Land Winners

Winner 

Horse on top of Pacaya volcano

Photographer: Ilaira Mallalieu

"This photo was taken after an arduous (for me, anyway) trek up Pacaya, one of the four active volcanoes that surround the city of Antigua, Guatemala. Having spent a while at the top, toasting marshmallows on the lava, we began to make our descent. This shot was luck more than anything, with the setting sun providing the perfect light to silhouette the pack-horse against the huge clouds that had begun to roll across the side of the volcano. I only needed to take a couple of frames before I got the shot I wanted.  I chose to enter this photo because I love the combination of both the isolation and the solidity of the horse, against the vastness of the landscape."

Location: Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala

Camera details: SP570UZ,. F-stop - f/8, exposure - 1/500sec, ISO speed - ISO-64, aperture 2.97

Runner-up

Air through rock

Photographer: Anna Fotakis

"Antelope Canyon is located on the Navaho Indian Reservation, on the border of Arizona and Utah. Access to the canyon can only be done with a Navaho guide and the tours are extremely popular making it one of the most photographed Canyons in the States. Its name derives from the antelopes that used to roam this land, and would find refuge from the heat of the dessert in these narrow sand dunes. This impressive canyon was created with the combined force of wind and flash floods cutting through the rock leaving the characteristic stroke marks seen in the photo. The patterns of light and colours change throughout the day depending on the location of the sun, meaning that one can stand in one spot and get a completely different set of mesmerising images as time passes. Touching the walls you can feel the coolness of the sand rock despite being in the dessert on a sweltering hot day in July. This stark contrast was my intent and what I tried to capture in this picture."

Location: Antelope Canyon, USA

Camera details: Canon Powershot SD800IS on automatic settings

Highly Commended

First dustbath

Photographer: Dominic Cram

"I chanced upon a herd of Blue Wildebeest whilst conducting my research in the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa. A new-born calf sat crumpled on the ground. Several times it staggered to its feet, only to find its legs too weak. Finally, the calf heaved itself upright, teetered for a moment, and took its first steps. Excitement hung in the air while the dust settled. As the sun set, a new life in the Kalahari had begun.

This photo was technically challenging, as I had to shoot directly into the setting sun. I like the way the backlit orange dust forms a stark silhouette of the fragile calf, and this is balanced by the tender moment of maternal care. The calf seems almost borne from the orange haze and earthy commotion of the excited herd."

Location: Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa

Camera details: Nikon D80, Tamron 70-300mm lens, f/7.1, shutter speed 1/400sec, ISO 100