A MUM-of-two has won a nationwide competition to find the most inspiring moments captured on camera, with her winning image set to appear in a calendar for mental health charity Mind.

Samantha Wenham from Billinge, was one of hundreds who entered the My Inspiring Moments competition launched by photobook and print specialist CEWE Photoworld in conjunction with mental health charity Mind.

The UK competition, which was part of the world’s largest photography competition - the CEWE Photo Award 2019 - aimed to bring the joy back into photography, asking entrants to share their most treasured memories and inspiring moments they had ever captured on camera.

It came after research discovered that 1 in 5 people now take the majority of their photos to portray a certain image on social media – with a quarter of people stating that aiming to get a good photo to share on social media had made them stressed and anxious in the past.

Microbiologist Samantha’s winning photograph of her daughter enjoying last Christmas’ festivities was selected as one of the final 12 images by judge photographer Julian Calverley, who was stunned by the poignant moment Samantha managed to capture on camera.

Samantha, 39, said: “I’m delighted to be chosen as one of the winners of the CEWE My Inspiring Moments competition.

"I took this photo of my daughter peeping through the branches of a Christmas tree last year and think it perfectly captures the joy and magic of Christmas as seen through a child’s eyes.

"I’m excited to see my photo in the winning calendar and to help raise money for such a fantastic cause.”

Samantha, along with 11 other winners, will have their images compiled into a calendar which will be sold online at CEWE Photoworld, with £5 from the sale of each calendar going to mental health charity Mind.

Clare Moreton, Digital Marketing Director at CEWE Photoworld, commented: “Our research found that while people are taking more photos than at any other time in history, the pressure to post our lives on social media has taken away the joy of photography for photography’s sake.

"The CEWE My Inspiring Moments competition aimed to bring the joy back into photography as an art form, asking people to share the photos that make them feel inspired and optimistic about the world we live in, and Samantha’s photo was a perfect example of this.

“It was a delight to see all the amazing entries we received from people across the country and it was difficult selecting just 12 photos to win out of hundreds of entries. We are looking forward to publishing our winners’ photos in our charity calendar and raising much deserved funds for Mind, which does great work in ensuring no one has to face mental health problems alone.”

To purchase CEWE’s Inspiring Moments calendar go to cewe-photoworld.com/mind-calendar

The CEWE Photo Award 2019 competition is still open for entries. Submit yours before 31st May 2019 to be in with a chance of winning prizes at contest.cewe-photoworld.com.