The Eleebana resident, who finished third in 2011 and unplaced in 2010, won this year with a dramatic and technical shot at Caves Beach, earning himself a Canon 1100 DTKIS from Domayne Kotara worth $949.

Taken under moonlight, Mr Valentine wanted to add a different dimension to the photograph and had his mate set alight steel wool and swing it around his head.

Herald photographic co-ordinator and judge Darren Pateman was impressed with the technical qualities of the shot, especially noting the painting of light with a torch onto the rock to add detail.

Mr Valentine said it was “excellent” to get an improvement from last year.

He has been taking photographs for most of his life and is part of the Newcastle Sundance photography group, which travels around the Hunter chasing sunsets and sunrises.

He said the group would be capturing the beauty of Newcastle’s beaches tomorrow from the vantage point of Nobbys.

Second place and a Canon SX220HS worth $399 went to Warren Plumb, who captured his daughters and their friend running towards a much-loved tree near Tea Gardens.

“They named it the Tree of Wisdom and have always wanted to have a picnic there,” he said.

“I took them for the first time last year, we’ll have to go back every year now.”

He said the camera would be a present to his daughters Milla, 10, and Georga, 16.

The final spot in the competition was awarded to Michael O’Sullivan, of Georgetown, who managed to grab a spectacular shot of Newcastle beach while airborne.

The 35-year-old has been paragliding for 11 years and decided to take along his camera one day to try it out.

He takes home a Canon IXUS 115HSS from Domayne Kotara worth $249.