Tristan Rodney of Clarendon College takes the top prize at the Jamaica National Building Society Foundation Youth Zoom Photography Awards, held at the Runaway Bay Heart Hotel, St. Ann, last Thursday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

A provocative image captured by Tristan Rodent, of Clarendon College, led to him receiving first place in the Youth Zoom Awards 2007.

"I feel very happy and excited, I never expected to win," the young photographer said of his accomplishment during the awards ceremony held last Thursday at the Runaway Bay Heart Hotel in St. Ann.

Tristan's photograph captured two elderly women sitting on the doorstep of their home, and was titled poverty. He received a special award from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the award for best photograph, best composition, and best technical quality. Clarendon College also received a team award.

The 15-year-old said he was happy to have made an impact on the lives of the two elderly women.

"When we got there, they had no food to eat for their dinner and we pooled together as a team and bought food for them," he said of his photographic subjects. "Many of us cried, but after helping them, we became good friends."

Grateful to teacher

Tristan said he was grateful to his form teacher for introducing him to the competition which allowed him to gain such success.

In addition to the first-place prize, he received a special award from professional photographer Howard Moo Young, who gave him a photograph of Bob Marley, captured at a stage show in1978.

Main sponsor of the event, Jamaica National Building Society, has decided to assist the two elderly women on a long-term basis.

"We want to help them, not by giving them food, but giving them sustainable help," said Jamaica National representative Ruth Jane.

"We do not want to give them food and then someone else takes it away, we want to make a change," she said.

The contestants were judged in the categories of impact - best interpretation, composition and technical quality.