Photography Competition
South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year
The 2024 competition is OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
This year, we have a new platform to host the competition and look forward to receiving your amazing shots of the South West Coast Path and the beautiful environment it traverses.
Below is the winning image from the 2023 competition by James Loveridge.
Lyme Regis Cobb taken during Storm Ciaran.
Below are the categories for this year's photography competition:
People and 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Prizes
St Austell Brewery is providing the competition winner a two-night stay at Pier House Hotel in Charlestown, Cornwall. The two-night stay is based on two-people sharing in a classic room with breakfast each morning. Stay needs to be taken by 10th September 2025. Stay cannot be redeemed on Bank Holidays, Easter Weekend or Mother’s Day.
The Young Photographer of the Year Award prize will be a 1-year SWCPA membership and £50 voucher to be spent at the SWCPA online shop.
Meet the Judges
Dr Heidi Morstang, Associate Professor in Photography
Dr Heidi Morstang is Associate Professor in Photography, University of Plymouth, where she leads the Land Water Research Group in the School of Art, Design and Architecture. She is a photographer and filmmaker, and her films have been screened at several international film festivals and her photographic works have been exhibited widely since 1995.
"I am thrilled to join the judging panel for this year's photography competition and to see the diverse visual responses to the cherished South West Coast Path that holds such significance for so many."
Alex Fisher, Editor, Coast magazine
As well as being the editor of Coast magazine for over a decade, Alex Fisher has written for many national publications, including The Telegraph, The Guardian and Elle Magazine. She started her life in publishing as an assistant in the fashion department of Vogue magazine and has always had a love and passion for great photography.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing all the wonderful entries to this inspiring competition. I love walking by the sea, as do Coast readers, and it's fantastic that the South West Coast Path gives so many people access to our beautiful coastline."
Terms & Conditions
The South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year 2024 Terms & Conditions can be found on the photography competition's host website, here.
