Turus Mara Puffin Portrait winners.

It was indeed a therapeutic escape back to summer warmth to receive so many different portraits of puffins for our recent competition. The standard of entry was extremely high meaning some really lovely images didn’t even make it through to the shortlist stage never mind as finalists!

Still, in our humble opinion everyone who has the chance to take puffin pictures and experience some puffin therapy is a winner anyway, whether or not your image is chosen for glory by the professional but inevitably subjective eye of Mr Barryjohn Stewart, photographer, Turus Mara pal and all round good guy.

Barryjohn was tasked with selecting a first, two runners up and a fourth and fifth place from a shortlist of 20 images chosen by an elite panel of enthusiastic amateurs!

Our judge said “I’d stress that choosing was very difficult. Very high quality. The winner’s image stood out though as a striking, graphic portrait. The lighting and background gives it the feel of a studio portrait which imho made it stand out from the others.”

Drumroll……..

The overall winner, with an outstanding image, and taking the ‘portrait’ brief incredibly seriously was….

Blair Ketteringham with ‘Puffin Portrait’

The two runners up chosen were ‘These Photographers are getting on my Wick’ by Gillian Spruce and ‘Focussed’ by Peter Eyres

And the honourable mentions fourth and fifth were ‘In the Daisies’ also by Peter Eyres and ‘Puffin Portrait’ by Allister McNeill

Thanks once again to everyone who entered into the spirit of this and sent us so many brilliant images of puffins – it really was an absolute delight to see such and array of great pictures of our favourite wee birds! We now have only a few more months to wait before we get to greet them again in person.

We will be in touch with the winners in the New Year to sort your prizes!