Winner of inaugural Longbridge photography competition captures judge’s imagination

A budding photographer is celebrating after being chosen as the winner of ‘Lens On Longbridge’, a new photography competition aimed at students and young people in the area.

Mariah Tooke, aged 16, has been announced as the winner after submitting a selection of images that were judged to have “captured the very essence of Longbridge”. Mariah has been awarded a Nikon D3500 Digital SLR camera, worth £350.

The competition, which was launched by St. Modwen, the developer behind the £1bn regeneration of Longbridge, received more than 100 entries – all of which were judged by Ross Jukes, a Longbridge-born photographer who is famous for his dramatic cityscapes.

Mariah said:

“I wanted to capture my hometown as I see it through these images. Observing everyday moments and different corners of Longbridge to get the perfect pictures was a great experience and reminded me what a brilliant place it is. As a budding photographer, winning this competition means a lot and I can’t wait to get back out with my new camera!”

Guest judge Ross Jukes said:

“Choosing the winner wasn’t an easy task – the entries were of a really high standard and were all so diverse. It was fascinating to see Longbridge through different people’s eyes. Mariah’s photograph really stood out to me because it shows how Longbridge has evolved, with exciting buildings and the surrounding landscape. It’s well-composed and really pulls the viewer in with plenty of interesting aspects.”

Rob Flavell, Head of Major Projects at St. Modwen, said:

“We have delivered lots of change in Longbridge over the last decade with the creation of new homes, a new town centre with a number of shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs, new offices, Austin Park and other facilities such as an Extracare retirement village, Bournville College and a technology park. Despite the landscape and structure shifting, the essence of Longbridge – a place built on loyalty, hard work, community, strong values and pride – remains. “We wanted the younger generation to pause and take time to connect with their area and really explore what Longbridge means to them. It’s been incredible seeing the different ways people view this special place.”

‘Lens On Longbridge’ was created to encourage young people aged 13 – 18 to explore the Longbridge and its surrounding neighbourhoods as St. Modwen, the developer behind the area’s ongoing regeneration, moves towards its second phase of development.

Entries to the competition, with photographer credits, will be shared on Longbridge Life’s Facebook and Twitter channels over the coming weeks.

Photograph of Mariah captured by Guest Judge Ross Jukes.