Bronze

New Zealand

What do you need after six hours hiking in the rain? Burnt marshmallows and fire-side horror stories, apparently. Hidden by foliage and port-a-loos from the rest of the campsite, we baked (but mostly burnt) sweet treats and moaned about our foot injuries. Starting the fire was no easy feat; a day of rain had rendered many of the logs lying around useless, but as soon as the fire started, dozens of sore-footed hikers flocked past the port-a-loos with their marshmallows and skewers. I had set up the camera on a tripod, illuminating the crowd with brief flashes of light to try and capture the merry gathering, not just a orange flame blanketed by night. My favourite shot, however, was illuminated by chance. A headlamp lit the subject’s face and the rising smoke with an eerie blue; I love the clear subject matter and the interface of blue and red at the flame’s base.

Participant