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1st Place
‘Winston’
Photographer: Cereta Drewett
I created this composite photograph by combining an image of Oscar Neman’s bust of Sir Winston Churchill with an image of one of Blenheim’s ancient oak trees, finally this was combined with the background image of Blenheim Palace itself.
The oak tree adds texture and is symbolic of strength (used to build HMS Victory) and Blenheim Palace is the perfect backdrop as it was the birthplace of Churchill; I chose the colour blue to represent memory and the passing of time.
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2nd Place
‘Blenheim Palace in High Key’
Photographer: Lindsey Willetts
This photograph shows the full majesty of Blenheim Palace and its grounds, taken from the road leading to the Palace from the Arch of Triumph.
The photograph has been converted to black and white and given a high key treatment which enhances the wintry feel to the image and also shows the fine detail of the architecture.
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3rd Place
‘Silhouette of Column’
Photographer: Miggy Wild
A murmuration of birds over the trees caught my eye alongside this iconic view of the Column of Victory. I then chose to invert the image in post-processing to negative colour which made it come alive when the birds became visible; creating this original, artistic work.
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Finalist
‘Icing on the Cake’
Photographer: Brian Lee
I captured this wintry scene in the Water Terraces in the gardens of Blenheim, the light snow gently applied itself to the tops of the box hedges like the icing on a cake.
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Finalist
‘The Finest View In England’
Photographer: Lindsey Willetts
During the same year that Sir Winston Churchill was born (1874), his father Lord Randolph Churchill described the view across the Great Lake as “the finest view in England” when he first saw it. This image hopefully illustrates that.
The photograph was taken at the edge of the Great Lake in order to get the horizon central which gives a pleasing balance to the image, also pictured on the left is Vanbrugh’s Grand Bridge. I waited to take the shot at the time the cloud formation was perfectly poised over the island – however, at that very moment a trio of ducks swam into the frame, which I think is a touch of serendipity.
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Finalist
‘Snowy Walk’
Photographer: Maggie Bullock
During a visit to Blenheim Palace after a heavy snowfall, we walked through the grounds – it really was a winter wonderland with many other families also enjoying the experience.
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Finalist
‘Gnarled and Knotted’
Photographer: Lindsey Willetts
The gnarled and knotted ancient oak trees in Blenheim Palace grounds are wonderful to see at any time of year. However, the blanket of fog that covered the grounds on this early winter morning added an eerie dimension to their twisted forms; the bird sitting on the top branch of the middle tree completed the atmosphere and the composition.
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Highly commended
‘Blenheim Palace Perspective’
Photographer: Duncan Walker
This photograph shows the rear view of Blenheim Palace, captured as seen from the lower Water Terrace; showing the inset waterfalls of the garden wall. I chose a wide angle lens to do the scene justice and produced this panoramic view – full of detail.
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Highly commended
‘Sunset under the Bridge’
Photographer: Miggy Wild
The heat of the dying sun when combined with its golden colour as it hit the water; was enough to awaken the eye and warm the soul.
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Highly commended
‘From the Boathouse to the Palace’
Photographer: Elaine Cox
Taken on a beautiful sunny afternoon last year, I liked the contrast between the size and architectural style of the Boathouse against the imposing Palace.
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Highly commended
‘Temple of Diana’
Photographer: David Murphy
This image was created in the South Lawn area of Blenheim Park, looking towards the Temple of Diana.
The scene captured the late autumn sunshine filtering through the brown and yellows hues of the leaves and casted long shadows across the ground.
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Highly commended
‘Walking the Dog’
Photographer: John Cavana
I like to visit Blenheim early in the day and on this particular March morning, it was slightly frosty – giving a pleasant contrast of soft tones between the grass and pale blue sky. The dog walker at the edge of the lake provided a focal point and added interest to the photograph.
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Highly commended
‘Sledging in the Snow’
Photographer: Maggie Bullock
Whilst walking in the grounds of Blenheim Palace on the morning after a heavy snowfall, we watched families sledging in the snow with the Great Lake and Vanburgh’s Grand Bridge as a stunning vista.
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Commended
‘A Winter’s View’
Photographer: Kaye Leggett
It was a cold January day and I was eager to try out my new camera. With the whole day to myself I went for one of my favourite winter walks around Blenheim Palace Gardens and Park. It was midweek, very quiet and I had enjoyed a long morning.
This image was captured on my way back to the car, almost the last image of the day. The reeds bordering the lake were lit up in the early afternoon sunlight mirroring the colours of Vanburgh’s Grand Bridge and the venerable Palace in the distance.
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Commended
‘Burnt Brown’
Photographer: Claire Brooks
I have lived here and walked here for years. This composition (captured near Ditchley Gate) was a natural selection for me early in my photographic career; it ticks a lot of compositional boxes and also tells a story of the growth of the trees over the years and is a record of the beautifully hot summer we experienced in 2018.
It is unusual for the grass to ever be this burnt brown in Blenheim.
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Commended
‘Marlborough Maze’
Photographer: Brian Lee
I used a wide angle lens to capture this shot of part of the Marlborough Maze (one of the world’s largest symbolic mazes) from one of the viewing platforms in the family amenities area.
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Commended
‘Rose Garden Engulfed in Snow’
Photographer: Brian Lee
Visiting the Blenheim Palace Rose Garden in winter yields little colour, however after a snow shower its elegant structural curves were pleasing to capture and represent in monochrome.
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Commended
‘Starlight Meets Electric Light’
Photographer: Brian Lee
The penultimate night of the Blenheim Christmas lights was blessed with a completely clear sky so I ventured into the Great Park to do some astrophotography and captured this shot of the starlit sky blending into the gradient of colours and the Christmas lights.
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Commended
‘Remembrance’
Photographer: Lindsey Willetts
The original image of Sir Winston Churchill’s statue was captured in 2018, the poppy effect was added later using a multi-layer editing technique. The image of the statue was taken at night, when it was well lit, being part of the Blenheim Christmas lights trail; whereas, the poppy image was edited to give a textured appearance and was overlaid on top to create the final composite photograph.
The photograph is intended to evoke feelings and emotions of remembrance and pride through Blenheim Palace’s significance as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and his integral role in the Allied Victory of WWII.
