A RETIRED Woodsetts GP has just returned from a prize trip to Canada after winning a prestigious photography competition.
Burberry FakeDr Kottiyattil Aravind, known as Aravind to family and friends, won best travel photograph of the year in a travel magazine and was awarded with a trip to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
"It was wonderful, everything was arranged for us. One highlight was a whale watching cruise, the animals were fascinating," said Dr Aravind, 68, who travelled with his wife Carol.
After jetting out from Heathrow to Canada, they spent most of their time exploring the resort.
"Nova Scotia is the size of Scotland so we spent most of our time driving around it. There was so much to see," said Dr Aravind, who moved to the Woodsetts area from India in 1965.
The GP retired from his Rotherham practice three years ago and has since travelled to several countries while on cruises.
He has been an avid photographer for many years, but has only recently picked up a digital camera.
His prize-winning shot was taken whilst visiting China last year, where he captured a native man hauling a boat full of tourists ashore with just his bare hands and bamboo rope.
"These people looked so small but they were so strong," recalled Dr Aravind, of Lindrick Road.
"I was up really close and I could see his muscles straining as he was working so hard and so I got a picture of that action first hand," he said.
fake rolexDr Aravind spotted the competition in Wanderlust travel magazine and entered his photograph.
"I decided to enter my photo because I have been taking pictures with non-digital cameras for years," he said.
His success was officially announced in a ceremony in London last February.
"It really was a complete shock but I am very pleased and did not expect such a fuss," said Dr Aravind.
He won the holiday along with a digital camera and a year's subscription to the travel magazine.
The budding photographer took lots of pictures while on holiday, which have already been requested by the travel magazine and the Canadian Tourist Information board.
