Our photography competition at this year's Great Yorkshire Show brought in some lovely entries from YBKA members, and we're delighted to share the results.
We were lucky to have John Gregson (Jr) as our judge. John is a photographer whose work has featured in the BBC Countryfile calendar, and he's the son of the actor John Gregson. He looked at every entry, and he was full of praise for what he saw. In his words, "the pictures capture some of the beauty in the world on our doorstep."
The winner
It is always so difficult to choose a winner as judging is a very subjective process, but the photo that really stands out as extra-special is by David Wadsworth called 'Loving the Lavender'.
John called it "a technically superb picture of a bee drinking dewdrops on a flower." Well done David. You've won a £20 Northern Bee Books voucher.
Runners-up
Three more photos came very close.
Paul Stephenson's "Apple Blossom" won John over with the simplicity of its composition. He loved the colours and the lichen-covered twig that the blossom grows out of.
Elaine Robinson's photo of a bee collecting pollen from lavender shows the pollen load clearly. John liked the way the blurred background makes the bee really stand out.
Lee Brotherton's close-up of a bee feeding on a flower is so detailed you can pick out every hair on its body.
Highly commended
Tom Robinson caught a bee hovering over a blue cornflower, and you can actually see the movement of its wingbeats.
Giles Horner's photo of a young boy in a beekeeping suit captures a moment in time.
Wendy Benton managed to photograph a bee in flight among the flowers, which is no easy thing.
See them at next year's show
The shortlisted entries will be on display at the 2027 Great Yorkshire Show, where they'll brighten up the pavilion at Harrogate. Do come and have a look.
Congratulations to all our shortlisted photographers, and thank you to everyone who entered.