IT WAS smiles all round for the winners of this year’s Daily Echo and Castle Cameras Air Festival photographic competition as they received their well-earned prizes. Picked out of more than 400 entries taken during the four-day festival, David Ashby and Charlotte Cook wowed the judges with their impressive shots.

David, 50, won the adult competition with his dramatic picture of a Royal Navy Merlin helicopter sending down a winch man, with two paddle-boarders nearby.

And 14-year-old Charlotte Cook won the children’s competition with her stunning photograph of the Red Arrows soaring through the clouds, inset.

David, from Bearwood, won £300 in gift vouchers from Castle Cameras and a copy of the Daily Echo’s Bournemouth’s Air Festival photography book.

“I was so surprised when I was told I won – especially when you look at all the other entries,” he said.

The self-employed builder, who has been taking photographs for more than 30 years, said he would put the vouchers towards a new camera case and a tripod.

“I always strive to take that one picture that I could put on the wall. My mum wants this one on her wall so we’re nearly there,” he added.

Charlotte, who is studying photography among her GCSE subjects at Bournemouth Collegiate School, won a Canon Powershot SX 280 HS from Castle Cameras for her winning shot, which she took near the Russell Cotes Museum and Art Gallery.

The teenager, who lives in West Parley, said she was proud of her photograph and was delighted to win the competition.

“I was taking pictures because I wanted to enter the competition and I was set to take a picture showing motion for school,” she said “I was surprised that I won and I did well in my school project so I was really happy.”

She added: “I’ll definitely be putting the camera to good use.”

Rachael Tattum, owner of Castle Cameras, said she was impressed by the standard of entries this year.

“David really captured what the Bournemouth Air Festival is all about and Charlotte’s picture is fantastic.

“The standard of entries was really high this year and we had some quirky entries too – people using things like Instagram. It’s great to see so many people getting involved and we hope as many people take part next year.”