Old Pulteney Toasts ‘Wish You Were Here’ Photographer

In partnership with the Sunday Express are raising a glass to the 2015 winner of the UK’s leading maritime photography competition.

In partnership with the Sunday Express we’re raising a glass to the 2015 winner of the UK’s leading maritime photography competition.  Now in its 10th anniversary year, our ‘Wish You Were Here’ competition announced that Steve Jackson from Redcar, fought off a sea of amateur photographers to be crowned the winner. 

Steve scooped a £2500 cash prize for his winning shot which judges described as “a vibrant image showing wonderful colour and strong composition.” He also wins a trip for two to Pulteney Distillery in Wick, the home of our award-winning single malt Scotch whisky. Whilst at the distillery, Steve will have the opportunity to fill his own bottle of Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky and enjoy a personal tour with our Distillery Manager, Malcolm Waring. 

Selected by a panel of judges from Old Pulteney and the Sunday Express, the winning image was singled out from thousands of entrants from across the country that showcase the diversity of the great British coastline, from picture perfect images of silvery calm waters, to dramatic scenes of rugged beaches.  A delighted Steve commented: 

I’ve always liked taking photos for as long as I can remember, but my real enthusiasm started with the advent of digital cameras and the ability to see the image captured straight away.  Instead of having to wait weeks for a film to be developed and the prints returned with far too many stickers saying where I went wrong, it’s now possible to see the mistakes instantly and retake the shot. That process has allowed me to learn far more than I ever did the old way and to now have a winning image proves I must have learned something along the way!  To use a local expression I’m right chuffed to win and Dungeness, where the winning shot was taken, is a marvellous and very popular photographic location, even if it did take me three visits to get the right light!’

Margaret Mary Clarke, Senior Brand Manager of Old Pulteney said:

It’s an incredibly exciting year for ‘Wish You Were Here’ as we celebrate a decade of the competition. The quality of photography we see year on year, never ceases to surprise me and it’s a wonderful celebration of the incredibly creative and diverse array of amateur maritime photographers we have in this country. Steve’s image really captured the essence of the competition, and I would like to congratulate him on behalf of everyone at Old Pulteney.’