A photographer from Bude has received a top national award after capturing a stunning local scene on camera. 

Chris Small has been working as photographer for around 20 years, and is celebrating his gallery’s ten year anniversary this year. However, Chris has had more than just his gallery’s birthday to celebrate recently, as he has been awarded the title of Landscape Photographer of the Year at the British Photography Awards. 

Chris captured an image of Summerleaze Beach while taking an evening walk, little did he know that the scene would provide such success. 

Speaking to the Post, Chris said: “I am a firm believer that you shoot your best photography when you’re close to home. You build up a relationship with these areas and begin to know when they will look their most photogenic.

"I guess a good example of that is the image that won was actually taken five minutes from my home, on Summerleaze beach in Bude. I didn’t have a specific shot in mind or even know if I would take a photograph that evening. I just fancied a walk on the beach and took my camera gear with me.

"The patterns in the sand were something that I had seen in other parts of the world but never on Summerleaze beach. I’ve photographed that beach literally hundreds of times, walked on it thousands of times, but never seen them before or since.”