These are the winners of our photography competition in association with Wilkinson’s Cameras
This charming picture of a mallard among the snowdrops at Grappenhall Heys has taken top prize in our annual readers’ photographic competition, and it’s all thanks to the photographer’s wife.
It was taken by Darren Moston of Latchford and our panel of judges selected it from the hundreds of entries which were uploaded to our website since the competition was launched in April.
Darren’s prize is a 50MP Canon EOS 5Ds camera worth £2999 provided by competition sponsors Wilkinson’s Cameras.
Darren said: ‘I wasn’t going to send that picture in, but my wife Carolyn sent it because she liked it. I send ones I think are humdingers and she sends in ones she thinks are nice. I’m glad she did. I couldn’t believe it when I was told I’d won.’
The 43-year-old who has been taking pictures for five or six years, started with a pocket camera bought for a holiday. ‘I went to test it at Lymm Dam and Carolyn sent some in to Granada and they used one on the weather. That inspired me to take more pictures and now I take hundreds – mostly of ducks and swans.
‘I decided there was no point trying to take pictures of more difficult wildlife with the camera I had and concentrated on ducks and swans and now it has become something of an addiction. But it does mean that the ducks know me and I can’t go for a walk without them following me.’
Our runners up were Dave Bower from Wilmslow who entered his shot of White Nancy at sunset and Stephen Bell of Great Barrow for his picture taken in Delamere Forest. They will both be able to hone their skills on a photography training course at Wilkinson’s purpose-built learning centre in Liverpool, or at one of their ten stores across the North West.
The judges – picture editor John Cocks, David Parkinson from Wilkinson’s Cameras and Cheshire Life editor Louise Allen-Taylor – selected a shortlist of 12 images which you can see in the 2016 Cheshire Life calendar.
The camera champions
Wilkinson Cameras, is an award winning, independent photo retailer with 10 stores throughout the North West of England as well as an online store at wilkinson.co.uk, where you’ll also find a list of store locations and opening times.
Be in the picture
We will launch our 2016 readers’ photography competition in the spring, but in the meantime, our website is still open for you to add your photos to our online gallery.
You will be asked to register, which is free and also allows you to comment on articles and photographs on the site and to take advantage of special offers.
