THIS stunning image of Cuckmere Haven shows the South Downs in a very different light.

The dramatic photograph of the famous cottages as dusk falls was taken by Piers Fearick, from East Preston, near Littlehampton.

It won the 31-year-old first prize in the South Downs National Park photographic competition for 2015-16 and £350.

Mr Fearick's win comes as the South Downs continues to lead the way in our Joy of Sussex vote.

In the run up to Christmas we ran our Joy of Sussex feature in which we listed the 25 reasons why we love where we live.

We launched our public vote on New Year’s Day and called on you to pick your favourite, with the Downs leading the way.

Mr Fearick had not entered a competition before but decided to give it a go after seeing details about it on judge Finn Hopson’s Facebook page.

He said: “Having already taken photos of the cliffs and the beach, I slipped down the muddy river banks to find the tide exposing interesting waterways and managed to capture the last little bit of light before the weather rolled in.

“I feel very proud to have entered my first photography competition and then to have won it."

Outdoor Photography magazine editor and a competition judge, Steve Watkins, said: “Piers’ photo is brilliantly put together and perfectly fits this year’s theme of fresh perspectives.

“I’ve seen many shots of those world-famous cottages but never from this angle. The details are so sharp and I’d be hard pressed to find a flaw in the composition.”

Mr Fearick also won the Dark Skies section of the competition for his dramatic picture of Rottingdean windmill.

He took the photo on the night of the total lunar eclipse last September.

As he waited for the blood moon to rise he noticed how the light pollution sandwiched the small hill but left the sky above the windmill in darkness.

Mr Hopson said: “We were all impressed with the level of talent on display but Piers’ photos were outstanding.

“I love the detail of his photo of Rottingdean windmill at night– the grass hinting at the start of the downland and the contrast of the night sky against the light pollution. It tells the story of why dark skies need protecting.”

Second prize of £150 was awarded to Martin Offer, from Pagham, for his sheep and woods in a hoar frost.

Third place and £50 went to Rhian White, from Brighton, for her shot silhouetting a playful dog jumping in front of the setting sun.

The four winning pictures and a further four commended shots will now go forward for the people’s vote at southdowns.gov.uk/photo-vote-16.

The closing date for the Joy of Sussex competition is January 16.