Praise for pupil's striking capture

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A student at Lewes Old Grammar School has won high praise for a stunning image in the Sony World Photography Awards.

Ben Eaton-Williams, 17, was up before dawn to capture sunrise over the Cullin Hills on the Isle of Skye, using filters and a half-second exposure to convey the remote chilliness of a Hebridean morning with water cascading over a fall.

It won him a commendation in the youth section of the international competition, which attracts thousands of entries.

“The sun rose at about 6am and it was between zero and two degrees – so not too bad for Scotland,” said Ben, who’s studying AS photography, creative media and design technology at LOGS.

“I used a Canon 7D Mk 2 camera with a 16/35mm lens on a tripod. The composition worked really well with three different channels of the waterfall. Water is the main subject of my images and it’s quite challenging because the difference in exposure between land and sky is vast.

“A lot of photographers take different pictures and then blend them together, but I prefer to use filters so I can balance within the photograph. It gives me a greater sense of achievement.”

Ben began focusing on a career as a professional photographer after gaining work experience at Park Cameras in Burgess Hill.

Four months ago, he began selling waterscapes taken near his family’s holiday home on Skye through his own website.

His next challenge is to find a photographic sponsor for a gap year he plans to spend in the Hebrides, perfecting his technique.

Ben’s images can be viewed at http://beneaton-williamsphotography.weebly.com and are available from Lewes Framers.

Entries in the Sony World Photography Awards will be on display at Somerset House in London from April 22.

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