Project Facebook Page competition results in a real star

A recent hard fought Competition has been going on in the Social Media World. The Highland Seashore Project let the public fight it out to select their favourite photograph in a Seashore Life Photo Competition. Visitors to the page ‘liking’ a photo chose the winner, the most ‘likes’ for any one shot would win. It was very much an X factor of all the coast lovers.

Entrants were encouraged from all the Facebook page friends of the Highland Seashore Project, the criteria being a photo of animals or seaweed common to our Highland Shores. The entries ranged from keen amateur photographers to the casual point and shoot opportunist. In all cases the quality of the photos were excellent. Soon after the launch of the competition on the 1st July, debates raged on the comments pages, as to which picture was best, with over 2,500 people viewing the gallery online in any one week. There were some strong favourites from the beginning but by the close of the polls on the 31st July there was no doubt about the winner.

A favourite with the facebookers, from the start Emma Bennett-West’s Starfish in the dappled sunlit waters of Kirkton bay was the clear winner. Emma won a Veho Muvi Camcorder with underwater housing and received her prize from her Local Highland Councillor, Audrey Sinclair, at an informal prize giving in Lochalsh.

Councillor Sinclair said: “I am pleased how well the Highland Seashore Project has gone, particularly this year when so many people have become involved in many different areas of the Highlands. I would like to congratulate Emma on winning the Seashore Life Photo Competition.  She has shown that excellent results can be achieved without being too hi-tech. Her photo captures the essence of the seashore – a simple photo that tells a whole story.  It also shows that we can all find something of interest to see on the seashore and I would encourage people to go and explore this understated area of our natural environment.”

Emma said on receiving her prize: “I am just so excited to win. It was just a sunny day paddling with the kids when I just saw a perfect shot and snapped it, little did I think it would lead me to this moment. Thank you everyone who voted for me, there were a lot of very good pictures to choose from, so I am especially honoured. I am going to try out my new camera and post an underwater film for the Highland Seashore Projects Facebook page”

The Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project are giving a huge thank you to all those talented people who got into the Competition Gallery and sent in entries, and to the visitors to the projects facebook page who joined the vibe of the competition and voted for their favourite pictures. From all the diversity of images it is clear to see how vibrant, colourful and rich our coasts are. 

The Highland Biodiversity Partnership manages the Highland Seashore Project behind the competition. The Highland Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Crown Estate Marine Stewardship Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage fund it. Launched at the beginning of 2013 it is a three yearlong project that has worked with local coastal communities around the Highlands. The project has had an active two and a half years of providing resources for shore-based events, road shows, festivals and workshops to celebrate the heritage and nature of the shores.  The Seashore Festival at Kyle of Lochalsh, 16th May, attracted over 250 people, with associated events all around Lochalsh resulting in over 379 people being involved in celebrations which included sustainable seafood, shore walks, seaweed identification, music, story telling, art and so much more.  On the 29th August the project funded a Seashore Day as part of the Summer Isles Festival, where hundreds of people came to sample fresh seafood, join in sea shanty workshops and come to the premier of the Highland Seashore Project short film.  With 42 Seashore events over the last two years and 86 Seashore Surveyors actively surveying the wildlife of their local shores, the project is gearing up for more in its last year:

There will be a huge finale of a weeklong Seashore festival based in and around Wick with the Highland Council Countryside Ranger Service on the 21st to 26th September, the festival coining the name ‘Wick Waves’.

If you are feeling inspired by all things Seashore check out Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project Facebook Page for all the photo competition entries in the competition gallery.