SNPA | 2022 Winners

2022 Winners

Student Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2022:

Maria Christidi – Physis Portfolio
BA Fine Arts, University of Dundee

Maria said: "Hailing from Cyprus, much of my work explores aspects of Greek history and mythology. I am particularly interested in the relationships between the ancient and the contemporary – how the ancient cultures of the region have evolved and what insights we can gain from their study. Although I consider myself an artist who works across a range of media and processes, I have recently been focusing on lens-based media. My recent works include a series of photographs and films that each focus upon a figure from Greek Mythology. In these works, I have attempted to distill the essence of these characters through contemporary media and settings to create ambiguous images, videos and performance that straddle the ancient and the modern worlds.

I named my photography series Physis. The original etymology of the word according to Aristotle means 'the principle of change or growth in nature'. By photographing subjects of nature in various public parks and presenting them in edited formats rather than their raw forms, I explore our current-day relationship with nature. We view it at the periphery of our everyday life, maybe walking through parks or nature reserves when the toll of our modern hyper-urbanized lifestyle is too much. As a result, nature tends to be viewed as a foreign object that acts to us as a form of escapism. By taking close-up shots which emphasize the unruly characteristics of the natural subjects, the viewer can question their relationship with nature more closely and view it in its true fragility rather than it being solely a source of entertainment."

Judge Dougie Cunningham said: "The Student category is a little different to the others in that we were looking for a portfolio of three images. For this to really work, the photographs had to not only work individually, but as a collection. This meant that there was much for us to discuss as judges! After much deliberation, we all agreed that the award had to go to Maria Christidi’s beautiful abstracts.

Maria has taken a familiar subject and really left her own mark upon it. I think most nature photographers have taken our own pass at similar compositions, but Maria’s processing elevates the images beyond just being a simple study. Combined with strong compositions that bring out different aspects and features in the wood, she has created a collection that works together beautifully. Taking something so familiar and creating something that both demands and holds our attention is no small feat."

2nd: Katie Rodgers – Autumn Leaves Portfolio
HND Photography, New College Lanarkshire

3rd: Christopher Watson – Our Shared Nature Portfolio
MArch Architecture, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design

Shortlisted:

Sallie Avis
Sharon Macpherson

Environmental category
Natural Abstract category
Scottish Botanical category
Scottish Landscape - The Land category
Scottish Landscape - Sea & Coast category
Scottish Landscape - Urban Greenspace category
Scottish Wildlife Behaviour category
Scottish Wildlife Portrait category
Junior category
Student category
Scottish Nature Video Award 2022