Lorraine’s Photograph Takes Top Prize in Nationwide Press Pass Competition

National Press Pass photojournalism winner, Lorraine Hanrahan whose imaginative photograph (inset) has won the Nationwide Press pass Competition in Dublin today.  ©Photograph: John Reidy
National Press Pass photojournalism winner, Lorraine Hanrahan whose imaginative photograph (inset) has won the Nationwide Press Pass Competition in Dublin today.
©Photograph: John Reidy

News is only filtering through this Monday afternoon that Lorraine Hanrahan’s photograph has won the NewsBrands Ireland Press Pass competition in Dublin.
The St. Joseph’s Presentation Secondary School pupil, Lorraine, from Scartaglin had her mobile phone taken photograph shortlisted for today’s finals and award ceremony.
Pres, deputy principal, Padraig Kelleher expressed the delight of the school and management on hearing of Lorraine’s triumphant trip to the announcement in the Convention Centre in Dublin.
“It’s a great honour for Lorraine and for her parents and it’s wonderful for the school. Any day you get news like that is a really good day. We’re all delighted for her here,” said Mr. Kelleher.
“I have an interest in art and photography so I feel this benefited me when I was in the process of taking my photo,” Lorraine explained last week in the run up to the finals.
“The idea behind the picture developed from the book ‘The Best of Me’ by Nicholas Sparks – which is what I was reading at the time.
“It’s a tragic and heart-rending love story about two former high-school loves from two completely different backgrounds, who were forced to leave one another.
“There was a line in the book ‘He’d never stopped loving her’ and I felt that it fitted perfectly with the concept of the picture.
“The ring that I used in the photo is my mother’s engagement ring and it made a personal link to the photo. To create the unique heart shadow, I experimented with the light from my desk lamp and when it was in the right position, it created the perfect heart shaped shadow on the book,” said Lorraine – who was accompanied to Dublin today by her parents, Moss and Sheila. Glin, Co. Limerick readers please take note.