleides) were mating by the side of a shaded pool, oblivious of the feet of passing visitors a few inches away.  Their colouring and their disposition, with its ‘push-me-pull-you’ interleaved symmetry, are exquisite.  Myriad innervated olfactory sensilla brought them together for this first stage of procreation, and in due course each identical offspring’s beautiful form will emerge from the biological soup inside a chrysalis.  The astonishing cyclic reproduction of such micro-engineered perfection has always inspired me."