A BORDERS photographer has been named as one of this year's Scottish Portait Award (SPA) in photography winners.

Nina Davidson, a French photographer based in Yarrow, has been revealed as the winner of the first SPA Albert Watson Portrait Prize.

Nina's colour photograph titled 'Summer' was chosen by guest judge Albert Watson OBE.

The prize sees Nina win £1,000 in prize money.

On her win, Nina said: “It’s beyond words.

"I am very touched to be the first winner of the Albert Watson Portrait Prize.

"I entered the award on a whim so for this very striking photographer to recognise my work is humbling."

Summer is a joyful photo showing a child eating a melting 99 flake ice cream at the beach.

Nina added: "Photography has always been a part of my life from being very young.

"It is a way of focusing on the good things, the little snippets in life, the beautiful moments I share with my family.”

Albert Watson OBE is a famed photographer known for his iconic photos of Alfred Hitchcock holding a plucked goose in 1973 and Steve Jobs' portrait used in his biography.

He has also shot more than 100 Vogue covers and more than 40 covers for Rolling Stone.

Explaining his decision to choose Nina's Summer as the prize winner, Watson said: “There were tons of images, with lots of good things about them, and lots of those images would make it easily into the Observer colour supplement. But what makes a strong portrait? What makes a strong photograph? High memorability!

"There was an image I kept coming back to. A memorable photograph with spontaneity and one that I was fascinated by its sheer power.

"The person who hit the shutter, (no matter whether professional or amateur) hit it at the maximum point, the peak of that situation.

"A memorable moment that lasted only for a 250th of a second. 

"So many elements add to the photograph's power: The Sky, The Sea, The Beach, The Energy of the Wind.

"And the graphics of the shot: The 99 Ice Cream and of course, the little girl. The girl is in heaven with the ice cream!”

More of Nina's work can be found on her Instagram, or by visiting her website.