Axminster photographer Ben Kapur has won first prize in the inaugural competition for Scotland's Photo of the Year.

More than 1,200 entrants took part in the not-for-profit photography competition, with Ben coming out on top with his snowy scene named 'The Storm of Storr'.

The entrants were judged by three professional photographers, with the top 50 displayed on the competition's Facebook and Instagram pages. These were then whittled down to the top 10, which were showcased on the competition website, and a public vote determined that Ben's image should be crowned the overall winner.

Ben grew up in Lyme Regis, attending the Woodroffe School, and now lives in Axminster. He currently works in finance but hopes to one day make a full-time career out of photography.

Commenting on the win, he said: "I honestly cannot believe I have won Scotland's Photo of the Year; it was a very wonderful shock to get on a Monday morning!

"Scotland is a place I absolutely adore, I have so many fond memories there; the people, the hospitality, the trips I've taken, friends made and now this.

"When I think back to taking the image 'The Storm of Storr', I stood there in the blizzard, faced with a sight I just had to capture, with only a few moments to do so. I remember thinking that I had perhaps taken something special, or at least something I certainly would always be proud of, with a fun story behind it.

"This is truly the proudest and most wonderful thing that has ever happened in my landscape photography career!"

For his winning image, Ben was awarded a £2,000 cash prize, as well as a £500 Ffordes Photographic voucher and £300 worth of Kase filters.

Competition creator Marcus McAdam said: "The response we received in our first year from both industry sponsors and the many people who entered has far exceeded our expectations.

"Even with our set up fees, we still managed to raise more than £800 for local charities, so we have every confidence we can vastly improve on this figure in future years.

"The standard of the photos for 2020 was exceptional and the mixture of landscape, wildlife and architectural entries goes to show what an amazing and diverse country Scotland is."

You can watch the judges debating their choices on the December episode of Photography Online - a monthly YouTube show.

The 2021 Scotland's Photo of the Year competition will be launched during the Easter weekend and will be open for entries until Oct 24 2021. For full details, visit www.scotland.photography

To view more of Ben Kapur's photography, which include many shots of the Devon and Dorset area, visit benkapur.co.uk