A King’s Ely sixth form student was crowned the winner of a national competition after beating more than 160 teenage photographers from across the country.

Ely Standard: King’s Ely Sixth Form students Lexy Chen and Gaia Giardinelli have been shortlisted in a competition for young photographers.King’s Ely Sixth Form students Lexy Chen and Gaia Giardinelli have been shortlisted in a competition for young photographers. (Image: Archant)

Gaia Giardinelli, 17, was named overall winner of the Beyond the Frame photography competition. Her work was selected from more than 400 photographs submitted by 174 teenage photographers around the country.

Work by 36 finalists - including another King’s Ely sixth former, Lexy Chen, was displayed at Norwich University of the Arts on the night the winner was announced. The theme was ‘environment’ and students were asked to interpret the theme in their own way.

James Smith, BA Photography course leader at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), and chairman of the Beyond the Frame judging panel, said: “The judges thought long and hard about their overall winner. Gaia’s image explores the relationship between nature and humanity.

“She challenges viewers to think about the dominance of mankind over the natural world and foregrounds the importance of plants and trees by making it the dominant element of the image. “