Photography Competition

The South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year 2023

Thank you to all those who entered our South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. Entries to this competition closed on 31st January.

We received a massive 1,500 entries and are thrilled to announce that this years winner is James Loveridge for his stunning capture of Lyme Regis Cobb taken during Storm Ciaran in November 2023.

James not only wins a fantastic prize of a £500 voucher to be used towards a self-catering holiday with Luxury Coastal and 2x GWR return tickets but will be part of a large scale exhibition at Paddington Station, London in July 2024!

Below are the category winners for the South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year 2023.

Your Path

Connections to the coast path and what people experience as they explore the coastal environment are unique and personal to them. We’re looking for images that reflect what makes the Path special to you.

Milky Way over Gwennap Head, shot at moonset
Photographer: Jennifer Rogers

Urban Lines

The urban environment is not what the South West Coast Path is famed for, but it’s an important element and often a significant place for rest and recuperation between the more remote sections. Get inspired by the townscapes and cityscapes and celebrate the urban lines of the South West Coast Path.

Trail Lights of Sidmouth
Photographer: Alex Walton

Nature

By its very nature, the South West Coast Path transects incredibly diverse habitats along the coastal margin. It also can provide the perfect vantage point to see life in our seas along the varied geological and natural landscapes it passes through. Share your photographs of nature in and around the Path.

Gannet View, Storm Isha, West Cornwall
Photographer: Jennifer Rogers

Climate Change

We live in a changing world. Increased storms and rising sea levels are causing coastal erosion and loss of habitat, sometimes impacting the Path itself. How is climate change affecting the Coast Path and its nature and landscapes? We are looking for images that capture the climate crisis and show the impact it is having on the Coast Path.

Blue hour over a flooded Porlock Marsh, Somerset
Photographer: Gary Holpin

Sky Shot

Aerial photography provides a unique perspective of the coastal environment. Panoramic land and seascapes will need to show the photographers eye for detail using colour, texture, and light.

Old Harry's
Photographer: Robert Beasley

Young Photographer of the Year (under 18)

An opportunity to create images through the lens of young eyes. Photographs can be from any category or indeed something that doesn’t fit in any but reflects an inspirational image inspired by young eyes and the Coast Path.

Ayrmer Cove, South Devon
Photographer: William Curzon, aged 15 years

South West Coast Photographer of the Year 2023

With thanks to our 2023 Judging Panel

Trevor Burrows, Photographer

I am absolutely thrilled to have been asked to help judge the SW Coast Path Photo Competition. What could be more rewarding than to be given the opportunity to see images that celebrate in various ways our glorious South West region, via the guilded thread of the coastal path that yields wonderful views come rain or shine!

I shall personally be looking at the competency of the image on various levels, which doesn't always mean it has to be technically brilliant, along with being appropriate for the category entered. The considerations will be manifold but composition, use of colour, light, shade and strength of overall 'feeling' are crucial. So either find those images that you cherish from your long walks along our stunning 630 mile SW Coast Path or take the opportunity to venture forth and take more images! They could be your best yet and a winner!

Jessica Lennan, Artist and Lecturer in Photography

Jessica Lennan is a UK-based artist and lecturer in Photography at the University of Plymouth. Using photography as her primary medium, she is interested in the connection between humans and their immediate environment. Working also with natural materials like earth pigments, clay, and plants, her work explores concepts of place and the significance of materials and processes in shaping a relationship with the environment.

She graduated from the Ostkreuzschool for Photography (Berlin/Germany) in 2009 and completed an MA in Photography and the Book at Plymouth University (UK) in 2012.

Why do we run this competition?

This competition helps our charitable work to protect, improve and champion the South West Coast Path corridor for the health of its wildlife, communities and local economies. Your entries help us raise the profile of the Trail and the amazing places which it connects – as well as tell the story of some of the threats to its future. We are so grateful to all our competition participants who get involved to make it a success.

Photography Competition