The winners of the South Devon AONB Photo Competition have been revealed, and five of them hail from all corners of the South Hams.

There were over 200 entries into the competition, which was part of the heritage lottery funded ‘What Makes South Devon Special’ campaign that has been running since April.

Three of the winners won in multiple categories for their photos, including Jeremy Willcocks, from Kingsbridge; Anna Potgieter, from Strete; and Tim Lee, from Totnes.

Other winners were Spike Chambers, from Totnes; and Ginny Campbell, from Dartmouth.

Jeremy Willcocks won the overall ‘AONB Outstanding Photographer of the Year’ for his photo ‘River Avon Morning’, the same photo which he was awarded for the ‘Into the Blue’ category.

Jeremy said the quality of the entries were “outstanding” and he was “over the moon” to find that his photo had won in two separate categories.

Jeremy, who is a licentiate for the Royal Photographic Society, said: “I had taken this picture on my way to work one morning earlier this year, and when I saw the mist hanging in the valley at Aveton Gifford, and with the sun rising over the hill, I knew I had to stop to capture the view. The River Avon was so tranquil that morning as I crouched to catch the sunstar from behind the public footpath sign.

“When I got home that evening and looked at the picture on my computer, I knew I had something special.

“I am so proud to have won this competition, and look forward to seeing my work used both on the South Devon AONB website, and through further media advertising for them.”

Anna Potgieter, who is a student at Kingsbridge Community College, won in the ‘AONB Outstanding Young Photographer of the Year’ and ‘A Green and Pleasant Land’ categories for her photo ‘Across the Valley. She also awarded in the category ‘A landscape to Live in Under 18’ for her photo ‘A Happy Chappy’.

Anna said she loves exploring the different appearances one photo can have and creating her own style of both taking the shot and editing it.

“When I’m out and about, if there’s a good opportunity, I’ll take it! Winning two out of the four categories was an amazing achievement but to be awarded the AONB Outstanding Young Photographer was even greater!” she said.

Tim Lee also won multiple categories for his photos ‘Thick Fog at Start Point’ in the ‘Changing Landscape’ category, and ‘Dawn at Bayards Cove’ in the ‘A landscape to Live in’ category.

Tim, who has been shooting seriously for two years, said that when he finds something that he thinks will make a nice composition, he invariably has to revisit a number of times to get the right conditions and lighting.

“’Dawn at Bayards Cove’ required about six early morning visits over the winter. There is a very kind lady in one of the nearby houses who would frequently offer me a cup of tea!

“To capture ’Thick Fog at Start Point’ I made trips to Start Point whenever there was fog around.

“On one particular visit I got lucky because an engineer from Trinity Lighthouses was undertaking repairs. I got chatting to him and he very kindly put all the lights on in the lighthouse buildings to allow me to get my shot. So this is a photo that would not be easy to recreate.

“I am delighted to have won two categories in the competition. South Devon AONB is one of the most beautiful areas in the UK and the work that the AONB carries out is important in maintaining that beauty.”

Spike Chambers is a surf photographer and videographer, and his photo, ‘Hidden Wreck’ won in the category ‘Into the Blue Under 18’.

Spike’s passion for shooting in the water landed him a job in Puerto Rico this winter and spring, where he’ll be taking photos of Rincon Surf School guests and working on the company’s social media and PR.

About his winning photograph, he said the shot is of his friend, Ben Wotton.

“He took me to this shipwreck he found and we managed to get a few nice shots. It was after a long dry spell and was a perfect sunny day, so the water was super clear and perfect flight to bring out the details under the surface.

“I’m super happy that the judges liked my work. It’s great to have a platform for more people to see my stuff, and it would be good to see similar competitions and exhibitions for all young people to showcase their talent, especially in such a beautiful place like Devon.

“I want to say thanks to everyone at the AONB and all the sponsors of the event, and I look forward to getting involved with more projects soon.”

Ginny Campbell’s photo, ‘Bales at The Daymark’, won in the category ‘Green and Pleasant Land’. Unfortunately, at the time of going to print Ginny couldn’t be reached for comment.

A special event was held at The Flavel, Dartmouth to celebrate the winners, with notable guest speakers and presenters including adventurer Monty Halls and professional photographer Martyn Norsworthy.

The winning photos will be used to promote the work of the AONB on its printed material, website and social media. To view the pictures, visit the South Devon AONB Facebook page, or you can view them at The Flavel Centre, Dartmouth, until November 19, at the Aerial Centre, Totnes, from December 12 to 21, and at the Follaton House, Totnes in January.