A weekly newspaper photographer has won an international award for his work covering a horse racing event supported by a foreign royal family.
Phil Cannings, of the Newbury Weekly News, won first prize in the photographic contest of the 2016 Dubai International Arabian Races Journalists Competition.
The event is a European showcase for racing Arabian horse breeds, which is staged annually at Newbury Racecourse in July under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoumm, deputy ruler of Dubai.
Phil’s winning picture, below, was a high-angle shot of the crowds gathered for the judging of the Arabian Rainbow competition for local schools, which sees pupils decorate life-sized models of horses.
He was presented with his award and a cheque for £2,000 at a ceremony held in The Garden Rooms at The Jumeriah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge, London, on Tuesday.
A total of 12 photographers made the final round of the competition.
Said Phil: “I was surprised and delighted to win this award and I would like to thank Dubai International Arabian Races for a lovely ceremony. I’d also like to thank Newbury Racecourse for all their assistance over the years.
“I managed to get into the top three of the News Media Association’s Royal Rota photography competition in the best regional/local newspaper rota photo category earlier this year and it feels good to have gone one step further to win this time.”
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Whilst congratulating Phil on this accolade, the field must be quite slim now considering the huge number of togs laid off this year alone and bearing in mind the rare beast that a “staff photographer” is these days.
Maybe the judges should hold a “Best reader supplied snap” award in future as this market is becoming saturated across the country and is clearly the future of photographic imaging in the uk regional press.
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