Voting has closed, been counted, and the image with the most public likes, and therefore the winner of South West Durham News Photo of the Year 2025 is Finley Horner’s Whispers of the Highland, depicting ‘A highland cow obstructed by dry vegetation in a moody natural setting’.
An honourable mention goes to Lee Hodges with Sunset over Ashes Quarry and third place Steven Johnson with Eerily Magical Water Fountain who came second and third respectively.
We are humbled by the overall response, with 264 entries being submitted in total, making it an incredibly difficult task to choose a shortlist.
Many congratulations to Finley and a massive thank you to everyone who submitted photos throughout the year. We have thoroughly enjoyed seeing and displaying the talent of the local region.
Finally, a special thanks to Bondgate Gallery for sponsoring the competition and providing the prize of a framed print to our winner.
If you would like to submit a photo, submissions are open for next year at swd.news/photo-submission/
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
Well done 👏 🎄🎅😉