This stunning photograph taken by drone of a ferry in Lerwick Harbour has been named as one of the four main winners of the British Ports Association 2022 photography awards.

Andrew Simpson, an electrician and business owner who specialises in drone photography in his native Shetlands, won the vessels category of the competition with this shot of the MV Hjaltland that operates between Aberdeen and the islands.

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Simpson, 47, was alerted to the competition by his girlfriend who worked at the Lerwick Port Authority. He was up at 6am on a beautiful summer morning to prepare for the arrival of the ferry after its more than 12-hour voyage from the Scottish mainland.

“It was coming in and I got two or three really nice photos of it entering the harbour,” he said. “It [the drone] was right above it and I happened to nail it at the right time.

“That’s what is great about drone photography, you’re able to capture something that people won’t be able to see with their own eyes.”

A drone pictures of the MV Hjaltland taken before Andrew Simpson's award-winning picture. Photo: Andrew Simpson
A drone shot of the MV Hjaltland taken before Andrew Simpson's award-winning picture. Photo: Andrew Simpson

Ross McDonald’s photograph of welders working on the giant 5.2m propeller of the Stena Superfast VII ferry at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast was the winner of the people category.

The Propellor. BPA photography award winner Photo: Ross McDonald

Simon Bree’s photograph of a United Arab Shipping Company container ship in the mist at Southampton’s container terminal won the port category.

Southampton Container Port: Reflections in the Mist. BPA photography award winner Photo: Simon Bree

Rich Ayrton’s underwater picture of a shark in the English Channel south of the Eddystone lighthouse won the nature prize.

Sharks in Water. BPA photography award winner Photo: Rick Ayrton

More than 400 photographs were entered into the competition, the second time the BPA has held the awards. The winners, chosen by a panel of judges including BPA chief executive Richard Ballantyne and photographer Mary Sullivan, each won £500 in vouchers.

Some of the winning photographs will hang in the BPA’s London offices in 2023.

Mark Simmonds, director of policy at the BPA, said: “This is the second time we have run a photography competition and again we have been blown away by the quality of the entries.

“This competition gave our team over 400 reminders of the beauty of our coasts and the wider maritime industry.”