5th major win! 10-year-old wildlife photographer scoops prize for extraordinary macro bee image in stunning detail

Breaking records yet again, young wildlife photographer Jamie Smart – also known as the "Eagle Eyed Girl" – has added another prestigious accolade to her growing list of achievements.

The talent from Llandrindod Wells, Wales, has been named the Under-11 Category Winner at the British Wildlife Photography Awards for her detailed macro photograph, Cutting Edge, which captures a leaf-cutter bee peeking from a clay bee hotel.

Despite her young age, Jamie has already built an impressive reputation. She was previously the youngest-ever category winner of the BIAZA Photography Awards, Category Winner at the WPOTY – where three of her images ranked among the Top 100 in the world – Young Overall Winner of the TPOTY, and last year, she received the Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year title...

She is also the youngest patron of Cuan Wildlife Rescue. Through her photography, Jamie is raising awareness of the urgent need to protect wildlife and natural habitats, highlighting the importance of safeguarding biodiversity for future generations.

Winner 11 and Under category

Cutting Edge by Jamie Smart
Leaf-cutter bee (Megachilidae), Powys, Wales

Tech info
Gear: OM System OM-1 Mark II + M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro lens
Accessories: Speed flash, Cygnustech diffuser
Exposure settings: 1/125sec, f/11, ISO 200

Jamie explains, "I adore bees and have spent a lot of time this year studying them and finding out about what I can do to help the wild bees around our garden thrive. I designed and made a bee hotel using clay and have watched it flourish.

"One day, as I was walking past it, I spotted this leaf-cutter bee poking her head out of one of the clay holes and thought it would make a lovely photo, so I ran back inside to grab my camera and hoped that she would still be there when I returned – luckily, she was!

"Using my macro set up – the OM1 Mark II with a speed flash and Cygnustech diffuser – I managed to capture this image of her looking at me from inside the clay hole.

"It was quite tricky to get the light to penetrate into the hole, as she had gone a little deeper inside by the time I had returned and I didn’t want to disturb her too much by going too close, so I cropped in and adjusted the highlights and shadows in the editing phase to create this image."

The BWPA competition

The British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) is one of the UK's most respected nature photography competitions, celebrating the diversity and wonder of wildlife.

Photographers compete across adult and youth categories, with winning images published in a hardback book by Graffeg.

For more winning images and full results, visit the BWPA website and explore the incredible work of this year's photographers.

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