Christopher Harrison Photography
Menu
Award

British Photography Awards Drone Category Winner 2025

I won the Drone category of the British Photography Awards 2025 with The Long Shadow, having won the Landscape category in 2024. The story behind the photograph, and the others from that morning.

Published 10 November 2025

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 people's choice vote with his photograph "Crown of Light" of the Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland.

The British Photography Awards has become an important competition on the British calendar for landscape photographers.

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.

A solitary small group of trees casts a long dark shadow across a fog-covered arable field on the slopes of Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, as low winter sunrise strikes horizontally through the mist. The aerial perspective reduces the scene to near-pure geometry: a diagonal line of darkness dividing cold blue shadow from warm amber light. The tree reads as both subject and instrument, the agent producing the image's central tension.
A solitary small group of trees casts a long dark shadow across a fog-covered arable field on the slopes of Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, as low winter sunrise strikes horizontally through the mist. The aerial perspective reduces the scene to near-pure geometry: a diagonal line of darkness dividing cold blue shadow from warm amber light. The tree reads as both subject and instrument, the agent producing the image's central tension. Buy this print →

About the photograph — The Long Shadow

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, 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 that 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 the 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, and got to look back through the pictures, that 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.

An absolutely magical scene from Brightwell Barrow in Oxfordshire, where a small group of trees on a 'barrow' stands above the mist, where the sunrise is lighting the scenes in the most beautiful orange, yellow and pink pastel hues.
An absolutely magical scene from Brightwell Barrow in Oxfordshire, where a small group of trees on a 'barrow' stands above the mist, where the sunrise is lighting the scenes in the most beautiful orange, yellow and pink pastel hues. Buy this print →

Above the Mist

This is my favourite photograph from the morning. This may seem controversial given The Long Shadow has won several accolades and 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.

It has since gone on to do well elsewhere too — it was shortlisted in the Trees, Woods & Forests category at the International Garden Photographer of the Year, and earned a Bronze medal at the Epson International Pano Awards.

A bird of prey crosses a mist-filled valley at dawn in early March above the low ground near Brightwell Barrow, its silhouette suspended between the bare-crowned hilltop copse of the Wittenham Clumps and the fog-islands of woodland below. Temperature inversion has pooled the mist in the Oxfordshire vale, leaving the rounded hill clear and luminous against a soft amber sky. The fortuitous placement of the bird gives the image a precise, unrepeatable quality.
A bird of prey crosses a mist-filled valley at dawn in early March above the low ground near Brightwell Barrow, its silhouette suspended between the bare-crowned hilltop copse of the Wittenham Clumps and the fog-islands of woodland below. Temperature inversion has pooled the mist in the Oxfordshire vale, leaving the rounded hill clear and luminous against a soft amber sky. The fortuitous placement of the bird gives the image a precise, unrepeatable quality. Buy this print →

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.

At first light on a late-winter morning, Brightwell Barrow near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire emerges frost-rimed from a temperature inversion above the Vale of White Horse, its concentric earthwork ramparts carving a near-perfect ellipse through the frosted grass. A sea of fog erases the surrounding vale while the tree-crowned knoll of the Wittenham Clumps floats at the horizon. The composition holds the rare alignment of prehistoric geometry, seasonal atmosphere, and aerial perspective that rarely arrives twice.
At first light on a late-winter morning, Brightwell Barrow near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire emerges frost-rimed from a temperature inversion above the Vale of White Horse, its concentric earthwork ramparts carving a near-perfect ellipse through the frosted grass. A sea of fog erases the surrounding vale while the tree-crowned knoll of the Wittenham Clumps floats at the horizon. The composition holds the rare alignment of prehistoric geometry, seasonal atmosphere, and aerial perspective that rarely arrives twice. Buy this print →

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 small hilltop copse at Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, rises as a dark silhouette above a dense temperature inversion that has consumed the surrounding lowlands in mist. The pre-sunrise sky grades from deep amber at the horizon to pale cream above, lending the scene an almost monochromatic warmth. A second treeline ghosted in the middle distance adds depth without competing for attention.
The small hilltop copse at Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, rises as a dark silhouette above a dense temperature inversion that has consumed the surrounding lowlands in mist. The pre-sunrise sky grades from deep amber at the horizon to pale cream above, lending the scene an almost monochromatic warmth. A second treeline ghosted in the middle distance adds depth without competing for attention. Buy this print →

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!

A temperature inversion buries a wooded valley beneath dense fog, leaving the lone clump of trees on the Brightwell Barrow hilltop isolated against a pale winter sky. Bare deciduous canopies pierce the fog layer in the foreground, receding in tonal gradients toward the distant hill. Shot from low drone altitude above the Thames Valley in Oxfordshire at first light, the panoramic frame distils the scene to three horizontal bands: tree, fog, hill. Black and white works so well here, dissolving the scene of stark blues and whites into beautiful monochrome. Whilst the crop here is shown as 2:1 panoramic, this is available as a 3:2, filling more of the paper sizes I have available (A4, A3, A2). Let me know your preference when ordering.
A temperature inversion buries a wooded valley beneath dense fog, leaving the lone clump of trees on the Brightwell Barrow hilltop isolated against a pale winter sky. Bare deciduous canopies pierce the fog layer in the foreground, receding in tonal gradients toward the distant hill. Shot from low drone altitude above the Thames Valley in Oxfordshire at first light, the panoramic frame distils the scene to three horizontal bands: tree, fog, hill. Black and white works so well here, dissolving the scene of stark blues and whites into beautiful monochrome. Whilst the crop here is shown as 2:1 panoramic, this is available as a 3:2, filling more of the paper sizes I have available (A4, A3, A2). Let me know your preference when ordering. Buy this print →

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 and white conversion). Sunbeams 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 (Edition 14).

A small copse crowns Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, as valley fog rises at dawn and reduces the surrounding landscape to a series of receding silhouetted ridges. The temperature inversion holds the mist below the treeline, creating a layered composition that reads almost as abstraction. Captured in late winter or early spring, before leaf-out, the bare canopy sharpens the silhouette against a warm amber sky.
A small copse crowns Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, as valley fog rises at dawn and reduces the surrounding landscape to a series of receding silhouetted ridges. The temperature inversion holds the mist below the treeline, creating a layered composition that reads almost as abstraction. Captured in late winter or early spring, before leaf-out, the bare canopy sharpens the silhouette against a warm amber sky. Buy this print →

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.

Prints from this story

Every photograph here is available, signed and made by me.

A solitary small group of trees casts a long dark shadow across a fog-covered arable field on the slopes of Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, as low winter sunrise strikes horizontally through the mist. The aerial perspective reduces the scene to near-pure geometry: a diagonal line of darkness dividing cold blue shadow from warm amber light. The tree reads as both subject and instrument, the agent producing the image's central tension. Award winner×6
The Long Shadow Brightwell Barrow From £55
An absolutely magical scene from Brightwell Barrow in Oxfordshire, where a small group of trees on a 'barrow' stands above the mist, where the sunrise is lighting the scenes in the most beautiful orange, yellow and pink pastel hues. Awarded
Above the Mist Brightwell Barrow From £55
The small hilltop copse at Brightwell Barrow, near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, rises as a dark silhouette above a dense temperature inversion that has consumed the surrounding lowlands in mist. The pre-sunrise sky grades from deep amber at the horizon to pale cream above, lending the scene an almost monochromatic warmth. A second treeline ghosted in the middle distance adds depth without competing for attention.
Before Sunrise, Brightwell Barrow Brightwell Barrow From £55
At first light on a late-winter morning, Brightwell Barrow near the Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire emerges frost-rimed from a temperature inversion above the Vale of White Horse, its concentric earthwork ramparts carving a near-perfect ellipse through the frosted grass. A sea of fog erases the surrounding vale while the tree-crowned knoll of the Wittenham Clumps floats at the horizon. The composition holds the rare alignment of prehistoric geometry, seasonal atmosphere, and aerial perspective that rarely arrives twice.
Frost-Rimed, Iron Age Brightwell Barrow From £55
A temperature inversion buries a wooded valley beneath dense fog, leaving the lone clump of trees on the Brightwell Barrow hilltop isolated against a pale winter sky. Bare deciduous canopies pierce the fog layer in the foreground, receding in tonal gradients toward the distant hill. Shot from low drone altitude above the Thames Valley in Oxfordshire at first light, the panoramic frame distils the scene to three horizontal bands: tree, fog, hill. Black and white works so well here, dissolving the scene of stark blues and whites into beautiful monochrome. Whilst the crop here is shown as 2:1 panoramic, this is available as a 3:2, filling more of the paper sizes I have available (A4, A3, A2). Let me know your preference when ordering.
Sunrise Beams over Oxfordshire Brightwell Barrow From £55