Marianne Majerus Named 2010 International Garden Photographer of the Year

The winning photograph, Layered Landscape: a moment captured. Photo copyright Marianne Majerus

U.K. photographer Marianne Majerus has won the International Garden Photographer of the Year 2010 award for her gorgeous shot of a garden at sunrise.

Majerus, who received a prize purse of £5,000 (about $7,500), produced what judges called the single best image of the competition with “Layered Landscape: a moment captured.” Chosen from the Garden Views category, the photograph captures the beautiful moment when the morning sun shines through the trees and onto the plants of a lush Luxembourg garden.

Judges of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition, now in its third year, found this year’s selection process particularly challenging.

“This year the judges had an even more difficult job than usual,” says organizer Philip Smith. “The judging process took over two months and reviewed many thousands of inspiring and impressive entries received from around the world. We are tremendously excited by the winning images.”

Other winners at the competition include Rachel Warne, also from the UK, who was awarded the Best Portfolio Prize. Her series of photographs titled “The Present Past: a forgotten place” capture the mysterious atmosphere of a deserted kitchen garden. The Young Garden Photographer of the Year title went to 15 year-old American Matthew Tauzer for his shot of snow-covered trees at a Japanese garden in Portland, Oregon.

To see all the winning photographs from this year’s competition, and to enter your own images into next year’s contest, visit www.igpoty.com.