And the top shots are . . .

Waih¯ı Beach is the backdrop of two winning Herald Summer Photo competition entries, chosen from a record 7000 entries, writes Alex Roberston

You can drag a horse to water but you can’t make him swim! It’s a new take on that old saying captured perfectly in this year’s Herald Summer Photo competition-winning photograph.

Kayla Cutfield took the snap featuring her 3-year-old son Flynn and his pony Bolty.

The family were on holiday in Hawke’s Bay with their horses over New Year and Flynn had seen his dad riding into the water to cool down.

“Flynn decided he wanted to take Bolty into the water too,” said Cutfield. “You will go into the water Bolty! Flynn said in a very determined voice. It was so funny I had to take the picture.”

Cutfield describes Flynn as a “very determined boy” whereas Bolty is the complete opposite of his name and very chilled. Until this moment.

“I’d just taken [the picture] when I saw the ad to enter the competition so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

Kayla wins a Canon R10 camera package and it will be well-used on Flynn and his baby sister, no doubt.

The second-placed picture is another humorous moment from a family album. Rich Robson of Auckland’s North Shore caught his daughter running around with seagulls while the family were trying to enjoy fish and chips at Waihi Beach.

“The picture was taken on my phone and I was super surprised at how clear it was,” Robson said. “To capture that moment and with great composition with the seagull almost bigger than my 3-year-old daughter is quite incredible.”

A Canon R50 is winging its way to Rich.

Ben Haarmann of Aongatete near Katikati had to get up super early to get his prize-wining shot, earning him a Canon R100 camera package.

“My mate said let’s do a sunrise shoot, which meant getting up in the dark,” Haarmann said. “It was at Waihi Beach on a very calm morning. The surf was good but there was a lovely calm moment in between sets so I took the opportunity. I was amazed to see the bubbles and swirls in the water on the screen at home.”

Haarmann slips a waterproof camera inside his wetsuit to capture his surfing shots, something he’s being doing for the past 20 years, he says.

“The standard was amazing this year,” said Herald chief photographer Dean Purcell. “Flynn and his horse is a classic – the tension in the picture is great and perfectly composed to capture the moment.

“Rich Robson’s shot of fish and chips at the beach is extraordinary – the gull seems bigger than the girl – and Ben’s surfing picture is so evocative and the composition with the swirling water leading you on to the surfers framing the rising sun is exquisite.” Our winners were chosen from a record 7000 entries this year.

We would like to thank everyone who entered and Canon NZ for the amazing prizes. We look forward to seeing your photographs next year.