Express & Echo (City & East Devon Edition)
Seafront shot wins coast path photography competition
AN image of Sidmouth seafront saw the person who took it win a category of the South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year competition.
The competition saw more than 1,500 entries from across the South West. The winners were decided by a panel of three judges.
And Alex Walton’s picture titled Trail Lights of Sidmouth won the Urban Lines category.
Judge Jessica Lennan, a lecturer in photography at the University of Plymouth, said of the entry: “This photo demonstrates a clever use of lines in its composition.
“The street winding alongside the beach serves as a prominent leading line, accentuated by the light trails of passing cars as well as the dotted streetlights.
“Captured during twilight, the image reveals further details of the surrounding buildings and sea for us to explore.
“Despite being mostly man-made in an urban setting, the lines in the photo retain an organic quality, which we particularly liked.”
The overall winner was James Loveridge, from Dorset, whose image captured the power of Storm Ciarán upon Lyme Regis Cobb.
Jessica said of James’ image: “The winning photograph impresses both in its beauty and in it 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.”