A COMPETITION has kicked off to find the best amateur photographer in the area.

After a successful first year, Cirencester-based professional snapper Kay Ransom has brought back the popular event which sees some of Cotswolds’ keenest get behind the lens to capture beautiful scenes.

Kay, who set up Kay Ransom Photography 11 years ago, dreamt up the Amateur Photography Competition after noticing there were not many similar events in Britain.

Last year more than 80 people, mostly from the Cotswolds, sent in their photos for the competition with the brief ‘what I love about winter’, and this year Kay is hoping for up to 150 entrants.

The theme this year is ‘what I love about water’, and once gain the amateur photographers are in with a chance of winning a GoPro Hero camera from ATBShop in Swindon. The top five will also get their photos printed in the Standard.

Last year’s winner, Jen Walsh from Kemble, captured mountain bikers amongst the woods as snow pelted down.

“What surprises me is how well people consider the brief,” Kay, 35, told the Standard. “What I love about water could be anything from a drop of water to an ocean. What won last year was mountain bikers in the snow in driving conditions but they were willing to go out. It’s finding passion like that that is great.”

Interestingly, last year’s winning photo was taken on an iPhone, something Kay wants to encourage.

“Photos can be taken on anything, really,” said Kay, who specialises in events and commercial photography. “It’s really interesting to see what people can take with the technology available to them.”

The competition is open to anyone in Britain but most of the entrants come from in and around Cotswolds.

“One of the best thing about last year was everyone getting excited and sharing their photos on social media,” she added. “Me and another judge picked the top five and they were all so happy.”

The competition has already started and will run until February 28, 2016, before the winner announced in March. Two photos are allowed per person but they must be under 10MB and in jpeg format. To enter, email photographycomp@kayransom.com.