SCHOOLGIRL Isobel Crannage reached the finals of a national photography competition with her snap of a gannet at the seaside.

Isobel, a pupil at Thirsk School and Sixth Form College in Thirsk, took the photo – Roger, Cleared to Land – while on a day out with her family at Bempton Cliffs, which run from Flamborough Head to Filey.

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The 15-year-old’s photo, taken near File, beat thousands of entries to reach a shortlist of four in the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards’ Instagram category. The winning snap, voted for by Instagram readers, was of a dog running through wheatgrass.

“I took a lot of photos that day, but for me the picture of Roger stood out because you never normally get to see a bird in that position so closely,” said Isobel, who lives near Thirsk. “I also loved his wingspan. It’s massive.”

Isobel put five entries in the competition, which was for photographers aged 18 and under.

“I didn’t expect the photo to do well because I associate the RSPCA more with pets than birds, but when they contacted me via Instagram, I was really excited.”

Isobel’s love of photography developed during her summer holiday in 2019 and she got a camera for Christmas that year.

“I had to learn all about shutter speeds, especially to catch a fast-flying bird, and I am now building up my portfolio,” said Isobel. “I love Art at school so maybe in the future I could become a nature photographer. That would be an amazing career.”

Bempton Cliffs on the east coast of Yorkshire is home to the only mainland breeding colony of gannets in England and is run as a nature reserve. The birds arrive in January and leave around August.

“I love taking photos in the summer because the sun and the light are amazing,” added Isobel, who shares her photographic work on her Instagram account, isobel_images.

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