Hannah Merrett Photography, based in Abergavenny, 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 10,000 entries in 4 categories, and this week the Guild’s Judges have selected just 10 images in the various genres from the very best of the monthly entries, to go forward to the annual Final. Hannah has not one but two images in the Top Ten!

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 two images selected as being in the best 10 in a category for the end of year Final is a quite remarkable achievement, and shows just how talented a photographer Hannah is”

Hannah said “2016 was such a year of growth for my business, focussing particularly on the Baby and Toddler genre. To receive news from The Guild that two of my images in this category have reached the final is incredible. I strive to give families I visit across South East Wales the best possible images and all-round experience when they book their little ones in for a photo shoot with me, and entering The Guild’s national competition is one of the ways I constantly build upon my skills and knowledge.”

Hannah’s images 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 4th February.