Stirling underwater photographer Elaine Whiteford is celebrating success in the 2021 Scottish Nature Photography Awards.
Her image of a long-clawed squat lobster taken in Loch Fyne was awarded second place in the Environmental category and another of her images was shortlisted in the Wildlife Portrait category.
Elaine, from Gargunnock, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the photograph of the squat lobster has been placed by the judges. I’m very lucky to be able to photograph some amazing creatures underwater so close to home.”
The runner-up picture will be part of an exhibition of the prize-winning shots in each of the awards’ ten categories, and both photographs will feature in a book of shortlisted images due to be published later in the year.
Elaine, who has been diving for 20 years and is a qualified scuba instructor, had one photograph shortlisted in last year’s awards and was also recently a contributor to a book on scuba diving in the UK.
She said: “It’s great to have my work recognised, especially when it showcases our wonderful Scottish waters.”
In recent years Elaine’s photography has been showcased on a number of fronts.
Her first solo exhibition saw 50 of her underwater photographs featured in Stirling’s Smith Art Gallery and Museum.
Elaine has also written for a range of publications including The Scots Magazine, Scottish Wildlife, Diver, The Undersea Journal and The Sea as well as being a contributor wildlife photographer to the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Her work has also featured in a number of exhibitions, such as the Royal Photographic Society’s Projected Image Exhibition, the Edinburgh International Exhibition of Photography and the Scottish Parliament’s Biodiversity Exhibition.
She added: “The west coast sea lochs which are easily reached from Stirling. I am lucky to have some fantastic dive sites just up the road. In just over an hour I can be getting into the water at Loch Long and exploring amazing cold water reefs.
“People seem really interested in seeing what is below the surface and are usually amazed at the colour and variety of the marine life in Scotland.
As well as writing about and photographing the marine world, Elaine has also been known to undertakes commissions.
She said previously: “One of the strangest things I’ve been asked to do was photograph kelp for a wildlife artist who was painting a picture of otters underwater. The artist wasn’t a diver but wanted photographs on which to base his painting, which is where I came in.”
