The International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) Competition 19 has revealed its winners, showcasing breathtaking photography from across the globe. From sweeping landscapes to intricate macro studies, the competition highlights the diverse beauty of the natural world. Mark Hetherington took the top honor as Overall Winner for his image, “Grange Fell Last Light,” a stunning vista captured in England’s Lake District. The competition, which received thousands of entries from amateur, semi-professional, and professional photographers, closed for submissions on October 31, 2025.
Hetherington’s winning photograph, also awarded first place in the Breathing Spaces category, depicts heather, silver birch trees, and the warm light of sunset viewed from Grange Fell in Borrowdale. He achieved the image by blending four exposures to create a high dynamic range (HDR) photograph, using a Sony α7 IV camera paired with a Sony FE 16–35mm f/2.8 GM II lens. The image resonated with the judges for its immersive quality and masterful composition. “The winning photograph depicts a stunning landscape vista, full of plant life, with layers of colour and tactile textures, and through a well-balanced composition, truly immerses us in the scene,” said Tyrone McGlinchey FLS FRSA, IGPOTY Head Judge and Managing Director.
The IGPOTY competition, now in its 19th year, celebrates the art of garden photography across nine main categories. Winners were announced on February 13, 2026, and the overall winner receives a £4,000 prize. The competition’s broad appeal lies in its ability to showcase both technical skill and artistic vision, attracting photographers from around the world.
Category Highlights: A Celebration of Botanical Beauty
Beyond the Overall Winner, the competition recognized exceptional work in a variety of specialized categories. Ian Gilmour earned first place in the Abstract Views category with “Autumn Flurry,” a composite image created in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The photograph blends a reflection of trees in the Rochdale Canal with bokeh from window lights, evoking a sense of windy autumn weather. Gilmour utilized a Pentax K-5 camera and a Venus Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2x ultra-macro lens to achieve the effect.
Stephen Studd secured two category wins. His image “Lower Pool, Exbury Gardens” took first place in the Beautiful Gardens category, capturing sunlight filtering through the trees at Exbury Gardens. Studd also won the PMC Plants and Planet category with “Mangrove Restoration,” a photograph taken in Kep, Cambodia, highlighting the importance of coastal mangrove restoration projects for fisheries, community protection, and carbon storage.
Grant Bulloch’s “Glen Affric” won the Trees, Woods, and Forests category, showcasing the contrasting colors of pine and birch trees in Scotland. Bernadette Benz’s “Alpine Cotton Balls,” photographed in Switzerland, earned first place in the Wildflower Landscapes category, featuring the protected alpine plant Eriophorum scheuchzeri, commonly known as Scheuchzer’s cotton grass. Perdita Petzl’s “Rare Beauty,” an image of an eastern festoon butterfly in Lower Austria, took the top prize in the Wildlife in the Garden category, highlighting a species considered one of the rarest butterflies in the country. Finally, Tony North’s “Amethyst Deceivers,” captured in Cheshire, England, won the World of Fungi category, utilizing a focus stacking technique to depict amethyst deceiver mushrooms and a fly.
Alison Tinson also received recognition, winning first place in the Beauty of Plants category for “Game, Set and Match,” a photograph of a dahlia taken in Béziers, France, using a Lensbaby Velvet 85mm lens and controlled lighting within a custom black box.
Technical Skill and Artistic Vision Converge
Many of the winning images demonstrate sophisticated photographic techniques. Hetherington’s HDR image, for example, showcases the power of multiple exposures to capture a wider range of tones and details. North’s use of focus stacking in “Amethyst Deceivers” allowed for exceptional sharpness throughout the image, while Gilmour’s composite approach in “Autumn Flurry” created a unique and evocative atmosphere. These techniques, combined with a keen eye for composition and lighting, resulted in a collection of truly inspiring photographs.
The winning photographs and a curated selection of awarded images were on display at Kew Gardens from February 14 to March 9, 2026. A selection of the winning images will also be featured in the April issue of Outdoor Photography Magazine, available on March 19, 2026.
The IGPOTY Competition 19 underscores the enduring appeal of garden and landscape photography, and the power of images to connect us with the natural world. As the competition continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly continue to inspire photographers and captivate audiences for years to come.
Share your favorite garden photography and discuss the competition’s winners in the comments below.
