Snapper Leanne's image set to give charity a boost

Leanne Vennards prize-winning shot of her friend and son, which will appear in a fundraising calendar

And her winning image is set to appear in a calendar which is raising money for mental health charity Mind.

Leanne, 35, was one of hundreds who entered the My Inspiring Moments competition launched by photobook and print specialist CEWE Photoworld in conjunction with Mind.

The UK-wide competition, which was part of the world’s largest photography contest – the CEWE Photo Award 2019 – aimed to bring the joy back into photography, asking entrants to share their most treasured memories and inspiring moments they had ever captured. It was launched after research discovered that one in five people now take the majority of their photos to portray a certain image on social media – with a quarter (24 per cent) admitting the pressure to get the ideal snap to share had made them stressed and anxious.

Leanne’s photograph of her young son and a friend touching hands across a table was selected as the winner by judge photographer Julian Calverley, who was stunned by the poignant moment she managed to capture. Leeame said: “I went out with a photography friend and my son for the first time and my shy quiet boy took to him straight away. My friend took to him too and I was able to get this beautiful shot of them.”

Leanne, along with 11 runners up, will have their images compiled into a calendar which will be sold online at CEWE Photoworld, with £5 from the sale of each calendar going to Mind.

Clare Moreton, Digital Marketing Director at CEWE Photoworld, said: “Our research found that while people are taking more photos than at any other time in history, the pressure to post our lives on social media has taken away the joy of photography for photography’s sake. The CEWE My Inspiring Moments competition aimed to bring the joy back into photography as an art form, asking people to share the photos that make them feel inspired and optimistic about the world we live in, and Leanne’s photo was a perfect example of this.”

She added:” “It was a delight to see all the amazing entries we received from people across the country and it was difficult selecting just 12 photos to win out of hundreds of entries. We are looking forward to publishing our winners’ photos in our charity calendar and raising much deserved funds for Mind, which does great work in ensuring no one has to face mental health problems alone.”

To purchase CEWE’s Inspiring Moments calendar, published in conjunction with Mind, go to: https://cewe-photoworld.com/mind-calendar.