[Photo credit: Bernie Pettersen]
The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society’s search for the ‘ultimate sea view’ saw former Royal Navy petty officer Bernie Pettersen crowned overall winner with a photo depicting a storm crashing into Porthleven in Cornwall.
Sophie Batterbury, head of pictures at The Independent, said: ‘The overall winning picture, for all of us, summed up very much our country’s relationship with the sea and how sometimes it can be very strong and violent towards us, and yet we just sit and watch and wonder at its mighty power.’
Bernie also topped the Recreation category, with a shot of a surfer at Praa Sands, entitled ‘Cornish Seas’.
Meanwhile, the Judges’ Choice Award went to Lee Acaster for an eye-catching black & white image called ‘At The Edges’.
[Photo credit: Lee Acaster]
Commenting on Lee’s photo, Amateur Photographer Editor Nigel Atherton said: ‘This photograph is a great exercise in minimalism, by stripping out all of the extraneous detail from the picture and keeping a very simple composition.’
The society’s chief executive, Commodore Malcolm Williams, said: ‘The important thing about the photography competition is to raise awareness among the general population of how much we rely on the sea and those who work with it every day.’
He added: ‘The competition has run for three successful years now, with an increase in participants every year, and once again this year’s entries were of a very high standard.
‘It was a hard task to pick the winners, but thanks to the professionalism of our judges, who really know what makes a good photo, we were able to narrow it down to a selection of images which we feel truly encapsulates our nation’s enduring connection with the sea.’
The judging took place, appropriately, aboard the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
[Photo credit: Rory Trappe]
[Photo credit: Bernie Pettersen]
[Photo credit: David Jenner]
[Photo credit: John Roberts]
