Media centre

Friday 12 Apr 2013

Could a West Midlands railway image win Landscape Photographer of the Year?

Region & Route:

Amateur and professional photographers across the West Midlands are being invited to enter their best images of the British landscape and the UK rail network in the annual “Take a view - Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards”.

For the fourth consecutive year, Network Rail is supporting the national competition, which offers a top prize of £10,000 to the photographer submitting the photograph judged to be the very best image of Britain’s beautiful rural or urban scenery.

Anyone wishing to enter the awards must submit their photos online at www.take-a-view.co.uk by 4 July 2013.

As well as being considered for the top prize, the best images will be displayed at a special exhibition later this year at the National Theatre in London.

An additional prize will be given for the best photography of Britain’s rail network – the Network Rail ‘Lines in the Landscape’ Special Award.

Charlie Waite, renowned landscape photographer and competition founder is keen to encourage more people to enter the railway award. He said: “Network Rail looks after an amazing 20,000 miles of track and owns over 2500 stations and so the photographic opportunities are endless. I will be looking for an image that captures the spirit of today’s railways, be it in the busiest cities or most remote countryside. Details, urban views and sweeping tracks are all eligible and I hope to see many inspiring photographs.”

For the first time, Network Rail will also exhibit a selection of previously commended images at five of its biggest stations this summer. Each exhibit will showcase photographs of locations which can be reached by the host station and include details of how to reach them by rail as well as how to enter the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

Tom Kelly, Network Rail’s director of corporate communications said: “By showcasing the competition’s beautiful and striking images we hope to inspire the millions that come through our stations to visit these fantastic places they can reach by rail and record their own amazing views with their cameras.”

This year’s winner of the Lines in the Landscape award has the option of joining a flight in Network Rail’s inspection helicopter which has onboard infrared technology to monitor thousands of miles of track, or a ride on the New Measurement Train, a converted high speed train that is used to capture geotechnical track data safely, punctually and reliably, collecting real time data and clocking up 80,000 miles per year. Either prize offers a unique photography opportunity not open to the public and £300 will be added, so that the winner can make a weekend break of it.