Winners of the Photography News Photographer of the Year Awards

Wanderlust Wes wins with the wow factor

When you live near some of the most picturesque parts of the UK, you don’t have to travel far to stunning locations. But it’s still a challenge to take images of a standard so high that it beats out international photographers to win a prestigious award.

Yet that’s what Wesley Kristopher has done with this breathtaking colour shot from the Salt Cellar gritstone tor at Derwent Edge in the Peak District. 

His image – called After The Rain – was the clear winner in the hotly contested landscape category. The judges were so impressed that they made 38-year-old Kristopher the overall champion too. He scoops £500 to spend on equipment at competition sponsor MPB. It boasts a massive range of options to add to his existing collection of high-end kit. The winning image was taken on Kristopher’s Nikon Z 8, fitted with the Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 lens at the widest setting – f/11 – to retain sharpness from front to back.

Like all landscape work, it’s all about nailing the composition and light, and our champion has done that. The stunning, sun-raked heather in the foreground leads your eye along the path to the rocks, then on to the distant hills and stunning sunset, all under foreboding skies. Gaze at it for longer and you’ll discover incredible details, such as the distant rushing water of Ladybower Reservoir.

“This is fantastic news! I always pick up Photography News and it’s a fab read. I’m really thrilled to have won!” he says. “I got the email through about winning while I was out photographing a fair at Chatsworth House. At first I just thought it was a spam message!”

Juggling a busy career as a semi-professional photographer and full-time baker at M&S for around eight years, Kristopher started exploring the Peak District in his late twenties to deal with social anxiety issues. 

“In the early Instagram days, I began posting content and blogging about my adventures. People would comment that I had an eye for photography,” Kristopher shares. “I soon bought my first Nikon DSLR and started learning – it all fascinated me and awakened something inside. It’s also emptied my bank account, as I’m on about my tenth Nikon now! A combination of tech and gadgets, plus getting outside in nature and meeting other like-minded people, really helped me. The Peak District has become my classroom, from which I’m still learning to this day.”

The location of the winning image is very popular around heather season, as it becomes surrounded by colour and looks its best. “This particular evening was dramatic, with dark storm clouds ahead and plenty of rain to freshen the scene. We got soaked, but our patience paid off when the sun burst out for a few precious moments,” he says.

“It was all hands on deck, rushing around to get as many shots as possible while the light bathed the scene. It was magical and chaotic, up there with my favourite landscape moments. I had to use a high shutter speed as the wind was causing a lot of movement in the scene. I also ditched my tripod to quickly adapt to what was unfolding. 

“Mirrorless cameras with their IBIS and fold-out screens have been game changers with their adaptability, enabling quality shots in challenging conditions that I would have struggled with in the past,” says Kristopher, who admits he’s on a mission to visit the whole of the UK’s first-ever national park and inspire others to visit too. His website peopleofthepeak.com features many more stunning images he’s taken of the area and further beyond.

“I switched my focus to landscapes after a few years concentrating on farm animals and wildlife. I felt I was becoming known for that and it was my niche, but I’ve always enjoyed landscapes, and it’s what propelled my photography journey,” he adds. “It feels incredible to have this recognition. Keep getting out there and doing what you enjoy. Share your experiences and enter competitions – you never know what opportunities they might bring. There are many rules in photography, but you can put your own spin on it to stand out from the crowd.”

PN Photographer of the Year was hugely popular, filled with exceptional images in ten distinct categories: b&w, lighting, wildlife, portrait, landscape, photo editing, street, events, macro and weddings. We look at the winning shots across the next three pages.

Category winners

1. Events: Yasser Alaa Mobarak

Capturing the emotion and atmosphere of live moments is what the events category is all about – and Yasser Alaa Mobarak’s evocative shot of a horseman in a dusty arena is a perfect example. The rising haze of dust and the watching rider evoke both tension and spectacle, drawing the viewer straight into the scene.

2. Street: Robert Johnston

The best street shots capture the energy of real life as it unfolds. Robert Johnston’s powerful up-close reportage shot of women protesting on International Women’s Day combines immediacy with a strong composition. It’s a dynamic image that tells a story of passion, solidarity and encapsulates the spirit of the moment.

3. Lighting: Val Miranda

Val Miranda’s misty autumn morning scene of a lake, with a red boat, old-fashioned brick house and rolling hills in the background, uses the soft light to create atmosphere that feels serene and cinematic. It’s a photograph that demonstrates how light can elevate a scene from beautiful to truly magical.

4. Wildlife: Peter Gilbert

The wildlife category is one of the most popular in the competition, celebrating nature at its most captivating. Peter Gilbert’s winning image of a deer nibbling on some leaves in golden light shows perfect timing and atmosphere, combining behaviour, habitat and beauty in a frame full of quiet wonder.

5. Black & white: Sovrav Das

The timeless artistry of monochrome is where light, shadow and tone carry the emotional weight of a scene. Sovrav Das’s striking image of a child near a fire captures this perfectly. Stripped of colour, the textures of dirty skin and clothes take on heightened drama, while the eye contact evokes both vulnerability and resilience.

6. Photo editing: Kyaw Zay Yar Lin

This category celebrates creativity beyond the camera, where editing helps to transform a strong image into something truly unforgettable. Kyaw Zay Yar Lin’s stunning image of two fishermen lit by glowing lamps under the Milky Way portrays the power of thoughtful enhancement. The subtle balance between the night sky and the warm glow of the lamps is epic.

7. Macro: Tony North

The macro category is all about revealing worlds we’d otherwise miss – the intricate details, delicate textures and hidden beauty that exists on the tiniest scale. Tony North’s striking close-up of a banded demoiselle damselfly – its fragile body covered in sparkling water droplets – captures this perfectly. The sharpness and precision is incredible.

8. Portrait: Phyo Kyaw

The portrait category celebrates striking images that reveal character and mood. Phyo Kyaw’s playful photograph of a boy in a striped T-shirt, reclining on a bed of flowers and holding a single bloom up to his eye, feels fresh and contemporary. It’s a fun, imaginative portrait that bursts with charm and personality.

9. Weddings: Kyaw Zay Yar Lin

It’s easy to see why Kyaw Zay Yar Lin has won hundreds of international photo awards. He’s not only won our photo editing category, but also the weddings class for this striking pic of a couple beneath a vast bridge at sunset that captures both romance and scale. The bride’s vivid red dress, illuminated by the flash, contrasts beautifully with the rosy orange sky.

Trading kit is made easy with contest sponsor MPB

If you’re refreshing your kitbag for a new season, or are finally ready to part with gear you no longer use, Photographer of the Year sponsor MPB makes the whole process of selling or trading your equipment remarkably easy.

From DSLRs to mirrorless bodies, lenses to accessories, MPB’s pricing database covers more than 10,000 different items. Simply enter the model, select the condition and you’ll get an instant quote – no haggling, no hidden extras, just a fair valuation.

Once you’re happy with the price, MPB offers fully insured, free collection from your doorstep or a convenient local drop-off. Everything is tracked and covered so you can send your kit off with confidence.

When your gear arrives at MPB’s specialist facility, it’s always carefully checked. If this matches your quote, payment goes directly into your bank account. If there’s any difference, you’re informed straight away and can accept the new price or have your kit returned – again at no cost.

MPB makes trading in seamless too. The site automatically calculates your old gear’s value against the cost of your chosen replacement, so you know exactly what you’ll pay. New kit is shipped securely, packaged in plastic-free, sustainable materials. By buying, selling and trading with MPB, you’ll not only save money but will also give gear a new life. Recirculating more than 500,000 items every year, this service is as smart for your wallet as the planet.

mpb.com

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