Hollie Cookson from Warrington has been awarded the title of Britain’s Best Young Photographer in the national Getty Images’ My Britain young photographer competition. Competition judge, Adrian Murrell, Global Vice President, Editorial, Getty Images, said:  “Hollie’s pictures stood out because they are very memorable British images, which capture plenty of emotion.  As well as being technically very strong, she captures her subjects unawares which is a very hard thing to do.” Hollie wins the exclusive prize of a one-day internship with a Getty Images photographer.

Getty Images Press Release

Local Teenager Captures Essence of Britain Today

Eighteen-year-old from Warrington crowned Britain’s Best Young Photographer in Getty Images’ My Britain photographer competition

LONDON – 03rd December 2007 – Teen amateur photographer, Hollie Cookson from Warrington, has been awarded the title of Britain’s Best Young Photographer in the national Getty Images’ My Britain young photographer competition.  Judged by renowned figures in photography from Getty Images, the competition asked young budding photographers from across Britain to submit images which reflected their life, community and feelings of what it’s like to be a young person living in Britain today.

Hollie’s photos take a very honest look at life in the North West and depict everyday moments such as capturing life in a hairdressing salon in Warrington, a workman eating fish and chips in his lunch break in Widnes and a lone gambler playing the slot machines in a bingo hall in Preston. Whilst they are affectionate and humorous images, they also yield to a slightly darker side of British society.

Competition judge, Adrian Murrell, Global Vice President, Editorial, Getty Images, said:  “Hollie’s pictures stood out because they are very memorable British images, which capture plenty of emotion.  As well as being technically very strong, she captures her subjects unawares which is a very hard thing to do.  Overall, the standard of entries has been magnificent.  It has been a wonderful experience to have this unique insight into how young people feel about the places where they live and how they go about capturing those feelings through photography.”

Hollie, 18, beat off shortlisted regional winners to win the exclusive prize of a one-day internship with a Getty Images photographer in an area of her choice including news, sports, entertainment or creative photography.  She was thrilled to find out she had won, saying, “Being the overall national winner is one of my greatest achievements and has really spurred me on to pursue my life long career ambition of becoming a professional photographer.  The competition really stood out for me because I saw it as a challenge to try and capture what it’s really like to live in the North West.”

The unique competition, which was open to 13-to-18 year olds across the country, invited young people to express themselves through photography and asked them to portray their lives in Britain today.  Whatever their background or experience, young people have a unique sense of belonging and identity which is often drawn from where they live, and this competition, for the first time, set out to try and capture British teenagers’ vision and perspective on life in the UK today. Shortlisted images which were highly commended by the judging panel included a humorous image of a teenage punk telling off a swan (see image 1 from Wales), an overcast shot looking out through a broken window onto a derelict house (see image 2 from the North), and an image of a teenager’s knuckles with ‘bare’ written on them which reflects the gritty determination and humour of Britain’s youth today (see image 3 from the South).

About Getty Images’ My Britain photography competition
The photographic competition, which is its inaugural year, is open to 13-to-18 year olds across the country. It invites young people to express themselves through photography and asked them to portray their lives in Britain today.  Whatever their background or experience, young people have a unique sense of belonging and identity which is often drawn from where they live, and this competition, for the first time, set out to try and capture British teenagers’ vision and perspective on life in the UK today.  The winner of the competition wins the exclusive prize of a one-day internship with a renowned Getty Images photographer in the area of his or her choice including news, sports, entertainment or creative photography.

About the judging panel
Judging the competition was a panel of experts from Getty Images, including creative guru, Lewis Blackwell, Getty Images’ industry-renowned Creative Advisor; Managing Editor of News, Hugh Pinney, Creative Planning Director, Rebecca Swift and Adrian Murrell, legendary cricket photographer and Global Vice President of Editorial. Leading photographer and Royal Photographic Society fellow, Tom Stoddart was also on the judging panel.

About Getty Images
Getty Images is the world’s leading creator and distributor of visual content and the first place creative professionals turn to discover, purchase and manage imagery.  The company’s award-winning photographers and imagery help customers create inspiring work which appears every day in the world’s most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and Web sites.  Headquartered in Seattle, WA and serving customers in more than 100 countries, Getty Images believes in the power of imagery to drive positive change, educate, inform, and entertain.  Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com.

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