With an image depicting nature’s alternative to mechanised chores, a young photographer from Austria has beaten entrants from 104 countries to be crowned winner of Shoot Nations 2008, a global youth photography competition sponsored by Times Online.

Harald Hinterleitner, 20, from Austria, impressed an expert panel of judges including Times photographer Nick Ray with his picture “Washing – Nature’s Way”. It will be exhibited at the Oxo Tower from August 12-19 alongside other winning entries from the competition, which this year was themed “Young People in a Changing Climate”. For a video slideshow of the best entries, click here.

He said he was “very, very happy” to win the competition, which was on an issue that was extremely important to him as a young person.

1300 entries were received for three briefs: How is climate change affecting your life?; Act now – be the change; and Your world in the future.

Lauren Card, 13, of the United States, won the 11-16 age group in the first category with her image of ice cubes in an exhaust pipe, while Lameck Nyagudi, 24, of Kenya won the 17-24 age group with his photograph “Waste on the Playing Fields”.

Explaining his image, Nyagudi said: “I believe that many young people all over the world are being affected in one way or another. This year’s theme relates to one of the great global challenges facing us as youth and the world. Using pictures is one of my passions to express myself, so that hopefully action can be taken by people responsible for listening to us.”

In the second category, Lára Þórðardóttir, 17, of Iceland, won the 11-16 age group with her photograph “Abandon the Car” while Tina Skrlj, 21, of Slovenia, won the 17-24 group with “Take the Bike”.

Becky Turner, 15, of Canada, won the lower age group in the third category with her image “Winter, Summer”, while Zabir Hasan, 19, of Bangladesh, won the upper age group with “In Search of a Happy Ending.”

As well as being exhibited at the Oxo Gallery, all the winning images and a selection of other commended entries will be shown at the World Youth Congress in Quebec, which runs from August 10-21.

William Lyte, 17, of Clitheroe in Lancashire, was voted the Times Online Reader’s Winner for his image “Reflecting the Earth’s Frustration” and will be flying to Quebec for International Youth Day on August 12 to present the winning photographs.

For more information visit www.shootnations.org

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