The Outdoor Photographer of the Year Competition

At the Water’s Edge: Jaak Sarv (Estonia) – Prandi Springs, Järva county, Estonia.

This is the magic of an Estonian winter: although the temperature was -20°C, the water at this spring was flowing like it was summer. As the morning sun peeked out from behind the frost-covered trees, it was like being in a fairy tale, with the warm orange light starting to penetrate the desolate blue landscape. To make the most of the scene, I created a stitched panorama, reflecting the cinematic drama of the location.

Wildlife Insight: Bence Máté (Hungary) – Red fox and white-tailed eagle, Kiskunság national park, Hungary.

Over the last four winters I have spent more than 200 full days photographing from a hide, and in this time there have been only three occasions when I’ve seen a fox and an eagle together. In this instance, the fox didn’t approach the hide, but deliberately teased the birds resting on the ice. They occasionally flapped towards him, which emboldened the fox more and more – he continued to provoke the birds for about 10 minutes before vanishing into the reeds.

Light on the Land: Wojciech Kruczynski (Poland) – Kallur lighthouse, Faroe Islands.

The picture consists of nine frames arranged in a three-by-three grid, which is quite difficult to put together and requires a lot of work, but with this beautiful place it was worth the effort. Weather conditions like this do not often occur in the Faroe Islands – I had to wait for three days in a tent in the rain for them. It was worth overcoming these difficulties, though, because Kallur lighthouse is located in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Light on the Land: Simon Baxter (UK) – North Yorkshire, England.

I originally captured a similar scene to this during a flurry of unexpected snow in April 2016. It’s typically the first spot I come to when exploring this private woodland, and I couldn’t help but capture it again when I was treated to these wonderful – but rare – conditions of mist with a hint of warm light as the morning sun tried to break through.