Mark Hetherington Wins 19th International Garden Photographer of the Year with Lake District Vista

Mark Hetherington has been named Overall Winner of the 19th International Garden Photographer of the Year competition for his image 'Grange Fell Last Night'. The photograph captures a sunset scene from Grange Fell in Borrowdale, within England's Lake District, featuring blooming heather, silver birch trees, and golden light. Hetherington created the work by blending four exposures into a single HDR photograph. The competition, which focuses on garden, plant, flower, and botanical photography, also announced nine single-image category winners. These include Ian Gilmour for 'Autumn Flurry' in Abstract Views, Bernadette Benz for 'Alpine Cotton Balls' in Wildflower Landscapes, and Stephen Studd, who won two categories: 'Mangrove Restoration' for PMC Plants & Planet and 'Lower Pool, Exbury Gardens' for Beautiful Gardens. Other first-place category winners are Perdita Petzl for Wildlife in the Garden ('Rare Beauty'), Tony North for The World of Fungi ('Amethyst Deceivers'), Alison Tinson for The Beauty of Plants ('Game, Set and Match'), and Grant Bulloch for Trees, Woods & Forests ('Glen Affric'). The judging panel, led by Managing Director and Head Judge Tyrone McGlinchey FLS FRSA, praised Hetherington's winning entry for its stunning landscape vista, layers of color, tactile textures, and well-balanced composition. Grange Fell, the location of the winning shot, is owned by the National Trust, which acquired it in 1910. The summit sits just under 420 meters high. All winning images are available for viewing on the IGPOTY website.