THE WINNERS of a nature photography contest have been announced.

Jamie Fielding’s image, titled Fire and Ice, has been voted the winner of the South Downs National Park’s annual photography competition.

The picture depicts a frosty, crystalline treescape shrouded in a pink morning mist.

Jamie, from Angmering, won a prize of £250.

“Sometimes nature just makes you sit back and say wow. This was one such morning,” he said.

“There was a beautiful mist shrouding Chanctonbury Ring and, given the sub-zero temperatures, a stunning hoar frost was forming on the trees as well as the ground.

“As the sun started to rise, the mist began to glow, giving an ethereal, otherworldly feel to the scene.

“When conditions play out like this, and nature is one your side, it’s hard not to come back from a shoot without a smile on your face.”

The theme for the 2021 contest was Nature Makes Me Happy with the aim of incorporating the park’s nature recovery programme called ReNature.

The competition was entered by more than 360 people.

The contest was judged by award-winning photographers Carlotta Luke, Finn Hopson and Rachael Talibart, as well as Doug Jones, a South Downs National Park member.

About the winning image, Carlotta said: “I love the light and the feeling of the fog and all the layers in the photograph. I would be really happy standing there looking at this amazing scene in the South Downs.”

Finn added: “A lot of thought has gone into this photo. I absolutely love these kind of misty mornings in the South Downs when the sun is coming up and they make me very happy. I can just imagine being there.”

The runner-up was Richard Murray’s A Sparkling Hunt, which depicts a mother barn own flying back to her next with her prey.

Richard, from Waterlooville in Hampshire, said: “Barn owls are one of the most majestic birds to watch and photograph.

“I was lucky enough to be able to set up a hide within the field which allowed me to watch this magnificent and highly-efficient predator effortlessly catch prey time and time again to take back to feed her chicks.”

Third place was awarded to Taking It In by Andy Flowerday, who photographed a walker gazing at a valley at Devil’s Dyke, Brighton.

Coming fourth place was Sing a Song by Corinne Kozok, who submitted an image of a singing robin.