A Welwyn Garden City photographer has beat hundreds of rivals to win a national accolade for her portrait work.
Sonya Harrap, a qualified photographer with the Master Photographers Association and mum of three, has been awarded Overall Print Photographer 2022 and Maternity Print Photographer 2022 at The Newborn and Portrait Show in Coventry.
The three-day show is Europe’s largest and premier specialty photography show for all portrait photographers.
Sarah Wilkes, studio owner and co-owner of The Newborn Portrait Show, said: "Sonya's work is beautiful and we are so happy to announce her as overall winner and maternity winner."
Sonya, who is in her 13th year of business, said her work focuses on a woman’s inner strength and she uses this to create empowering photos for her clients.
“A pregnancy photoshoot is a wonderful thing. Women can sometimes feel awkward or shy in front of the camera but once I explain what I want to achieve for them, that feeling of empowerment and beauty all rolled into one, they start to relax.
"From there the laughter and fun starts with lots of dresses and accessories thrown in. It’s incredibly important to me that all women who visit my studio for a photoshoot feel comfortable and have a great experience.
"Pregnancy is tricky no matter who you are, so taking some time out to focus on yourself, whilst creating long-lasting memories is in my opinion a great thing to do. I love that my work creates so much joy for so many women and am very grateful for my recent awards."
She added by explaining why she puts such value in photographs: "To me, my clients are everything and I take a huge amount of pride in every image I create.
"A photograph taken 20, 30, 50 years ago has the power to unlock so many emotions and memories and take that viewer back to the very day the photos was taken. For me this is what makes it an extraordinary form of media.
"Unlike film, which is undoubtably important, we can flick through photo albums, hang photos on our walls and display them around our homes. I love the idea that the photos I will take for you can be enjoyed for decades and passed down through the generations."
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