AN AMATEUR photographer has beaten off competition from thousands of others around the world to reach the finals of an international competition.

Shaun Walby was competing against professionals and fellow amateurs in the Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition.

He is one of only two UK contestants to make it through to the final seven, who are competing for a dog sled trip to the Arctic with the Swedish polar exploration team.

Shaun, 49, won the At The Water’s Edge category with a haunting picture of the The Strid at Bolton Abbey – which will be the only Yorkshire photograph in the final.

Now the Horsforth physiotherapist will find out if he has won at the Telegraph outdoor and Adventure show at the London ExCel arena on February 15.

Shaun’s love of photography stemmed from his hobby of mountain climbing when he began to take a camera to capture the beauty of Alpine sunrises.

But his winning photograph was taken much closer to home.

“This photograph was taken in autumn and it was a very still, foggy morning,” he said. “I decided to go to the Bolton Abbey estate and have a look round the Strid.

“You tend to get very interesting pictures if the weather is doing stuff and is more unusual. As soon as I looked though the viewfinder I knew I had a good image.”

But despite the strength of his work his success against such intense competition took him by surprise.

“It was quite a shock getting short-listed and winning a category,” he said.

Now Shaun has his eye on the main prize.

“It is a money can’t buy prize,” he said. “You get to go to the Arctic so you will get some amazing images.”

The overall winner will join the Fjällräven Polar dog sled expedition in April.

In his submission to the competition Shaun said: “The river Wharfe has its origin in the upper northern Yorkshire Dales, and it narrows considerably at a place known as the Strid on the Bolton Abbey estate. There was a lovely thick fog that particular morning. I got to work quickly as the light and weather conditions were changing rapidly. It was the combination of elements within the scene that raised my interest level as soon as I looked through the viewfinder.

“Golden autumn leaves on the ground balanced the heavy damp air and foliage, and the central river merging with the fog in the distance provided a sense of depth. I chose a long shutter speed to soften the water movement and to instil a sense of time. The ever-strengthening autumn sun filtered by the fog provided wonderful diffuse light.”

Shaun is starting landscape photography workshops. Visit shaunwalby photography.com.