40 Amateur Photographers Short Listed for National Photography Competition
- Guest Judging Panel includes supermodel Jodie Kidd
- Three prize packages of a £5,000 holiday and the top camera equipment
- Finalists’ entries displayed at central London gallery
40 amateur photographers have been short listed for the final of Currys ‘Great British Summer’ national photography competition 2009.
The competition run by Currys, the UK’s leading electrical retailer, in conjunction with News International and Panasonic, has received over 9,000 thousand with the finalists pictures displayed at the Music Room gallery in Central London until the 5th September, where they can be viewed by members of the public.
The finalists are now in the running to win one of three overall fantastic prizes of a luxury holiday worth £5,000 as well as a Panasonic FS12 camera or S26 camcorder. Six runners-up will also receive a Panasonic camera or camcorder, to ensure they have the best kit to showcase and develop their talents. The three overall winners will be presented with prizes by guest judge and photography enthusiast Jodie Kidd during a private ceremony.
Since launching in June this year, the Currys’ Great British Summer competition has encouraged members of the public across the UK to pick up their cameras and capture the moment. While also helping aspiring photographers and enthusiasts achieve the potential of their digital cameras.
Niall O’Keefe, UK Marketing Director said;‘ We’ve been really impressed with the quality of the photographs entered in this year’s competition and to reach the final is a fantastic achievement. At Currys we are passionate about your love and interest in photography. We have a fantastic range of digital photography equipment across all our stores, from the very latest in digital SLR technology to great compact cameras for all the family enjoy.’
The images short listed for the final have all demonstrated flair, originality and embodied the overall Great British Summer theme.
Regional finalists include:
Ryan Hemmings, from Buckinghamshire. Ryan’s photograph was taken in Torquay, on his first British holiday in 17 years. Ryan commented, ‘The contrast of the green grass and the blue sky complimented a beautifully arranged number of deckchairs just waiting to be photographed.’
Ian Cooper, from Derbyshire. Ian’s photograph captures a windy seaside scene. Ian commented, ‘A line of multicoloured huts, somehow always seems comforting and warming, and it seemed to show that the weather really doesn't matter at the seaside.’
Andrew Lever, from Dorset. Andrew’s photograph was taken from the Boscombe Pier in Bournemouth. Andrew commented, ‘This particular image was taken in the gorgeous early evening sunlight which captured the surfer in silhouette with a beautiful backlit effect’.
Simon Kitchin, from Flintshire. Simon’s photograph was taken in Snowdonia National Park earlier this year, featuring a reflection of Mount Snowdon in the nearby lakes. Simon commented, ‘This was taken on one of those perfect days, the sun was shining and there wasn't a breath of wind - the result was a stunning reflection of Snowdon.’
Tom Earwaker from Kent. Tom’s photograph was taken whilst on a family day out earlier this year, featuring his triplets and daughter enjoying ice creams at Chester Zoo. Tom commented, ‘it was a rare opportunity to capture them all sitting still while totally absorbed by their treats.’
Patrick Ferguson, from Merseyside. Patrick’s photograph was taken in Bangor whilst touring the coastline of Britain on his motorbike. Patrick commented, ‘I was drawn to the quiet, genteel mood of this elegant Victorian pier’.
Stephen Hyde, from North Somerset. Stephen’s photograph was taken in Weston-super-Mare on a July afternoon. Stephen commented, ‘I saw these two fans watching from outside the event and took this shot just as the heavens opened. They seemed determined to weather the storm, literally, and I got thoroughly soaked capturing a Great British Summer photo!’
Chris Bilton and Susan Hamilton, both from South Yorkshire. Chris’s photograph features a fisherman floating on an unusual inflatable armchair. Chris commented, ‘I could not help but be fascinated by the elegance of his chosen mode of transport as he propels himself, swan-like, around the lake’. Susan has photographed sea shells on Fistral Beach in Cornwall.
Tim Stevenson, from East Yorkshire. Tim’s photograph was taken in his garden on a hot summer’s day. Tim commented, ‘I feel this picture captures the true ‘Great British Summer’. Armed with my Pentax K10D, I waited patiently to ensure the flower and moving bee were both in focus and of course without getting stung in the process!’
Celia Herbert, from Cambridgeshire. Celia’s photograph was taken at her favourite beach in Weymouth. Celia commented ‘It was packed with families enjoying themselves and there was such a lovely atmosphere that I tried to capture this image on my camera’.
Richard Starling, Jessie Huxtable and Craig Mulvihill, all from Devon. Richard’s photograph was taken earlier this year; Jessie shot a scene from last year’s Notting Hill Carnival capturing the atmosphere just as police began to descend on the festivities and Craig Mulvihill’s photograph was taken in June and captures children surfing at Polzeath Cove in Cornwall. Craig commented, ‘The delight in their faces and shrieks of laughter inspired me to capture this fantastic memory’.
John Martin and Dianne Stanford, from Lancashire. John’s photograph was taken in the seaside town of Morecambe, featuring the famous statue of Eric Morecambe. Dianne captured a characteristically British seaside scene. Dianne commented, ‘Buckets and spades quintessentially represent the Great British Summer - an Englishman is truly at home with his sandcastle!’
Simon Bunyan, from Middlesborough. Simon’s photograph was taken in Durham earlier this year. Simon commented, ‘I take my camera everywhere with me, that’s how I came to take this picture. It was a lovely hot day at Beamish Museum and this was my favourite picture of many.’
Martyn Ferry and Alex Gordon, from Oxfordshire. Martyn’s photograph was taken in Dartmouth National Park earlier this year. He commented, ‘I found this rather relaxed looking bovine near one of the Tors in Dartmouth National Park, I liked the way she was posed on the grass, surveying all around her with a certain aloofness’. Alex captured a group of French students playing Frisbee in London’s Green Park.
Abby Doda, from Warwickshire. Abby’s photograph was taken whilst walking her dog on a warm summer’s evening. Ms. Doda commented, ‘. I sat down in the grass and looked over to the far side and noticed the sunset, so I took a picture making sure the grass was in the photo too’.
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Further information, full press releases or copies of the photographs are available from:
Kat McGettigan or Jemma Holliday
Talk PR
020 7544 3804/ 020 7543 4528
Kat.mcgettigan@talkpr.com / jemma.holliday@talkpr.com
Or
Anina Castle
Head of Consumer PR
anina.castle@dsgiplc.com
About Currys:
- Currys is the UK’s biggest electrical retailer with a network of over 500 stores nation-wide, including out of town superstores, high street Currys.digital stores and a Currys Megastore in the Midlands.
- The first Currys store opened in Leicester in 1896 – selling bicycles.
- Currys is a multi-channel retailer offering the widest selection of electricals in the UK in its stores and online at www.currys.co.uk.
- Currys products are available at the same price whether bought in a store or online.
- Currys wants to offer its customers the lowest prices, so checks prices every week. If a customer finds the same product and offer at a cheaper price in another retail store, it will match it and refund the customer 10% of the difference.
- Currys offers customers a "hassle free" shopping experience with the convenience of next day delivery, seven-days a week and delivery slots from 7.00am to 10.00pm, as well as installation services and comprehensive after-sales support, including 24-hour helplines and a national team of engineers called the TechGuys.
- Currys also offers a simple ‘Reserve and Collect’ service. Customers can go online and secure items at a designated store, which will be ready for collection just one hour later, at a guaranteed low price.
- Currys customers have the option of a comprehensive product support service, whateverhappens™ which offers fast and convenient repairs and technical support.
- Currys WEEE recycling scheme has been named Retail Week’s Customer Service Initiative 2008. Available free of charge, the service allows customers who are buying new electrical products to return their old ones to any of Currys stores across the country, even if the original product was not bought from Currys.
- Currys have now recycled over 1.3 million products including 450,000 fridges and 100,000 TVs.
About DSG international plc:
DSG international plc is one of Europe's leading specialist electrical retailing groups. It operates a multi-channel approach to electrical retailing and trades through more than 1,300 retail and online stores, spanning 28 countries and employing nearly 40,000 people. More than 100 million customers shop in-store and online with DSGi every year.
DSGi’s retail and e-tail brands include PC World, Currys and Dixons.co.uk in the UK and Ireland, Elkjøp in the Nordic countries, UniEuro in Italy, Kotsovolos in Greece and Cyprus, Electro World in central Europe, Greece and Turkey, PC City in Spain and Italy, and Pixmania.com across Europe.
DSGi offers customers a comprehensive range of after sales services, including our national customer support operation for IT and digital technology, The TechGuys, which offers telephone and home-based support services throughout the UK. It also runs a multi-brand business-to-business operation in the UK.
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