HE may only be 16 years old but keen photographer James Sloane has already snapped up a top award.

The teenager whose picture of a lone cyclist taken during last year's Ironman UK race last summer caught the eye of judges and the public alike to win him the title 2014 Young Photographer of the Year.

James, a student at Canon Slade School, said: "I am humbled to have won.

"I liked the picture I had taken, I was really proud of it.

"I entered the competition last year and nothing came of it, so I decided to give it another go — I saw the other entries and the competition was strong.

"I was so excited to have received the email saying I had won.

"I am really pleased I entered again."

James, who lives in Sharples, said the winning the competition meant a lot because his entry was firstly shortlisted by judges before members of the public voted for their favourite shot.

The sixth former received hundreds of votes for the photograph which he captured waiting patiently in Belmont for more than two hours.

James said: "In an ideal world I would like to be a professional photographer.

"But this has definitely made me want to enter more competitions."

He added: "I was excited to have been shortlisted and to have won was really exciting."

As part of his prize, James won a Nikon D33000 and a coveted two page spread featuring his photographs and an interview in Practical Photography — with the magazine describing him as someone who will "definitely be a talent to keep an eye on".

James, who is a student at Canon Slade sixth form, developed his love of photography in April 2011 after receiving a camera for his 13th birthday.

In the summer of 2013 he won the Venture Abroad 2013 annual photo competition.

Now winning the competition has spurred him on to take photographs of concerts and cover more triathlons.

Visit www.jamessloane.smugmug.com to see more of James' work.