I am delighted to share that my polar bear photograph "Holding On", taken in East Greenland, has won the People's Choice Award at the British Photography Awards 2026.
The award was decided by public vote, so this result belongs to everyone who took the time to vote and share the image. Thank you. The image was shortlisted in the Water Life category and went on to win the public vote when it closed on 15 October.
“Holding On” - East Greenland. Rhiannon Lawler
The story behind the photograph
"Holding On" shows a polar bear balancing on the edge of a drifting iceberg in East Greenland. Earlier that day I had watched the same bear hunting along the shoreline beside a glacier, pausing to scan the horizon and test the air for scent. Once he swam out and climbed onto the ice, he repeated that behaviour, and that is the moment captured here.
I wanted the photograph to show two things at once. One is the physical strength of the bear, with the emphasis on his enormous paws giving a sense of weight and scale. The other is the fragility of the platform beneath him, which shifts as the iceberg moves. Greenland's sea ice changes with the season, and from the air that fragility is easy to see.
How the image was made
I photographed "Holding On" in 2025 with my DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone using the 70mm zoom lens. To keep a safe and respectful distance, I flew at high altitude and relied on the zoom to bring in the detail, so the bear was never disturbed. The tight crop fills the frame, and I trimmed the edges of the ice so the composition feels deliberate.
Own a print of "Holding On"
"Holding On" is available as a limited-edition archival giclée print, printed on Fotospeed Natural Soft Textured Bright White 315 paper, and shipped from the UK. Each print is signed, numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Available in A2 (edition of 15) and A3 (edition of 20).
If you would like to see the print in person, I will be showing my work at Art from Four, an open studio weekend with three other local artists in Wingrave, Buckinghamshire, from 20 to 22 November.
To say thank you for your votes and support, my subscribers get 10% off all orders until 22 November, online and in person at Art from Four. If you would like to join them, you can sign up to my newsletter.
Thank you
Thank you to the British Photography Awards for running a public vote that supports charity, and to everyone who voted, shared the link and followed my work in the polar regions. You can see the full shortlist on the British Photography Awards website.
"Holding On" was also selected in the Top 101 of the International Aerial Photographer of the Year earlier this year.
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