Harpenden schoolgirls snap up photographic prizes in national competition

LOOKING at life through a lens has paid off for a 14-year-old schoolgirl who swept the board in a national competition.

Lizzie Wallis, a student in Year 10 at St George’s School in Harpenden, won the Sense of Place national competition run by Collier Green, an educational publisher.

She was one of three pupils at the Sun Lane school to reach the final of the competition after being selected by their art teacher Julia McNaught who helps run the AS and A-level photography classes at the school.

A year ago on taking over the post of deputy head of art, Julia introduced the school’s inter house photography competition.

Entries were of such a high standard Julia used three impressive photos from Esther Hardbord and Zion Davidson (both in Year 8) and Lizzie for the national competition.

She explained that the inter house photography competition had been introduced at the same time as the national competition was started by Colliers Green Focus to celebrate National Photography Month.

It wanted 10 entries from students who had worked on the theme Sense of Place and the trio were chosen for the shortlist.

Julia added: “The imagination and symbolism in Lizzie’s photographs is what captured the judges’ attention. Like all three students, Lizzie showed a strong creative eye and ability beyond her years, very impressive for key stage 3 students.”

Lizzie was presented with a Canon DSLR camera, an iPad and �1,000 for the school’s photographic department at a ceremony at the Museum of London.

Headmaster Norman Hoare commented: “Getting to the final is always a thrill for anyone who enters a competition: it was great for these three pupils to get to the shortlist and Lizzie’s triumph is remarkable.

“The quality of the entries was extremely high and to walk away with a ‘first’ was a huge achievement.”