Favourite Scottish Nature Photography Book Vote 2022

The Scottish Nature Photography Awards celebrate nature, wildlife and landscape photography in Scotland through annual photography and video awards and other events, including an award that celebrates photographic books and asks members of the public to choose their favourites.

The eight books shortlisted for the 2022 Award (published since December 2020) portray the diversity of Scottish nature and landscape with visual storytelling through stunning photography. They offer something to everyone who loves Scottish nature and the art of photography.

The winner of the Favourite Scottish Nature Photography Book 2022 is:



Winner: Dark Edinburgh
Author: Scott Liddell
Publisher: Obverse Books

Awards organiser Niall Irvine said: “Photography books are an insight into the landscape, wildlife and nature of Scotland. For photographers, they are a way of expressing and sharing their love of their subject, usually the culmination of years of dedication building their portfolio. It is clear that Scott's book, portraying a different dimension to familiar urban landscapes, really drew people in.”

Scott Liddell: "While travelling round Europe I fell in love with night shooting in cities. Luckily, I live in a city that is both beautiful and enigmatic at night. I started doing Dark Edinburgh to try and bring that to life. Winning this award feels incredible and makes up for all the cold and wet nights wandering the streets. As an amateur, it will definitely spur me on to do more. Big thanks to the organisers and all who took time to vote for the book."

Stuart Douglas of Obverse Books said: "I've known Scott Liddell for many years - in fact we went to primary school together several decades ago - but it was only when I saw the first few photographs he posted to his Dark Edinburgh Facebook page that I realised just how talented he was. After pestering him for several more years to work with me on putting a photo book together, I was delighted when he finally agreed and, after looking through literally thousands of possible images, we eventually decided on the ones which feature in the book. I was even more delighted to discover that the book had been nominated for this award, and overjoyed to find out it had won the popular vote. It's a testament to Scott's dedication to his project that, more than ten years after he began it, he's still posting a new image of Edinburgh at night every single day."

To celebrate the award, Obverse Books is offering a £2 discount on Dark Edinburgh. Use code SLINKY22 at https://obversebooks.co.uk/product/dark-edinburgh/





2nd Place: Puffins: Life on the Atlantic Edge
by Kevin Morgans
Publisher: Sandstone Press Ltd.

Kevin Morgans said: "It's great to see my book take the second spot in the awards. There was some strong competition in this year's competition, including a few wildlife photographers whose work I've long admired. This book and my passion for working with the Atlantic puffin has become much more than just a photographic project to me. After years spent documenting their lives, my reputation has become entwined with the puffin and their uncertain future. My hope is that through this book, the charm and worth of puffins will be celebrated far beyond the communities of naturalists and birdwatchers and that their future will become, against current expectations, ever more assured."





3rd Place: Thunder Road - Voices from the Cape Wrath Trail
by David Lintern
Publisher: Dusk Press

David Lintern said: "From the outset, I've been surprised and flattered with the interest in our wee book. 3 pressings later, public support for the project has been incredibly encouraging. I hope it contributes in some small way towards a widening in perspectives of the Highlands, so much more than tartan and tweed."

On behalf of Dusk Press, Alex Boyd said: "The Scottish Nature Photography Awards are an important part of the publishing calendar, and reflect the wide breadth of talented image makers in Scotland today. We were delighted to have our publication included alongside such fantastic books - David's work has definitely reached a wider audience as a result."


The lucky winner of the prize draw to win the shortlist of books is:

Patse Hemsley

Congratulations Patse. Happy browsing!

Chasing the Deer: The Red Deer through the Seasons by Neil McIntyre

Published by Sandstone Press Ltd.
Hardback
ISBN: 9781913207274

Publisher's description: Nobody captures the majesty and presence of the red deer like celebrated wildlife photographer Neil McIntyre, and this sumptuous collection of his images taken in the Scottish Highlands makes the perfect gift for all lovers of the natural world.

The red deer, majestic monarch of the glen, is Britain's largest land mammal and undisputed king of woodlands and glens. Common across the Scottish Highlands and resident elsewhere, the animal is emblematic of our wild country and a beloved icon. Yet to some, red deer are seen as little more than pests.

Born into a family of deer stalkers, Neil McIntyre has been fascinated by red deer all his life. They have been central to his career as a wildlife photographer and, in this stunning collection of photographs, he invites you to know and respect them as he does.

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Dark Edinburgh
by Scott Liddell

Published by Obverse Books
Hardback
ISBN: 9781913456191

Publisher's description: Since 2010, Scott Liddell has been wandering the night time streets of Edinburgh with his camera. Now, for the first time, a selection of his images have been brought together in this stunning A4 hardback book accompanied by words and quotes that fans of Scott’s work on social media will recognise as his signature style.

Scott will be donating all of his royalties to Simon Scotland, a Scottish homelessness charity.

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Hebridean Journey The Magic of Scotland’s Outer Isles by Brigid Benson

Published by Birlinn Ltd
Paperback
ISBN: 9781780277707

Publisher's description: Washed by the surging waves of the Atlantic Ocean, the island chain of Scotland's Outer Hebrides lies at the very edge of Europe. From white shell sands, peaty moors and gnarly mountains to heather hills, sea-green lochs and mysterious ancient monuments, these are places of unrivalled beauty.

This book is a fabulous invitation to discover the unique magic of Lewis and Harris, Berneray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Bara and Vatersay, as well as the vibrant Gaelic culture of the islanders. Packed with fascinating insights, hidden gems and helpful information, it offers the uplifting opportunity for meaningful travels and life-affirming experiences in these extraordinary islands.

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IN this DAY and AGE The Outer Hebrides
by John Kippin and Nicola Neate

Published by Kerber Verlag
Hardback
ISBN: 978-3-7356-0870-3

Publisher's description: In This Day and Age is a major new project by artist-photographer partnership John Kippin and Nicola Neate. For the last three years Kippin and Neate have been living in North Uist, one of a remote group of six islands that form part of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Living in North Uist has allowed Kippin and Neate to closely research and document - through photography - what it means to be part of island life, how this is changing, and the ecological impact of increasing tourism, migration and militarism, alongside reflecting upon the nature of traditional island stories and their representation.

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Puffins: Life on the Atlantic Edge
by Kevin Morgans

Published by Sandstone Press Ltd
Hardback
ISBN: 9781913207779

Publisher's description: In this breathtaking new book, internationally renowned photographer Kevin Morgans celebrates the iconic Atlantic puffin and its place in the ecology of the British Isles.

With their brightly coloured beaks, quirky personalities and comical movements, the ‘clowns of the sea’ are the best loved of all Britain’s seabirds. This series of stunning images from Morgans’s award-winning portfolio documents their lives and their relationship with our windswept coast.

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The Beaches of Scotland
by Stacey McGowan Holloway

Published by Vertebrate Publishing
Paperback
ISBN: 9781839810787

Publisher's description: Scotland is renowned for its dramatic, fierce landscapes, but many people don’t realise that some of the country’s most exhilarating scenery rests on its coastline. The Beaches of Scotland by Stacey McGowan Holloway is a guide to over 150 hand-picked beaches around Scotland’s coast, stretching from the mainland to the Outer Hebrides before sweeping north to Orkney and Shetland. These beaches offer something for everyone, from gentle sands which feel almost tropical to rugged coves which can only be accessed by kayak.

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The Secret Life of the Otter
by Andy Howard

Publisher: Sandstone Press Ltd
Hardback
ISBN: 9781913207410

Publisher's description: Starring one of the most heartening success stories of wildlife conservation, Andy Howard’s beautiful book offers a ringside seat to the life of the wild otter through stunning photography.

Among the most popular and endearing of Britain's wild creatures, otters inhabit not only the full length of the British and Irish coasts but also many river systems and lochs. Formerly hunted almost to extinction, they are one of conservation's great success stories.

In this essential book, Andy Howard opens their lives to us with a perfect combination of words and images: how they hunt, the beauty of their movement, fierce battles over territory, and how they raise their young.

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Thunder Road - Voices from the Cape Wrath Trail
by David Lintern

Publisher: Dusk Press
Paperback
ISBN: 9781916239425

Publisher's description: Thunder Road - Voices from the Cape Wrath Trail, features portrait and landscape images made while walking the trail in May 2021, alongside the personal testimonies of those photographed, both visitor and resident.

The book’s title, Thunder Road, pays homage to the famous Bruce Springsteen song, which was in turn borrowed from a 1950’s Robert Mitchum film of the same name. David said, “Both the song and the film are evocations of another western myth, places shown to be more complex and multi-storied than their natural beauty might initially suggest".

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