Original photograph
Cool Light on the Poppies
by Damien Walmsley
- Medium
- Original photograph
- Dimensions
- 80 × 60 cm
- Presentation
- Framed
- Minimum bid
- £300
- In person
- Artist attending
Opens the Bridge2Aid silent auction page on Zeffy. Scroll to “Cool Light on the Poppies” and tap Bid there. 100% of proceeds support the BDA Benevolent Fund and Bridge2Aid.
About the work
The poppy field was near Kinver Edge, and I arrived before sunrise. The poppies were behind a fence, so I needed my long lens to get a good view of the wildflowers. I set up my tripod, focusing on several poppies near the front of the field. I had time on my side, with around 30 minutes until sunrise; as I was taking my picture, the poppies took on a magical look in the cool dawn light. The timeless quality and the kaleidoscope of colours in the picture provide a connection to the beauty of our wildflower fields.
Accolades
- Winner of the 2026 Amateur Photographer prize in the first Wildflower photography contest organised by the Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group.
- Runner-up in the Wildflower landscapes category of the International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition in 2025.
Artist statement
My photographic practice is most alive at first light — wandering through wildflower fields or urban landscapes with my camera in the early morning. I am drawn to moments of transformation: how a dawn field of poppies takes on a magical quality in cool light, or how fog and tall trees can open an atmospheric, almost imagined world.
The artist
Damien Walmsley
Emeritus Professor of Restorative Dentistry at the University of Birmingham. His photographic journey began at age six and developed through dental photography before expanding into street, urban, documentary and landscape work. Since retiring, Damien has gained recognition as an accomplished amateur photographer, with success in national and international competitions. His work is characterised by narrative quality — images designed to invite viewers to pause, reflect, and imagine themselves within each scene.
At the exhibition
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