Swindon Link photographer snaps up national award for best picture

Ex-New College student becomes the master, winning a national photography award for action-packed picture.

Swindon Link photographer, Rachel Davis, 20, snapped up The UK Picture of the Year award at London's City Grange Hotel.

Rachel, who works for Calyx Multimedia in Swindon, was unanimously chosen as the winner against three other competititors. She is the first woman to win the award.

Rachel said: "I can believe it at all. The other photographers were from bigger publications - one of the images was on the front page of The Sun, and I thought 'Of course that's going to win' - and the photos were really good, so I honestly didn't think I would win.

"When they called my name my mouth just dropped. When I told my parents the next day they thought I was tricking them."

The picture, selected by a panel of judges, was taken last year in July at the Royal International Air Tattoo. The award was presented by author and journalist Eve Pollard.

Alongside her job working at McDonald's Rachel has been working part-time in between at Calyx for nearly two years.

She said: "Afterwards I was so busy back at work I forgot about winning the award when people congratulated me. It still doesn't feel like it's happened."

Rachel was asked to join Calyx by the agency's owner, and national photographer, Richard Wintle after he saw some of her photographs at a New College end of year show.

He said: "She's improved dramatically - taken everything on board - and is now a good press photographer.

"When I first saw her images at the exhibition I thought 'there's something about these'.

Richard, who has been mentoring Rachel, attended the awards with her.

He added: "Everyone was saying it was the best picture. The look on her face when she won was amazing. For her to be nominated was good, but for her to win the prize was outstanding."

To contact Calyx Picture Agency visit www.calyxpix.com