A Royal Navy sailor from Arbroath has snapped up a top award with his image of a skier in action at an inter-services competition.
Leading photographer Paul Halliwell, 32, entered his image into the Royal Navy’s annual Peregrine Trophy photographic competition and scooped the Life Without Limits category prize.
Judges praised his clear, crisp image and said it represented another side to the naval service, one of adventure and sporting opportunities.
Paul, 32, said: “I was really pleased when I was told I had won the category for me it is really important to capture all aspects of navy life and it’s great that the judges agreed with me.”
Paul joined the Royal Navy in 1997 as a junior steward and served at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth and HMS Edinburgh before going to sea with HMS Illustrious.
From there he worked with 801 Naval Air Squadron and on board minehunters HMS Cattistock, HMS Brocklesby and HMS Chiddingfold.
In 2011, Paul became a photographer and now works with 45 Commando Royal Marines.
He lives in Arbroath with wife Suzie and daughters Lilly, 5, and Aila, 1.
The annual Peregrine Trophy awards are designed to recognise excellence among the professional Royal Navy photographers, Sea Cadets and amateurs.
This year the awards were held at HMS Bulwark which was moored in London, with the winners congratulated by the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas.
Head of the Royal Navy photographic branch, Captain Ian Stidston, said the HMS Bulwark event confirmed “just how much exceptional talent and professionalism we have in the navy’s photographic branch and also the amateur photographers who have taken some brilliant photographs.
“The high standard of images displayed onboard HMS Bulwark are testament to the flexibility and can-do approach of our people and highlight the dedication to both their art and their service.
“I could not be more proud of the navy’s photographers who have managed to capture compelling still and moving images that vividly tell the story of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on operations.”
Open to the 42 photographers in the branch, there were 350 professional entries and 65 amateur images from 11 hopefuls presented this year.