I was honoured to be named winner of the 2016 Rose Bowl Photographic Award, thanks to an image of a young purple faced langur that I photographed in the jungles of Weddagala, just outside of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka.

The Rose Bowl Photographic Competition runs annually and allows photographers to enter into two categories - Local Wildlife and Rest of the World. The quality of images submitted to the competition was outstanding, and as the audience watched a presentation including many of the entries, audible 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' resounded in the hall. I was taken aback by incredible shots of wasps and ladybirds locked in deadly battle, bloodstained polar bears sleeping atop floating icebergs and synchronised oystercatchers gliding over shallow waves.

I was delighted just to make the top 3 for the 'Local Wildlife' category with a photograph of a Kestrel moments before perching atop an old tree, but when my image of a purple faced langur was selected as winner of the Rest of the World category and then Overall Winner of the Rose Bowl Photographic Award 2016 - I couldn't have been more proud (and surprised!).

Wildlife photography will always be a part of what I do, simply for my love of nature and the opportunities it affords to get closer to the incredible species all around us - so to receive acknowledgement in this way is wonderful, and I would like to thank the CNHS and everyone involved for selecting my photography.