Fishing boat on Argyll loch is best landscape photo

A PHOTOGRAPH of a fishing boat as it navigated a loch has won first prize in a new Scottish landscape photography competition.

The winning picture in landscape photography competition. Picture: Contributed

The picture has been named as the winner of the Jolomo Colours of Scotland Photography Competition, launched last year by Scottish contemporary artist John Lowrie Morrison.

Hugh Nicol took the image called The Audrey on Loch Creran in Argyll while on an evening cycle ride.

Mr Morrison, who is known as Jolomo, said hundreds of images were entered for the prize and revealed the quality was so good it “was difficult to judge”. The images included landscapes from across the country and included many taken on peoples’ mobile phones.

The Glasgow-born artist, whose work has been bought by celebrities including the singers Madonna and Sting and the chef Rick Stein, said: “Hugh’s picture is beautiful and stood out from the beginning. It shows the Colours of Scotland extremely well.

“In fact, the whole image expresses a real feel of Scotland and a lovely feeling of movement. I love the way he has expressed the landscape through reflection. He has captured a moment in time.”

Mr Nicol, an estates manager, said: “I have no professional photography experience, I’m not even an amateur, but I do like to carry a camera when I can and will take a snap when I have the time.”

“The photograph was taken one beautiful, very still, autumn evening when I was out cycling around Loch Creran from my home at Portnacroish in Appin.

“I knew it was going to be a good night for photographs so took my camera with me.

“When you have somewhere as beautiful as Appin to work with, taking the picture was easy.”

Jolomo preseneted Mr Nicol with a framed print of his work,

Mairead Maclennan, from North Uist, was a runner-up with her picture Old School, Loch Portain, North Uist.

Other runners-up were Susanne Wilson, of East Kilbride, for Luskentyre Beach, Harris and Raymond Hosie, from Campbeltown for The Gauldrons, Machrihanish.

Mr Morrison, who also lives in Argyll, added: “People often ask me where I get the strong colours in my paintings. I like to tell them to get out more and really look at what’s around them.

“We wanted to see what would happen when we invited people to send us their photographs of the colours they’ve seen.

Jolomo attended Glasgow School of Art,from 1967 to 1971 where he developed an expressionist style using oil paint and was influenced by artists including as Chagall and Soutine.

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