Clara’s quest

Little did Clara know when she was given her first camera as an 11-year-old schoolgirl at Haberdashers Askes Matchem in New Cross, she would one day be driven to search for the ultimate picture.

And already the search has taken Clara to Thailand for the aftermath of the Asian tsunami and to Rome for the announcement of the Pope's death.

The images she has taken along the way led to her winning the Times/Tobasco Young Photographer of the Year Award - earning herself a six-month contract working on the Times newspaper.

She said: "I want desperately to do hard news, I want to report on wars, famine and disasters.

"I think that kind of photography has the ability to change the way people see things. The amount of money raised after the tsunami, never would have been raised had it not been for images of the devastation in the area."

Clara made it into the final with her three pictures in the categories of food (picture 2 - below), action and a portrait of a Thai boy lying on bags of rice (picture 3 - below) after his village Ban Nam Khem was destroyed by the tsunami.

That put Clara into the final six and she then had to take a newsworthy picture and meet the Times arts editor.

Clara's image of a nun mourning (picture 1 - above right) at the announcement of the Pope's death won her a spot in final three and then she had to prove herself on a shoot with a Times photographer.

She explains: "It was the day after George Galloway's Respect Party meeting was stormed by Islamic fundamentalists and he was not speaking to anyone from the media."

But it was Clara's ability to use her contacts and take her opportunities that landed the Times an exclusive interview with the politician.

She explains: "I was a good friend of George Galloway's daughter at school so I chatted to him and on the basis of our talk, he agreed to an interview with the Times."

Although Clara's dream is to be a photojournalist, she completed an English honours degree at Bristol University.

She says it was while she was at university that her hobby became more of an interest and led to her National Committee for the Training of Journalists qualification at Norton College in Sheffield.

She says her turning point came about a year ago when she read the book The Bang Bang Club the story of four young South African photographers who developed an uncanny skill and reputation for covering the bloody events that marked the country's transition from apartheid to majority rule.

She too wants her work to make a difference but she also admits that being drawn to take photographs of events that shock the world is not easy.

"You cannot go into something like the aftermath of the tsunami without being greatly affected."

"It's difficult to articulate. The closest thing I can say is it was apocalyptic. But then you have to just get on with the job because it is what you are there for.

"When the pope died, I burst into tears because it was such an emotional event even though I am not even remotely religious, but that is really the point when you have to be taking pictures, so that is what I did."