LAUNCESTON-based photographer, Joanna Mendes, has reached the final of the fiercely contested Guild of Photographers Image of the Year competition.

The guild is a highly respected UK-based association for photographers, which has members from overseas as well.

Each year it runs an online monthly photographic competition with awards being given each month to the very best of the entries.

During the course of 2016, the competition attracted nearly 10,000 entries in four categories, and recently the guild’s judges have selected just ten images in the various genres from the very best of the monthly entries, to go forward to the annual final. Joanna’s was one of those.

Guild director, Lesley Thirsk, said: “One of the Guild’s aims is to drive standards and creativity amongst photographers. Our monthly competition certainly does that, for the standard of the entries we see each month is quite staggering.

“To have an image recognised by the guild in the monthly competition is difficult enough, so to have an image selected as being one of the best ten in a category for the end of year final is a quite remarkable achievement, and shows just how talented Joanna is.”

Joanna said: “I love photography and put a lot of effort into developing my skills. One way I do that is to enter the guild’s competition. It drives forward photography standards month after month so it helps me push myself. The images I see getting awards each month are inspirational, so knowing just how high those standards are, to have one of my images selected as one of only ten to go through to the final from the whole year’s entries is really, really exciting. I couldn’t believe it when I found out.”

Joanna’s image, along with the others, will now be printed ready for the competition final later in January, and the overall winner will be announced at a lavish awards night in a magnificent Jacobean mansion in Cheshire on Saturday, February 4.

To find out more about the Guild of Photographers, visit their website at www.photoguild.co.uk. To find out more about Joanna visit her website www.jm-photography.co.uk