Banff Mountain Photography Competition won by Neal Grundy. Jury Special Mention to Sandro Sedran

The prestigious Grand Prize of the Banff Mountain Photography Competition 2012 has been awarded to UK photographer Neal Grundy for his Night Climbing series. The images taken by the Brighton-based photographer document night climbing at the sandstone outcrop Eridge Green in Kent, SE England: using up to a minute of long exposure, Grundy tracked the climbers to combine a magical night atmosphere with climbing. Nature's lights - the stars and the moon - blend with the artificial lights of the climbers' headtorches which remain as the only visible trace of their progress up these climbs. The steaks of light testament the moves and the climb itself, while the crux sections are indicated by the brighter streaks where the climber's progress was slower. All of this creates a fluid game of contrasts, of shadow and light, which places climbing as an integral part of an enchanting natural ambient. Grundy has experimented with long-exposure photography for the past 15 years and this is his first project which combines his passions for photography and climbing.

The Jury Special Mention was awarded to Venetian S-Team photographer Sandro Sedan for his caving photographs which capture an enchanting world of shadow, light and penumbra in the secret world of karst caves close to Venice. This underground network of grottos, tunnels and unimaginable spaces to be explored and full of wonders, has been documented in a wonderful manner by the Sedran's works and passion.<