PHOTOS: Winners Of ‘I Love This Tree Because’ Photo Competition Revealed

The winners of the first ‘I love this tree because’ photographic competition have been revealed with the top submissions set to go on show from next week. 

The competition, held as part of the first Brighton & Hove Tree Festival, received more than 100 entries. 

An expert panel of judges then had the task of picking four top entries, plus a shortlist to join them in an exhibition at Jubilee Library. 

Ryan Busuttil won first prize and £150 for his image of a horse chestnut in Stanmer Park (main photo) – “All that’s broken is not lost”. Ryan credited his friend Veronika Toth for helping with the composition. 

He said:

“I love this tree because it captures hope. Scarred and fractured by the elements; it stands alone and fractured. Yet it still brings life to the world with re-growth, resilience and belonging.”  

Second prize went to Krish Nanwani Hathiramani for his picture of windblown hawthorns in the Brighton Downland Estate.

Second place: Krish Nanwani Hathiramani

Annette Radford claimed third for her image of an exotic Amur Cork tree in a residential area of Brighton. They both received £75. 

Third place: Annette Radford

Runner up was Elliana Stavrou for her image of a silhouetted cedar tree in Stanmer Park woods. She won a haircut courtesy of the North Laine Hair Company. 

Fourth place: Elliana Stavrou

The expert panel of judges included Beatrice Haverich of Brighton Metropolitan College; Daisy O’Neil from BHASVIC; Juliet Sargeant, Fellow of the Landscape Institute and award-winning garden designer; and Barnaby Ash and Dru Plumb of Ash & Plumb sculptors. 

Volunteer organiser Penny Hudd said:

“We had an amazing response to the competition with hundreds of pictures taken right across the city. Everyone had interesting personal reasons for choosing their tree and there was a wide variety of special images, so it made shortlisting really difficult.” 

The top four images, plus a selection of shortlisted entries, will be exhibited at the Jubilee Library, Brighton, from Monday, June 3, to Saturday, June 8.