Historic Newham
moments captured in photography competition
A patriotic shot of the Olympic
Park in Stratford at night is the winner of Newham Council's
Capturing Newham photography competition.
The picture taken by Hayley Dawson, 23, from East Ham
won the Mayor of Newham adult category, winning praise for the way
it encapsulated the Olympic spirit in Newham during Games
time.
Hayley discovered her passion for photography after realising how
many holiday photographs she always came back with. With the
support of her boyfriend and her family, she decided to enter the
council's photography competition.
Split into three categories, Capturing Newham saw people, places
and landscapes put in the frame. In addition to the adult category,
there were two
Young Mayor of Newham categories. Katrina Jablonovska won the 11 to
13
category and Zarah Kanwal won the 14 to 18 category.
A prize of £1,000 was up for grabs for the winner of the adults
competition, with photography equipment worth £500 for each winner
of the junior competition. With more than 300 entries overall, the
judges had their work cut out to pick the winners.
Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: "I congratulate Hayley for
creating a picture that really encapsulates the way many of us felt
about the Games. They were a triumph and this photo is a triumph.
Hayley is a deserved winner.
"I congratulate everyone who entered the competition. We hosted the
biggest local Olympics and Paralympics activity programme in the
history of the Games, and the community spirit in Newham during the
Games came across in all of the photographs. The competition
demonstrated what gifted people we have in the borough and I look
forward to seeing what these talented individuals do next."
Abraham Male was Young Mayor at the time of the competition and
judged the two younger categories. He said: "It's fantastic to see
so many young people in Newham are enthusiastic about photography
and that came across in the entries. The talent on display in the
two younger categories was incredible and it was very difficult to
pick the winners. Katrina and Zara both uniquely captured the
Olympic spirit and are well deserved winners."
Winner Hayley said: "The Olympics provided an unmissable
opportunity to capture moments and the people that made them,
inspired me to never put my camera away.
"I was so excited when I found out I had won. My family are really
happy for me. My winning entry was inspired by an amazing day at
the Olympic Park. On the way home from the athletics everything was
lit up and I saw the opportunity, turned around and thought it was
perfect for a picture. I've decided to spend my money on my
photography career."