We reveal the winners of our readers’ photography competition sponsored by Wilkinson Cameras.
The glorious autumnal shot of the Lancaster Canal was the winning entry in our 2020 readers’ photography competition.
It was taken by Les Fitton of Lostock, Bolton, who has won a Sony Cybershot RX100 III camera and a 32GB media card worth a total £500 provided by competition sponsor Wilkinson Cameras.
And the win came at an opportune moment for Les whose compact Panasonic camera which is a constant companion on hill walks and days out, is starting to fail him. ‘It’s getting a bit weary now so this is ideal,’ Les said.
‘I always carry a compact camera with me but I started taking photography more seriously after I retired in 2013. I bought myself a camera from Wilkinson Cameras and I’ve been gradually upgrading ever since.’
Les is largely self-taught and concentrates on landscapes and has previously won competitions run by the Daily Telegraph and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.
He added: ‘I’ve read books and watched videos, but a lot of the time, it’s a matter of learning from your mistakes and really getting to know your camera. Sometimes you get lucky with the light and the conditions, other times you don’t.
‘I’ve been to that spot on the canal several times waiting for the sun to come through the trees at the right angle at about 10am. I went back there recently to get a similar shot but the light wasn’t right. That happens – I went for a day out with my friend to Hadrian’s Wall before the pandemic but the light wasn’t right so we came home again.’
Les’s other favourite spots include Morecambe, Rivington and the Yorkshire Dales, as well as spots around the static caravan he and wife Carol have at Holme near Milnthorpe.
John Duxbury from Blackburn won second prize for his photograph of sunrise over Pendle. He won a £150 Wilkinson Cameras gift voucher.
Phtography has become more of a passion for John since he was furloughed in March and he said: ‘I’ve always been an early riser and on those summer nights where the sun never totally sets, I go walking the dog at about 3.30 in the morning. That’s when I took this picture.’
The third prize of a £75 Wilkinson Cameras gift voucher went to Stephen Ballam of Blackpool for his shot of a dramatic sunrise over the beach huts at St Annes.
‘Photography helps keep me balanced and it gives me an escape from work and everything that’s going on in the world,’ he said.
