Tim Britten's photograph, "Bush and Beach, Wallagoot" was praised by judges as having it all "colour, depth and interest" and "perfect composition framing and late afternoon summer light".

In December 2017 the Sapphire Coast's photography enthusiasts group, Sapphire Snappers, announced its inaugural summer photography competition.

The competition was promoted on Facebook and Instagram where participants were asked to upload a photo that best captured the essence of summer on the Sapphire Coast.  All entries had to be taken on the Sapphire Coast between December 1, 2017, and  February 28, 2018. 

"We were thrilled with the quality and quantity of photos entered in the competition with 116 beautiful photos of the Sapphire Coast received," coordinator David Rogers said.

"It was a fantastic initiative to motivate both amatueur and professional photographers in the area, plus to showcase this amazing coastline over the summer season. 

"We look forward to running a similar competition in winter with a whole different look and feel to the entries."

Sapphire Snappers were thrilled to have as judges Sarah Chenhall from Sapphire Coast Tourism plus photographer and Instagram sensation, Lauren Bath.

"Sarah is not only a photography enthusiast herself, but also brings an expertise of intimately knowing the local area. Lauren is a professional photographer and social media guru who travels the globe creating beautiful travel content for her 460,000 plus followers on Instagram," Mr Rogers said.

"We could not have asked for a more perfect duo to judge the competition."

Second prize was awarded to Louise Kelly with ‘Wash Away, Ben Boyd National Park Eden’.

Judges Comments:

SC: ‘An intimate moment between man and sea, not an easy shot to capture’.

LB: ‘This is not an easy shot to achieve..but it has been executed perfectly’.

The Snapper Prize went to Rebecca Lamont for ‘Beach Runaway’

Snappers Comment: 

‘We love this story of summer shenanigans at the beach. The composition is simple and the use of black and white is different but works perfectly’.

The competition was kindly supported and promoted by Sapphire Coast Tourism with many local business providing a range of fantastic prizes, including:

First Prize: 

A Light to Light fully guided coastal walk (with 30 per cent off second person), Light2Light Coastal Walks, Eden (value $950); plus a $100 voucher from Drift Restaurant, Eden.

Second Prize :

A mini portrait session with Brett Ritchie Photography, Bega (value $100); facial treatment from Sandy's Skin Solutions, Merimbula (value $100); $50 voucher to Waterfront Cafe, Merimbula; and a family pass to On The Perch, Tathra (value $38)

Sapphire Snappers Snap Prize (as judged by the Sapphire Snappers committee – David Rogers, Teena Vincent, Sonia Grothe and Jason Guthrie):

Business logo and watermark design from Flying Parrot Photography & Design Studio, Pambula (value $300); and a $30 gift voucher from Big W, Bega