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Health and Beauty

Coast photo competition 2009

See the winning seasonal shots

Overall winner

summer,feeling creative,pets,by the sea,Scotland,Coast CC Coast photo competition overall winner: Nigel Robinson shot

The judges decided that Nigel Robinson from Elgin, Moray, should be our first winner. His image of playful dogs enjoying a summer\'s day on the beach was engaging, beautiful and technically great.

Summer category winner

Nigel Robinson\'s image of two dogs on the beach of the Isle of Tiree, off the west coast of Scotland, encapsulates the fresh, free spirit of a British summer\'s day by the sea. The judges enjoyed the interplay between the dogs, the weaving of their shadows and the shape created by their bodies. The composition with its high, level horizon and perfect positioning of the dogs, was also praised.

Overall runner-up

summer,feeling creative,by the sea,East Anglia,Coast Coast photo competition overall runner-up Ian Taylor

Ian Taylor, from Matlock, took this picture of pleasure boats moored at Felixstowe Harbour one evening. ‘We were spending the night on a visitors\' mooring in the entrance to the river - the light was stunning.\' The judges liked the abstract shapes made by the boats and the gentle, low light: a perfect representation of a warm summer\'s day coming to a close.

Autumn category winner

autumn,feeling creative,by the sea,nature,Scotland,Coast Coast photo competition autumn winner: Sheila Curzon shot

Sheila Curzon, from Chesterfield, took this photograph on the Isle of Pabay, off the north-east coast of Skye. She was there with other photographers exploring the Knoydart peninsula and the islands of the Inner Hebrides by boat. ‘I was attracted by the colour of the seaweed and wanted to photograph it while the sun was still out (we could see the rain clouds building) and it made a contrast with the dark clouds,\' she says. The judges thought that the drama and rich colour of the image captured the mood of the season perfectly.

Autumn runner-up

autumn,feeling creative,by the sea,outdoor pursuits,Southwest,Coast CC Coast photo competition autumn runner-up: Bridget Macklin shot

Bridget Macklin, from Portishead, took this photograph from a boat near St Antony on the Roseland Headland, South Cornwall. The boat was part of the Parade of Sail at the start of the Funchal Tall Ships Race. ‘I was trying to capture the grandeur of the ship as it prepared to sail,\' she says. The judges loved the rich, autumn colours and the striking composition.

Winter category winner

winter,feeling creative,by the sea,Scotland,Coast Coast photo competition winter winner: James Mackenzie

‘I had been trying for some time to take a photo of the statue and distant Scurdiness lighthouse,\' says photographer James Mackenzie, from St Cyrus, of this image of the seafront at Montrose, Angus, Scotland. ‘This day was perfect: the first snowstorms were hitting the coast and there were spectacular cloud formations.\' The judges loved the way that you can almost feel the weather, and the ambiguous nature of the statue (‘Minesweeper\' by William Lamb), which looks like it could be a real person.

Winter runner-up

winter,feeling creative,by the sea,Southeast,Coast Coast photo competition winter runner-up: Toni O\'Sullivan

Toni O\'Sullivan lives in a houseboat opposite these beach huts near Shoreham Beach, West Sussex. ‘When I stepped out of my front door to take my terrier for a walk and saw the the huts covered with snow, I had to take a picture,\' she says. The judges were impressed with her different take on a familiar subject.

Spring category winner

spring,feeling creative,by the sea,Southwest,Coast Coast photo competition spring winner: Christopher Small shot

‘This was taken on a typical spring day - rainy with sunny patches - on the cliffs at Sandymouth, North Cornwall,\' says photographer Christopher Small, from Bude. ‘My intention was to capture views of the coast with, hopefully, some spring flowers in the foreground, but when I saw the ewe and lamb, I knew I had the perfect subject.\' The judges agreed: they thought that the subject and the setting were a perfect representation of the season.

Runner-up: spring category

spring,feeling creative,by the sea,Southeast,Coast Coast photo competition spring runner-up: Graham Precey shot

This peaceful image of the east beach at Littlehampton, West Sussex, at low tide was taken by Graham Precey, from Peacehaven. ‘The stillness of the tidal pool, created as the sea receded, reflects the images of the family group enjoying the temporary landscape,\' he says. The judges enjoyed the cool palette and the reflective mood.