Winners crowned in local pride photo contest

2 hours ago

Pamela TickellNorth East and Cumbria

News image — Laila Fuzluddin's picture Hands won the Photographer's Choice award

Laila Fazluddin A close up of two people holding hands over a pink piece of fabric. The hand on the left is more wrinkly, that the one underneath, on the right. — Laila Fuzluddin's picture Hands won the Photographer's Choice award

The winners of a town's photography contest say they hope to represent "love and hope" through their pictures.

Young at Heart's The Window to my World workshops saw Middlesbrough residents use smartphones, digital cameras and pin-hole photography methods to capture the area.

Laila Fuzluddin, 49, won the Photographer's Choice award with her photo Hands, which depicted her 13-year-old daughter and elderly mother clasping while her mother was unwell at James Cook University Hospital.

Public Choice award winner Rachel Carroll, 47, snapped her son holding an Up the Boro (UTB) flag in the "quiet" town centre on the day of Middlesbrough's Championship play-off final.

Fuzluddin said she was not expecting to be recognised by Rachel Marsh, the photographer who led the free workshops earlier this year.

"It shows a connection between generations," she said of her winning picture.

"It represents family and love and hope."

Rachael Carroll A small child wearing a blue and white romper is holding a red flag over their face. Letters on the flag read: "UTB". There are colourful building and a blue and white sculpture in the background, but they are out of focus. The child is walking over yellow road markings. — The Public Choice award winner showed the town on the day of the Championship play-off final

Carroll said she was shocked to win the public vote, which was cast by visitors to the exhibitions in the Young@Heart Cafe, Baker Street Kitchen, Butterfly Bakery, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) and Connections Cafe.

"I was so grateful that everyone took the time to vote," she said.

She said the photo was about making memories for her five-year-old son Theo.

"Middlesbrough had gone to Wembley, so that day the town was so quiet - there was hardly anybody around because everybody was in London," Carroll said.

"[Theo] made the flag and as we were leaving MIMA I just took the picture, and that's how that came about."

Supplied Laila Fazluddin and Rachel Marsh are standing side-by-side and both smiling brightly at the camera. Fazluddin, who has long brown hair and is wearing a pink top, is holding a picture of two hands embracing. Marsh is wearing a black t-shirt and also had long brown hair. — Laila Fazluddin was presented with the Photographer's Choice Award by Rachel Marsh

Carroll said the workshops were a "learning curve" in terms of photography skills and discovering more about the area.

"I wouldn't have ventured around Middlesbrough as much as I had looking at different ideas, different clock towers, different areas," she said.

The Young at Heart Choice Award went to Bridgehill Day Centre.

Bridgehill Day Centre A black and white picture of a photograph of a line of men descending the steps of a tall metal bridge. The structure is above a road and has a pavement on either side. The men are looking solemnly into the distance and the sky is cloudy overhead. — Bridgehill Day Centre won the Young at Heart Choice award

The Lottery-funded project aimed to celebrate Middlesbrough through the eyes of its residents.

Young at Heart said it continued to work to bring people together through creativity, food, culture and well-being to tackle isolation and loneliness in the community.

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