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2024 photo competition – our winners

woman with four dogs on a windswept beach
Blowing a hoolie, Brean beach Amanda Baldwin

We are pleased to announce the winners of our 2024 photo competition – Somerset: my special place in all seasons.

We all know that, whatever the time of year, what ever the weather, getting out and about in the fresh air makes everything better. Getting outside gives you space to think, the opportunity to stretch your mind as well as your legs. That’s why, this year, we asked you to send in your favourite photos that capture your special times in Somerset in all seasons.

Our judges had a hard time choosing from the wide range of photos that we received.  You can see just a small selection in our gallery below. Many thanks to our Chair, Hugh Williams, Andrew Lee, Editor of Somerset Confidential, Ross Alexander of Moment Photography and Kit Houghton, professional photographer for acting as our judges again this year.

And the winners are…..

The adult category winner is Amanda Baldwin with “Blowing a hoolie, Brean beach” (above).  Our judges thought this picture was wonderfully atmospheric and fun and, for a static picture, seems to contain such movement.  Amanda said “The weekly Guided Walking Tours I provide in Brean give me the perfect opportunity to take unique pictures every time. Each week is different, the places I walk, the people I take out and especially the weather that we walk in! I’m super proud of this image that I took whilst passing this lady on windy Brean beach, it speaks volumes!! Bad hair day for both human and dogs, blowing a hoolie and smiles all round, the Great British Bulldog (Lurcher!) Spirit shines through!! I am made up that my image was chosen by the judges and I feel a very lucky lady indeed!! Pictures speak a thousand words and this image obviously did!!”

Our under 18s category winner is Sophie Carver, aged 16, with her picture “The Highlanders”

two highland cattle

Sophie said “It feels fantastic to be the winner, I have always loved photography and I always take my camera with me out on walks and I often walk this footpath that overlooks Hawkridge Reservoir and always get greeted by the Highland cows so I had the opportunity to take lots of different photos of them that day and chose this one to enter the competition.”

Huge congratulations to Amanda and Sophie who will both receive a prize of £100.

We would like to thank everyone who entered our competition this year.  We love seeing all the amazing pictures you send in and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Somerset: my special place in all seasons

Enjoy our pick of this year's entries. You can click on each picture to enlarge it.

  • 3 girls looking at a steep set of steps on a hillside

    Ready to tackle Brean Down by Angela Parsons

  • child looking at trees upside down

    The world from a child's perspective, Barrington Court by Jen Kemp

  • a person walking on a lane under trees

    The beauty of Mother Nature is the world's greatest healer and rejuvenator by Thomas Russell

  • butterfly on a thistle flower

    Stopped for lunch, Glastonbury Tor by Deborah Hawkes

  • two people walking a dog by a river

    Langport river walk by Mary Hill

  • cygnets walking along a footpath

    Rush hour in the countryside by Jen Kemp

  • two men in morris dancer costumes looking out of a window

    Waiting for the rain to pass, Bath & West Show by Loretta O'Grady

  • Father Christmas on a motorbike with presents on the back

    Santa's on his way, Chard by Loretta O'Grady

  • an adult and child gazing up at a large tree in a forest

    Everything is somehow better when you observe the beauty of nature by Thomas Russell

  • two young children exploring a woodland

    Exploring nature, Fyne Court by Barrie Smith

  • two young children playing on a wooden drum kit

    Easter Band Fun, Dunster Castle by Barrie Smith

  • a group of people watching the sunrise on Glastonbury Tor

    Summer solstice, Glastonbury Tor by Mike Jeffries

  • a group of people in costume in front of a tower on Glastonbury Tor

    Celebrating summer solstice, Glastonbury Tor by Mike Jeffries

  • a young girl amongst a field of ox-eye daisies

    Ava exploring Norton Fitzwarren hillfort and her first exploration through wildflowers by Callum Honeybun

  • two children on a bench on a cliff top

    Blowing out the cobwebs on top of Hurlstone Point by Sam Greenham

  • a family in a bluebell wood

    Enjoying the bluebells in Sparkford Woods by Sam Greenham

  • a deer in abluebell wood

    Peekaboo in the bluebells by Freddie Anderson (age 8)

  • a child walking through a field of crops

    Herne Hill, Ilminster by Alice Pooley

  • two ponies on a hill with a bay behind them

    Exmoor ponies atop Porlock Hill overlooking the Bay on a sunny December day by Susan Locke

  • red dragonfly

    A vagrant darter by Thomas Sabran (aged 10)

  • 3 common blue butterflies on a white flower

    Three common blues - one just landed! by Thomas Sabran (aged 10)

  • a horse looking at a view

    A view from behind the ears, Quantock Hills by Estella Fawden (Under 18s)

  • a young girl cuddling two lambs with blue coats on

    Lamb Cuddles! by Estella Fawden (Under18s)

  • two children in winter clothes in a stone archway

    Brothers, Ham Hill by Alice Pooley

  • a weir with a starry sky

    Somerset waterfall at night with stars by Clark Warren

  • grass snake

    Favourite place to be, finding snakes and other wildlife by Clark Warren

  • a boy lying in the road looking at aflooded landscape

    Photographing the photographer, the floods on The Levels by Carol Morton

  • a dog looking over a fence with the sea behind

    Did you say we are at Stolford? by Carol Morton

  • small boy sitting on a tree stump

    Enjoying the woods by Lisa Skinner

  • a lady walking along a woodland track

    A walk in the woods, Quantock Hills by Roger Ballantine

  • child and man taking photos of horses in a field

    One family to another - Horner Woods, Exmoor by Claire Wilde

  • a stream in frosty weather

    Clatworthy Reservoir walk in February by Frances Lowe

  • red beetle on a long leaf

    The cardinal by Shanie Moorey

  • an old street with big chimneys on terraced houses

    The cobblestones by Shanie Moorey

  • black and white photo of a highland cow's head

    On the hill by Shanie Moorey

  • a family with a view of the coast behind them

    Enjoying the stunning view of the Exmoor coastline with my children by Sam Greenham

  • man holding child's hand at country show

    A day out with Grandad, Frome Cheese Show by Ann Wardell

  • people on the seashore at sunset

    A family enjoying a sunny evening at Minehead beach by Pauly Allen

  • a couple on a dark high street with a castle on a hill

    A couple enjoying Christmas in Dunster by Pauly Allen

  • adults and children digging a hole for a pond

    Let's finish this pond! by Ann Wardell

  • two young boys on a hill with some sheep

    Come look at these sheep everyone! by Rohan Morton

  • moat and Bishops Palace

    Evening walk along the moat - Bishops Palace, Wells by Hannah Lowe

  • swans and cygnets on the water

    Swans of Wells, this years cygnets by Hannah Lowe

  • squirrel with nut in its mouth

    Squirrel in Vivary Park, Taunton by Carol Gates

  • cows in the field with low sun

    Cows at sunrise by Carrie Griffiths

  • Quantock Hills from above

    Quantock Hills by Brian Bateman

  • easel with painting in front of a beach

    Painter on the shore, Minehead by Brian Bateman

  • gate into a wood with autumn colours

    A walk for all seasons by Dawn Mahoney

  • boy playing with large wooden drumkit in a wood

    Rocking it out in the countryside by Zara Lewis (under 18s)

  • boy hanging off a tree with autumn laves

    Just hanging around in the autumn sunshine by Sally Lewis

  • girl looking at a lake at sunset

    A pink paradise by Sally Lewis

  • man eating lunch on a wall with a dog watching him

    Never mind the view - what's for lunch (Dunster Castle) by Hilary Fitton

  • 3 swans swimming on a river at sunset

    3 swans a swimming, King Sedgemoor Drain, Chedzoy by Greg Arlotte

  • two young children behind a waterfall

    It's a waterfall life! by Gillian Wells

  • pony eating a leaf in the snow

    An Exmoor pony finds food amongst the snow on Cothelstone Hill by Claire Haskins

  • a close up view of an insect on a blade of grass

    A garden chafer perches on grass in its search for Maytime happiness by Claire Haskins

  • two dogs running through a field at sunset

    Max and Maybelle playing in the sunset by Jessica Webber

  • lamppost on old fashioned street

    Vicar's Close, Wells by Charlotte Tweedley (under 18s)

  • a pony on a hill with the coastline in the background

    The lonely mare, Quantock Hills by Sophie Carver (under 18s)

  • boy and dog playing in a field

    Lockley and his new puppy Maybelle playing in the grass by Louie Lomas

  • horses galloping along a beach with hills in the background

    Beach beauties by Amanda Baldwin (Brean beach)

  • woman with dogs in the wind

    Blowing a hoolie! by Amanda Baldwin (Brean beach)

  • two children on an island in a pond

    Watching toadlets by Maryam Klonowska (Will's Neck, Quantock Hills)

  • an otter eating an eel

    Dinner time, made me a little Eel by Len Collard

  • cuckoo in flight

    A little cuckoo by Len Collard

  • sunshine through the mist in a woodland

    Autumn lights, Quantock Hills by James Thompson

  • deer stag

    Stag in the light - Quantock Hills during the Autumn rut by James Thompson

  • children playing in the woods

    Quantocks by Suzanne Fawden

Previous photo competitions

Somerset

Somerset: wild at heart – 2023 photo competition winners announced

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The countryside next door

Somerset

Happy Days in Somerset – winners announced

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The countryside next door

Somerset

2021 photography competition – winners announced

Read more
Competitions

Somerset

2020 Photography Competition – we have our winner!

Read more
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