Cornish Guardian (St. Austell & Fowey)
Dramatic picture showing Storm Ciarán wins top photographic award for both its beauty and its environmental message
ACOMPELLING image which captures the power of Storm Ciarán as nature shows its force and unleashes its energy upon Lyme Regis Cobb in Dorset has won the South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year 2023 (SWCP POTY 2023).
The winning aerial photograph, taken by James Loveridge, a photographer from Dorset, beat tough competition from more than 1,500 entries across the South West region.
James takes home not only the title but wins a £500 voucher from Luxury Coastal Holidays and two return train tickets courtesy of competition sponsors Great Western Railway.
A panel of three judges included Jessica Lennan, lecturer in photography at the University of Plymouth, who said of the winning image: “The winning photograph impresses both in its beauty and in its message.
“It clearly shows the force of nature, with the Cobb being blanketed by the white, churning sea. In contrast, dark and heavy clouds pass by, allowing only little light to come through, and reminding us of looming danger ahead.
“The South West Coast Path is unique but also vulnerable, especially to extreme weather conditions, which we have particularly experienced in the past 12 months.
“This image is an excellent example of how powerful photography can be in letting us stop in our tracks and raising awareness for what is happening now.”
James said of his win: “I have won the climate change category previously with photos of storms on the Jurassic Coast where I live and thought this was my best capture yet and a unique one to be able to get an aerial image during such a powerful storm. We’re seeing increasing numbers of storms on the Jurassic Coast in recent years, which I document by getting videos and photographs of all of the major rockfalls in West Dorset and we often see the South West Coast Path having to be moved inland as a result.
“It’s great to have won the overall competition for the first time, so I thank the judges and feel lucky that I was in the right place at the right time and the conditions were right to get this photograph.”
This year’s competition saw Sky Shot added as a category, joining Nature, Your Path, Climate Change, Urban Lines and, for a second year, the Young Photographer of the Year Award.
You can view all the winning images on platforms eight and nine at Paddington Station, London, from July 3-30.