Over 400 visitors from 14 countries have revealed that an impressive pictorial record of one of the world's most breathtaking spectacles can be successfully accomplished in the 19th Tattoo Photographic Competition run over the period of the 2008 Edinburgh Tattoo.
Entries to the annual competition came from all over the UK, and as far afield as the US, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Belgium, China and Japan.
Wim van Workum from the ancient market town of Purmerend in Northern Holland scooped the top award and £500 for his prize-winning shot of Cape Girardeau's Golden Eagles Marching Band from Southeast Missouri State University in full flow at last year's 59th Tattoo.
The Dutch amateur lensman - who used a Canon Digital 400D camera to capture his award-winning moment on film - said: "Together with my wife and daughter I visited Edinburgh and the Tattoo for the very first time last year. I am very happy to have won such a prestigious prize and look forward to visiting the Tattoo again in 2009."
Competition Judges, former Scotsman Picture Editor, Stewart Boyd, retired Photography Lecturer and former official Tattoo Photographer, Brian Swinburne together with Mark Owens, the official Army in Scotland and Edinburgh Tattoo Photographer carefully examined every submission before agreeing on a winner.
"We were looking for pictures which evoked something of the atmosphere and excitement of the Tattoo", explained Mr Boyd.
£250 and second place went to insurance executive Stuart Stevenson from Braidwood in South Lanarkshire, for his colourful photograph of the talented Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines emerging across the drawbridge of Edinburgh Castle.
Runner-up, business analytics marketeer Stanley Fedorowicz from Ontario in Canada, received £150 for his striking shot of the world-famous Massed Pipes & Drums performing, in an unusual TA 100 formation, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Territorial Army.
The Awards
Highly Commended:
Mr Anthony Allard, Guangdong, China
Mr Chirs Smith, Devon, UK
Mr Morton Back, Denmark
Commended:
Ms Tara Abercrombie, Kilmarnock, UK
Ms Julie Carman, Rugby, UK
Mr Hugo Rosseels, Antwerpen, Belgium
Finalist:
Ms Louise Ireland, Dundee, UK
Ms Julie Herzig, Middlesex, UK
Ms Lesley McHardy, Newport-on-Tay, UK
All winners receive two tickets for this year's Tattoo, a presentation certificate and a mounted enlargement of their prize entry.
It is anticipated that an exhibition of the winners' photographs will be held before this year's event (7-29 August 2009), when there will be another opportunity to win cash prizes worth £900.