Latest Star Witness photography winners

The winner of June's Star Witness reader's photograph of the month is Howard Jones, from Shrewsbury.

Mr Jones won with his atmospheric picture of Stokesay Castle, near Craven Arms.

Meanwhile, the winner of July's Star Witness reader's photograph of the month is Carl Harrison, from Leegomery, Telford, with his picture of a ladybird.

Mr Jones, 59, said of his Stokesay Castle picture: "I think I took it in the spring and find it a nice place to take pictures. I have been there a few times to take pictures.

"I take pictures all over the country and have got about 6,000. I have got them on my computer and have got them backed up.

"I just used to take photos of the children when they were younger while on holiday.

"I think you get to a certain age where you then start taking more.

"I have got a variety of pictures but most are of scenery. I particularly like Cornwall and the Lake District.

"I have got pictures of most places in Shropshire. I have been up all the hills in the county. I don't tend to take portraits or pictures of animals much."

Mr Jones's photo has earned him the £100 Star Witness prize.

Meanwhile, Mr Harrison, 41, has always enjoyed photography, but developed his interest when his wife became pregnant two years ago.

"I wanted to make sure I could get some beautiful photos of my daughter as she grew up," he said.

Mr Harrison uses home-made camera equipment, making sure each shot is perfect for him.

"I use Pringles tubes on the flash with some loo roll on the end to guide the light where it needs to be. It works quite well for me. I didn't use a tripod for this picture; I just held my breath for each shot," he added.

This may look like a monstrous creature that would be found in a child's nightmare, but in fact the muse of his photograph is a common ladybird that could be found in anyone's garden. Mr Harrison's DIY equipment allowed him to get this precise image of the little creature with the added use of extension tubes for his camera lens.

The photograph was taken at Apley Pond, where Mr Harrison had gone to find some interesting bugs to capture on camera. It took quite a few tries to get the perfect image; out of every 10 shots, only around two would be clear enough to keep.

"People kept asking me what I was doing! I looked like a bit of a weirdo, really, but it was worth it in the end," he said.

Mr Harrison's photo also has bought him the £100 Star Witness prize and he was proud that his work could win.

"I love that you can capture a moment as it's something that won't be repeated again. I like that, with my camera, I can give people a glimpse of how I saw that moment," he added.

He enjoyed the macro photography and wildlife elements of this piece, but confessed: "I just love photographing anything.

"I went out looking for wildlife this time, but next time I'll be looking for something else."

This month's winning photographer will be visiting the Shrewsbury Folk Festival to photograph attendees and is "looking forward to photographing everyone having fun".

• You could be our next Star Witness winner. Go to www.shropshirestar.com/starwitness to send us your photos