Matthew Cattell, an Associate at the practice’s Reading studio, took the top prize in the Landscape Photographer of the Year awards for his ‘Starling Vortex’ image.

The photograph, which forms the centrepiece of an exhibition of winning images at Waterloo Station until February 2017, captures the murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings which roost on Brighton pier every year.

Matthew, who started taking photographs after inheriting his grandfather’s metal pentax camera, said he took the award winning photograph after taking his parents to the pier to witness the phenomenon.

“The wind was also really strong and it had imparted an energy into the sea - turning it into a strong mix of sand and white foam and the moving components worked so well against the static ruins of the pier.”

The winning photograph, which beat thousands of submissions to win the overall title, was described as “an intriguing image” by the founder of the awards Charlie Waite.

“The sense of movement is palpable in Matthew's photograph and you really feel what it would have been like to stand beside him," Mr Waite said.

"The starlings seem to be swirling around the iconic remains of Brighton's West Pier in a manner reminiscent of the tornado in the Wizard of Oz."

An exhibition of the winning photographs will run at London’s Waterloo Station until February 5th 2017. To see more examples of Matthew’s work, go to www.matthewcattellphotography.com