Photographers have long been drawn to the majesty of trees and their landscape. Now the Shepton Snowdrop Festival is inviting photographers, young and old, to capture their essence and their beauty, standing alone, in the most exuberant or in the starkest of urban landscapes.

Charlie Waite, one of the world's greatest landscape photographers and the Comepetition Judge, shares his thoughts on the theme and what he will be looking:

‘Trees are among the most eloquent subjects in the landscape. They speak quietly of endurance, change and the passage of time, yet they are never separate from the world around them. Whether standing alone or as part of a woodland, they shape the landscape just as surely as light, weather and season.

‘For this competition, I would encourage you to look beyond simply photographing a tree.
Consider its relationship with its surroundings and with the light that reveals its character. Ask yourself what drew you to a particular tree, and what it is saying within the landscape. It may be strength or fragility, solitude or companionship, permanence or renewal. It might be the intricate detail of bark, the elegance of a single branch, or the way mist, rain or early morning light transforms an ordinary scene into something memorable.

‘I hope to see images that reveal careful observation, thoughtful composition and a genuine emotional connection with the subject. The strongest photographs are rarely those that simply record what was there; they are those that invite us to pause, to look again, and to experience something of what the photographer felt in that moment.

‘Landscape photography cuts across all political and national boundaries. It transcends the constraints of language and culture. I look forward to seeing how photographers from around the world interpret this remarkable and enduring subject.’