Society launches 2024 maritime photography competition!

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society is once again on the lookout for photographers to submit their favourite images of the sea, for its twelfth annual competition honouring the UK and Ireland’s proud maritime heritage.

The competition encourages photographers of all abilities to submit images that capture the British Isles’ lasting relationship with the sea – including its merchant ships, fishermen, coasts, harbours and ports.

In the competition’s twelfth year, the Society is encouraging individuals to go out and capture new stunning sea views for their photo albums, with the overall winner receiving a £500 photographic equipment voucher.

In addition to the dedicated entry submission form on the Society’s website, entrants can also submit photos through its Instagram channel (@ShipwreckedMariners) by using the hashtag #SMSPhotoComp2024.

The competition will once again be judged by a prestigious panel of experts, including former Sunday Times Picture Editor, Ray Wells, Picture Editor of the i, Sophie Batterbury, and the Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Capt. Justin Osmond RN.

Discussing the launch of the competition, Captain Justin Osmond RN, said: “For more than a decade it has been incredible to see the competition grow and the standard of entries continues to impress. Each year it’s amazing to witness the nation’s profound appreciation for our coastlines and maritime heritage. I am confident this upcoming competition will be yet another remarkable event!

“While our maritime industry can often go unnoticed and unacknowledged, it continues to be vital in sustaining us as an island nation and the competition serves as a great platform for us to proudly exhibit and commemorate our enduring connection to the sea.”

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society supports fishermen, merchant mariners and their dependants who are suffering financial hardship, whether due to accident, ill health, unemployment or in retirement after a life spent working at sea. A total of £1.35 million was paid in grants during the past year in over 1,850 cases of need.

To enter the competition, individuals can submit their photographs through the dedicated form on the website page before the deadline on 23 August 2024. Photographers can also enter their pictures via email, post or on the Society’s Instagram channel (@ShipwreckedMariners) using the hashtag #SMSPhotoComp2024.