International Award for Photography Graduate

A former Blackpool and The Fylde College student has won a top international accolade for his photography. Glenn Upton-Fletcher, who graduated in July, has been named Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the Botanical Realms category of the annual competition, owned by BBC Worldwide and the Natural History Museum.

Glenn, who lives in Blackpool, received the award for his image entitled ‘Painting with Snow’, captured in the Brock Valley, Lancashire on a snowy day. Speaking about his image, Glenn said: “I was captivated by the feeling of solitude, with my visibility so limited and the silence so surreal. I needed a good depth of field to keep much of the tree in focus but also to choose my focal point carefully, so some of the snow was blurred to give motion and some static to appear as flakes.”

Head of School for Creative Arts, Maggie Woodings, said: “This is a tremendous accolade and one which the School of Creative Arts has desired for many years. We have had students highly commended in the past but for Glenn to win is a huge boost and one which further enhances the fantastic national reputation of our photography degree at Blackpool.”

“I like to offer my congratulations to Glenn and extend my thanks to staff within the College who helped Glenn to realise his potential.”

Now in its 48th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is an international showcase for the very best nature photography. The fiercely contested competition attracted over 48,000 entries from 98 countries and was judged by an international jury of photography experts looking at creativity, artistry and technical complexity.

Glenn’s winning image will feature in an acclaimed London exhibition at the National History Museum until March 3 before going on a national tour. For more information and to view Glenn’s winning entry, visit http://www.nhm.ac.uk