Award-winning Liverpool photographer Simon Kirwan has been awarded first prize in the TUC Liverpool Working Lives photo competition, the TUC’s first element of their programme of events to mark Liverpool’s status as 2008 European Capital of Culture.

With 2008 being Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture, the TUC invited both amateur and professional photographers to display their own images of working life in the city. The panel judging the competition consisted of Alan Manning, Regional Secretary of the NW TUC, Anne Thornton, Arts-Coordinator at the NW TUC and Eddie Barford, Deputy Picture Editor at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo, and member of the NUJ, whose Merseyside branch partly sponsored the competition. The photos were judged on the interpretation of the competition’s theme in terms of creativity, atmosphere, originality and impact and also on their composition, focus, lighting, use of colour and exposure.

Anne Thornton, Arts Co-ordinator at the NW TUC said: “We have been extremely impressed by the high standard of pictures submitted to our competition by professionals and amateurs alike. Liverpool’s workers have created a unique photographic record of Liverpool working lives and of how they see their city during 2008, Capital of Culture year. The exhibition will be an opportunity for the public to see the best of the photographs and will be a showcase for the photographers themselves.”

Alan Manning, the TUC’s North West Regional Secretary, said that the competition and the website were an enjoyable way of highlighting working life in Liverpool while the city is in the international spotlight.

He added: “We want to celebrate the contribution of working people to this city and its culture. We are kicking off with a project that is aimed at showing Liverpool at work that is created by Liverpool’s workers. At the end of the competition, we will have an exhibition that we will tour around the region, from the city centre through to Kirkby and Bootle. Liverpool workers will have created a unique photographic record of Liverpool working lives.’’

Normally photographing stars performing on stage like Ringo Starr, Torvill & Dean, Duran Duran, Westlife, Sugababes, Meat Loaf and Paul Simon, resident photographer at Echo Arena Liverpool and BT Convention Centre Liverpool, and NUJ member Simon Kirwan captured his prize-winning picture in the kitchens at an awards dinner at the BT Convention Centre, depicting a team of chefs preparing dinner for delegates. In 2000, Simon was named the Observer Outdoor Photographer of the Year, and as well as photographing live events like the Liverpool Summer Pops for ACC Liverpool, operators of Echo Arena Liverpool and BT Convention Centre Liverpool, is the author of a series of landscape and aerial photography books, and also produces corporate and event photography for a diverse range of clients all over Europe. In 2007, Simon worked on projects in Spain, Holland, Belgium, and Poland, as well as locations all over the UK.

Simon Kirwan is a member of the Association of Photographers, and alongside his event, aerial, architectural, lifestyle marketing, public relations, corporate and advertising photography, has travelled extensively in Europe, USA, Asia and Africa producing images for The Lightbox, one of the UK’s longest-established photography web sites, which houses a collection of over 10,000 travel images, and can be viewed at www.the-lightbox.com

Contact for Media Enquiries:

Simon Kirwan - 07751 621691 - Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.the-lightbox.com

Event photography: www.event-photographer.co.uk