I'm thrilled to say that I was awarded the Drone Category Winner of the 2025 British Photography Awards (BPA) with my photograph "The Long Shadow".
This is the judged winner of the category, and Thomas Lamont (The Kilted Photographer) won the peoples choice vote with his photograph "Crown of Light" of the Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland.
The British Photography Awards has become an important competition now on the British calendar for landscape photographers, due to the fact the UKLPOTY has stopped running due to what I understand to be some controvesies in the last year it ran.
I'd like to just take a moment to congratulate all of the other photographers who made the shortlist. It was great meeting so many of you at the Gala Dinner at The Royal Lancaster in London, it was a fantastic event.
Christopher Harrison on stage at the British Photography Awards 2025, with his Drone Category Winner Trophy and his photograph The Long Shadow behind on the large screen.
Christopher Harrison on stage at the British Photography Awards 2025, with his Drone Category Winner Trophy and his photograph The Long Shadow behind on the large screen.
Christopher Harrison with Thomas Lamont (The Kilted Photographer), his wide and Matty Whitton. Both are exellent drone photographers are were shortlisted in the Drone Category 2025.
About the Photograph - The Long Shadow - the 2025 BPA Winner of the Drone Category
This photograph was captured at Brightwell Barrow at Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, at dawn, when mist sat low to the ground. As the sun rose up, so did the mist, reaching a point where sunlight was shining through the mist itself. It created this most magnificent shadow behind the small group of trees situated on this small Bronze Age barrow (a small hill), surrounded by golden light.
The story behind the photograph is quite simple - I was set up with my camera on a tripod - my trusty Sony A7R IV paired with the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Sports lens. I had the drone in the air hovering, but I was mainly focussing on photographing this incredible scene from the ground. It was only when I noticed some crepuscular rays appearing when it clicked in my mind: there may be a similar effect behind the trees on the barrow.
I quickly flew my drone into a position where the composition worked, and framed what I saw on my small phone screen of my DJI Air 2S drone controller. I could see a shadow, but it was somewhat hard to see in the bright light and with the low resolution of the video feed.
It was only when I got back home with a hot cup of tea, when I got to look back through the pictures, when I realised I had captured a keeper of a photograph. I knew it was a "once in a decade" type of image.
The Other Photographs (and some I actually prefer...)
This particular morning... it was special. Very special. This kind of morning is one that lives on in your mind. It's not worth forgetting that first and foremost, I was there to witness this first hand. I was alone on the clumps, surrounded by the mist, looking out across the vast vista of British countryside. It was absolutely breathtaking. There were red kites circling, and I even saw a barn owl hunting in the surrounding fields. The air was fresh, the sky was clear. I was absolutely ecstatic.
Of course I was there to photograph, but taking it in, looking around, gauging the opportunities, and just enjoying it is paramount. I have to remind myself of this - behind every photograph (ignoring AI...) is a photographer, who was there to see it with their own eyes. This often adds a whole new perspective to an image.
Anyway, onto the other images I captured on this morning!
Above the Mist
This is my favourite photograph from the morning. This may seem controversial given The Long Shadow has won several accolades & awards with lots of press coverage, however, photography is entirely subjective!
Above the Mist shows the trees on Brightwell Barrow peeking through the mist, like an island in an ocean. The colours are breathtaking, oranges and subtle pinks, all created by the sunrise which is just off to the left of the frame. It's minimalist. It's also rare. These conditions are very uncommon in Britain - we are talking maybe once a quarter, or a few times a year - therefore to be in the right place at the right time is remarkably challenging. Choosing where to go, as photographers no doubt know, is one of the hardest challenges and the "FOMO" mindset can often result in wrong decisions being made.
To me this is why this is just perfection - it all came together. The mist sat at this point only for a moment as the sun rose up, it was fleeting and it was rare. It is almost certainly in my top 10 personal favourite photographs of all time.
I'm pleased to say, this image has done well in another competition, I cannot say which one yet. But watch this space!
Red Kite at Dawn
This next photograph captures a unique moment where a red kite is soaring above the landscape, in just the right spot. This was tricky to capture as my settings were off - I needed a faster shutter speed to freeze the movement of the bird.
Knowing your camera is key, so I quickly managed to do this and get the shot.
The Wittenham Clumps (where I was standing)
Whilst not the 'best' photograph from the morning, this shows the broader setting. The clumps were just poking out of the mist, with the wider landscape blanketed in mist. It was breathtaking!
The Rolling Hills
Using the long end of my Sigma 70-200mm lens, I was able to zoom right into the landscape. This is the trees just off to the left of the barrow. I love how you can see the mist flowing through, paired with the beautiful colours.
I can assure you the colours were this spectacular!
In a Sea of Mist
This was captured later into the morning where the light was brighter and the contrasts much more visible (hence the black & white conversion). Sun beams were blasting through the trees from surrounding woodland. The barrow was visible on the horizon.
I love this photograph. It happens to have been included in the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2026 book (Collection 14).
The panorama...
Again - whilst not the best photograph from the morning, this again shows the changing conditions. This was before the sun came above the horizon, where the mist was slightly lower. You can see the various layers of trees, the barrow and the mist sitting on the ground against a clear sky.
This shows why it is important to get there early, to survey the location and scout. This photograph was more of a scouting mission - to see what was going on.
