Photographer wins UK award

Photographer and artist Joe Smith has won the Pictorial and Illustrative category in the 2005 British Professional Photography Awards, which was held in the Midlands, UK.

He took the coveted title after beating off stiff competition - over 3,000 entries were received.

This is the third "Oscar" in the last four years that Mr Smith has won in these prestigious awards and this year he was also a finalist in the Fashion and Glamour and in the Press and PR categories.

The British Professional Photography Awards are a combined photography award run by the Master Photographers Association and the British Institute of Professional Photography.