A Sawtry student has won a national competition for photographers – beating more than 9,000 other entries. Gillian Livermore, who is studying at Huntingdonshire Regional College (HRC), won the Student Commercial Photographer of the Year 2007. Her pictur

A Sawtry student has won a national competition for photographers - beating more than 9,000 other entries.

Gillian Livermore, who is studying at Huntingdonshire Regional College (HRC), won the Student Commercial Photographer of the Year 2007.

Her picture was taken and compiled in different stages and has won her a professional

website and a course with renowned photographer Anna-bel Williams.

Gillian told The Hunts Post: "I wanted to be creative with light. I went into the woods and took an image for the background. I had one person lighting the trees and another running through the woods with a torch. The model's picture was taken in my living room."

Hannah Cobbe, 16, who is a friend of Gillian's daughter, Hollie, posed as the model.

Gillian, 42, is now in her third year on the foundation degree in professional photography at HRC, and she has already completed a two-year City and Guilds course.

She added: "I had a career working in retail but I wanted to use the time when my children were at school to do something a little more creative."

She entered the fashion section of the competition, run by Professional Photographer magazine, in the commercial photography category.

Gillian's work was chosen out of 9,300 entries and she was one of 15 winners in eight professional and student categories.

"I am very proud that my image was chosen," she said. "I constantly push myself to develop my own distinctive style and creative flair."

The results for the competition will be published in the January edition of the magazine.

INFORMATION: For details about photography courses at HRC, visit www.huntingdon.ac.uk