Behind the Winning Images - Second Monthly Competition - 2026/27

Behind every winning photograph is a story. In this feature, we take a closer look at three outstanding images and hear from the photographers about the inspiration, creativity and techniques behind them. David Scott takes us into the atmosphere and drama of Splintered Lances, Arthur Cook shares the story behind Frandy Solitude, and Kathy Haddon reveals the thinking and artistry behind Between the Brushstrokes. Together, their stories offer a fascinating insight into the photographers' vision and the journey from capturing the moment to creating the finished photograph.

Between Brush Strokes - by Kathy Haddow - Winning Colour Print

Taken during the puffin breeding season on the Isle of May, at first glance the image looks more like a painting than a photograph, thanks to the soft textures, flowing lines and balanced colours that resemble strokes on an artist's canvas, which inspired the title.

With their brightly coloured bills, expressive faces and endlessly curious personalities, puffins are among my favourite birds to photograph. They possess a unique mix of charm and mischief that never fails to make me smile.

For me, the image represents more than a successful photograph. It captures the character of a species I admire and a special moment on one of Scotland's most spectacular wildlife islands. Seeing Between the Brushstrokes recognised with positive feedback from a photography judge makes the achievement more meaningful.

Technical Details: Captured with a Nikon D780 and Sigma 150-600mm lens at 560mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 sec and ISO 400. Processing was deliberately minimal to maintain the authentic feel of the scene, with only slight adjustments to the black, white, highlight and shadow sliders in Lightroom to optimise the histogram. A subtle background exposure reduction using a mask helped draw attention to the puffin, while vibrance was reduced slightly to preserve the natural appearance of the colours.ent all the more meaningful.

Sometims nature creates its own artwork. All we have to do is be there when the brush touches the canvas.

Frandy Solitude – Arthur Cook - Winning Mono Print

Landscape photography has always been a passion of mine, particularly images featuring trees and woodlands. Frandy Solitude was taken in January 2026 at Frandy Reservoir in Glen Devon. Having woken to snow at home, I set out hoping to capture the lone tree in a winter landscape. However, on arrival I found very little snow. Instead, I discovered a striking tree whose shape and character immediately suggested a strong composition.

With daylight fading, I set up my Canon EOS RP with an RF 24-105mm f/4L lens and a tripod. Using a 10-stop ND filter, I captured a 15-second exposure at ISO 100 and f/14, introducing movement into the clouds. I chose a square crop, which I felt suited the composition perfectly.

Processing began in Adobe Camera Raw, where I adjusted the overall tones before converting the image to monochrome in Nik Silver Efex. I then used selective dodging in Photoshop to bring out detail and texture in the shadows.

The final print was produced by DS Colour Labs on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, chosen for its subtle texture and excellent tonal reproduction. Although the conditions were very different from those I had originally hoped for, the experience reinforced an important lesson: sometimes the best photographs come from adapting to what nature gives us.

Shattered Lances - By David Scott - Winner DPI

Shattered Lances, this is one from the archives, I was looking through my hard drives and came across some raw files of this event, never been processed so I played around with it in photoshop to build some tension and atmosphere in the image as it was lacking due to the spectators and loads of intrusive bits and pieces, in the days of taking this photo my photoshop skills were lacking and wasn't really sure how to make something good of this , I processed two images and liked the look of this one the best, I did check the club rules and does meet the criteria as it was processed earlier this year in April. The image was taken at Dunfermline Glen, Robert the Bruce festival, my weapon of choice at that time was a Canon EOS5D and a Sigma 70-200mm lens, shot at 200mm, f3.5, 1/640th second.