The Association of Photographers (AOP) has announced that University of Gloucestershire photography student, Jimmy Fletcher, has won the Best in Show award in the AOP’s 2023 Student Awards with his multi-screen short film which documents the entire breeding season of the northern gannet at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire.
The judges collectively felt that Jimmy’s film represented both ‘moving’ and the concept of stills in the same work. His piece won him a prize with a total worth of £8,000 including a cash grant of £2,500, a commissioned project with Fujifilm, access to Fujifilm kit for his next project and the opportunity to work with a Fujifilm approved Professional Lab to print a series of images for his portfolio.
Jimmy, who also won the Silver award in the Places category, said he was blown away by his first view of the gannets at Bempton Cliffs:
“As I looked down from the cliff tops, I was absolutely astonished. The sky was filled with gannets flying back and forth with food and nesting materials, the cliff faces saw gannets feeding young, mating, building nests, clashing beaks and fighting for territory. I immediately fell in love with this almost prehistoric looking scene and decided that I wanted to recreate this emotive experience”.
Jimmy Fletcher, University of Gloucestershire
The RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs is well renowned and has handy car parking for a stroll along the cliffs to see the birds. Try out a 7 mile circular walk here or walk directly from town to the cliffs for a shorter route. The spot is in between Flamborough Head and Primrose Valley on the East Yorkshire Coast.
