OXFORDSHIRE photographer Mark Lord gave competition judges food for thought with two stunning images.

Mr Lord, 41, from Aston Rowant, near Thame, won praise in the Food in the Field category of the prestigious Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year contest.

The photographer's atmospheric image, An Early Start in the Field, was taken at a leek farm in Tiddington, also near Thame, last year.

There were more than 8,400 photos entered in the competition and Mr Lord's photo, taken on a misty morning at the leek farm, was one of 150 images in the final of the Food in the Field category.

Mr Lord, who started his own company Mark Lord Photography in 2012, said: "When I walked across the field at 8.30am the scene looked idyllic - the sun was starting to break through and I started to take my pictures of George Bennett who was working at the farm.

"It's a prestigious competition and I'm pleased to be recognised in this way."

The photographer, who lives with wife Becky, said another photo he took at a fish festival in Portscatho, Cornwall, was also one of 150 finalists in a different category for camera phones.

He added: "I think my photo of mackerel in a box shows sustainability at its best - the mackerel has been caught in the bay and is being eaten on the quayside, with fishing boats in the background.

"I think it shows how local food can be."

Andy Macdonald, head of Pink Lady in the UK, which sponsors the awards, said competition was fiercer than ever this year for prizes totalling about £10,000.

He added: "There were over 8,400 images entered internationally and the standard was phenomenal.

"Mark’s shot (An Early Start in the Field) stood out in category, however, for the way in which he made the simple subject matter both atmospheric and beautiful."

An awards evening last month in London was compered by journalist and food critic Jay Rayner, who was chairman of the judges.

Now in its sixth year, almost 40,000 entries have been submitted to the competition.

Judges included David Loftus, Jamie Oliver’s photographer, celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, and Dr Michael Pritchard, director general of the Royal Photographic Society.

Bangladeshi photographer Shoeb Faruquee was announced as the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2017 for his image Food for God, winning the top prize of £5,000.