Contest winner: Katrin Peters (Winner of the jury prize)

^®claryl: What magical moment do you associate with your picture?

KP: I took the picture on a beautiful summer's day in glorious weather. I was out and about with my husband, who is also a keen photographer. I have fond memories of this day as we were both pursuing our hobby and we just had the time to do so.

^®claryl: How was this special photo taken?

KP: I took this shot with my small, fairly old Nikon D 70 and an IR filter. I find this camera ideal for this exposure technique. On this particular day, we deliberately set out with the intention of taking IR photographs. The weather was perfect in terms of the light conditions and this was exactly the type of image I wanted to capture.

^®claryl: What do you love about winter?

KP: I like this magical white right across the landscape. The pristineness and the clear air. In northern Germany, we rarely have really crisp winters, but this year we enjoyed a real treat with snow and frost. Ideal for taking photographs! Infrared photos look just as magical, even if they portray more of a back-to-front world. In the middle of summer with lots of lush green leaves portrayed in white, this is certainly unusual.

^®claryl: What prompted you to take part in the competition?

KP: I came across your website while browsing the internet. I thought that my photo motif was delightful for the topic. I was also interested in the response. It is nice enough taking photographs just for myself, but the hobby is only really exciting if you swap your photos with others or take part in a competition.

^®claryl: What is it that makes photography special for you?

KP: Photography has excited me from a very early age. My mother engaged in this hobby and when I was about six years old she thrust my grandfather's old camera into my hand. I was incredibly proud of my 6x6 contact prints. Over the years, this then turned into a lovely hobby. And since the advent of Photoshop etc., you can now optimize your pictures even sitting at the tiniest desk. Unfortunately, I do not have any darkroom experience, simply because at the time it was too expensive for me and would have taken up too much space. Apart from that, I find that when you look through the viewfinder you see a different angle on the world and all of its facets compared with just going for a walk around our beautiful world.

^®claryl: Which picture will you have framed?

KP: I would very much like to have my winning picture framed.