Contest winner: Paul Klaassen (DSM)

^®claryl: Is there a magical moment that you associate with your winning picture?

P.K.: I took the winning photo while I was on vacation in Chile and Argentina. It's a photo of the Perito Moreno glacier, which is the only glacier in the world that is still increasing in size. Chile and Argentina are great countries to explore. There is so much to enjoy there! The area of Patagonia, which covers the south of Chile and Argentina, is particularly breathtaking. The Perito Moreno glacier is located in the north of Patagonia.

^®claryl: What do you like best about winter?

P.K.: I like the cold, sunny wintry days. That's when I really enjoy packing up my camera and going out to take some nice photos of the beautiful scenery. I know it's a bit childish, but it's also great to go outside just after a fresh snowfall. The bigger the better!. Unfortunately, we don't usually get much snow in the Netherlands, but this winter (2009–2010) was an exception.

^®claryl: Why did you decide to send in your photo?

P.K.: I always enjoy entering photo competitions. It's nice to be a part of it, to look at other people's entries and to learn from the experience.

^®claryl: What makes photography special to you?

P.K.: I basically take photos for my own personal enjoyment. The challenge is to capture life's precious moments in such a way that you record the atmosphere of the occasion, the scenery or the emotion, depending on the subject matter of the picture. Sometimes the picture also appeals to other people, which is an added bonus!

^®claryl: Which picture will you be having framed?

P.K.: I would like to have a picture framed that I recently took in Bali, Indonesia. It's a picture of a woman carrying some cuttings in a paddy field. It's easy to take beautiful pictures in Bali, as it's so picturesque.